1. Most clubs cant afford to be in SL. I am quite happy my club is independant and not in SL living a lie and running up massive debts like most of SL seem to be doing. SL is not the only thing in Rugby League. Rugby League is about the Semi Pro Clubs, Amateur both heartlands and development , Internationals, Students, Women, kids etc. The game is for me too much obsessed with SL and the disadvantage of other levels of the sport.
2. Rugby League has bad management problems both at club and RFL level. Too many living the dream but not having the means or support for things.
3. Realistically the future doesn't look good for the game in general.
Cut your posts down for expedience, hope that's OK.
1. Your analysis of superleague is spot on, but it's one side of the coin. The other side is what professional RL has done to boost the game. We have 40,000 plus new fans thanks to Superleague, we have tens of millions of pounds worth of TV contracts thanks to Superleague. We have a large player development system thanks to Superleague, we have millionaires prepared to invest in the game thanks to Superleague.
I'm not having a go at you now, you made your stance clear, but it's an utter nonsense to paint Superleague as any sort of failure and people should forget their petty jealousies and try to engage in the realities now. Superleague has done a heck of a lot for the game, and it has probably saved it.
The anti superleague parody has to be "what did the Romans ever do for us"????
Superleague delivers loads of money, loads of fans and loads of home grown pro players
What more do we want from it????
2. Your analysis of bad management is true, as is the effects of it, but to try to declare the whole thing a mess is nonsense. YES Superleague is probably pitched at a level where only half a dozen clubs can compete.
17 years on this should all have been sorted out but of course all the clubs wanted to do was grab what they could for themselves and fail to recognise the greater good and fail to plan for that. I have to dismiss your attack on the RFL which is same old same old, but will heartily agree that SLE and the clubs have failed miserably to look to the greater good, and the same goes for the championship clubs too - they have been just as bad, they just wanted to do what the SL clubs want to do - to just get in SL wether they can afford it or not, and to recreate the old first and division faiilure. Don't give me the "well run" stuff. The well run halifax was a disaster in SL, Well run Leigh bombed in a year, well run Sheffield went defunct and well run Fev can't make a profit in the Championship.
As for Salford and your attack on them if they sign up with Peel they'll do more years in SL than that lot will have managed between them. As for Saints not making it pay? I thought McManus had won an award for doing just that?
SL management by SL has been rather appalling, but they are waking up and smelling the coffee. Bradford and Wakefield are stabilised as will be Salford. Yes Davey O'Connor and Hughes's money is not guaranteed forever but nor is SKY money and as long as it is delivered it should be factored in. It's silly to criticise and dismiss the private money, Super league attracts millionaires, rejoice in it for gawds sake.
The ability to compete has various management mechanisms to create a situation where all clubs can do this, Reduce to 12 clubs, share the surplus SKY money out, use the Championship as part of the player development system, adjust the salary cap etc.
Clubs still have some way to go - no excuse after 17 years - but to dismiss the possibility Wakefield will get Newmarket, to forget that the RFL Odsal deal will help Bradford, to forget London are now bringing through players in numbers, to forget Peel will save Salford for the next decade, to forget O'Connor is rebuilding Widnes to past glories, to forget that even if Davy departs this mortal coin investment goes on at Fartown, To forget if Wakefield and Hull become the only SL clubs in their area they will prosper on this, is to paint such a one sided picture that the value of your post becomes nothing.
We all know the problems you point out, but why ignore the solutions??
Why use such a one sided one-eyed argument to then go on to say.......
3. "the future doesn't look good". The future of the game IS GOOD look at what Superleague has done for us, look at the growth of the game across the country, look at the wonderful Amateur clubs we have in their own facilities.
All these arguments that I do not recognise as being fair, or balanced or factual are coming from Championship supporters grinding big fat axes. Times change, and events conspire to change things.
The future HAS to be viable professional RL clubs - this has already given us so much more in terms of money, fans, players and private investment.
The future HAS to be viable amateur clubs in modern facilities running clubs with players of both sexes and all ages from toddlers to veterans.- I started out playing in 1974 and my word how massively has our amateur game has grown and blossomed since then.
I just do not recognise the black picture you paint.....
But the reality is the dark clouds have descended on the Championship clubs. Today the fans want Pro Rugby, they want SL. The players want to play SL, the investors only want SL. The pro clubs don't need the semi pros.
Leeds don't need Hunslet of Bramley, they need Hunslet Warriors and Stanningley.
The Championship clubs are becoming redundant and they know it, so the only thing to do has been for them to throw in their lot in and be a part of Superleague and help to make it a bigger success rather then sit on the sidelines boo-hooing.
When in Rome, do what the Romans do......
Edited by The Parksider, 28 November 2012 - 11:53 AM.
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