Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 12:53 am  

With Richard Lewis granted total autonomy to run the affairs of SL I'd be somewhat optimistic for the future. But the ever expanding authority of Nigel Wood I think will ultimately doom our competition to interminable future mediocrity.

We're a second-rate, rinky-dink league now. In ten years we may need a microscope to find our relevance.

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 3:13 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

With Richard Lewis granted total autonomy to run the affairs of SL I'd be somewhat optimistic for the future. But the ever expanding authority of Nigel Wood I think will ultimately doom our competition to interminable future mediocrity.

We're a second-rate, rinky-dink league now. In ten years we may need a microscope to find our relevance.

If we start to see a real talent drain down under then the future for the domestic game here will be bleak indeed. SL is at risk of becoming a feeder competition to the NRL ..

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 3:17 pm  

No1 Saint wrote:

If we start to see a real talent drain down under then the future for the domestic game here will be bleak indeed. SL is at risk of becoming a feeder competition to the NRL ..

but, that may have the effect of improving the english players who go to the NRL to the point that they seriously compete internationally, making a much better product for SKY to sell, then more money for the clubs up here.
In summary i see this as possibly short term bad for SL, Long term good for all

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 3:41 pm  

saint at wire wrote:

We should be aiming for a minimum 50% uplift given healthy viewing figures.
After all yawnion got a 45% increase starting this year even with their appalling viewing figures for Guinness Prem.

Does anyone have a link to evidence of our SKY veiwing figures compared to that of other sports?

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 7:50 pm  

This is why we need a much stronger London presence - kill the Harlequins branding, do some research and relocate to an area where they're not competing with the stronghold of union, and have enough backing to survive and market themselves for a while - and also get the RLWC2013 to places like Bristol who have an appetite for RL are genuinely willing to spread the national profile of the game

Also, we bloody need to win an international series. I actually think our backs are looking a better prospect than they have done (Yeaman with Briscoe looking surprisingly good this year, Tomkins fullback, Shenton is looking even stronger since his move to Saints, Widdop and maybe Brough in the halves) and then we've got the ingredients for a strong England pack as usual... McNamara as coach doesn't fill me with confidence though.

Stuff like Salford's new stadium, Cas and/or Wakey getting theirs would strengthen such clubs significantly, give more impetus for investors to come on board and shore them up even more on and off the pitch, crowds and revenue would be up, SL's competitiveness and viability increases...

All these scenarios coming to fruition (difficult...!) would do wonders for international and national profile, and improve our chances of a good TV deal and a stronger salary cap accordingly, and thus we stem the exodus of our top players to the Southern Hemisphere

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 8:21 pm  

I must be alone in thinking this is great news for the game. Look what the Premiership did for football and how that impacted upon other competitions. Super League may be under pressure for this but looking at the bigger picture this could really make a big difference in the southern hemisphere for both codes and if the game can dominate down there it can have positive repercussions for the sport globally. Think of the territories that don't play the game currently that will be turned on by what the NRL can offer.

The Japanese baseball competition remains healthy in Japan so there's no reason to suggest Super League wouldn't. In fact Super League acting as a stepping stone will see more opportunities for players over here, more chances for youngsters to progress into the first grade and that should help with the sport presenting itself as a genuine career for those coming through the ranks.

In the short-term it may be painful but Super League is here to stay and is becoming a better competition every year so why should it mean a decline when it is proven that people will pay to go and see competitive and exciting entertaining sport like ours. People want entertaining and even if you say the quality isn't as great you can't deny that the entertainment ratio is through the roof at the moment.

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 11:06 pm  

I don't see why people are worried about this.

What's the worst that could happen? England could end up BEHIND Australia and New Zealand in the international pecking order?? Could the game survive this blow????

Haven't people been calling for all the Aussie imports to go back home for ages because this will supposedly unleash a new generation of great English players who are playing in the Championship now because they can't get a gig in an SL club.

Who knows we might find the next Hanley or Offiah in the Championship?

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Wed May 11, 2011 11:14 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

I don't see why people are worried about this.

What's the worst that could happen? England could end up BEHIND Australia and New Zealand in the international pecking order?? Could the game survive this blow????

Haven't people been calling for all the Aussie imports to go back home for ages because this will supposedly unleash a new generation of great English players who are playing in the Championship now because they can't get a gig in an SL club.

Who knows we might find the next Hanley or Offiah in the Championship?

Agree completely with you sally.

Surely this has got to be better than players going to union,if they decide to go to the NRL so what.

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Thu May 12, 2011 6:39 am  

McClennan wrote:

I must be alone in thinking this is great news for the game.

No, you're not.
I look at it like this, Sky employ Superleague and its players to entertain their audience. In order to keep their domination of sports media, they must ensure that they have the best product they can. If the best/most entertaining players leave superleage for the NRL, their RL product suffers. They will not want this to happen.

Also, in the short term, a bumper pay packet at an NRL clubs might change the mind of the likes of Eastmond, that international RU is the stage to aim for.
If we have a significant drain to the NRL, we may get a mid season England vs Aus international using only/mainly NRL players, which might make the Australian start to take more of an interest in the international scene.

Re: Holy s*** - NRL salary cap rises to $7M : Thu May 12, 2011 7:52 am  

Mugwump wrote:

With Richard Lewis granted total autonomy to run the affairs of SL I'd be somewhat optimistic for the future. But the ever expanding authority of Nigel Wood I think will ultimately doom our competition to interminable future mediocrity.

We're a second-rate, rinky-dink league now. In ten years we may need a microscope to find our relevance.

I like a good debate as much as anyone, but I can't find anything to disagree with there, except I would add Gary "the gob" Heatherington into the Nigel Wood part of your post.