Re: sponsorship for superleague : Wed Aug 21, 2013 1:11 pm  

No1 Saint wrote:

You can hardly blame fans for moaning when things are broken. The RFL run the game, they need to listen to players and fans rather than just making things up for no good reason. Shoulder Charge is great example of a change implemented without any consultation.

What you want as a fan will be different to what I want as a fan. For example, I think a retreat back to the North and historic clubs at the expense of expansion will signal a death knell for the game, others think differently.

I'd be surprised if most players didn't think beyond doing their job and what makes that easier. It's what most of us do with work.

Re: sponsorship for superleague : Wed Aug 21, 2013 2:42 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

What you want as a fan will be different to what I want as a fan. For example, I think a retreat back to the North and historic clubs at the expense of expansion will signal a death knell for the game, others think differently.

I'd be surprised if most players didn't think beyond doing their job and what makes that easier. It's what most of us do with work.

Yes, a return to the semi pro game would be the eventual likelihood IMO, a move that would also see some clubs be enticed to play Rugby Union.

Re: sponsorship for superleague : Wed Aug 21, 2013 5:25 pm  

Just a minute, that's ignoring one point to make another.

The playoffs and their impact on the fans view of the league not mattering.

Is not the same as saying we want a semi pro sport or a retreat to the north.

There is no link between the 2.

You could have a league system that is not made inferior by the playoffs, without going semi pro and without a retreat to the north.

The major impact of a retreat to the north is the RFL's impatience to build clubs. They want to drop in clubs and expect them to thrive and for traditional clubs to roll over and die without fighting for their existence.

Building with no base has resulted in PSG, London and South Wales etc.

Catalan is the one example of a club built in an expansion area. An area with interest an area prepared to build over years before coming into SL. The rest had no long term plan in place other than get into SL and then try to build.

I am also not against the playoffs, but you have to show that the league carries something worth playing for other than 26 rounds of fighting for poll position.

Re: sponsorship for superleague : Wed Aug 21, 2013 5:59 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

Just a minute, that's ignoring one point to make another.

The playoffs and their impact on the fans view of the league not mattering.

Is not the same as saying we want a semi pro sport or a retreat to the north.

There is no link between the 2.

You could have a league system that is not made inferior by the playoffs, without going semi pro and without a retreat to the north.

The major impact of a retreat to the north is the RFL's impatience to build clubs. They want to drop in clubs and expect them to thrive and for traditional clubs to roll over and die without fighting for their existence.

Building with no base has resulted in PSG, London and South Wales etc.

Catalan is the one example of a club built in an expansion area. An area with interest an area prepared to build over years before coming into SL. The rest had no long term plan in place other than get into SL and then try to build.

I am also not against the playoffs, but you have to show that the league carries something worth playing for other than 26 rounds of fighting for poll position.

It was more an example of the futility of the RFL listening to the fans rather than the start of a debate on that point

Re: sponsorship for superleague : Wed Aug 21, 2013 6:02 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

What you want as a fan will be different to what I want as a fan. For example, I think a retreat back to the North and historic clubs at the expense of expansion will signal a death knell for the game, others think differently.

I'd be surprised if most players didn't think beyond doing their job and what makes that easier. It's what most of us do with work.

Thats interesting , I've been to quite a few forums in the last couple of years and almost every time the players there and ex players have said when asked they wouldn't mind being consulted over rule changes , as you'd expect Jon Wilkin was very vocal.

As a player I was consulted regards to a move to playing summer Rugby as an amateur and it felt good to actually be able to have a say.