sweaty craiq

If licencing returns then we have significantly more capable clubs than last time - that will be putting fear in incumbents to show things in a better light than reality. Widnes, TO, York, Fev, Newcastle, Fax and London will have far better facilities than Wakey/Cas. The question the sport should be asking is how do we embrace all not cast adrift a few

How does that create money problems? Seems the opposite to me

Bradford £75 and Wakey £100 in 2012 I recall

or because they are charging proper prices for ST's What Parky fails to grasp is that crowds can be manipulated very easily, eg stupidly cheap recent ST's at Bulls and Wakey springs to mind.

its getting a bit silly now, FEV will never again be as big as Leeds crowd wise unless Leeds shut the doors. The key is to get 12 big clubs, but to do that you need 20 clubs as the lower echelons of the 12 must be challenged from below to maintain a competitive 12 and remove the fatality of p&r. I was hopeful the funding could provide for at least 6 FT clubs in the second tier from 2015, and that in 3 years we would have a two tens structure of FT clubs incl 2 more French We didn't get the funding but we have a chink of light in so far as the top 2 in this years championship will receive funding to move to a FT structure for 2015, the problem being you will then have 4 FT clubs from 12 unless a money man comes in at other clubs, and 4 places to play for to get in with a shout of promotion. It will be tough but better than the nothing we have had. For the life of me I cannot understand how this new deal is being carved up financially to equate to £200m though

Just received this on email from Leigh. Following a meeting between the RFL and the championship clubs yesterday Thursday 6th February 2014 at the Big Fella's Stadium Featherstone, Leigh Centurions have announced their complete support of the RFL and its new structures that were presented to them. Football Director Derek Beaumont who represented the club at the meeting with club director Allan Rowley commented; “I would like to congratulate Nigel Wood and his team for all their hard work to bring this format to life. They have given the game a heartbeat and an opportunity to all to become masters of their own destinies. The composed and assured manner in which the RFL have dealt with this process is testament to their beliefs and ambition for our great game. They have come into some very harsh criticism in the public domain and I am sure this did not help them negotiate what is a ground breaking broadcasting deal with SKY TV” “I would also like to thank Mark Campbell and his team at Featherstone for their hospitality and the professional manner in which they staged the meeting. Visiting the Big Fella’s Stadium brought back memories of my first stint in rugby league ten years ago when we were banging on Super League's door from Hilton Park. The new structures provide more opportunities to championship clubs who are not as fortunate as us to have the world class facilities afforded to us by our partners Leigh Sports Village. The older grounds possess character and it is good that they won’t hinder ambitious clubs from grasping the nettle” “It was talk of the new structure that re-engaged me personally with rugby league as there was the vision of a clear pathway to achieve over time in a controlled measured manner as any business would expect to grow. I sincerely hope that the innovative structure re-engages many more business men, sponsors and spectators in their droves to put the great game of rugby league up at the top of the sporting tree. It is inspiring and comforting to know that in the RFL we have a leader that has courage of its convictions to make changes and to adapt to modern eras for the greater good of the game and I sincerely hope they are rewarded for that with some explosive meaningful games across all facets of the competition” “At Leigh Centurions we are prepared for that challenge and ready to take advantage of the opportunity created for us. We have a home grown ex international player as our coach who is young and vibrant and was named championship coach of the year in 2012. Together and with the rest of our coaching team we have assembled a squad with a mix of experience and youth that we believe will have the power and pace to deliver our goals. We have a board of management that would be envied by any business in or outside of the sporting circles and one that would cost seven figures to employ. We have the stage at LSV that is the envy of the championship and what I consider the best playing surface in rugby league as a whole and we are extremely proud of our partnership with the Leigh Sports Village which continues to grow from strength to strength” “These are extremely exciting times for Leigh Centurions, and the game as a whole, and we really are now ready to kick on to take our opportunity afforded by the RFL with both hands” Leigh Centurions start their campaign hosting Batley Bulldogs at 3pm Sunday 16th February 2014 at the Leigh Sports Village and are hoping to see a large vociferous crowd cheering them on.

Right I am now very confused. The last sky deal was £90m over 5 years, the current one is £200m over 5 years - is that correct? If so, the funding figures quoted above equate to £27m pa, do we have a plan for the remaining £13m pa plus other income? I was told the top 4 in this years championship got from £500k-£650k, thus ensuring 50% of the league would be full time with a real battle for the top 4 and hence mid 8 I am totally behind centrally funded academies for the non producing clubs and advocate central funding for the England players to build club england and promote Youth at SL clubs, but I cant get my head around these numbers - have they been officially quoted by the RFL?

