Tommygilf

I can accept it for older grounds, but where serious structural renovations are taking place it isn't acceptable for the top flight.

If the IMG gradings don't encourage Mr Hughes to start doing this now I don't know what will

Are the Quarter finals an open draw?

Levels of reported incidents short to medium term, long term there are a few indicators.

I said that was an impetus, however I think they were likely to make the change anyway. They've clearly had it as part of the pre season news, including the launch of the Respect campaign too (which quite likely ties into this, if you are aware of the wider context).

I don't think this is, primarily, led by that. The Sunderland Award keeps coming up every year or so in the game's self reflection and is an awkward fit. It's there because nobody has changed it despite it being suggested for going on a decade or more now, the new Respect Campaign has just been launched too. I think there is far more stock in this aspect than Burrow being ill. Likewise, even before he was diagnosed, Burrow was given by many as an example of who the award could be renamed after. The most iconic grand final try, a 2 times winner, and as a symbol of what RL is; he works whether he is here or not, ill or otherwise. I think RL Commercial have taken stock of the game, they want to get rid of any grey clouds they can as easily as they can and don't want to do it publicly or in a drawn out way picking fights. Its an easy move, they've done it.

So balance of probabilities yes, beyond all reasonable doubt no. I'm glad its the Rob Burrow Award now.

In fairness, it is really hard to justify not having a Sky Sports Rugby League channel now with that much content.

Where are the tables listed?

I'd assume that these would be the same for SL+ too

I agree, but I think they are negating that by doing something that has been talked about for years anyway.

There may also be a very sad impetus to doing this now rather than waiting 9 months.

Minimum standards were very minimum...

Fantastic news.

In the absence of no other ideas that can work, it may be the only thing that can happen. The Championship won't reduce numbers. League 1 needs more teams and/or matches.

It seems the most logical solution, perhaps as a reward for being A Grade makes your reserves eligible for the lower divisions. The 1895 Cup with Group Stages is somewhat of a halfway house. Who knows how long it will last. This situation exists because the Championship clubs did not want to go back to how they were before the big Sly Deal that flooded them with decent 6 figure central funding levels. They fought to keep as much as possible following the reduction. They looked after themselves first and foremost which is fair enough, but lets not pretend it is anything other than that. The only other logical outcome for League 1 would be a form of regionalisation, allowing/inviting other teams into the pyramid at effectively a lower level than the national travel requirements now.

I think its a good move if its definitely happening. Arguably much more important now with all games on TV too.

There's a video referee at Headingley today

But for them, those 1.2 points are relatively massive steps. They can't get a magic money tree to increase finances, their average crowds aren't hitting the top tier any time soon, their form on the field is as good as it is probably ever going to get without the previous 2 factors increasing. What this shows is that its relatively easy to get a decent grade B for an average sized RL Club. However kicking on from that to an A requires that club to go beyond that level of effort significantly.

That Salford can be 8th shows how weak the layer of genuinely big clubs at the top of the sport actually is.

To be fair to you though, and to some extent I fall into this bracket myself, is that because there is no reason to turn up any earlier usually?

I think the Sky delay is only in the UK yes, elsewhere its at the same time.

You can point to the end of the 4 Nations following 2016 and indeed the 2015 Kiwi tour (which I enjoyed) with a lust for nostalgia in the UK leadership and an apathy from ARLC HQ. Since that point, the international game fro the UK has been lacklustre and from the NRL has been like they have discovered a brand new thing... I know people point to the planned 2020 Ashes Tour as a positive, but whilst I would have enjoyed it and had tickets, I still can't help but think it would have been too much of a nostalgia fest that didn't live up to the hype of those pining for it for nostalgia reasons. Equally I don't think it lays the foundation for any further international development than what we have now particularly. The nostalgic leadership at the RFL have now left England caught between a rock and a hard place. The Australians and Kiwis don't need to come here for a decent international series, and we don't have anyone locally we think are worthy of playing.

$uPeR gReEd

1. No, as my first post on this thread points out. 2. He isn't though is he. I appreciate you're not your average sky sports news consumer, but he really isn't. 3. Nobody ever bothered to ask them.