tuutaisrambo

Rugby League isn't played around the world....it's played in England. Name me a popular sport in England that doesn't have P&R. Rugby Union, Cricket, Football........even Darts have P&R in one for or another. AND........ How can any team develop a long term plan outside SL, with the minimal funding, exposure and 'fandom' you get at that level without knowing that winning matches would get them promoted. IMO the sport should have a traditional P&R model other sports/fans easily recognise and IMG should use their expertise to rebrand and market the sport. They need to revitalise the game at International level and generate excitement. Al they have done so far create arguments over structures......there's nothing new or exciting about that.

Without a ladder....progression....something to aim for then you are just effectively playing one off friendlies. RL has nothing to buy into........most of the regular season doesn't mean anything now.........Internationals are predictable and rare. All IMG appear to be doing is tweaking previous ideas cooked up by the bigger SL clubs. The latest Grading info is proof of that........As I understand it If it was in place now Wakefield and Fev would both be grade B. However Wakefield would be a higher B cos they are in SL So they could lose every game and finish bottom.........Fev could win every game and they wouldn't swap places under the new grading rules?

As for everyone else........1991 North Sydney Bears is class along with pretty much every Sydney Roosters home kit

Can't beat traditional fev butchers stripe umbro pre sponsors

We'll just have to wait and see how competitive it is.........the fact there will now be a competition for places will be far more appealing. Teams playing out the season knowing they can be relegated is far more of a farce IMO

Just a point about there being nothing anyone outside the sl top eight can win with there being no more NRC and so on........it's all about your perspective on success and winning.........I think most fans outside the top six realise they are not gonna win the challenge cup or be super league champions........This new format creates exciting meaningful play off game that teams can build towards (or fall into)...... As a fan of a lower league soccer team I'd much rather my team get in the play offs and do well than win the Johnstone paints trophy.........I think most fans of teams who play in the NRC would rather do well in these new play offs than win the NRC IMO

Awesome news...really happy This will create more big games with more at stake at all levels and more excitement for any prospective new fans of the sport IMO. If teams go bust it's cos they are run badly.......it's not the RFL's fault and not because they got relegated. I might watch Super League before the play off's now as the threat of relegation this year should throw up some spicy fixtures!!!!

Well yes i think the new format would be a good idea so if that is self interest then so be it! Not so sure it's the best thing for my team with our record in sudden death rugby but we'll see.

Article in the Yorkshire post on the 12/8 split today http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/looking-to-bridge-the-gap-to-super-league-1-6361565 Pretty much sums up what i like about the idea

It is..... but the key is there's more to win. I'd imagine the eventual champions of each tier get more prize money and a trophy but you're getting 4 big winners of promotion/or retaining a top 12 place the next season. When leeds united got promoted by finishing second behind norwich i didn't car that we weren't the league champions......we'd won promotion.

The sports you mention are north american sports spread out across a huge country and so P&R is not applicable to them really....they all only have one nationwide top division and below them are college sports. If super league was spread out across europe with most major european cities involved i doubt P&R would be an option but in it's current state it is.

Of course they are......they don't have leagues.......where can they get relegated to........you have the NFL......and below that college football....it's completely different to how we do things and not relevant to RL Franchising If you don't like football fair enough but you're in a minority........and like it or not the general public compare other sports to it's model or P&R

It's silly to think and handful of championship fans have influenced this decision.......the fact is that ending franchising will probably make it harder for us to get promoted against the dropping SL teams....but it's more exciting and i'm looking forward to it.

IMO RL is more of a minority sport and as you say "not in the same Galaxy" as Football and NFL. However i don't think it's very exciting so i think these changes will address that. It's ridiculous to compare the franchising in NFL to how it's done in RL........Dallas Cowboys' catchment area alone is bigger than Britain. Footballs the biggest sport in the world....the main reason for this is anyone can beat anyone on any given day......Wigan won the FA cup without Billions.......then they missed out on Millions by getting relegated........sport is up and downs........RL needs ups and downs cos it isn't as exciting without them. There's too many people on here think like administrators instead of spectators..........let the RFL and clubs worry about finances.........just enjoy the games.........we have to let them run themselves and if they mess up so be it.........The way it is now with meeting criteria being more important than scoring points is no good.

I agree with this.......i like watching RL but i wouldn't call myself die hard....i like NFL and Football just as much.......i really hope the new 3 league split comes in because i think it will make the game more exciting across all the 3 divisions. Looking in as a fan of different sports RL needs something to happen to liven things up. I'm sure many RL nuts love the game as it is but it needs to start attracting more fans from other sports and not just appeal to it's own small captive audience.

Blame? Surely us few backwater locals and our views won't effect what the RFL have planned for their flagship competition. Maybe the powers that be have just decided the current system isn't working. BTW this is the only fans forum i've ever been on where you get criticised for wanting what is best for your team.

Fev won't be in the top tier unless they grow into a better club than fax, sheffield , leigh, cas, wake, london or whoever end up in the second tier. You obviously thing SL is really exciting at the moment and doing well...... I don't......don't get all dramatic and make out like i don't care about the game.....of course i care about Fev.....i'm a supporter.........but i want the game to be better than it is now. Under the proposed split fev would have to be in the top eight to be in the top tier....even i think that would be stretching it.

Exciting and popular parochial, backwater, inter-village sports competition here we come!

That's not what i said.......If our elite players are so good that they are worth more than SL can afford to pay them then we should let them go..........i'm saying that i don't think they are that good............and we shouldn't reduce our game to a handful of teams funded to a point where they can afford to keep these players.

The top players are always gonna move to the top clubs if they are good enough. We can't cling on to the false idea that Super league is an elite competition for more the 3 or for teams. I'd rather all our top players go to the NRL....we'd have a stronger National team. I don't think all our top players are that good to be honest.......if RL can't offer them the wages they deserve let them try Union or the NRL.......i don't think many would succeed. And yes i'd rather see fev get beat 9 times out of ten against wigan cos there's still be the one when we win........that's sport.

The problem is apart from Wigan and leeds there aren't any large clubs we can market to the masses as you say. I don't think you realise that teams like Cas, wakefield, hull kr, london and widnes are far closer to the Championship clubs you mention in terms of size, marketability, potential etc than they are to the top SL teams. Supporters won't move clubs....it doesn't work like that in the UK.......no matter what marketing you do........you'd have to wait til they all die out. The difference between WIGAN and say FEV is not as you said like "The English Premier League offering promotion to the winning Blue Square Premier team straight to the EPL" Mansfield Town haven't won the FA cup 3 times

It's already going that way. That's why they are making the changes. The new proposals won't help us keep the best players but they will make the game more interesting. Maybe down the line that will help us grow and be more commercially successful.

We should just have one league with 6 teams in it........forget everyone else as they all play on fields with jumpers for goal posts Everyone can choose one of the giant mega teams we end up with as eventually they'll all play in 80 thousand seater stadiums

None of the current CH clubs are being promoted.........they'll have to compete with whoever comes down........i think it's worth letting them try though......that's what sport is all about..........i think Fev, Leigh and Fax could compete if there were good enough to go up.

Yep agree completely........at the very least if Toulouse are bringing in a significant deal and HAVE to be in SL this should be announce prior to the start of 2014 so everyone knows where they need to aim for.