I may have missed something but I understand the top 4 Championship clubs will get a minimum of £500k for 2015, then a sliding scale from £250-150k. Anything less than that £500k may not allow all 4 clubs to go FT, devalue the comp and miss the objectives of the structure over the next 3 years I expect 6/7 FT clubs in the second tier with those in the championship at present to be much stronger in seasons 2 and 3

I am a happy man today and can't wait for the next phase in growing our fantastic sport via a committed broadcaster who see's the bigger picture Two completely FT tens will be the logical next phase in three years, then 10/12 then 12/12 with a funded pt tier below it

Good post Parky I long for the day all we talk about is Rugby, lets get the framework to grow the sport - any business picks its low hanging fruit first, they are the quick wins to strengthen our sport. We must have unity, we must give all fans hope and the ability to dream, we must produce more professional players, we must 'win' an international comp, we must develop France, we must provide the support and infrastructure to expand within the UK and we must expand our playing pool accordingly. No club should be guaranteed a spot at the table, it must be earned then justified We have a fantastic future if we play on our pitch to our strengths, then as we develop our strengths will change and our strategy with them

Luddites get were water can't

You need to map out in your mind the likely reality of 3 years down the line if the funding that was mentioned is a reality You will have 4 current championship clubs who will have been running FT for three years with the two relegated SL clubs from 2014, you then have 18 existing FT clubs add in a Toulouse and another and you have a ready made two FT tens to have P&R within, you introduce a 3 year franchise with a view to getting two twelves and hey presto you have a plan to expand the game encompassing P&R from a FT environment

yipiyee, you found one, maybe?

You are assuming return is financial,and not personal pleasure ie philanthropy, I am yet to see a person put money into a sport on the basis of seeing a cash return. The shares are worthless but it is a very tax efficient way of 'investing'

How does it encourage overspending? It encourages investment to reach goals, if a club is foolish enough to accept that as loans then that is their stupidity, I believe the money lined up at Leigh is in shares, and is significant.

The joys of competitive sport so many answers to be found to so many questions, so much better than go belly up and stay up dont you think Those with better vision will see that it would be no great difference to the situation we have now except you need to improve yourself every year to stay up and the bottom 4 will always be in the radar of the top 4 of tier 2 as the ground to build from to hit top 8 You flat capping Luddites need to get out more

We cannot go part time to full time and vice versa, the gap is too big hence the solution lies within some sort of full time tier two I am a two full time tens and believe this structure will lead us to that in 3 years, if fax Leigh and Fev finish in the top 4 then I see all FT next season and much stronger the season after

Martyn you are correct we all have opinions and media will always show bias I do not buy the Telegraph expecting them to sing the praises of all things liberal and the socialist worker was never a fan of Maggie

Do they keep the cash pot by not paying players and staff on contracts? If not how do they do it

Entering a new dawn it would be very disturbing if those with most to gain are not a least half full types, I do believe we can be optimistic because we have a great product we just happen to be poop at selling and have divided our customer base

Yes it is about money, but not just what we have but what more we can attract Currently club A has no guaranteed path to SL, is difficult to market to fans and investors/philanthropists - this new system gives hope to fans and a guarantee of promotion to the latter for a sum under £1m subject to on field performance, that is now a realistic objective imo because what's a million to a wealthy man/woman or a group of such As a result cash will come into the game the second tier becomes a flowing river and not the stagnant pond it is now I can't see Fev having a problem finding that sum, Leigh won't and I believe fax also Aston knows Sheffield are a big fish in a tiny pond and haven't the fan base to go further, they have probably maxed grants and education funding to keep all the overseas at the club so this is as good as it gets playing out of a ploughed field with fans behind a glass screen

That is why the proposed funding to the second tiers top clubs is key. They must be FT, and must run on the max cap (£900k?) that way if a club takes the gamble to save money they will end up in the second tier. I expect 6 full time clubs in the second tier in 2015

It would be unlikely a part time club could step into SL as an equal, that is one reason for the changes - allowing a failed club to remain in SL is a joke

Its a weighted question John, imo aimed at proving a belief held at your HQ. At present we await the level of funding to tier2 if it is that previously muted then we will have 6/7 full time clubs and that imo will provide a vibrant mid 8 comp after a tough league campaign. Do you prefer a or b would have been better at this stage

A better poll question would have been 'is the new proposal better than the licencing we currently have?' My personal preference being 2x10, then 2x12/3x8, then straight p&r, then licencing - so how do I answer the question?