50 replies to this topic

[Northern Sol]

Perhaps it's a numbers thing at this time. Building a CC1-standard squad from local RL grassroots players would probably be impossible at present. Supplementing those who have grown up with RL - and are good enough! - with good quality union players seems a sensible strategy. It seems to be working in South Wales.

I'm not sure that there is much distinction. In South Wales, many of the players played RLC and all of them even those who "grew up with RL" will have played union at some point.

[bowes]

The RFL are still planning on having 3 new clubs but are undergoing due diligence checks. They need new clubs now 4 promotions from C1 is confirmed and Coventry and Hemel need to get in C1 not to be sent back to local leagues.

[tim2]

The RFL are still planning on having 3 new clubs but are undergoing due diligence checks. They need new clubs now 4 promotions from C1 is confirmed and Coventry and Hemel need to get in C1 not to be sent back to local leagues.

Couldn't Coventry and Hemel apply to play in the NCL?

What would be worse woild be to promote clubs that weren't structurally ready and end up with lots of egg on face in 2-3 years and anti-expansionists claiming another victory.

[bowes]

Couldn't Coventry and Hemel apply to play in the NCL?

What would be worse woild be to promote clubs that weren't structurally ready and end up with lots of egg on face in 2-3 years and anti-expansionists claiming another victory.

No. Clubs south of the Trent are banned from the Conference North and there won't be a Conference South for a few years. Of course 2-3 years down the line there may well be a league to drop into if things go wrong.

Alternatively we could drop to midlands premier have most of the first team leave for Northampton and Nottingham and not be able to sustain our ground on the much lower crowds.

[MidlandsRugbyLeague]

No. Clubs south of the Trent are banned from the Conference North

Who says!? In what constitution is that stipulated and who decides? I dont think those rules exist nor is that notion anyone's mandate.

[bowes]

Who says!? In what constitution is that stipulated and who decides? I dont think those rules exist nor is that notion anyone's mandate.

The NCL president on here stated the RFL had told them not to let any southern clubs in. They may change their mind I guess if events dictate.

[Methven Hornet]

If thats the case its very poor thinking by the RFL. Rugby Union is not anything like Rugby League and we as a game should not be looking to pick up players not good enough to play top level Union.. And the RFL should be encouraging development of the game and both Pro and amateur teams bringing through youngsters and locals whether that be in Wigan, Halifax, Featherstone, Leeds or Bristol, Hemel, Northampton etc.

It is a little bit chicken-and-egg. There are probably few non-heartland areas capable of producing sufficient numbers of CC1-standard players at this time. Union is a different game from league but there are a number of transferable skills. Also many players stick at union, even though they may be more suitable for league, because there is no opportunity to play league in the locality. Although they may not be good enough for top-level union, don't forget that we're not talking about top-level league here either.

The combination of league players from the new club's area, suitably talented union players and exiles (whether from the north or down-under) just makes a new CC1 expansion club more feasible at this time. Once the clubs are up and running at this level then hopefully they will act as a focus for more player development. Ambitious and talented youngsters will see league as a viable option and be more willing to work at being a success.

[Fax1978]

It is a little bit chicken-and-egg. There are probably few non-heartland areas capable of producing sufficient numbers of CC1-standard players at this time. Union is a different game from league but there are a number of transferable skills. Also many players stick at union, even though they may be more suitable for league, because there is no opportunity to play league in the locality. Although they may not be good enough for top-level union, don't forget that we're not talking about top-level league here either.

The combination of league players from the new club's area, suitably talented union players and exiles (whether from the north or down-under) just makes a new CC1 expansion club more feasible at this time. Once the clubs are up and running at this level then hopefully they will act as a focus for more player development. Ambitious and talented youngsters will see league as a viable option and be more willing to work at being a success.

Excellent points. Just because someone is not a top line RU player does not mean they will not make a very good RL player some people will perfer and be better suited to one as opposed to another. Look at Ben Flower, Gil Dudson and Rhodri Lloyd who have moved over to wigan, by their own admission never going to dine at the top table in RU for one reason and another but have found that RL suits them much better and they are begining to now excel at one of the top clubs in the world a remarkable story really.

It also proves the point that there may be many such players in traditional RU areas such as Northampton, Bristol/Glous etc who will now have the opportunity to give RL a go and hopefully just a few will turn out to be really excellent players in the future. Time will tell.

[Oracle]

What about Scotland? Any Scottish clubs in the running? Just seems strange that we've expanded to Wales, and France, yet we havnt risked a venture there yet. Could be wrth a try in Glasgow or Edinburgh

[bowes]

What about Scotland? Any Scottish clubs in the running? Just seems strange that we've expanded to Wales, and France, yet we havnt risked a venture there yet. Could be wrth a try in Glasgow or Edinburgh

No bids have been submitted or at least no suitable ones. Though the Scottish League is still very much RU players in the off season (except for the students at Edinburgh Eagles) then again so is Wales.

There are better places to expand in England before we go to Scotland though. Scotland would be far ahead of Ireland though as their RL is just a keep fit tournament for RU clubs with 3 games that won't all go ahead plus playoffs.

[Methven Hornet]

What about Scotland? Any Scottish clubs in the running? Just seems strange that we've expanded to Wales, and France, yet we havnt risked a venture there yet. Could be wrth a try in Glasgow or Edinburgh

The game is tiny here and the SRL are, quite rightly, concentrating their efforts at consolidating the grassroots of the game (including schools and youth development). Although, just like other development areas, there is a great reliance on off-season union players (and clubs!) there are a few league-only outfits and players. One amusing tale that illustrates the point is that of Easterhouse Panthers, based in one of Glasgow's most deprived housing schemes. At the end of their season one year the club got a message from one of the city's lowlier union clubs asking if any of their players had ever thought of trying union. Intrigued, a few of them went down for training only to find they were the only ones there - either the club had folded or they had changed the training arrangements and not told them. Either way the interest in union faded.

Although the main league competition is of the shortened summer type found in other parts of Britain, there are other opportunities for the dedicated (and talented!) league-only player. With friendlies, nines competitions, East V West 'origin' clashes, amateur international trials and games, one-off friendlies against various opposition, student games and north v central u18 and u16 development squad trials, I worked out that some of the better players one year played not far short of 20 games in one season.

One thing that the SRL has realised is that there needs to be a steady stream of quality, home-grown players coming through to supplement the 'heritage players' in the international squad (the u16 and u18 development squads in both the north-east and the central belt are working towards this end). Some started to claim a place last season, a development I hope isn't too disrupted by playing England Knights this coming October. A CC1 club would certainly help this process, although it could be argued that now is too soon. Scotland is quite a way behind some of the more advanced English and Welsh development areas - certainly those pressing for a place at the moment - and, as yet, there are no significant backers coming forward to suggest a bid (although expect to see some newspaper stories between now and the world cup next year suggesting that a bid from either Glasgow or Edinburgh is imminent ).