The never-ending League Restructure debate (Many merged threads)

[Saintslass]

I'm in favour of 12 teams for Superleague.  It's our elite competition.  We don't have a big enough player pool to provide an elite standard of competition within a 14 team league.

[Lobbygobbler]

I don't know the figures but I am sure there's far less overseas players now than there were during P&R. It's taken some time but the licensing system worked in bringing through more homegrown players as clubs can afford to blood youngsters without the threat of relegation. Now we'll soon see a revert back to the panic buy of overseas players again. Clubs need to concentrate on improving their youth system and bringing through homegrown players rather than over spending on overseas players.

The same panic buying happens in soccer due to relegation and then clubs are screwed financially as a result. Only have to look at QPR - if it wasn't for the cash cow they'd be done for like Portsmouth.

I have not seen wholescale reductions or even rule changes to lower the influx. I dont like overseas players either, but why cant there be a 1 or 2 overseas player rule under P&R? I suspect it is the top teams who want to still be able to get hold of 5 top Aussies/Kiwis

[Lobbygobbler]

You seriously think they will see out the 2014 season?

Dunno - there is no P&R next year so maybe not!

[longboard]

So, what has been decided at this point?

[Lobbygobbler]

And what player in his right mind is going to sign a contract which only guarantees one years pay?

This should be in the small print for all players in SL

[Lobbygobbler]

So how you going to go to these much more exciting games with no club?

Ever heard of the Skolars?

[Southerner]

I have not seen wholescale reductions or even rule changes to lower the influx. I dont like overseas players either, but why cant there be a 1 or 2 overseas player rule under P&R? I suspect it is the top teams who want to still be able to get hold of 5 top Aussies/Kiwis

I'm not sure if the employment laws would allow such a rule but its a good idea. That's obviously how some clubs are spending beyond their means and this must surely be substantially accounting to their losses. If clubs weren't so shortsighted and gave more youngsters/championship players a run then they may not be making such losses! Hard to know for sure without seeing accounts of course.

[goldcoaster]

RIP British Rugby League. Any good players should get out now and move to the NRL. Super League is finished.

In 5 years SL will be comprised of small Northern Town teams (plus Leeds), with only 2 strong teams and the others having 10-11 Qld Cup standard Aussies (to avoid relegation). The game is over here at any elite level.

At least Fev and Leigh fans will be happy they will get to yo-yo every few years- except the SL standard would have dropped to current Championship standards, so there is no point.

[Pie tries]

Soooo much doom and gloom, this can work.....breeeath please everyone

[Keith T]

The SL clubs have decided to reduce their numbers to 12 which means, depending on what happens re.Toulouse, up to 3 current SL clubs will be off-loaded.

Do the Championship clubs have a say on who they accept in to their competition and what a furore there would be if they decided not to accept the 3 SL clubs in to their competition?

[ckn]

A quick question for hopefully someone with more information: does the P&R option have minimum criteria for promotion to the top level or is it just straight P&R regardless of whether it's a fully pro setup or a council field with man+dog capacity?

[a.n Other]

A quick question for hopefully someone with more information: does the P&R option have minimum criteria for promotion to the top level or is it just straight P&R regardless of whether it's a fully pro setup or a council field with man+dog capacity?

"Whatever the new competition structure looks like, clubs will still have to meet minimum standards in key areas in line with commercial and broadcast agreements, although greater emphasis will be placed on playing performance. "

The above is quoted from

http://www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_the_rfl/policyreviewfaqs

[ckn]

"Whatever the new competition structure looks like, clubs will still have to meet minimum standards in key areas in line with commercial and broadcast agreements, although greater emphasis will be placed on playing performance. "

The above is quoted from

http://www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_the_rfl/policyreviewfaqs

Hmmm... I'd like to see more detail on this as I'd rather they didn't water down the off-field criteria that much. Thanks for that though.

[longboard]

The fact that they are reverting to 12 teams tells me more than enough about the ambition of the clubs and hence the British game. And I aren't sure I want to be part of it.

 

It only tells you the bare bones.

[Northern Sol]

Almost more annoyingly we've currently only heard officially from Jon Wilkin where is our SL spokesperson?

