The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 10:29 am  

Look at the game we love. The game is on its booty through bad management. Greedy corporations and the lack of progression and investment in the game.
This rant and my restructure proposal was born a while ago. But due to the football superleague proposal that was made and died. Gary neville made a amazing rant and amazing argument. Which alot of the arguments can be easily made as well with not just football. But also the same arguments made about our game. The game we love.
Gary neville was right when he says it is about grass routes. But if you look at rugby league. grass routes is dying. And we need to put more back into it. We have a rich history of clubs. Amateur and professional. And I would say we have enough clubs. Even at amateur level to facilitate a league structure and breathe some life back into the game. Take 2019 as a good example. We had over 100 teams from pros to semi professional to the amateur levels that competed in the challenge cup.
We need a full restructure from top to bottom. Otherwise we are going to go backwards and the sport is going to die. There is More exposure for the darts than we do for the great game we need to have better negotiating tactics. Better tv deals. And more money going into the lower leagues to support the game as a whole.
I believe we can bring back the pyramid system and allow the game to prosper with new existing games and new teams entering each league.
My proposal would be. As follows.
4 or 5 tiers of 12. No loop fixtures. 22 games. 23 games of you want a magic weekend.
Simple 3 up. 3 down promotion and relegation. And the 4th or 5th tier. Build the smaller teams up and when they are in a position to enter. Let them in when they are sustainable. And when tier 4th or 5th tier has 16 teams in the league for example. Split the league off as a new tier with 8 or so teams build up the pyramid structure again.
Challenge cup. EVERY team enters the competition in round 1. 128 teams gives us 7 rounds of competition.
The pennines cup. Top 8 teams from Lancashire/cheshire and north. And the top 8 teams from Yorkshire/humberside and the south. Quarters. Semis and final. With the winners of each playing each other in the yorkshire vs Lancashire cup. (In effect the old regal trophy I believe) replicate that for a smaller teams as a 2nd tier as well.
That's not too bad. And it's what. 35 Games per season. It's about what they play now.
Maybe we can look at a world club challenge structure at the end of the season. Top 4 from the superleague and the top 4 from the nrl. (Make it compulsory) Quarters. Semis and final straight knock out format. (Have it before international sason and maybe have gap years when it comes to world cup years.)

Bring the salary cap up to help the league example. But also put the safeguard in there so the teams do not go bankrupt. What was the old salary cap rule we used to have back in the early days of superleague. 1.2 million or 50% of gate sales.
My proposal would be
Superleague. 2.5 million.
2nd tier 2 million
3rd tier. 1.5 million.
4th tier. 1 million.
5rh tier and lower £750,000

We need to compete with the NRL. Without the gimmicks of toronto. But similarly. Australia can get away with a closed franchise league of 16 teams because that works for them first off. And 2nd. There isnt much leeway in regards to lower tiers. Because the nrl clubs own the smaller teams and tiers as that is effectively there youth system
it's different for us. We have always been grass routed rugby. As we have been with football. So We need to build up the grass routes of the league again. And we need to work with the nrl to build upon the game again around the world.
Get rid of catalan and Toulouse from the british game. We need to help support and rebuild the french game again. Same with the canadians and Americans who seem to (well atleast pre lockdown) be interested in building up a few franchises of rugby league teams in and around the Americas.

This is not just a superleague thing. (Although we need to get our grass routes back and effectively go back to pre superleague in regards to the structure of our game) it's not just a nrl thing. (Maybe the leagues can be alot more competitive if the international rugby league federation brings the salary caps in line with superleague to equalise the game worldwide with adjustments made for inflation and international prices of money)
It's a world wide thing. Where we need to build up the sport in a way that we all prosper.

Look at the other side of rugby. Union maybe mostly amateur. But there is more teams and more people playing it around the world. We need as a rugby league game. Just go back to basics and rebuild the game from the ground up. Because the game is dying.

I maybe shooting a crap load of hot air. But something needs to be genuinely done because the british game is on its booty and now we are coming out of this lockdown and we can all start going to watch the game from next month with full stadiums in june. Maybe it's time we can do something about the whole game. Protect its history and to rebuild it into the game it deserves to be.

Thoughts.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 10:59 am  

The game (outside the NRL) is on its booty. Agreed.

The rest is pie in the sky (pun intended). There is no money in the sport cos it has very limited appeal. Big numbers of clubs being promoted and relegated every year would see massive numbers of clubs going bust.

Do I have any better ideas? No. We are going to remain very much a minority sport in England. It ain't gonna change whatever fiddling we do with structures. The current product at Super League level is pretty poor too. The niggly play the balls and trying to cheat penalties put us a million miles behind the NRL, never mind the quality of the players. If I wasnt emotionally invested in it, would I start watching? I doubt it.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 1:02 pm  

First, let me say the European SL in football isn't going away, it will be back on the table within two years in sheeps clothing and all the hand wringing will be replaced again, by grasping, greedy hands. Most football owners don't care about the fan in the street or the history of the game.

In contrast, I genuinely believe the powers that be in RL do love the game and care about it. But generally, they are incompetent. They couldn't run a bath. The likes of Wakefield and Salford are being run in the same way they were 40 years ago with the same net result.

