On GMR phone in on Thursday, Marwan made his thoughts clear on Eamon taking the lead in blocking the marquee player vote. What incensed him was Eamon's comments in the saints match day programme that referred to him as a publicity seaking peacock! Using one of his usual war time analogies, saying that the marquee player rule is designed to destroy smaller nations. Marwan says he once considered Mac as a friend but has no respect for anyone who doesn't respect him. He then ripped up the respect charter that Eamon has been promoting/supporting. If you want to hear it for yourself, it's around 20mins into this podcast: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p021q954

On GMR phone in on Thursday, Marwan made his thoughts clear on Eamon taking the lead in blocking the marquee player vote. What incensed him was Eamon's comments in the saints match day programme that referred to him as a publicity seaking peacock! Using one of his usual war time analogies, saying that the marquee player rule is designed to destroy smaller nations. Marwan says he once considered Mac as a friend but has no respect for anyone who doesn't respect him. He then ripped up the respect charter that Eamon has been promoting/supporting. If you want to hear it for yourself, it's around 20mins into this podcast: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p021q954

Mar Cockrash was always going to be bad for the game. I knew from day one with his silly outbursts and going on the dressing room at halftime.

I agree with McManus, we've got teams like wakey, bulls, London etc struggling like mad to stay in business and this fool wants to put more pressure on the clubs to spend big.

Like McManus said, last year clubs voted in favour of scrapping u21s to save £30k a year but now Salford want to spend £300k on one players salary.

I know Cockrash has Salford best interests at heart and rightly so but the big picture for clubs should be the health of the game in general and mar hasn't got that.

Mar wants it like the 80s with one club winning everything and buying every superstar player.

Whilst I agree with McManus that at the moment the marquee player idea wouldn't work, it seems the name calling was a bit unnecessary. Why not just say you are against it and explain the reasons without having a pop at a man who wants this to happen.

Never good to air your dirty laundty in public.

Koukash has money and no class, Eamon has class in bucket loads. The Koukash press conference this week had 50 chairs of which four were taken. Just think this clown wanted to buy into Saints. Let him develop a youth system at Salford and proper training facilities, then I will take him seriously.

He has already given them proper training facilities and he is already investing in their youth system. Their youth system has been neglected for years and so that investment is long term.

Cas have shown it can be done in short space of time without having a team full of Aussie and kiwi internationals. They ain't trying to sign the likes of Locke, slater, burgess, SBW etc. They put a good coach in Charge and developed a good team ethic.

If Cockrash is in this for the long haul like he says, then why the rush? Why not build year upon year and get their within the laws of the game? Instead he's looking for laws to be broke, rules to be changed for a short term fix.

Yeah we should Block every idea he has and drive him out the game. We don't want people with money and Ambition in our Sport!

Salford will be better served building a strong club from top to bottom over a number of years.

What Marwen appears to be trying to do is build a house with foundations of sand.

Without the long term foundations it will all come tumbling down in a few years and leave Salford and Marwen with bigger issues than they have now.

By all means they need to strengthen the team but for me it needs to be done in increments over a number of years.

Look at this year, they made loads of signings in the off season and were talking about winning the league. As it is they are looking over their shoulder at the slight possibility of relegation.

It takes time to build an empire, and they need to set realistic goals.

We have seen how Catalan and Widnes have started from humble beginnings and turned themselves into good sides.
Salford need to do the same.

No doubt they will be shouting about winning the league next year, when in reality a more realistic target will be finishing in the top 8. Then the following year looking to get in the top 5 or 6 then after that looking to make a semi final or final.

Something similar is going on with many Saints fans. At the start of the year some Saints fans were thinking we would win the lot. The reality is that as a side we haven't won anything for years, and so need to relearn how to get onto the pedestal. There is an old saying that you need to lose a final before you win one. Saints need to learn first how to get to finals and only then can we dream of winning one or more of them.

Are you not reading what the clubs and sensible fans are proposing?

Most clubs, including saints are in favour of "marquee signing" but just not yet. Super league isn't stable enough to be spending that type of money on one player.

Just cast your mind back 18 month. His was Salford doing financially and on the field? Not very good IMO as I know for a fact before mar come in, the after match good for players had stopped, players wasn't getting paid on time, your chairman was saying he can't keep putting money into the club, you then coach asked could a spare room be msgd into a room where the payers can have pool table etc and relax which was turned down due to lack of cash.


If you look past how your club is now, the is still clubs like that isn't financially stable and can't afford £300k ok a players salary. Look at the attendance the other night at wakey, the was less than 4000 there, the London crowds are less than at blackbrook on Saturday afternoon.

Until all clubs are financially stable, the marquee signing can't be Brought in! We can't bring it in just because mar can afford it.

Hang on, in every discussion before the vote, Salford fans were clamouring that it wasn't even koukash's idea. Now that he lost the vote, were trying to force him out of the game by blocking his ideas?

No one man is bigger than the game. And that includes koukash. Bringing in rules to sate his ego, that endangers the existence of other clubs is the beginning of the end. The majority don't want a marquee signing at this time, and mr koukash needs to get his head around that.

Oh, and koukash insulted McManus first, and in fact insults everyone who wasn't in favour of the way he thinks - can dish it out but not take it obviously. I don't think calling the teams who voted against in the feb vote puppets is being very respectful koukash so why should McManus give you any respect? (Using your own argument)

Agreed mate.

If he's in it for the long haul like he says, then I don't see why all the rush.

Taking away the respective pros and cons of each argument, does a marquee player rule fit within Saints current business model? We are debt free and looking to make a profit for the first time in years, would Eamon or Rushy want to out out and spend £300k-£400k a season on a top line Aussie?