76 replies to this topic

[Marauder]

How would they rate Leicester and Northampton? The other 3 are a fair bit behind those 2. My opinion would be that those 2 sides are good enough for Conference South but not NCL. Coventry and Nottingham would be sort of top end or midtable division 2 IMO as they're comparable to Dewsbury Celtic. Much too good for a midlands premier and easily capable of the national travel as up north and down south is equidistant roughly.

The problem is the London clubs may whinge about having to play us but we don't have a local option. Bristol have a similar problem in that regard but might struggle on the field in the NCL. They'd be too good for midlands premier though.

Said it's a good standard a lot slower than the Yorkshire league and not as aggressive, also said they are a great bunch of lads.

[bowes]

Said it's a good standard a lot slower than the Yorkshire league and not as aggressive, also said they are a great bunch of lads.

Leicester used to be very aggressive but purged these elements and after a few years of being very weak they came good under Ty Watson's coaching and now have a good set up.

[Marauder]

Leicester used to be very aggressive but purged these elements and after a few years of being very weak they came good under Ty Watson's coaching and now have a good set up.

Go watch the Queens, Uptons and Frystons of the amateur game if you want aggression I was looking forward to watching the Fryston v Cutsyke game but I'm down at the school of Artillery this weekend.

[bowes]

Heard about that. Burntwood were pretty bad as well. Though the midlands isn't rough players anymore. Apparently the East Midlands League was rough though and clubs appropriately joined the Yorkshire League

[West Country Eagle]

I have two friends(Who play for a Doncaster based club) travelling to play for the team sat at the top of the Midlands Premier at the moment and they have informed me of the standard.

Is one of those a scrum half? Playing for Leicester? My brother mentioned him.

The problem with the Midlands Prem at the moment is that only Leicester and Northampton are a decent standard. Both could do with tougher competition week in, week out, and that's what they want next year.

[Marauder]

Is one of those a scrum half? Playing for Leicester? My brother mentioned him.

The problem with the Midlands Prem at the moment is that only Leicester and Northampton are a decent standard. Both could do with tougher competition week in, week out, and that's what they want next year.

Yes mate and the other is playing on the wing but is normally a full-back for his winter club.

[bowes]

Is one of those a scrum half? Playing for Leicester? My brother mentioned him.

The problem with the Midlands Prem at the moment is that only Leicester and Northampton are a decent standard. Both could do with tougher competition week in, week out, and that's what they want next year.

IMO the ideal place for them and perhaps for you is linking in with the premier south which is stronger in depth (5 out of 6 sides are strong). The question is are those southern clubs up for it or happy in a 6 team league with less travelling? In which case there's a choice between a weak midlands premier or the risk of getting hammered up north for you, Leicester and Northampton (depending on what standard the new division 3 clubs are, though you'd possibly pick up home wins against the likes of Heworth)

I'm not saying you couldn't manage the NCL but you'd be the only southern club (there'd be some midlanders) and the standard would be high so you might prefer being in the playoffs of a southern league? If that's an option of course.

Edited by bowes, 19 June 2012 - 11:08 AM.

[West Country Eagle]

IMO the ideal place for them and perhaps for you is linking in with the premier south which is stronger in depth (5 out of 6 sides are strong). The question is are those southern clubs up for it or happy in a 6 team league with less travelling? In which case there's a choice between a weak midlands premier or the risk of getting hammered up north for you, Leicester and Northampton (depending on what standard the new division 3 clubs are, though you'd possibly pick up home wins against the likes of Heworth)

I'm not saying you couldn't manage the NCL but you'd be the only southern club (there'd be some midlanders) and the standard would be high so you might prefer being in the playoffs of a southern league? If that's an option of course.

What is needed is a kind of bridge - i.e a tier 3 league for the midlands/south/wales that's of higher standard than the current Premier Divisions, but not as strong as NCL2 and above. What we want is to develop the standard of clubs in this part of the world, allied with strong performance pathways for juniors etc - as exists in the Midlands, and is slowly improving in the SW - so that it 5 or 10 years time the gap is narrowing.

Who knows what might happen next year though.

[bowes]

What is needed is a kind of bridge - i.e a tier 3 league for the midlands/south/wales that's of higher standard than the current Premier Divisions, but not as strong as NCL2 and above. What we want is to develop the standard of clubs in this part of the world, allied with strong performance pathways for juniors etc - as exists in the Midlands, and is slowly improving in the SW - so that it 5 or 10 years time the gap is narrowing.

Who knows what might happen next year though.

Pretty much my thought on the matter. Though Nottingham have already asked to play up north.

Something like:
South Wales Hornets
Bristol
St Albans
Leicester
Northampton
London Skolars A
Hammersmith
Eastern Rhinos
South London
Elmbridge

Maybe Coventry but maybe they'd be in Championship 1 or up north. My concern would be whether the likes of South London and Elmbridge would buy into it.

Guess Hemel and All Golds might be able to run reserves (the latter playing as the Warriors?) to provide extra teams. As might a Championship 1 Coventry but probably not Oxford. This might be a stretch on the nascent pro clubs though even if Skolars and Scorpions could manage.

