Re: SL standards plummeting : Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:07 am  

St pete wrote:

The rfl should do a investigation to see why the standard had dropped, what's the reasons and why we can't compete with the Aussies.

The are many aspects to look at, like the number of teams in super league, the salary cap, the license system, problems at grass roots(even schools), the overseas reduction in quota players, losing players to NRL and union, no promotion or relegation.

All the above could be the problem or may e we just ain't good enough, it could be just that simple.

I'd say we are not good enough. But turning around a national game takes planning and the stamina to follow it through. We are not a million miles away but we would require luck to be in our favour to win and the thing with luck is that over the course of a competition it tends to run out.

In terms of dropping standards though I don't follow the arguement.

Have standards dropped at Warrington, Huddersfield, Hull KR, Wigan, Catalan over the last 5 years??

They have dropped at Saints, Bradford, Leeds .

For me the problem is with the bottom 5. Those teams have struggled to get any consistent period in the top 8. Wakey did it for a few years, but then went bust, London are a major disappointment. Widnes are new so are excused. Salford are progressing but this is their 4th year of a licence so it is taking some time and they are yet to worry the top 8.

People would suggest cutting them but I don't think that's the solution. Those teams fans would probably argue that they are making progress, or that they have only recently come out of admin. I would say these teams are where they are as they have long term issues that no one has the longer term solutions for. That would be low attendances, low youth development, etc.

I think cutting them out would not improve us nationally though, it would just reduce oppertunities for the odd one or 2 in those teams that can make it at a higher level.

Solutions???

Well personally I think some of these long term will not make it, London for example, how can they run £1.6 million cap on 2k fans at £30 a throw over 13 matches, that's fan revenue of less than a million. Surely there on the road matches demonstrate that there is more interest elsewhere and this should be thought of when giving out franchises. Where is the supporter base, not just a business with an interest in being called a SL club.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:07 pm  

There are 60,000 people who play RL regularly in this country as opposed to 250,000 in Aus apparently. And any talented youngsters in Aus that do come through are much more likely to plump for a career in RL than any other sport given the big money they can get there and lack of competition from football. No athletically talented teenager with the choice of signing for a SL club or a pro football club in this country will ever likely choose the RL career path again given the frighteningly disproportionate skewing in profile and wages between the 2 sports there's been in the last 15/20 years. British RL simply doesn't have the talent pools the Ossies have, and has way too much competition for what talent there is from other sports. There just simply is no realistic hope we can ever match the Aussies on any kind of consistent basis unless the sport gets a lot bigger profile in this country, and there has been no trace of that ever happening even with Sky's money, the various disastrous expansion clubs and national TV exposure.

I just don't think there's a realistic solution - British RL just needs to baton down the hatches and cut it's cloth accordingly. There's no point in living in a fantasy land where we'll ever have a dozen competitive clubs spread 'round the country with squads packed full of class players that can take on and beat the Australians with stands packed full of fans. It ain't ever going to happen. We're in a league where top clubs have to now rely on the likes of Shenton, Flannery and Matty Smith as key first choice players and where half of the first choice GB squad would do well to sign a reserve contract in the NRL. Sad but true.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:39 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

There are 60,000 people who play RL regularly in this country as opposed to 250,000 in Aus apparently. And any talented youngsters in Aus that do come through are much more likely to plump for a career in RL than any other sport given the big money they can get there and lack of competition from football. No athletically talented teenager with the choice of signing for a SL club or a pro football club in this country will ever likely choose the RL career path again given the frighteningly disproportionate skewing in profile and wages between the 2 sports there's been in the last 15/20 years. British RL simply doesn't have the talent pools the Ossies have, and has way too much competition for what talent there is from other sports. There just simply is no realistic hope we can ever match the Aussies on any kind of consistent basis unless the sport gets a lot bigger profile in this country, and there has been no trace of that ever happening even with Sky's money, the various disastrous expansion clubs and national TV exposure.

I just don't think there's a realistic solution - British RL just needs to baton down the hatches and cut it's cloth accordingly. There's no point in living in a fantasy land where we'll ever have a dozen competitive clubs spread 'round the country with squads packed full of class players that can take on and beat the Australians with stands packed full of fans. It ain't ever going to happen. We're in a league where top clubs have to now rely on the likes of Shenton, Flannery and Matty Smith as key first choice players and where half of the first choice GB squad would do well to sign a reserve contract in the NRL. Sad but true.

yet england to me has never looked stronger :S. i am so glad your not anything to do with the rfl.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:11 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

A reduction of SL teams IMHO is very short term and will lead to no increase in the standard of player. It will simply redistribute the current standard of player through a narrower selection of clubs.

If you concentrate the resources into a smaller pool then it stands to reason that the competition will improve because there will be greater competition at each of these clubs (an average on four extra players competing for squad places at each club) which leads to increased intensity and therefore a stronger competition.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:15 pm  

dubairl wrote:

yet england to me has never looked stronger :S.

On what basis?

Re: SL standards plummeting : Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:16 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

unless the sport gets a lot bigger profile in this country.

Increase the intensity and excitement and we will increase the profile. Even now as we bemoan the spectacle, to outsiders we have one of the most intense and entertaining sports around. The sport is growing, as evidenced by increased crowds (e.g. 9k at Wakefield yesterday) and some of the ideas mentioned in this thread will help (e.g. 12 teams) or have helped (e.g. salary cap) to improve competition.

We need a strong negotiator in place for the next TV contract because, no matter what we say, it will probably be the greatest determinant on which way the sport over here goes during the next decade.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:17 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

On what basis?

The fact that the England squad is no longer made up of 10 players from the champions and then scatterings from a couple of other clubs.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:21 pm  

McClennan wrote:

Increase the intensity and excitement and we will increase the profile.

How about we make most of the games actually count for something? That will increase intensity and excitement instantly far more than anything else would. Sadly that isn't ever going to happen. One of RL's biggest problems going forward is that it is run by the RL. We're doomed as long as that carries on.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:24 pm  

McClennan wrote:

The fact that the England squad is no longer made up of 10 players from the champions and then scatterings from a couple of other clubs.

No - the national squad is now made up mostly of players that wouldn't have been good enough to pull on any kind of representative shirt a decade ago instead. But so long as our increasing levels of mediocrity are spread thinly throughout the game then we're OK, eh?

Re: SL standards plummeting : Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:42 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

How about we make most of the games actually count for something? That will increase intensity and excitement instantly far more than anything else would. Sadly that isn't ever going to happen. One of RL's biggest problems going forward is that it is run by the RL. We're doomed as long as that carries on.

Repeating the same statement over and over again won't miraculously turn it into truth.