If for whatever reason match bonus continues, then I suggest that a salary cap should be introduced. This echoes real-world rugby in terms of Northern Hemisphere club rugby (no idea about Super Rugby), so would make the game more accurate, but also it could help reduce the excesses of match bonus, reduce hoarding of players at auction, and diminish the effect of mass substitutions.
How would it work? For each level, there would be a maximum permitted salary level, covering normal wages and bonus of all your players. You would not be able to buy players that took you over the salary cap, nor would you be able to set a match bonus that took you over the salary cap. My suggestion for the value of the salary cap would be 45 (players) x average salary for the level x 1.2 (to allow for 20% match bonus). Thus if you want to operate a 100% match bonus you can, but you would have to operate with a much smaller squad, and if you want to make mass substitutions again you can, but not with a heavy bonus. And you can't just hoard players - this would allow a maximum squad size of 55 at average salary, and then no match bonus. Thus it addresses the three major concerns of players, enhances gameplay and realism, and puts the emphasis on player recruitment, training and stategy - which would seem to make sense in a rugby management sim.
How would it work? For each level, there would be a maximum permitted salary level, covering normal wages and bonus of all your players. You would not be able to buy players that took you over the salary cap, nor would you be able to set a match bonus that took you over the salary cap. My suggestion for the value of the salary cap would be 45 (players) x average salary for the level x 1.2 (to allow for 20% match bonus). Thus if you want to operate a 100% match bonus you can, but you would have to operate with a much smaller squad, and if you want to make mass substitutions again you can, but not with a heavy bonus. And you can't just hoard players - this would allow a maximum squad size of 55 at average salary, and then no match bonus. Thus it addresses the three major concerns of players, enhances gameplay and realism, and puts the emphasis on player recruitment, training and stategy - which would seem to make sense in a rugby management sim.