Hull KR fullback Ben Cockayne has labelled the Million-Pound Game a “disgrace”, insisting he will not be celebrating if his side beat Salford in their crunch Super League relegation decider.
The Million-Pound Game was introduced last year as part of the Super 8s concept designed to re-introduce promotion and relegation in a controlled manner and Wakefield preserved their Super League status last October with a dramatic win over leading Championship club Bradford.
This time a Super League club is guaranteed to go down after Leigh finished second in the Qualifiers and their place in the Championship will go to the losers of Saturday’s sudden-death tie at the Lightstream Stadium.
“I think the concept is a disgrace to be honest,” Cockayne said at a press conference to launch the game, which will be littered with former NRL players.
“On Sunday morning there will be a group of people without a job, that’s the top and bottom of it and I’m not just talking about playing staff.
“At the end of the game there’s nothing to celebrate because, if you’re on the winning side you’re faced with a bunch of people that you respect who you play a tough sport against numerous times a season who will be out of a job.
“Or if you’re on the losing side, you’re out of a job yourself.”
Super League contracts will automatically become null and void for the defeated players and their club will not receive a parachute payment to cushion their fall.
Wakefield players described the build-up to last year’s inaugural Million-Pound Game as the worst week of their lives and Cockayne believes it contradicts the Rugby Football League’s attempts to improve mental-health issues in the game.
“It’s something that needs looking at,” said the former Wakefield player, who is in his second spell with the Rovers.
“We’re not on (soccer players’) wages where we can pay a mortgage off in a couple of weeks.
“We’re talking about promoting mental health in our game but this does nothing for that.
“There’ll be some lucky enough to keep their jobs and their salaries and a group of people who will either lose it, or get their salary chopped or see their family in all sorts of trouble.
“Provided we get the job done I think it will be a sense of relief rather than celebration.
“I won’t be jumping about and I’d be disappointed if any of my team-mates would be jumping about as well because as at the end of the day a group of people will walk away and Sunday morning be without a job.
“It’s an awful concept and awful game to be in but we have to deal with and I’m really confident of coming out of it positive.”
mushi
Roar Guru
You can't a make blanket statement of "would make sense". There will be players on contracts under market value that you retain but then there would be productive players who you now would renegotiate with. Its a valuable option that only exists due to the monopsony on labour. If it's a zero sum game just have an equalisation payment. If the relegated team releases a player then they are liable for the contract less the value of any other contracted payment from another rugby league team. The superleague then pays a percentage of that gap. If you're right no gap ever exists as it is zero sum so no cost to anyone and players still get some semblance of rights.
mushi
Roar Guru
I find your argument nonsensical as it assumes every member of a team has total control on the outcome. As you say "some" would typically lose their jobs allowing for people to make a rational call based on ability and production rather than a binary outcome. Which essentially is an acknowledgment of the lack of meritocracy at an individual level that then counters the rest of your poorly substantiated position. I also see nothing presented by your insipid arguments to suggest your team not being good enough to qualify automatically makes you a trolley pusher? It would be like saying you failed to make any credible points hence you should be fired.
Bakkies
Guest
'Super League contracts will automatically become null and void for the defeated players and their club will not receive a parachute payment to cushion their fall.' Well the club going down should get a parachute payment. That happens in most competitions in the UK that have relegation. That includes the Aviva Premiership.
Richard Maybury
Guest
If all it was was injuries then it would make sense for that side to retain its players in the very real expectation of gaining promotion again next season. Imagine if Leeds had failed in the million pound game, do you think they would have ditched everyone ? It is only the clubs who have an expectation of becoming amateur for a few years that would shed players in this way. Anyone who was any good would likely as not get picked up by the amateur side that gets promoted. Its pretty much a zero sum game with only those who are not cutting it who are at risk and in all likelihood they would be gone at the next negotiation anyway.
Richard Maybury
Guest
I think they all have clauses in them (apart from the bigger clubs who would expect to bounce back anyway).
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Really Richard, I don't whatsoever. The fact that injuries to 2 or 3 people could really cruel your year and put a midtable side in this position. The ESL should at least honour the contracts for one or 2 years after a team is relegated, or phase it out.
Armchair expert
Guest
I assume that contracts are null and void if your team is relegated. The good players will be snapped up
Richard Maybury
Guest
To be honest, I find this a nonsensical argument. In any promotion/relegation scenario, you are going to have a game in which if you win you stay up and if you lose you drop down. If you drop down (and in fact even if you do stay up) it is highly likely that some will lose their jobs. Fact is you aren't good enough and in any walk of life, if you aren't good enough then sooner or later you are gone. By definition, you finished in the bottom 4 of Superleague to be forced to then play in the Qualifiers. If you then cannot make the top 3 in the qualifiers to gain automatic reinstatement then you deserve to start looking at those trolly pushing jobs at the local supermarket.