I keep hoping for some kind of global tie up with the NRL, or a revival of the Hearns interest or anything that will shake up the management structure and apathy because, no matter how well intentioned, the current custodians are sleepwalking into oblivion.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 1:37 pm  

morrisseyisawire wrote:

First, let me say the European SL in football isn't going away, it will be back on the table within two years in sheeps clothing and all the hand wringing will be replaced again, by grasping, greedy hands. Most football owners don't care about the fan in the street or the history of the game.

In contrast, I genuinely believe the powers that be in RL do love the game and care about it. But generally, they are incompetent. They couldn't run a bath. The likes of Wakefield and Salford are being run in the same way they were 40 years ago with the same net result.

I keep hoping for some kind of global tie up with the NRL, or a revival of the Hearns interest or anything that will shake up the management structure and apathy because, no matter how well intentioned, the current custodians are sleepwalking into oblivion.

Ralph head-in-the sand Rimmer said there was no meeting of minds with the Hearns. Pity as they have been fairly successful with darts and snooker. Mr. Koukash pulled out because he could see no progress being made and Elstone's investment plans were rejected. The RFU has attracted outside investment in its format and RL has to do the same even if it involves pain. I'm sure some of our wealthy club owners know what needs to be done as it's clear outsiders have an interest in our great game. We cannot cannot continue saying and doing the same old things.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 2:24 pm  

I agree we are on our booty, despite the Walter Mitty grade fantasies that seem to do the rounds. Like has been said we are run by the wrong people. However, despite holding us back I'm not naive enough to think they don't wan the sport to survive. We do of course need to move forward steadily and cautiously.

I don't have the answers, but I would like to see at least the following three elements as a start:

1) Make the game the spectacle it was about 15 years ago. Make it faster and more open, even at the expense of defensive strengths. We may well not compete with the Aussies (we don't really anyway) but we can start drawing more money and fans into the game if it's more attractive to watch.

2) Entertain the idea of letting someone else promote us. It's a start with the ten games on the BBC but I'm not expecting any more plugging from them than the usual regional stereotype 'cheesy-peas' targeted stuff that we get with the challenge cup.

3) Let the NRL get involved if they have to. We can be a feeder league and still have an entertaining product by encouraging flair and skill from the kids with then lure of a big Aussie deal if they're good enough. If the NRL are involved they might take the concept of international RL a bit more seriously if they think they can capitalise on free-to-air international series.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 7:56 pm  

Sky have if anything marginalised RL ,outside the heartlands if you don't pay to view you won't be interested in paying to watch rugby league anyway. At least BBC offered free to air nationwide viewing to everyone ,even people who had never seen the sport before ,with the chance it tempted some to become regular followers.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 8:25 pm  

I personally don't understand the constant push from some to reduce the number of teams.

I think it's probably mostly driven by the top clubs wanting more share of TV and sponsorship money but it doesn't make for a great competition IMO.

Personally, I would have 14-16 top flight teams again. 14 teams would be 26 fixtures + possibly a magic weekend. It would satisfy both those who want more heartlands clubs and those who want expansion. I get bored watching us play Cas three times a year, every year.

I would also revert to two knockout competitions again (Regal Trophy equivalent) - this gives more teams' fans a genuine chance of seeing their team in a final or lift a trophy.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 8:51 pm  

ninearches wrote:

Sky have if anything marginalised RL ,outside the heartlands if you don't pay to view you won't be interested in paying to watch rugby league anyway. At least BBC offered free to air nationwide viewing to everyone ,even people who had never seen the sport before ,with the chance it tempted some to become regular followers.

Outside the Challenge Cup and Internationals I don't remember much BBC coverage pre- Super League. Even with the lack of live sport on the BBC nowadays they choose to put the early CC rounds online rather than give them live airtime, and regionalise the SL Show to odd hours of day.

Sky haven't marginalised RL, the self serving SL clubs might have though by looking after their own interests rather than the developing a nationwide game.

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 9:03 pm  

shinymcshine wrote:

Outside the Challenge Cup and Internationals I don't remember much BBC coverage pre- Super League. Even with the lack of live sport on the BBC nowadays they choose to put the early CC rounds online rather than give them live airtime, and regionalise the SL Show to odd hours of day.

Sky haven't marginalised RL, the self serving SL clubs might have though by looking after their own interests rather than the developing a nationwide game.

Wondered when someone would bring up the point of the clubs looking after their own interests. They all seem to veto each other and so we get nowhere, I thought that was where the appointment of Elstone was meant to make a difference but it clearly didn’t as it seemed they vetoed him as well. We need some one to take sole charge and decide for everyone. As it stands right now it’s not working. Also having Ken Davy as interim/stand in is not ideal for me, what ever they are going to do needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: The whole Game is on its booty. How can we change it? : Sun May 02, 2021 9:09 pm  

davids wrote:

I personally don't understand the constant push from some to reduce the number of teams.

I think it's probably mostly driven by the top clubs wanting more share of TV and sponsorship money but it doesn't make for a great competition IMO.

Personally, I would have 14-16 top flight teams again. 14 teams would be 26 fixtures + possibly a magic weekend. It would satisfy both those who want more heartlands clubs and those who want expansion. I get bored watching us play Cas three times a year, every year.

I would also revert to two knockout competitions again (Regal Trophy equivalent) - this gives more teams' fans a genuine chance of seeing their team in a final or lift a trophy.

Worst case scenario in your idea then, you're looking ar 36 rounds/weeks for a completed season, where are we putting the 2nd cup competition in, after the challenge cup?