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

[roughyedspud]

so......its

12 teams in SL

12 teams in the championship

14 teams in championship 1

with 1up & 1down P&R between the 3 divisons (tbc)

that'll do for me....i like it

[l'angelo mysterioso]

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.

what the chuff is a traditional club anyway?

[Northern Sol]

what the chuff is a traditional club anyway?

True.

 

Some clubs have been around longer than others, That's all that can be said about it. 

[tuutaisrambo]

As a spectator this is great news IMO.

 

Soon we'll have a very exciting Championship with the ultimate prize of promotion at the end.

 

I know there are lots of people not happy with the decision and it may well be very detrimental to some clubs but you can't beat P&R for excitement come the end of the season.

 

I hope the supporters of all second tier clubs (whoever they may be) turn out in numbers and make the championship an exciting even competition where we're all fighting to go up.

 

IMO the best way to expand the game is to make it exciting and interesting. At the moment i don't think it is and these changes are a step in the right direction. We need to make it very popular in the heartlands before we can expand further. I live in Pontefract and don't know anyone who likes or watches RL apart from my dad (and that's cas, wake, fev leeds or anyone). Surely we need to make it very popular along the M62 again before we worry to much about expanding – I do think another french team would be good if viable though.....they seem to really like it down there.

 

I think the only way this is a backward step is if the 2nd tier just gets forgotten about again...........it's up to the RFL and the supporters to make sure it doesn't.

 

I for one will be telling all my soccer mad mates that P&R is back and it's not "pointless" anymore and there is something to play for and they've not no excuse not to get back down to Post Office Road!!!!

[goldcoaster]

So for those that think this is a good idea, answer these questions:

 

a) So a team has an injury crisis (i.e. like Saints atm) and finish in the relegation spots as a result. Is it fair that that club essentially has to make all its staff redundant and lose all its players in order to go to a semi-pro team? Then if it survives and gets promoted again, it has to re-build all those structures and systems again from scratch, and recruit an entire new team?

 

When a team is promoted, it will essentially recruit the players from the relegated team, and include 10-12 reserve-grade standard Australians as it is 'necessary for survival'. So does RL development go out the window for that club?

 

c) The same thing for those near the bottom, none will invest and give young players a chance (which they do now under licensing), and will recruit foreign imports en masse instead. So where does England's young players come from then in future? The game can't rely on 2-3 clubs to develop it's talent.

 

d) What happens when Catalans get relegated, and subsequently revert to the semi-pro French RL? Is that the end of trying to promote the French game?

 

e) What happens to investors (like Dr. Koukash, Andrew Glover etc.) once their team is relegated? They will walk away from the game and the club will go out of business?

 

f) What happens when Super League consists entirely of teams from small northern towns like Featherstone, Keighley, Halifax, Leigh etc. playing in front of 3,000 fans? How much will our TV rights be worth?

 

I'd like to see the pro-P&R fans come up with constructive answers to this. The fact is, P&R returning is the worst thing that can happen to RL. It will be the death of the game.

[Lobbygobbler]

Going up going up going up! Yee ha

[winnyason]

So Toulouse is not in

[gingerjon]

Going up going up going up! Yee ha

 

How are Leigh going up?

 

2014 could very well see the 12 for 2015 decided simply by relegating 2.

 

At least one of those will expect to come back up in 2016.  1 up, 1 down seems the most likely.

 

Leigh might have a shot after that.

 

Maybe.

[Ant]

Oh yeah, misread that one

Ok London are gone for good then, probably one of Cas, Wakey and Salford - who out of the three only Salford would get back in

Who in the Championship could get promotion if its based on "Standards" as suggested?

Any?

[Lobbygobbler]

This should make the tv rights for the cc worth a lot more now. Perhaps BT will buy in?

[Lobbygobbler]

So Toulouse is not in

I hope they are

[nadera78]

12 is the right number because that's what we have the resources for.

 

But P&R has never worked in RL. In fact, it was so bad that people were determined to get rid of it and move to licencing. Now, after just four and a half years we're running back to something we know doesn't work. Brilliant.

 

This is slated to start in 2015. Absolutely guaranteed that half way through 2017 we'll be having this discussion again. Only at that point we'll have no London and quite possibly have missed the boat on Toulouse as well.

[a.n Other]

1) So a team has an injury crisis (i.e. like Saints atm) and finish in the relegation spots as a result. Is it fair that that club essentially has to make all its staff redundant and lose all its players in order to go to a semi-pro team? Then if it survives and gets promoted again, it has to re-build all those structures and systems again from scratch, and recruit an entire new team?