Wilkin stated that our player pool was too low to accommodate a 14 team league and that teams were forced to buy overseas and spend beyond their means - what a load of rubbish. London Broncos have brought through many homegrown Londoners and assuming they're relegated will now be lost to RU or the championship - these players will not suddenly be spread between the remaining SL teams. This move of P&R will more likely mean an increase in overseas players as clubs fear relegation. Such a poor interview makes our game look like a farce.

I'd disagree. The ones who are SL standard will be bought up. The ones who drop down to the Championship will be the ones who were not quite good enough for SL. Rugby union might take them but it won't be the big clubs - they are interested in big name RL players not youngsters at a struggling club.

[Northern Sol]

I feared this was going to happen. It's clear that it was a struggle to run a 14-team league in this economic situation and this kind of decision was always likely.

[The Daddy]

The game in this country is currently run by people who have no vision, flair or commercial savvy whatsoever, these are the same people who voted in the Stobart lorry deal, which involved no monies to SL clubs. At the top of the tree sits Nigel Wood, a man who whilst CEO at Halifax proposed a concept where a team could win league table points for each half of a game, luckily that was laughed out of town, unfortunately we weren't as lucky this time.

Edited July 10, 2013 by The Daddy_merged

[The Daddy]

Whether you are for or against p and r, everyone should acknowledge the main flaw in the proposals is that it doesnt address the main issues currently faced at SL level, that being lack of sponsorship and investment, someone show me the connection of how this poxy idea will bring monies into the game, if anything it pushes away investment.

[Just to be clear]

So Toulouse will get in at the expense of traditional clubs like fev,halifax, sheff etc.

Just to be clear, Sheffield (formed 1984) are "traditional" and Toulouse (formed 1937) are not?

Makes me laugh that Toulouse think there going to get thousands of fans at every home game just because Catalan played a game there and they got 14,000 fans or whatever the number was. Was proved a couple of years ago that that was not the case in the championship.

Does it make you laugh that people think Featherstone could attract a several thousands just because they got over 4,000 for cup game against Cas and Wigan a couple of years ago? Do their Championship attendances also prove that not the case?

Is it really that hard for you to believe that teams, including Toulouse and Featherstone, would attract larger attendances in a higher division or league than a lower one?

[Northern Sol]

Just to be clear, Sheffield (formed 1984) are "traditional" and Toulouse (formed 1937) are not?

 

I'm not sure why he called Sheff "traditional" but he didn't say that Toulouse weren't traditional - he said that they would get in at the expense of named traditional clubs.

[Northern Sol]

Whether you are for or against p and r, everyone should acknowledge the main flaw in the proposals is that it doesnt address the main issues currently faced at SL level, that being lack of sponsorship and investment, someone show me the connection of how this poxy idea will bring monies into the game, if anything it pushes away investment.

It doesn't but it does, at least, increase the ability of full-time teams to avoid bankruptcy.

[The Daddy]

It doesn't but it does, at least, increase the ability of full-time teams to avoid bankruptcy.

No, it just shows how small minded some people within the game are.

[Jeff Stein]

CC1 has been in my opinion a great success this year. Hemel, Gloucester and Oxford have been able to compete at a realistic level from the beginning. It appears no consideration has been given to this league by the other professional clubs, who are now going to unbalance it by using it as the dumping ground for the five clubs unable to be part of the new world order.

[the phoenix]

Whether you are for or against p and r, everyone should acknowledge the main flaw in the proposals is that it doesnt address the main issues currently faced at SL level, that being lack of sponsorship and investment, someone show me the connection of how this poxy idea will bring monies into the game, if anything it pushes away investment.

cant see why it should push away investment, any loss of possible investors in the sides under threat should be more than outweighed by new investors in teams possibly on the up - and after all a side that could be under danger (salford) didnt prevent them getting Koukash involved

[Dave T]

A few melodramatic responses here.

Can anybody genuinely say moving from 12 to 14 has been a success? Personally ive seen next to no benefits from having 14 sl teams.

All they have decided is to cull 2 teams - good decision imho.