now that is a large town

which is crying out for another pro sports team and once tried to persuade Hemel Stags to move there. But Broncos won't consider it.

Apart from the same people pushing the same agendas as usual regardless of the circumstances.

I am not sure I see the benefit to any side going into SL for 2014.

In all likelihood, the team that goes in will be going out again at the end of the year.

Also if the RFL are reducing the league anyway, why try to keep it at 14?

It's nothing against Featherstone. I think Toulouse would be foolish to go for this idea too, same for Halifax.
In future years it will be 1 up 1 down. In 2014 it's 2 down, none up.

I do like the idea of distributing the cash to the Championship clubs. Every little helps and if it can close the gap in cash between the leagues it will only help those clubs looking to promotion in the 2015 season.

The MK Red Bulls playing out of Stadium MK. Someone should be working on that.

AGREED

What I really am struggling to understand in what we are doing right now, is that the constant justification for the need for a restructure (regardless of which restructure it is) is that there isn’t enough money to sustain the SL clubs. Yet it is also corresponding with a clamour to give what little money we do have, to semi-pro clubs, not to invest in their infrastructure, marketing or youth development, but in paying the same players, more money to become pro. I don’t understand the logic.

So we go through this restructure which is desperately needed because the SL clubs need more money, create a pot of money, then give it to the championship clubs. If we accept we need a restructure of SL because the SL clubs need more money, why are we so desperate to give it to anyone but them?

Tell Bradford they have to re-locate there the next time they go bust.

Why, aren’t we allowed new clubs? Have we hit our limit now,

We finished bottom , same as many before us , and a few after , other than that no problem

Agree 100%

It wouldn't happen , Odd number of teams cannot have an odd number of games

Simples

No it didn't , we broke even in SL , HTH

Explain that one , I cannot wait

Strangely I agree

But if the Bronco's do go pop , realistically to retain the magic Weekend for next year they would have to find another club , so who do you suggest ?

You're confusing and upsetting yourself because you associate the re-structured game and promotion/relegation plans with the staus quo at all the clubs.

The point is that you put a better structure in place, including automatic promotion & relegation, and leave it there for 50 years+. You will then get gradual GROWTH of the game as a whole as financial backers and supporters see an open route to the top.

As I say, look at soccer. They've left promotion and relegation in place forever, nothwithstanding the massive influx of cash into their game in the satellite TV era.

Soccer has a genuine pyramid structure in place with a strong base and support for the top clubs. People put money and time into clubs (see Newport, Yeovil, Crawley etc) as they dream of doing a Wigan Athletic, Wimbledon etc.

At present, the top of SL has no real supporting pyramid in place. The SL closed shop has led to a withering of the wider game. With the new structure put in place and left in place, the game in this country will grow to the benefit of everybody involved.

I sincerely hope the RFL's back up plan isn't to go to 13 clubs. If it is, they seriously haven't thought about how that affects the Magic Weekend!
It is impossible to have an odd number of teams play an odd number of games in a season. It mathematically doesn't work, so those suggesting a SL club should just play a Championship club as a friendly to make the fixtures even (no one on here that I've seem yet but seem it suggested plenty in the past) haven't considered who they'll play their extra SL game against.

Assuming the Broncos do drop out, if the RFL wants to keep the Magic Weekend, which I'm sure they do, they'll either have to get rid of another team (which would be completely unfair... unless another team volunteers to drop out/goes bust, which would make things a lot simpler!) or add another team.

If they add another team, they won't have long to prepare, and chances are they'd get relegated straight away with the drop to 12 teams in 2015.
Toulouse would offset any bad publicity about retreating to the heartlands but I doubt they could build a squad in time anywhere near able to compete.
Sheffield are currently the best side but don't have the backing.
So I guess that leaves Featherstone. Most consistent side over the last few years. Major backing. Ground improvements visible.

Don't see the damage having them in for one year would do. Would be better than 13 teams and cancelling the Magic Weekend.

I sincerely hope the RFL's back up plan isn't to go to 13 clubs. If it is, they seriously haven't thought about how that affects the Magic Weekend!
It is impossible to have an odd number of teams play an odd number of games in a season. It mathematically doesn't work, so those suggesting a SL club should just play a Championship club as a friendly to make the fixtures even (no one on here that I've seem yet but seem it suggested plenty in the past) haven't considered who they'll play their extra SL game against.

Assuming the Broncos do drop out, if the RFL wants to keep the Magic Weekend, which I'm sure they do, they'll either have to get rid of another team (which would be completely unfair... unless another team volunteers to drop out/goes bust, which would make things a lot simpler!) or add another team.

If they add another team, they won't have long to prepare, and chances are they'd get relegated straight away with the drop to 12 teams in 2015.
Toulouse would offset any bad publicity about retreating to the heartlands but I doubt they could build a squad in time anywhere near able to compete.
Sheffield are currently the best side but don't have the backing.
So I guess that leaves Featherstone. Most consistent side over the last few years. Major backing. Ground improvements visible.

Don't see the damage having them in for one year would do. Would be better than 13 teams and cancelling the Magic Weekend.

Team that wins this years championships grand final

Drop it to 12, apparently all will be fine if clubs smash the lower league clubs, surely there will be no shortage of volunteers to drop for a season and play for an extra season in the lower leagues

thats fine in 50 years time, but what about now?

I'm neither confused or upset, this stupid idea will only benefit my club, the lower levels of the game will be set back about 10years by it, but my team gets more big games against other big clubs and is guaranteed to only ever compete at the top of this rl pyramid.

I'm simply questioning the clear and obvious failure of logic that says SL needs to be restructured because SL needs more money so lets take 2/16ths so the money currently put in SL and give it to the league below which is currently very close on the pitch, and off, so we can create a massive discrepancy in funding in that league, so the top is miles way from the bottom (in terms of funding) and entrench an even bigger gap in funding between the top of SL and the top of the championship.

Also football is an awful example, outside the very top of the premiership the entire game is a big financial Jenga. Plenty of football clubs go buts, plenty are on the precipice.

You think the new structure will set at least part of the game back 10 years. If the new structure is left in place, I believe the game as a whole in this country will be a LOT stronger in ten years' time.

We'll see.

What planet are you on. Castleford's attendances are way ahead of London's. They have a stadium of their own, however humble. London are homeless at the end of this season. I woukld think they produce as many juniors at the broncos. Given the disparity in criowd size, it beggars reason to think that the Broncos sales are any better.

Since Powell became coach their playing record is much improved also. London are rock bottom by quite a distance and leak points like a rusty sieve. London's display in the CC semi final contributed to the image of SL in a most remarkable fashion.

That's the simplest idea put forward yet, It could mean that the team promoted would be the whipping boys but this is what the top championship teams have been asking for anyway. The Grand Final winners should have the option to decline and make a stronger challenge in 2015 and the runners up then have the chance. The whole P+R system is thankfully coming back anyway so whats wrong with this years GF winners having an early crack........................................And even if they were given only a quarter of the funds that have been chucked at the broncos they can't do any worse

Really? What you took from that is I thought London were better than Cas? And that we should compare them to decide who stayed in SL?

You could fit the crowds of the Broncos in a decent sized NCL ground.