The kings new owner isn't a person that spends beyond his own means. He gets about after games and is very easy to chat to. The kings are very well lead at senior management level.

"The kings new owner isn't a person that spends beyond his own means."

How do you know?

"He gets about after games and is very easy to chat to."

Is that point meant to be related to the first?

I don't know about a draft. Where do the players come from for the draft?

What I'd like to see is more transparency in luxury tax payments and those payments be spread 100% to teams that did not breach the soft cap. Currently the league limits luxury tax receipts to help teams make the salary floor. But I'd like to see it changed to help teams make the soft cap instead.

He's a self made millionaire, started in a very working class area in the Illawarra, you learn how to be frugal from a young age in the old days.

Sydney would not even be in the top two spending clubs. Put names to paper of United and cats squad with $$ value next to them, you will be surprised. Don’t class Bruce, Moller, Hunter etc as big paid players.

"However, until you have a league where every team feels they can win a title every nine years"


Out of interest, champions from the past nine years:

New Zealand
Perth
Melbourne

Other grand finalists:

Cairns
Adelaide
Illawarra

So given Brisbane weren't in the 2/3 of that time and SE Melbourne weren't in the league at all, the only team that should feel aggrieved is Sydney!

Name a competition in the world where it's even. Bayern Munich have eight titles in row, only two three clubs can win any of major euro league titles in either football or basketball. In the nba if you haven’t got a few super stars you got no chance. Jazz fans think they can win every year but don’t, same with most clubs.

Yes I think it would be good for clubs to post there spendings but it won’t change results. Money speaks when you get the best players. Mathew Knight retires you bring in Kay, Martin getting older you bring in Norton. Ware and Boone go you get Trimble and Long. None these players left for less money and the hawks offered import money to those two.

"He's a self made millionaire, started in a very working class area in the Illawarra, you learn how to be frugal from a young age in the old days."

You could rationalise his personality entirely the opposite way. Unless you know the man or the Kings' finances personally, you're just speculating.

"Sydney would not even be in the top two spending clubs. Put names to paper of United and cats squad with $$ value next to them, you will be surprised. Don't class Bruce, Moller, Hunter etc as big paid players."

Well, put names to paper with $$ value next to them. Otherwise this is just more speculation. We're already heard the 'we're not spending as much as you think' rhetoric from Bogut etc.

My dear old Nan, god love her, used to use recycled newspaper in the toilet.
That was the last time I saw so much shit on one page.

So there needs to be equalisation, but everything Sydney has done is fine???

Dumping Kuany mid-season to sign a gun-expat is fine because they should have been allowed to trade???

Furthermore, when anybody mentions a "draft" you know they are dribbling shit. It's never going to happen, because even if you could iron out all the complexities it is basically illegal in australia

Exactly, a draft is a restriction of trade, even the afl draft is a lot more flexible, once you done your two years basically you can go anywhere, clubs don't want players there that don’t want to be there. The players union in the afl is strong and they get what they want. What the draft and trading does is give the afl all year publicity where as the nrl dies off for a few months.

If Martin retires and Cotton gets his citizenship, then Machado would be a perfect target for Perth

I did think of that, but surely not. Machado, Cotton, White, Kay, Oliver starting 5. Surely not

Cheats ! Cheats ! Cheats !

If Perth planned to spend like Sydney maybe they could sign LeBron!

no, but I had to wipe my ass with what was available

Cairns got Newbill from breakers and have been able to keep him, they can spend on there imports. The truth is Kelly wanted a better point guard than Trimble and got the player he wanted. Cairns top six would be on good money but then the rest falls away. Injuries to there stars would hurt them.

Illawarra owner doesn't want to spend, hopefully he moves on as I believe there is another interested party but they want control.

The Hawks get owned by the Wildcats every year

Good points love broken Love broker.

This place is like an onion.
Just when you think you're pealing off the last layer of stupid, there's another layer underneath.

The Hawks, despite Lamelo, are eating shit and dying. At this rate they won't be in the league much longer.

Having Cairns slightly competitive, once in a blue moon, is simply not enough.
They've pulled a rabbit out their ass this year, and at any other time they could be reasonably thinking of a ring. Instead they'll be lucky to make the playoffs, before once again plunging into the abyss and disappearing until the planets align again.
LMFAO at the idiots claiming their imports are on good money.
Cairns have been running their own next stars for years, except they aim a bit lower. Guys go there to strut their stuff for a year, look good, and springboard to bigger and better things.
Why else do you think Oliver chose Cairns over Perth??? It wasn't for the money. I'd imagine he was guaranteed a start and minutes. Something Cairns can do, but Perf never would.

The dreams of expanding with another team of sheep-shaggers are rapidly fading, as the Breakers lurch fro one catastrophe to the next..

Adelaide have gone from a team routinely challenging for a GF spot, to a team routinely struggling for a playoff spot.

Brisbane, even being propped up by Larry, are just alsorans.

