Now we know which league we are playing in, but we do not know where we will be playing. We can look forward to Season 2021. Or can we ?
I wonder firstly, when will the season start ? A third wave is projected for Easter, just we we are projected to start.Will fans be able to attend matches ? The Virus has not gone away. In fact it is mutating which is causing great concern.
London goes into tier 3 for Christmas. How long will that last ? So if we do kick off in April, will it be behind closed doors. Can the club afford that ?
The Championship 2021 really is up in the air.
I also wonder, will the players " Take the knee " next season, or will it die the death ? A bit like the way that clapping for the NHS did.

so many questions!!icon_smile.gif...also will we have a squad of 25 to mount a challenge for promotion?

Yes, there are more questions than answers.

I guess Broncos could cope with behind closed doors thanks to David & maybe a couple of other teams. But i very much doubt the bulk of the Championship could or would vote to start the season in those circumstances.

David was very bullish regarding getting promoted so we will have to see who else we sign, if we do.

How tough is 2021 going to be? nobody knows, would love to have listened to the Super League meeting when they were told of the Sky contract offer, on Friday, thought it had been rumoured, 50% reduction on what we currently receive lol, at the same time the fee being rumoured to RU is mind blowing to win the deal from BT, what is happening to out sport? No wonder we are looked at as an M62 corridor sport!

I think jaybs the sport is now more an M62 Service Station broom cupboard sport.

Quite correct lol, I could not believe York used extending the M62 homeland as part of their strap line for the 12th place in Super League?

I can!!!

Source?

Quote ="Dave Lister"Source?'" ?? journalist friend, also this week's League Express!! https://www.totalrl.com/super-league-re ... ghts-blow/

Quote ="Dave Lister"Source?'" ?? journalist friend, also this week's League Express!! https://www.totalrl.com/super-league-re ... ghts-blow/

It’s in every paper. 20m for league a year
37m for rfu

And couple of clubs looking at league players at moment

So season 2021, whats the latest thoughts on a start date. Taking into account we will highly likely still be in some level of lockdown until probably end of April. Likelyhood of crowds being allowed in in significant numbers probably diminished again

Could easily see no Championship in 2021. If we are in Tier 4 still or worse come April/May you start to run out of weeks to fit in all the games taking player welfare into account. I suppose you could divide Championship into East & West to reduce fixtures with the 2 top teams playing off for the promotion spot but still can't see most Championship clubs wanting to play any games behind closed doors.

But you never know, things may improve but i wouldn't bet on it.

Of that £37m for RU, the private equity firm CVC who bought into the business take a guaranteed 27% of revenue - so £10m per year. That leaves the clubs with just over £2m each, so it's not as great a deal as it seems. And the money CVC paid to buy in has all gone on paying debts.

The SL offer is bad but not as bad as it appears at first glance. The SL clubs currently receive £20m pa, the RFL take about £8m and the rest goes to Championship / L1 clubs. Apparently this new offer is only for SL, not the leagues below, so it's not as drastic a cut as it appears. And it's - supposedly - only an initial offer. The SL clubs will take a cut, but the real pain will be felt by Ch/L1 clubs and the RFL.

The sky offer is no real surprise. With no real competition for the rights then sky can offer whatever they wish in reality. Combined with the state of global finances whatever happens there will be less money available.
UK PLC are planning on restrictions being in place until April if not beyond so i suspect in RL lower tier game with no income will be cut drastically again next year. If played at all.

You could argue there is currently more competition for sporting rights than there has been over the entire SL era. Sky no longer have a monopoly on TV sport in the UK primarily due to the fragmentation of Premier League rights. RL simply has to make itself attractive to a wider audience if it wants to maximise its TV revenue.

And for that it has to do more than scratch its buttocks in the M62 corridor.

Thoughts? Will fans be allowed then, I some how doubt it in Tier 4?

Who knows, two months is a long time

Under the current arrangements in England limited fans are allowed at tier 1 and tier 2 for elite sport . Tier 3 and 4 no fans allowed. That's if the Championship is designated as elite sport by RFL in agreement with DCMS. In association football the elite categorisation goes down to the sixth tier - National Leagues north and south. So Barnet, Dagenham and Redbridge and Chelmsford City are elite. They've had money from the lottery and are playing behind closed doors and live streaming games for a fee. The thinking behind this apparently is that although a few clubs in the national league and most in national league south and north are part time, players' main job is playing sport. Below that level the balance shifts and their sports earnings are the add on element. I wonder if we might end up with the championship being considered elite but league 1 not? Who knows, and as people have said a lot can change.

It makes you wonder if season ticker tickets should be sold until there's a clear prospect of fans being allowed to attend? Dagenham and Redbridge did sell season tickets and so far have managed to get fans into one league game, during the period between the English lockdown ending and London being elevated from tier 2 to tier 3. My lad was a season ticket holder there last year but didn't commit this year because of the uncertainty.

But I think the Season Ticket holders did get to stream the games for free (rather then having to pay)

Yes - certainly Dagenham did that. There's some sort of formula where season ticket holders get £9 docked from their season ticket credit and the general public pay £10 to watch the video. One risk is that you might live in area with a different level of restriction to the ground. So if Broncos were in tier 2 but you live in tier 4 you can't go! And, of course, there's the risk of not being able to go because of a requirement to self isolate because of a contact. I don't know much about Plough Lane but my sense is that Ealing would be a pretty CV19 secure venue. There's plenty of space there to spread out and pretty adequate parking arrangements (so you can avoid public transport) if you don't mind walking a few hundred yards.

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/57 ... ary-return So 8/9 weeks to get a squad together and ready to compete. Lets see it unravel.

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/57 ... ary-return So 8/9 weeks to get a squad together and ready to compete. Lets see it unravel.

Well there is supposed to be some signing news soon

The season should start irrespective of whether fans can attend. As has been said, other sports have streamed during restrictions.