Re: The Future Of Rugby League 27th Sept 2022 : Fri Oct 14, 2022 3:09 pm
A combined South Yorkshire side would get smaller crowds than either the Dons or Sheffield presently get. Those in charge must surely realise by now that sport is tribal and trying to bring two opposing tribes together won't work.Keighley felt the need to make their views public. Most others seem to have kept quiet. The Dons publicity machine rarely springs into action so I'm not surprised we've not heard anything.
IMG's policies are very lacking in detail but their theory is based around the principle that the fear of relegation stops investors putting money into the game. It's hard to disprove this theory other than to say London Broncos never thrived under the licencing system so why should things be any different now?
Promotion and relegation through on-field performance sits comfortably with fans as we all know what needs to be done. Going up or down for other reasons smacks of an old boys' club where favours can be bought. It'll be interesting to see how transparent IMG's grading rules will be.
I know the Grand Final brings in a lot of money but I'm very much in favour of calling the league winners the champions. They've proven to be the best team over the full season, not come good or got lucky in one-off games where injuries or suspensions can have a big impact. Would the English football Premier League use this method to crown their champions? I don't think so!
I used to quite like the old method of having the Premiership play-offs after the league leaders were crowned champions. This was an important prize but secondary to winning the league.
If the RFL want an idea to fill a stadium with an end of season match to showcase the game, why not pit the champions against a team made up of the best players from the rest of the league? Let's see how good the champions really are.
Imagine a game at the end of our season where Keighley played a team made up of the best players from other clubs. It would be a good way for their fans to have an end of season celebration too.
I know player welfare is an issue but if the number of matches played in a season drops too low, fans will quit the game. League One is painful with just 10 league matches in our season. Especially with pitch closures in the summer, we go too long without home games and that gets fans 'out fof the habit'. IMG talk about quality over quantity but there do have to be enough matches to keep fans interested.
Maybe we'll get to know more about the plans as the World Cup progresses. The game is going to get increased TV exposure and that needs to be utilised to promote the sport.