But I guess as long as Sydney get to buy a title, everything is cool?

it seems like each new season the rich clubs take the piss more more than the season before. it started off fairly even but it is rich vs poor now.

Yet a poor club like Perth is 2nd on the ladder and perennial championship contenders. Perth so poor they can't even offer Oliver enough to convince him to sign on cause he won't play for free and the pure motivations of great culture like Cotton, Kay and Co. Just those evil Sydney and Melbourne city slickers. Well at least with all this attention on Sydney, and their iffy form, Melbourne can get away with the largest payroll in NBL history and no one is saying boo about it. Long, Melo, Prather - all 5 star imports, at least on reputation as Prather has been so-so. Add Goulding and Money Makin' Mitch McCarron who are on good coin, plus the ability to have savy vets like Pledgehammer and attract Illi away from NZ and Jo Lual Acuil away from Euro ball. No one cares though but wait and see come finals time. LK gonna make it happen.

# 867 so right.

# 862 go back to lawn bowls, it's more your budget of a sport.

"But I guess as long as Sydney get to buy a title, everything is cool?"
Yep like Perf has done for years.

Yeah, that expensive two import squad from last season was a real game changer.

^^
Exactly, Kay and Norton went there for the love of Gleeson, no money was involved.

LOL Perth is a poor club.

Cotton the highest paid import in the Nbl, brought in mid-season to guarantee finals.

Norton and Kay brought over with an offer the Hawks couldn't get close to.

Until a few years ago Perth out-spent everyone, propped up by a sugar daddy owner.

Perth now sooking because Melbourne and Sydney are beating them at their own game.

Perth still spending big, White wasn't coming back till they paid what he wanted. White would’ve gone back to Korea where they pay big in a lot easier competition than nbl.
The pecking order of spending would be United,Cats, Kings and Phoenix would be up there as well.

"Until a few years ago Perth out-spent everyone, propped up by a sugar daddy owner."

Perth may have outspent others, but they weren't "propped up" at all. Yes, Bendat is wealthy but he has always ensured the club is profitable and sustainable. Can we say the same about Sydney?

You can say the same about Sydney, you just don't want to believe it.

There is no evidence to suggest that Sydney are sustainable or not. Perth has got the runs on the board.

"Perth may have outspent others, but they weren't "propped up" at all."
What utter piffle. Clearly you don't remember the days when Perth were losing money.
Selective memories it seems. This is one the exact reasons Perth are hated. "Oh no we have never cheated"

"Clearly you don't remember the days when Perth were losing money."

When was this?

Probably when Vlahov and Longley were running the show, before sugar daddy came along.

Cotton is the highest paid in the league. Don't listen to what anyone else about that. Even Melbourne balked at the price Perth offered Nick Kay, and MU are the highest spending club.

Um, the context of this discussion is about the Cats in the Bendat era. The giveaway was referencing Bendat in the very next sentence.

Maybe try reading next time instead of using words like piffle.

Oh so you think bendant wasn't involved then? Dream on.

Ok I think someone has had a bit too much smoke inhalation.

Yes so the cats were a basket case, wealthy owner turns up bails them out, spends more than every one else for championships but when other clubs do it the league won't survive. All you people that can predict the future please put out the lotto numbers. Bendant dies you will be back to challenge stadium.

Perth has both lost money and made money with Bendat underpinning it

Currently they are about break even due to the spending required to keep pace

Bendant dies you will be back to challenge stadium.

No.

Bendant will look after the club for 2-3 years he has said after he's gone. So if they break even this year how much will they lose next year?

Don't worry Jack will cover that. Kinda pointless having all these chips when the club is essentially broke.Eh.

WTF are you all talking about. It was reported in a financial article that Wildcats made 1M PROFIT 3 seasons ago. Nothing has changed since then, if anything the advertising dollars is going up and up.

I guess you still don't know what sustainable means.

Yes Perth were the ones who decided all those years ago "we are professionals" and we have to train twice a day back in the day.
That's when the salaries went up and up and the likes of the smaller clubs were kicked out.
Finally the salary cap had a points cap to assist.
Since (as mentioned above) LK has taken over the salaries are exorbitant continue to climb.
The NBL was equalised and everyone shared the same costs for travel, flights, accom etc. Once again LK in and it became effe tively an arms race to see who could spend the most.

"Yes Perth were the ones who decided all those years ago "we are professionals" and we have to train twice a day back in the day.
That's when the salaries went up and up and the likes of the smaller clubs were kicked out."

Of all the absolute horseshit that I've read on this forum, this takes the cake.

"Finally the salary cap had a points cap to assist."

I heard the guy that created that is an idiot.

There is no points cap now and with teams like Perth now only breaking even is there really any point?
LK has allowed this and we are back to the future it's out of control.
If you have any issues with the points cap go read Bob Bellotti's books and then you might understand. Unlikely how ever.
Strange thing was that it worked.
Back to the future.

Ok Bruce.