2) What happens when Catalans get relegated, and subsequently revert to the semi-pro French RL? Is that the end of trying to promote the French game?

3) What happens when Super League consists entirely of teams from small northern towns like Featherstone, Keighley, Halifax, Leigh etc. playing in front of 3,000 fans? How much will our TV rights be worth?

I'd like to see the pro-P&R fans come up with constructive answers to this. The fact is, P&R returning is the worst thing that can happen to RL. It will be the death of the game.

1, Tough. That's sport. Plus there will be parachute payments so a club could retain staff and some players and remain full time

2, see above.

3, You know that some of them teams mentioned are actually bigger towns and areas than ones currently in SL don't you?

Edited July 11, 2013 by a.n Other

[nadera78]

This should make the tv rights for the cc worth a lot more now. Perhaps BT will buy in?

What were the TV rights for CC worth prior to the introduction of licencing? Nothing, that's what. In fact you couldn't give them away. Some broadcasters wanted paying to show them.

[jpmc]

So Toulouse is not in

Id like them to be in but its time french tv started to put some money into catalan and Toulouse thus releasing funds to help to bring the second tier up to standard

[Ant]

This should make the tv rights for the cc worth a lot more now. Perhaps BT will buy in?

Comedy gold.

[gingerjon]

What were the TV rights for CC worth prior to the introduction of licencing? Nothing, that's what. In fact you couldn't give them away. Some broadcasters wanted paying to show them.

 

I believe we had the delightful sight of the NFP rights (as was) being hawked around for a couple of years with precisely no takers.

 

In days of yore there was a cable network that covered the old old Division Two.  Sunday lunchtime kick offs if memory serves.

 

EDIT

I should add though that Premier's coverage of the Championship is superb.  I doubt they'll have much competition to retain the rights though.

Edited July 11, 2013 by gingerjon

[Ant]

2015 - two teams down, non promoted

2016 - one of the relegated teams wins promotion, the other relegated team goes bankrupt having tried to maintain a full time team in the championship

2017 - the team relegated in 2016 wins promotion...

2018 - rinse, repeat...

[EastLondonMike]

The current administration don't have the guts to out three current clubs. Broncos are dead and buried and will probably cease to exist after this current license period, the thought of which quite disgusts me. Not because in they deserve to be in SL, as in their current incarnation they really don't, but because of the complete balls-up that has been made of placing a SL team in London (the current administration of the club and the RFL leadership over the last ten years should take the blame for that).

Hull KR and Castleford are the other two clubs that probably need to be more worried than most.

Cant see Toulouse getting in now.

Featherstone and Halifax are probably the two most likely to meet any standards set for promotion to SL.

We need leadership at the RFL, we don't have it. And are unlikely to get it any time soon.

I vote for a motion of no confidence in Nigel Wood's "leadership".

[tuutaisrambo]

2015 - two teams down, non promoted

2016 - one of the relegated teams wins promotion, the other relegated team goes bankrupt having tried to maintain a full time team in the championship

2017 - the team relegated in 2016 wins promotion...

2018 - rinse, repeat...

That's more exciting that what we have now

[nadera78]

The current administration don't have the guts to out three current clubs. Broncos are dead and buried and will probably cease to exist after this current license period, the thought of which quite disgusts me. Not because in they deserve to be in SL, as in their current incarnation they really don't, but because of the complete balls-up that has been made of placing a SL team in London (the current administration of the club and the RFL leadership over the last ten years should take the blame for that).

Hull KR and Castleford are the other two clubs that probably need to be more worried than most.

Cant see Toulouse getting in now.

Featherstone and Halifax are probably the two most likely to meet any standards set for promotion to SL.

We need leadership at the RFL, we don't have it. And are unlikely to get it any time soon.

I vote for a motion of no confidence in Nigel Wood's "leadership".

We have Wood and Rimmer playing to the gallery in an attempt to secure their positions. If they can get enough support from the teams ranked 9-15 by giving them P&R and reduced costs, and at the same time get some more money each year to the top 8 clubs, then they'll secure enough support to keep their jobs.

 

Unfortunately, what they're proposing is not in the best interests of the game. 

[goldcoaster]

That's more exciting that what we have now

 

Exciting for who? The current SL season is very exciting, with up to 6 clubs capable of winning the league. This won't be the case after this season.

[tuutaisrambo]

The same 6 will be in the running once P&R is in place....it's just be more exciting for everyone else cos we'll have relegation battles and promotion battles.

[Ackroman]

I can't hear myself think for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[Viking Warrior]

all we need now is nigel and ralph to get matching deloreans.............................

http://youtu.be/2SrV13F3x7Y

what a retrograde step!!