Don't know if anybody has seen the story breaking in the Sun today, regarding the potential of a 10 team super league, over a two tier structure.

Now I don't believe everything I see in the paper, and especially the SUn, but I do know this has been mentioned in the past, that certain chairmen and CEO's would like to see a further reduction, down to 10.

Now if Toronto are allowed in, and with teams already making way to make 10, that means there will be some very worried Super League clubs out there.

How would the split work, highest placed clubs or richest clubs.

It also said that the 20 clubs that would make the two tier structure, would have the central funding, whilst other clubs have to fend for themselves.

Worrying times I think ahead.

Thoughts?



Not only that, I think this could be a further nail in the coffin for some of our heartland clubs currently in the championship.

This has been talked about for a long time and certainly before the "North American" idea came about.

2 full time leagues with promotion and relegation between the 2 divisions may sound like a good idea BUT, in reality, this is relegating 2 clubs from the top flight.
Whatever they call the leagues, the lower division will the The Championship under a new name and apart from die hard fans NOBODY will want to watch 2nd tier rugby.
Factor in the inclusion of Toronto, Toulouse and possibly a couple more N.American clubs and maybe even Perth ?? (albeit in 5 years time) and you will have a top flight of Leeds, Wigan, Saints, Warrington, Hull and the rest made up of non English clubs and if things go tits up in N.America, the whole lot is in jeopardy.
Equally, things could go from strength to strength in N.America and IF that were to happen, they would probably want their own comp, without any British clubs
This really needs some serious long term thought, something which Rugby League is hopeless at doing.

There is an uncomfortable stench about all of this and the future of the sport looks less and less certain.

Also, I agree about clubs currently in The Championship, who will drop further down the pecking order and with their income further reduced, some of these clubs could disappear.

Chasing the yankee dollar, rather than investing at home. it's fundamentally wrong.

Investors are hard come by in RL but maybe someone may look at forming a split away comp. To be honest I havnt liked the way the direction the sports gone for ages. The big clubs remain well looked after but could they honestly continue with only 9 home games a season because if they intend to play 18 games a season but integrate in some way to make up games with that would allow perfect timing to stick 2 fingers up and break away.
Koolcash anyone?

I guess that it depends who is driving the 2 x 10 idea.
It's a fair bet that it will be someone with cherry & white underwear ??

It does make you wonder what has been going on at The RFL .
Quite ironic that the bloke "credited" with getting the N.Americans interested, is no longer there but he is now serving with RLIF ??

Further retraction of the game of this were to happen. 18 regular season games is way too short for any club to survive. Sky will reduce the funding too as they're getting less product. Playing teams 3/4 times to make up for the shortfall will become boring. Conferences are the way to grow the game.

Can't see it happening but if it did we are a top 6 City based SL club, we will have stadium sorted by then so we will be in if it were to happen.

Up the Trin

My thoughts are, don't read the Sun, you will be happier and healthier from this.

Love your optimism and I hope that you're right.
Lets just hope that it doesn't get put to the test.

For the record, I don't read the Sun.

I saw the article this morning, when tagged into it on FB.

I did also state on my OP, that I dont always believe what I read

I think that the sport over here is currently between a rock and a hard place.

We don't get anywhere near the coverage we deserve on TV and in the national papers, but to do this, we need the sport to progress beyond the M62.

However, this should not be done, potentially at the expense of heartland clubs, who could well fall by the wayside.

Expansion could work, if done right in England alongside our heartland clubs, but I dont think having the likes of Toronto and possibly a New York, will do our sport good in the long run.

Having said that if an American league was set up, to include Toronto and New York, and maybe teams throughout the Americas, then given the money that Americans put into sport, then that could give the sport a real shot in the arem globally

Are those at the RFL just trying to justify the fact that they have a job.

F0R GOD'S SAKE WHY DON'T THEY LEAVE THE STRUCTURE OF THJE LEAGUES ALONE AND STOP THESE HAIR-BRAINED IDEAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you may find that Super League is now being run by the SL clubs not the RFL. Included among these is Wakefield Trinity, whose chairman seems to have taken on a few important roles, presumably as he is the only person within the SL hierarchy who can run a club within its means.

This may not save us without a ground but at least we will have an inside track on developments so if you feel you need to know anything, make an appointment to see Mr Carter.

If Super League decided to go ahead with a ten team structure that includes New York, Toronto and Toulouse I don't think Mr Carter's influence would be likely to change their minds FSW. I'm sure such a decision would not get MC's vote as it would be like a turkey voting to keep Christmas.

Sounds rubbish why not keep it has it is Toronto will get promoted anyway promotion and relegation is a must for me franchise system was crap.

if we don't get a stadium sorted this year as in bricks being laid once end of season comes along we will be in the firing line.

I dont dislike the current structure personally. There are numerous benefits;

- encouraging teams in the championship to spend money as more than one team can be promoted.
- promoted teams need to be of higher quality in the middle 8's than those they replace
- gives importance to the championship games and a purpose to play for

However it is a rather complicated system and explaining this to non RL followers is a difficult task and leaves them confused. This makes gaining new rugby league followers more difficult, and it's hard enough anyway for some reason.

I think it would be better to have a system similar to scottish football. Set leagues of 10-12 teams. Bottom team is relegated, with the winner of the league below promoted. The second bottom team from league 1 joins the play offs with teams 2,3,4 from league 2 to get promoted back to their league. Then just leave it at that.

The issue with the RFL is changing things for the sake of it. Dont fix something that's not broken. What was wrong with how it was years ago with straight promotion/ relagation?

Probably the fact that they couldn't get rid of Wakefield using that method?

Also, they are desperate to get Toronto (and Toulouse) into SL

I actually like the idea of the structure, I just don't like the odds of Wakefield being put in the second tier due to "stricter off-field rules"...

We will never know but it would have been interesting if Cats lost the MPG