The points system had mediocre players and teams, Perth used it to keep their players and NZ had the tall black side plus imports. No one else got a look in. You want a decent league spend the money on teams, promotion etc. or you can go back to the crap that was dished up with all decent players heading overseas for more money and the league folding. At least if it folds now LK had a go, not like all the naysayers on here.

Also, remember the years that Rotnei Clarke and Brian Elbows Conklin were winning MVP. That is what Perth fans want. MVP Dan Grida!

"The points system had mediocre players and teams, Perth used it to keep their players"

Haven't Perth won 2 of the 3 championships since the system changed?

They've won 3 of the 4 championships since LK took over

Also, remember the years that Rotnei Clarke and Brian Elbows Conklin were winning MVP. That is what Perth fans want. MVP Dan Grida!

Where do people come up with this shit?

The same place as all these fools who claim they know without any shred of evidence what teams are spending, that it isn't sustainable, or that teams are cheating when everything is perfectly within the rules.

So how does that lead you to conclude that Perth wants guys like Conklin and Grida to win MVP? That's the dumbest thing you've said today.

That's what you think!

Has somebody cooked a cheap batch of meth? The tweakers are out in force.

One drugged out spastic makes a comment about Perf being poor, and the rest of you lunatics all start gushing your usual perf sucks diatribe.

How many times do I have to pound this into your thick heads?
It isn't about Perth.

Perth might decide to match Sydney. Or they might not. They will still be competitive as we saw last weekend. Same goes for Melbourne. Wait for next year to see what Phoenix do but their owner has more than a few dollars to play with.

The problem is teams like Adelaide, Cairns, Illawarra, etc. We dont have the money to keep up. Cairns playing well above themselves this year and deserve to make the playoffs and probably will. But they wont go any further, they dont have the depth.

I do understand the agro directed at Perth and I not saying they should be exempt from criticism. Last year watching them steal Kay and Norton from the Hawks was rude and then signing another gun import in White was rubbing salt into the wound. In a more equal comp that wouldn't be allowed.

You make some good points about Perth. We should expand on those.

#096
What is equal in the world let at all sport, there will always be have and have nots. The tax seems to be working ok with all sides this season with reasonable rosters, Yes the top three go probably deeper but there is always going to that affect. The league has put pressure on Illawarra just recently to get two more imports and helped them fund it. NZ and Brisbane have good rosters but injuries and poor form has kept them crap. Illawarra have an inexperienced coach which probably didn't help. All other sides are doing good, doesn’t mean you don’t lose games and win others, f..k Adelaide smashed Perth in Perth two weeks a go.

"put pressure on Illawarra just recently to get two more imports and helped them fund it."

I don't believe that second part is true at all.

Illawarra owner wasn't paying so a deal was worked out between club and league. Illawarra is a small community re basketball, information gets out.

Ok so its made up then. Cool.

So the fact that they needed a bail out clearly shows it isn't all working well.

If funding from the league was available, why did they need to pressure the Hawks? That isn't how the tax is meant to work at all.

I think that comment was him trying to find a silver lining in their season, as it had become apparent early on that they won't be competitive.

Coincidentally I spoke to someone who is close to a GM of one of the NBL clubs and his exact quote was "we have not seen 1 single cent of the Luxury tax".

I'm sure the GM of the Kings hasn't seen any money from luxury tax receipts

I mean the Hawks probably don't deserve it. It's there to help make the team more competitive, not line the owners pockets. Brooks has been out for the season for how many weeks now, and no attempt to replace him. Melo Ball, their biggest draw, is being paid for the most part by the League. And if it's really a case of fans not turning up for the games, well, that is really on them isn't it. Much the same as it was for Townsville. Sure, it sucks for the people who do turn up (and pour beers on opposing players), but the fairweather Johnson's don't really deserve a team.

The Hawks owe money everywhere allegedly.

Hawks owe no money, it's just the current owner likes keeping his money tight. I believe there is an other interested party but won’t put money in unless he gets control.

Boone, Blanchfield, Ogilvy, Anderson while not on Prather, Cotton type of money would still be on dollars. Dech and Grida were required at Perth but also left so could be useful money as well, while Naar came with highly rated credentials from college so could be on reasonable as well. In saying all that it doesn’t mean you always perform to your wage packet.

It doesn’t take that much to get to the cap.

Are #101 and #142 the same person?

Boone broke, Anderson broken, Blanchfield can hoop but shouldn't be paid top $.
Olgilvy meh. Dech and Grida, double meh.
Pay the cap by all means but that side is shit sorry to say. Melo I have never been impressed by. NBA #1 pick? Says how bad his opposition is.
He's 18 he will develop for sure by maybe in another 2-3 years. He will get beat up in the NBA at that age and lack of defence and shooting ability.

151
They might be meh, double meh in your opinion but they still get paid.
Ball will be top 3 draft pick and be outstanding, you have no idea really.

148
They are not. One is a scholar and a gentleman, the other is a scoundrel. I'll leave it up to you to decide who is who.

Let's hope they do get paid ;)