If you put aside whether licensing or P&R is the best way forward, there is one common denominator which needs to be looked at. The RFL. This is the problem within our game. Whether that be because they don't have the balls or whether the clubs chairmen have too much power I don't know. If they had ultimate control over the game, they could put a plan in place and stick to it.
Take licensing for instance. The game has let it run for 2 licensing periods. That imo is wrong. There shouldn't be licensing periods. There should be just reviews. These reviews should look at the current clubs to see if they are abiding by the license criteria/rules. They should look at the finances, attendances and talent within the game to see if there is room for more clubs within the top flight. If there isn't then the game continues as it is. Licensing should be all or nothing but not what we currently have. If the RFL or Chairmen don't have the balls to go this route, then the only solution is P&R and all the problems that come with it. (They have been well documented over the years)
IMO the game hasn't given proper licensing time so they are reverting to what it was before hand. (Just for those who point to the dwindling crowds and clubs financially struggling as evidence to licensing failing, we are in one of the worst economic times in our history)
I believe that all the good work licensing has done such as youth development and stadia improvement will be undone by scrapping licensing. Clubs will revert to spending all their cash on keeping them in SL rather than investing in youth and facilities. If the RFL are to bring back P&R there needs to be criteria which encourage...no demand that these things are at the forefront of a clubs plans for the future and that they are not empty promises.
