Interesting point to note that the 6 bottom clubs in SL in 2013, who did not walk out of the meeting last night, all have debts with the RFL that could be called in at short notice. I wonder if that swayed their decision somewhat? Leeds didn’t walk out as it’s clear their chairmen is after the RFL top job in the future. Puzzled as to why saints didn’t walk too?

Its a valid point.

You make several unsubstantiated assumptions. You also claim to speak for everyone else. I can make up my own mind, thanks.

Im sorry but im gonna upset a lot of rhino fans but gh is a yes man. if the rfl told him to run through leeds naked he reckon he prob would!

at least our chairman nh is sticking up for our club and not rolling over baclwards and saying yes master to the rfl.

So what would you do if you were in the same position as a club chairman who was put in the same situation? That of having a really strong opposition to the proposed reforms. You honestly believe that the changes will be of a detriment to both your club and the sport as a whole.

What seems, on the face of it, a churlish and childish act may be one of last ditch desperation?

Unfortunately the RFL has deeply intertwined itself with many of the SL clubs to the point that they may influence the decision of such clubs if there were a vote like this. This also prevents all the clubs from braking away from its governing body should they think that it is no longer fit for purpose.

Maybe the RFL isn't as green as it is cabbage looking.

My chairman is bigger than your chairman and is going to duff you up, so there.

Grow up.

That's exactly how it seems to me. Whilst being castigated for walking out rather than talking through the issues, it seems more like they tried and failed with that.

With this coming on the back of the player's vote being quite negative about the way the game is being run, I think it's quite poor form that the RFL just seem to want to ignore the concerns being raised and plough on and force a vote that some are quite clearly not comfortable with.

I've said on the Hull board, I don't personally think that issues of this magnitude should be able to be passed with such a slender majority, anyway.

Thoroughly agree.

Frankly, whatever solution or proposal the RFL come up with it won't get voted through unless Lenegan gets some power and influence as a result.

He seems to be setting himself up as some sort of "saviour" of the game, but I've yet to hear any kind of positive or constructive proposal come out of his mouth. All he's done so far is rubbish the ideas that others have put forward, and that's easy.

It's coming up with a solution that is the hard bit, something Barwick and the RFL are at least trying to do.

How can you discuss commercial issues until you know exactly how your product is going to look come 2015? It is right that the league structure is sorted out first, then the in-fighting can begin over who gets what slice of the cake.

I think you may have over-estimated your capacity to upset people.

You don't upset. We just pity you, as a fool for believing that.

I am no longer a great fan of Hetherington for Leeds, and the reason been what I put on page one, as I believe too many times he puts the game before my club. For the game of Rugby League that's great.

The guy is innovative, has ideas way beyond others, and is prepared to take a risk to back himself on something. He is no way in this world a yes man to anyone or any organisation. He stands up for what he himself believes right, and is arrogant enough to want the credit for it. But that is exactly what the game needs running it.

This is now becoming the issue on the forums.

Ask most fans and they would think the issue is about TV money and the league structure and power. Its not its about how the game is run the new format would have been voted in last night if they also were allowed to discuss the RFL and Wood. Wood is now a dead duck so he should do the honorable thing and go. Some teams are scared for the future so will not break ranks especially the ones who have come out of trouble.

Seems that this was been railroaded in as fast as they could in an attempt to stop any issues of the RFL been discussed. RFL is not running Super League very well and most know this. Even the Salford owner says he has issues with RFL and Wood but is not bothered about the league format.

unlike one of your previous chairmen who liked bend over forwards over the couch and say yes master

I would be inclined to agree with pretty much all of this tbh , it is imperative that Mr Barwick is given the time and backing to put the RL house in order . This is by far the most important appointment in the recent history of the game , This man has forgotten more about administration of a top level sport than the likes of Lenaghan et al are ever likely to know . The sport could do a lot worse than get behind him and give him a chance to turn the organisation round .

Personally I disagree with this. If you wen't to a bank manager for a business loan, they wouldn't even let you through the door without a business plan. And this for me epitomises the problem the RFL have - they seem to be weak in the area of business sense and control. I think many of their proposals look very good on paper, but it all boils down to money in the end, and in particular how the Sky pot is divided out. It already appears to be far too small. Wakey are having to sell players, Cas are doing the same, Hull KR are losing money, Bradford are not exactly cashed up and London - well, London are London. So the danger with these proposals is that the insufficient pot of money is spread even further. That seems very risky to me. And the RFL proposals come at a time when they are not meeting their commercial obligation / commitment of finding a SL sponsor - that hardly inspires me with a great deal of confidence regarding their plans.

Quite how reducing the competition by two teams spreads the pot thinner I'm not sure. You'll have to explain that to me.

Sport is not a normal business. Rugby league has no divine right to its fair share of the sponsorship pie.

Frankly, I'd rather listen to what Brian Barwick has to say about running a professional sport than what some SL chairmen, who frankly have demonstrated that they couldn't run a bath, might say.

Read the Hull board and see what Pearson has to say about Hetherington at a fans forum, also the Wigan Chairmans' name is Lenagan.......

Lenagan, Moran and Davey are all successful businessmen who have made money running their own companies

Hetherington was a double glazing salesman, McManus a banker.

I'm guessing that the big argument is about leadership and governance of Superleague, just as much as the emperors new close fixture format.

Yeah it's quite tragic how some of the Hull fans are pitching tents in their pants because their saviour and god Pearson said "Hetherington can ask for all the apologies he wants, he isn't going to get one".

Ignoring that GH hasn't actually asked for an apology, doubt he will do, and doubt he's looking for one especially from Pearson.

Still, small victories and all that.

Businesses doing what?

Hethrington also took a failing rugby league club and transformed it into a profit-making operation with 6 league titles in 9 years.

There's the age-old "significant experience" dichotomy here: do we mean a significant amount of experience, or experience which is significant?

We could argue in circles all day. I still don't think it's even the right argument when the process by which the group makes and ratifies decisions appears some way short of being fit for purpose. Until that is resolved then arguing over individuals is a bit irrelevant.

Personally, I suspect if they ALL shelved their egos for a few days they might well find that their varied experience could actually be complementary. Then we could also stop the parochial d!ck-measuring about whose got the most acest CEO.

So do we think Pearson is more bitter over the Briscoes' desire to play for Leeds RLFC or his apparent failure to do proper DD when Kath mugged him for Hull FC?

Either way, until he comes up with some solutions rather than pointless backbiting his positions have zero credibility.

Agreed

Also from reading that thread on the hull board he made a comment along the lines of hetherington has had 17yrs trying to run the game time to step aside. Then a few posts down he mentions we (Leeds) opperate at 150k below cap and they are looking to try and replicate the Leeds model.

And your point ?

The Saints representative wasn't there and by all accounts neither was Castlefords. With Bradford currently not being allowed a vote, the 6 that walked out we're actually in the majority and not the minority.

That Pearson's mouth is 5 seconds ahead of his brain.