ThePrinter wrote:
As unfortunate as his injury is it’d be nonsense for them to get special dispensation to sign a replacement. Just because his injury happened in preseason it shouldn’t be treated differently to a season ending injury that occured in Round 4 or 5. Like I said, whilst unfortunately, injuries happen and are part and parcel of sport.
Previously, players who don’t make a competitive appearance for their club during the season have had dispensation from the cap.
Cas were on the rough end of Shenton’s injury suffered in the first half of the first game of the season in 2016, as a result of an illegal tackle by a Hull KR player. Quite rightly though, the RFL did not allow a dispensation as he appeared for the club, so his whole year’s salary counted on the cap despite him playing only 20 minutes of the season.
Luke Gale’s case is different and should just be a ‘rubber stamp’ from the RFL. He’s not going to play for the club, so with the ‘live’ cap in place his salary won’t be part of the cap and nor should it be.