I'm fully expecting this to go through. I can't really see any reason why a championship club would reject this new structure.
Right now they have to beat super league teams to have a chance of promotion. Under the new structure you just have to be better than your fellow championship clubs. It should be a no brainer.

I agree, top the Championship and replace the bottom team in SL, so simple and so obvious.

thats the way i read it as well.

One minute they need loop fixtures as 11 home games aren't sustainable, the next, they're big enough to breakway from the sport (without the CC or England RL) It won't matter to all, but i can't see many players being happy at not having chance to win CC or play for their country anymore.


Sorry, with threatening statements like that from chariman wanting more power, the sport is heading one way. SL isn't premier league football, many of the "elite" clubs are getting over 6k attendances.


I've said all a long, i agree with SL that the eights need to go. But this railroading and threatening language of "do what we say otherwise we'll screw the rest of the sport over just because we're the 12 clubs that happen to be in SL at this moment in time." is laughable. Take time out, and try find solutions to the problems that have caused us to change the structure for the third time in 10 years. No matter what Hudgell and Pearson think, SL isn't big enough to go it alone. The super 8s being removed on Friday isn't going to solve the sports main issues, lack of money, and most importantly, lack of people playing the game.

How many current SL players are there that joined an SL team from school never having played for an amateur team or a lower division club in some capacity? There can't be very many. SL needs the rest of the RFL community from amateur level upwards to survive, or it could very quickly run out of players if there is an acrimonious split. Yes, there would still be movement from players to SL teams, but said players may think twice about it if the rest of the RFL world took their bat and ball home and declared that anyone having played in the "new" SL would be barred for playing in the "other" competition. Dafter things have happened when folk with big ego's fall out.

One up, one down and genuinely retaining funding is fine with me, but please stop the bully boy tactics.

Barring players playing would do more harm then good and would most likely affect the lower league clubs more in the longer term than the SL clubs. Players will always strive for money and the elite competition.

I don't disagree with you, but as I say, dafter things have happened. Let's hope the meeting itself is amicable, and we get a sensible result from it.

Absolutely. Lets hope this 'take it or leave it' rhetoric is left behind, and that ALL clubs can work together for the benefit of the game.

[size=50(Or is that just wishful thinking?)[/size

Ultimately, it's all about the money and the desire of the top clubs in the game to get a little extra.
ALL parts of the game are essential, from U8's right through to SL and the International game, it's just a case of the "best" way to divide the cake.
One thing that definitely needs to happen is "level" funding in The Championship, a cliff edge that has caused 2 of the bigger clubs to really change direction.
The cut from 800k to 200k for finishing 5th instead of 4 is just ridiculous and you do have to ask just how this was voted in.
Even a fool could see that this was a disaster waiting to happen.

1 up 1 down seems to be the direction that we're going, assuming that agreement can be reached.

Regarding amateur players and those that have made their way through the tiers into the pro game, I think this will continue anyway, almost regardless of the level of funding in the lower leagues and good players will always make it if they want success.

2019 RFL Championship is looking like it'll be a cracker of a competition, with London, Toulouse, Halifax, Bradford all gunning for the one spot. If Leigh and Fev can get cash injections, then it's a 6 way battle.

Which ones do you tip to go bust chasing that one spot?

It really will make for a fascinating division. IT NEEDS TO BE ON TV!

London are bankrolled as are Toulouse so they should be OK. Widnes will depend on the players they can retain and the level of support they get from their fans, Fax always cut their cloth accordingly these days and Bradford will be happy to challenge, but not at "any cost". Del Boy may well be back at Leigh if he sniffs another crack at SL, so Leigh would be my guess is anyone was going to overspend.....but yes, it does need to be on TV

This is the problem. Why does it “need” to be on TV? This is the reason why it isn’t. Yes, to us fans it’s kind of exciting but the standard on show is like rugby union league 2 which doesn’t have a TV deal

Regards

King James

Sky sports will be showing the Trailfinders v Carnegie game from the west London wedding venue this weekend at 3pm on SKY SPORTS ACTION.

As for the "standard" of championship RL, with 2 games being shown on Saturday, I reckon we've as much chance of seeing exciting Rugby as we do on thursday and Friday with the 2 SL games.....but I suppose if you're a purist and interested in skill and top quality, you'll be glued to the NRL then and not bother with the inferior SL product

As a purist I will be glued to rugby union aswell
Given that Webb Ellis was a rugby union lad. My point stands. The championship is poor as a spectacle to the non fan. We just find it exciting due to the possible permutations of possible promotion candidates

Regards

King James

no more or less so than Castleford v Huddesfield is either.
It'll be interesting to see the BARB figures for this coming Saturday

So you are saying that the quality of rugby on show is similar in the semi pro/amateur level of the championship than it is to the 3rd best team in super league? You don’t half spout some rubbish. Even by your standards!

Regards

King James

While I don’t agree with SL breaking away, i’m not sure not holding the rights to the CC would be an issue, they could just call it the ‘SL Cup’ still rent Wembley out for final and would the BBC even be bothered so long as they get top games to show?

Same for the international game, I doubt the RFL own the brand for ‘England team’ or ‘Great Britain’ as they are too generic, so quite easy to create a team there. And again would Australia and NZ be bothered if they are playing a spinoff team so long as their match fee is right and they are playing SL’s top players? Don't forget we’ve had an SL Australia team before.

No. That's not what I said.
I said that the game on Thursday night would appeal no more or less to the passing sports fan (or non fan as you call them) than either of the games on Saturday.
I am attempting (god knows why) to converse with you in an adult fashion.....ease up on the insults.

SL could indeed have their own "SL Cup", but it would be for a different trophy. In terms of international games, world rugby is governed by the Rugby League International Federation, of which the Rugby Football League is a full member. A SL breakaway would have no part to play. Yes, they could raise a team, and even arrange games against Australia etc., but they wouldn't be representing England (or GB).

They can be though not as often but then you’d know that had you ever been to one.

Oh and I’m no grammar Nazi but it’s Wolves not Wolfs you dimwitt



And another oh! Why are you still here?

We broke away from Rugby Union in 1895, please move on.

The Championship would be watched by plenty of RL fans but, lets face it, SL isn't a huge draw and The Championship would be less so. However, The top fixtures in that division will be decent viewing and any games involving 2 sides out of the top 6/7 clubs will be a decent watch.

Exactly. That would be a big hand the RFL would have over SL in trying to lure players to their comp. If the money was with SL then obviously many would still choose to sign with them.

Also if there was a breakaway, what makes everyone so certain SKY would buy rights for that rather than the RFL one. SL only has 4/5 elite clubs (Leeds, Wigan, Saints, Wire/Hull) the rest are all replaceable. SKY don't give 2 stuffs about KR/Wakey/Salford. Leeds don't seem to be united with SL and could well join an RFL breakaway. If the best players were to sign for the RFL one, SKY would drop SL like a stone.

Anyway the above is all irrelevant as it will never happen. My point is SL isn't as big or as strong as it think it is. The sport will crumble with a breakway. Heads need banging together and the obvious solution of 12/14 team, 1up 1 down, 22 home/away fixtures, 5 team play off, and each league keeps same percentage of funding for next decade and we all work together as a sport to increase the size of the pie. Then we can move onto the actual issues in RL like falling participation numbers.

That's more or less what needs to be agreed except some form of TWO up, 2 down (one automatic, the other via some kind of play-offs).

I last ke the udea if a Super League cup, 3 groups of 3 play each other home and away x 2 start pre season 4 group winners 2 semis and a final around may bank hol. Better than pointless loop fixtures. Clubs get a guaranteed 23 home games then.