Edited by bowes, 19 June 2012 - 12:52 PM.

[SherwoodForester]

Traditionally, because rugby league was always a northern sport in the eyes of the administrators, anyone south of Sheffield was considered to be "southern" and lumped together in a "southern" league.

Nottingham is only 37 miles south of Don Valley yet in the eyes of the admin they are conceived to be a southern club as are Leicester who are 18 miles further south than us.

Many of the major road/transport systems in the UK run North/South so it would probably make better sense to have an East/West split in Tier 3 with teams going up and down the M5/M6 (West) and M1 (East) rather than expecting clubs to travel across country?

Nottingham tend to look North because the club really is much closer to the "North" of England (in RL terms) than the South so travelling is much easier.

However, geography isn't the only factor, Nottingham also want to be in a league where they play a full season across 8/9 months rather than the current 4 month season where 18 fixtures are shoe-horned into a 20 week stretch (ie the RU off-season).

[bowes]

A west/east split is out of the question as the northern clubs would block it. However, you fitting in the north is sensible.

The tricky issue is the further south they draw the boundary the more London clubs they'll get but conversely the harder it will be for midlands clubs to join tier 3 (except us and you) due to higher standards

Edited by bowes, 19 June 2012 - 01:23 PM.

[del capo]

I may be wrong but I do not believe that Leicester or Bristol figure amongst the NCL applicants for next season.

The latest RFL thinking may well be to look at the Midlands as a hub for a competition at Tier 3 - 4 , the South likewise . That would overcome some travel issues and at the same time let clubs develop quickly but not at the potentially suicidal pace needed to catch even NCL 2.

What to do with / allow reserves from the new Championship sides could be an issue if teams get a seemingly unfair advantage by having lots of semi - pro contracted lads needing a game.......

And as for Nottingham , NCL administrators do not consider them to be too far south - haven't they already had the green light subject to maintaining last year's standards and doing bit's and bob's like sorting out some dug - outs ?

[Marauder]

I may be wrong but I do not believe that Leicester or Bristol figure amongst the NCL applicants for next season.

The latest RFL thinking may well be to look at the Midlands as a hub for a competition at Tier 3 - 4 , the South likewise . That would overcome some travel issues and at the same time let clubs develop quickly but not at the potentially suicidal pace needed to catch even NCL 2.

What to do with / allow reserves from the new Championship sides could be an issue if teams get a seemingly unfair advantage by having lots of semi - pro contracted lads needing a game.......

And as for Nottingham , NCL administrators do not consider them to be too far south - haven't they already had the green light subject to maintaining last year's standards and doing bit's and bob's like sorting out some dug - outs ?

Dug outs - Does that mean we could apply

[bowes]

I may be wrong but I do not believe that Leicester or Bristol figure amongst the NCL applicants for next season.

The latest RFL thinking may well be to look at the Midlands as a hub for a competition at Tier 3 - 4 , the South likewise . That would overcome some travel issues and at the same time let clubs develop quickly but not at the potentially suicidal pace needed to catch even NCL 2.

What to do with / allow reserves from the new Championship sides could be an issue if teams get a seemingly unfair advantage by having lots of semi - pro contracted lads needing a game.......

And as for Nottingham , NCL administrators do not consider them to be too far south - haven't they already had the green light subject to maintaining last year's standards and doing bit's and bob's like sorting out some dug - outs ?

If Coventry fail in our Championship 1 bid then could we join the NCL (assuming the bid was on time and we meet criteria?). Bearing in mind playing in a midlands league would be ruinous for the club and we've played successfully in a national league 2 years now and are up to on field standards.

[bowes]

Dug outs - Does that mean we could apply

Assuming you meet criteria then yes. But not if you commit to a season finishing months after the season starts.

[Marauder]

Assuming you meet criteria then yes. But not if you commit to a season finishing months after the season starts.

We will apply for the new BARLA leagues.

[del capo]

If Coventry fail in our Championship 1 bid then could we join the NCL (assuming the bid was on time and we meet criteria?). Bearing in mind playing in a midlands league would be ruinous for the club and we've played successfully in a national league 2 years now and are up to on field standards.

Coventry's expression of interest was lodged in good time and will I am sure be given due consideration along with the other applicant clubs. The normal process will be followed.

[bowes]

Coventry's expression of interest was lodged in good time and will I am sure be given due consideration along with the other applicant clubs. The normal process will be followed.

Good.

[bowes]

We will apply for the new BARLA leagues.

Pennine League or does new leagues suggest they're changing them? From what I've seen the Pennine League have ambitions of running the whole winter game with regionalisation where necessary. Good luck to them I say.

You're doing the right thing by your players playing where they want. I was merely suggesting the practicalities of a NCL application.

Edited by bowes, 19 June 2012 - 06:31 PM.

[bowes]

Incidentally is the plan to look at eventually creating separate tier 3 leagues in those regions, either separate midlands and south ones or a combined midlands/south league depending on how things happen? I don't see the midlands as ever having its own tier 3 league though. Unless they're looking to include not just the SW but also Wales?

Edited by bowes, 19 June 2012 - 07:08 PM.