Re: SL Restructure : Mon Aug 02, 2021 6:25 pm  

The restructuring is pointless without additional investment and as MorePlayersNeeded says, it's highly doubtful a league featuring the likes Salford, Wakefield, Batley, Bradford, Featherstone and Halifax is going to pickup anything more than a boutique Channel 4/5/Eurosport one game a week sort of TV deal. It's not going to attract a deal sufficient to ensure full professionalism. The Sky money isn't going to cover it and the Sky money isn't going to go up, unless there is competition from somewhere or the product drastically improves.

What they should be doing (But won't because the clubs have too much power) is getting around a table with financial experts and working out the best way to attract investment into the sport. Then you can discuss how the league is structured to suit the needs of whoever is putting the financing into it.

Moving to 10 clubs in Super League won't mean fewer games and bigger, more marketable matches like it should. It'll mean the same number of games played between fewer teams, so the prospect of facing the same team 6 or 7 times in a single season. You could end up playing Wigan 12 times in two years. Whilst the dinosaurs running the clubs might be rubbing their hands at that, that won't produce bumper crowds, just drive even more people away from the sport.

We're going to see clubs folding over the next couple of years. The likes of Hull and Salford are clearly suffering already and with the 'new normal' of post-pandemic RL crowds, it's likely most clubs will be at around 50 to 70% of their previous crowd numbers. Most clubs incurred heavy losses pre-covid, it's difficult to see a long term future for the sport at all if things stay like they are. Fiddling with the number of clubs really isn't going to make any difference to that.

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:04 am  

Just read this week’s League Express and they reporting this change is being driven by Sky. What they say is Sky as basically had enough of broadcasting dross and that the RFL/super league have until the new broadcast deal runs out in 2 years to sort it out.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:31 am  

karetaker wrote:

Just read this week’s League Express and they reporting this change is being driven by Sky. What they say is Sky as basically had enough of broadcasting dross and that the RFL/super league have until the new broadcast deal runs out in 2 years to sort it out.

Funny that, I've had enough of sky's broadcasting being dross

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:59 am  

Agreed.

This is only a step forward if SL2 has its own TV deal, it maybe with an obscure channel or not the same money as SL1, but 35m for SL 1 and 2 is much better than 25m for SL1 with SL2 thrown in not to be broadcast !!!

I would like there to be scope to increase numbers as SL2 sides improve and meet certain criteria like a set average attendance X amount of additional funding via sponsorship X amount of clubb trained players.

Do sky want high quality games or ones like our game against Leeds it was not top draw rugby but certainly entertaining and intriguing

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 12:23 pm  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

Funny that, I've had enough of sky's broadcasting being dross

Agree with you there on that, out of all the current team only one I would keep is Carney the rest can go.

[Winslade's Offload]

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:41 pm  

Martyn Sadler has made a ridiculous proposal with this; https://www.totalrl.com/a-future-struct ... petitions/ How many people does he think will turn up for a game between Wire and NW Crusaders ? The cost of opening the stadium would probably exceed the gate money.

Martyn Sadler has made a ridiculous proposal with this; https://www.totalrl.com/a-future-struct ... petitions/ How many people does he think will turn up for a game between Wire and NW Crusaders ? The cost of opening the stadium would probably exceed the gate money.

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:54 pm  

Winslade's Offload wrote: Martyn Sadler has made a ridiculous proposal with this; https://www.totalrl.com/a-future-struct ... petitions/ How many people does he think will turn up for a game between Wire and NW Crusaders ? The cost of opening the stadium would probably exceed the gate money. Behind a paywall I think - What's the jist?

Winslade's Offload wrote: Martyn Sadler has made a ridiculous proposal with this; https://www.totalrl.com/a-future-struct ... petitions/ How many people does he think will turn up for a game between Wire and NW Crusaders ? The cost of opening the stadium would probably exceed the gate money. Behind a paywall I think - What's the jist?

[Winslade's Offload]

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:04 pm  

Alffi_7 wrote:

Behind a paywall I think - What's the jist?

It shouldn't be, I just tried clicking the link.

But anyway, he suggests 6 conferences of six teams each with a total of 25 games to be played. Conference 1 for eg would have Saints, Wire, Whitehaven, Workington, Barrow, Widnes. Then a complicated formula for matches between the conferences but importantly quite a few games games between SL clubs and Champ. / League 1 sides.

Common sense seems to have flown the nest

[Uncle Rico]

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:20 pm  

Alffi_7 wrote:

Behind a paywall I think - What's the jist?

Unfortunately it wasn't for me I've now got a proper headache and need a lie down in a darkened room!!

Re: SL Restructure : Wed Aug 04, 2021 5:08 pm  

Winslade's Offload wrote:

It shouldn't be, I just tried clicking the link.

But anyway, he suggests 6 conferences of six teams each with a total of 25 games to be played. Conference 1 for eg would have Saints, Wire, Whitehaven, Workington, Barrow, Widnes. Then a complicated formula for matches between the conferences but importantly quite a few games games between SL clubs and Champ. / League 1 sides.

Common sense seems to have flown the nest

Strange, still can't see it - by the sounds of it not a bad thing!

Not a fan of conferences to be honest. Still think 2x10 SL1 & SL 2 is the way to go (TV deals assuming), with the plan to grow that number to 2x12 with the inclusion of French teams plus UK based teams. It needs to be more than a structure review though, we need strategic direction, identify areas we want to target for growth (Coventry & Wales for example) and put development officers in place to grow the amateur scene there, using Newcastle as the benchmark.