I can speak has someone "looking in" this season on how superleague fans are treated with disdain by Sky TV.
Matches re-scheduled a very little notice, been expected to travel across the country on a Thursday night, never been able to plan away days until the last minute and more.
This season we are playing on a Sunday, boy have I missed regular Sunday rugby, time for travel, been able to take young family members to new venues, no late nights home,
book transport in plenty of time, and having time to spend money in the local area before and after games.

We all like to see our game on the telly, but fans needs have to be taken into consideration when these pay masters are been allowed to dictate when our teams have to play.
It's about time fat Nige and co grew a pair and learnt to say no.

Regarding the talk of the Magic event being a 9's tournament.

How many speccies do we seriously think that this would attract 8000/10000, it certainly would be nowhere near the numbers that we currently get.
For mie, this is an absolute non runner.

9s shouldn't replace the magic weekend. It makes money and sky love it.

I admit it is aspirational (<cough> pipedream <cough>icon_wink.gif and based on a premise of having more money than we do.

But on the other hand Bradford, London and Hull KR have all been SL teams in the recent past, and it'd be nice to think that there's potential in places like Sheffield, Toulouse and Toronto, for example.

Even football struggles with Sky and their demands wrt scheduling and kick off times so it's not just us that struggle to grow a pair. Whilst I understand the frustrations let's not forget how crucial tv money is.

I'd personally just go with: 23 league rounds seems Magic will be kept. Get rid of the Easter double header. That means less games and no double up weekends - better for the players. 12th place goes down, top 5 playoffs, league leaders automatically through to the Grand Final - they get 2 weeks off while the 4 remaining play to join them at Old Trafford. Add in mandatory reserve teams too.

That cuts down on the number of games played and a reduced season meas you can have a week or 2 off for internationals mid season too.

Indeed.
Despite Jamie Peacocks fantasy, that a 9's competition would be good for the game, it just isn't/ wouldn't be a big enough draw.
Peacock, when he was at Leeds, wanted SL cutting to 10 clubs and yet strangely, he now wants an increase



THere also needs to be some serious thought given as to how we accommodate Toulouse and Toronto in the top flight, assuming that they would be "good for the game".

Less games = less money. Gates, Sky, Sponsors etc.

Doesn't need to mean less money. The game is being sold short, they just need to grow a pair and stop doing that. Sell the game for what it's worth.

P & R will keep the game stuck in the heartlands. Expanding to new areas likes Toronto needs licencing / franchising to work. Personally I think that decision has already been made.

Or less games = more quality, more gates, Sky, Sponsors etc...

Of course it'd be less money. Why would Sky pay the same if you're offering them less content with several less weeks of tv?

You can't guarantee the quality increasing. If gates + tv audiences increase its negated by less games.

E.g. 15,000 avg for 14 games = 210,000
17,000 avg for 11 = 184,000

I think 9's has a market but i don't necessarily think its the same market as MW. The thing with 9's is that it is different and needs more than a once a year half an attempt. It needs probably 3 weekends at least.

The system we have is incredibly unsuitable for accommodating Toulouse and Toronto. Any structure with P+R is unsuitable for a game trying to expand but this one particularly bad.

Why would it necessitate less content?

Because the season is shorter. We get 2/3 games a week and take 6/7 weeks off and that's 20 less games on tv.

Or have bye weeks and spread fewer games over a longer time.