Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:34 pm  

I’m very much in favour of promotion and relegation with a caveat. We simply must have a full time second tier for it to happen.

The thing that annoys me most is the constant changing of format, the sport needs a long term business plan and a long term structure.

When you compare us to other sports most obviously RU the biggest difference is the international game. rU took off after England won the World Cup. On top of that casual viewers are more likely to tune in to internationals, some of those then start to watch the domestic game and follow teams. I’ve said this before we need to properly sort out the internationals and have regular fixtures not the odd game here and there.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:09 pm  

What seems to happen with RL these is like sticking a plaster on that hole in the Titanic . The structure has alienated clubs & their fans by condemning them to hopeless futures. No chance of joining the big time , & how about the CC ,the seeding system has removed any romance from the competition that for many teams was knocking a big team out of the cup. No wonder we can't fill Wembley.
Perhaps a competition involving all the clubs in one division would even work with lower clubs having the chance to welcome the big boys to town every now & then & maybe produce an upset , especially if big teams had to field x amount of youngsters.
And what about a name ? How about British Rugby League or British RL as was mentioned by a previous poster ? Nobody would pinch that name unless they introduced a ball into kabbadi.
Lastly, we need proper influential businessmen running the show to provide the best media deals . Look at RU ,all the top advertisers ,multi channel coverage ,elite patrons waving flags for the sport & drawing top name sponsors. Most of these people will be rubbing shoulders regularly with media moguls, probably all been at university together.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:39 pm  

ninearches wrote:

What seems to happen with RL these is like sticking a plaster on that hole in the Titanic . The structure has alienated clubs & their fans by condemning them to hopeless futures. No chance of joining the big time , & how about the CC ,the seeding system has removed any romance from the competition that for many teams was knocking a big team out of the cup. No wonder we can't fill Wembley.
Perhaps a competition involving all the clubs in one division would even work with lower clubs having the chance to welcome the big boys to town every now & then & maybe produce an upset , especially if big teams had to field x amount of youngsters.
And what about a name ? How about British Rugby League or British RL as was mentioned by a previous poster ? Nobody would pinch that name unless they introduced a ball into kabbadi.
Lastly, we need proper influential businessmen running the show to provide the best media deals . Look at RU ,all the top advertisers ,multi channel coverage ,elite patrons waving flags for the sport & drawing top name sponsors. Most of these people will be rubbing shoulders regularly with media moguls, probably all been at university together.

Clubs never hit the higher accolade without MONEY.. Simple if you have none goodnight amigo. That’s the way it’s been since the start of SL. Guess what SL the product is still here.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 4:30 pm  

Trainman wrote:

The thing that annoys me most is the constant changing of format, the sport needs a long term business plan and a long term structure.

.

This is THE most important issue with the sport of RL.
We chop and change, looking for the proverbial silver bullet and each time there is a change, we actually lose fans from the game.

There has to be an achievable plan for the next 5, 10 and 20 years for all of the sport from U8's right up to SL.
Set goals and achieve them and not keep changing for the sake of it.

RL looks half baked and unprofessional.

Of course there are plenty of good things about the game but, the internal struggles between SL, the lower leagues and the amateur game, helps no one.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 4:45 pm  

Donnyman wrote:

hat do you mean by that?

As for Leeds "on the outside" what do you mean? They have a very very rich owner who is richer than either Lenegan or McManus don't they? He chooses not to take the reigns of the sport whilst Pearson Lenagan and McManus choose to take a leading role. They aren't dictators though, every club has the same one vote.

It's the same old same old where jealousy appears to lie at the heart of the attack on the prominent rich owners who may lead the sport, but I don't see them dictating anything much?

Remember that this SKY deal has been a long one. It's the last year now, and this is a deal Lenegan, Pearson and McManus did not vote for, they actually lost the vote to people like Michael Carter Gary Hetherington and Ian Fulton. If there's no strategy then go see them and ask them about it??

They can tell you all about their "£Million Pound Game" "strategy, how did that go then??

Lenegan and McManus both voted for

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:07 pm  

An interesting thought, if we had 2 teams of 10 in a SL 1 & 2 perhaps teams could play each team in their division twice and the other division once thus removing loop fixtures and better preparing SL2 teams should they get promoted.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:55 pm  

Trainman wrote:

An interesting thought, if we had 2 teams of 10 in a SL 1 & 2 perhaps teams could play each team in their division twice and the other division once thus removing loop fixtures and better preparing SL2 teams should they get promoted.

The elephant in the room is, how on earth do "we" fund 20 clubs ?
Right now, there are 12 SL clubs and only 2 or 3 contenders in The Championship, plus, the "sleeping giant" that is Bradford.
IMO there will be a drive to reduce SL to 10 clubs, which has been nuted many times.
It may be "sold" on the basis of having SL 1 & SL2 but, this just isn't possible with the reduction in Sky monies.

Unless there is another broadcaster out there that is willing to "compete" with Sky, as a sport, we looked screwed.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:51 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

This is THE most important issue with the sport of RL.
We chop and change, looking for the proverbial silver bullet and each time there is a change, we actually lose fans from the game.

There has to be an achievable plan for the next 5, 10 and 20 years for all of the sport from U8's right up to SL.
Set goals and achieve them and not keep changing for the sake of it.

RL looks half baked and unprofessional.

Of course there are plenty of good things about the game but, the internal struggles between SL, the lower leagues and the amateur game, helps no one.

The goal for youth getting to SL has been most disappointing. No pathways other than grubby tactics. If the restructure comes offf and they forget the youth this time (not academies) the community game with proper regulations in place. Not there’s £500 and see you later to see that player left to dwindle when they make the grade.

Sod the academies get community game looked after. That’s the future not the product.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:51 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

This is THE most important issue with the sport of RL.
We chop and change, looking for the proverbial silver bullet and each time there is a change, we actually lose fans from the game.

There has to be an achievable plan for the next 5, 10 and 20 years for all of the sport from U8's right up to SL.
Set goals and achieve them and not keep changing for the sake of it.

RL looks half baked and unprofessional.

Of course there are plenty of good things about the game but, the internal struggles between SL, the lower leagues and the amateur game, helps no one.

The goal for youth getting to SL has been most disappointing. No pathways other than grubby tactics. If the restructure comes offf and they forget the youth this time (not academies) the community game with proper regulations in place. Not there’s £500 and see you later to see that player left to dwindle when they don’t make the grade.

Sod the academies get community game looked after. That’s the future not the product.

Re: Superleague re-structure : Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:02 pm  

Trainman wrote:

I’m very much in favour of promotion and relegation with a caveat. We simply must have a full time second tier for it to happen.

The thing that annoys me most is the constant changing of format, the sport needs a long term business plan and a long term structure.

When you compare us to other sports most obviously RU the biggest difference is the international game. rU took off after England won the World Cup. On top of that casual viewers are more likely to tune in to internationals, some of those then start to watch the domestic game and follow teams. I’ve said this before we need to properly sort out the internationals and have regular fixtures not the odd game here and there.

Does RU have a full time second tier ?? Be surprised if it does