gingerjon

It is quite magnificent - hang it in the Louvre magnificent - that a system explicitly designed, and publicly defended, to eliminate repeat fixtures so completely fails on its first ever run through. Still, at least it also didn't reward finishing higher in the regular season either.

Nobody is arguing that. The fact that you either can't read their arguments properly, or feel the need to lie about what they are saying is quite telling.

No. Which is why, to cover some comments above, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect fans in this country to be told some of the things in development or the key areas of discussion. This is not meant to be a hostile takeover or some kind of twisted corporate deal - it is meant to make things better for all sides. It would actually be best taken forward with a spirit of openness - entirely out of keeping with RFL's whispered whatsapp approach in this country, and very much against, "I'll just shout for a bit" approach that PVL can take at home - because that way thoughts, strategies, desired outcomes could be tested against the market in advance. Cloak and dagger covered in pie and peas is helping no-one. Except, to go back to my overarching point, there is no evidence that anyone really cares.

I get that. And they are now in a situation where they have no good options. But the reason for that largely rests with the club. And, as a result, they are off to Dewsbury with no plans in place to return. They may have no other choice now. But that's a consequence of everything that's gone before.

There's a big ground they used to own.

There remains no evidence of any serious, detailed discussions taking place. There also remains no evidence of the NRL/ARLC offering anything other than crumbs of info to the people they are meant to want to be in partnership with. There is also zero evidence that it's a priority for anyone involved to come to a conclusion. Your posts on this act like it's the top priority for everyone involved when their consistent actions show that this is not the case.

And if they have failed then what? Stop? Or accept that that’s where they are and keep going?

Yes. They could have. That is certainly true.

It seems like we’re still nearer the beginning than the end.

Someone who imagines in depth meetings between the SL and NRL which we now know weren’t happening at the time can certainly rustle up some new thinking on a rebrand.

Both have professional cricket leagues that are purely domestic. The AFL is also purely domestic. The issue for Super Rugby/URC would seem to be that though crowds aren't bad - though they seem to vary massively and the South African clubs seem to be playing in empty stadiums a lot of the time - they can't sustain the ambition of the league. Hence losing another Welsh region, already having dropped the further flung expansions in Super Rugby, and losing the Pacific Islands franchise. It may be confirmation bias but I don't see huge numbers of people being particularly enthused by either of these leagues.

When was the phone call to ratify this meant to be taking place?

They're doing this in RU at the moment and it appears to have gone down ... not well.

Are you actually reading the replies because that isn't what anyone is saying? But, either way, you're the one who put forward as an example of success two well promoted union competiitions that have been massively loss making and are in the throse of ongoing contraction. If you have better examples of inter continental leagues that are better than that then probably best to bring them out.

Super Rugby lost a club due to massive losses between the end of this season and the start of next. Having already, of course, lost a bunch of other clubs. URC will soon be down a Welsh region as well. All very positive.