Requiem for the Super League

[GaryO]

In 1882 after a dismal show in another sport against our arch foes from Australia the Ashes were born.

Perhaps someone should satirically rip up one of the corner flags and we could then play for the Tatters, in this World Club Series comp.

[Barry64]

This weekend was not Country v Country hence no comparison to the cricket Ashes.I thought there was already a RL Ashes.But I don t know what was burnt in RL!

[GaryO]

This weekend was not Country v Country hence no comparison to the cricket Ashes.I thought there was already a RL Ashes.But I don t know what was burnt in RL!

I was just stealing the terminology, this is the nearest we get to a measurement of the two comps, and the comparison I am eluding to is the embarisment we should feel now as we did in cricket all those years ago, Tatters j St seemed an appropriate word to use.

[The Future is League]

We will continually keep getting beaten in the WCC until all clubs start to take junior development seriously and not just the few who do now.

The continued signing of has been's and never was players from the NRL has no benefits what so ever for British Rugby League.

[Farmduck]

I'd like to see the financials and the TV ratings before I make a decision on the 3-game format.

[Futtocks]

I was just stealing the terminology, this is the nearest we get to a measurement of the two comps, and the comparison I am alluding to is the embarrassment we should feel now as we did in cricket all those years ago, Tatters j St seemed an appropriate word to use.

And the times England has won the Cricket Ashes recently? Times change.

 

And if we'd burnt something every time the doomsayers announced the death of Rugby League, our carbon footprint would probably land us in court...

[GeordieSaint]

We will continually keep getting beaten in the WCC until all clubs start to take junior development seriously and not just the few who do now.

The continued signing of has been's and never was players from the NRL has no benefits what so ever for British Rugby League.

I think you are wrong; the clubs with the best junior set ups have just been spanked by the Aussies. The issues in the English game are far deeper than junior development. Professionalisation of clubs and coaching are the two key issues.

[AL FALL]

How long have we got to keep taking it on the chin.

How many times have we got to pick us self and start again , 

[The Future is League]

I think you are wrong; the clubs with the best junior set ups have just been spanked by the Aussies. The issues in the English game are far deeper than junior development. Professionalisation of clubs and coaching are the two key issues.

Its like i say though all clubs not just the few need to step up.

Professionalism is good at some clubs but like everything it needs to improve overall at all clubs.

Don't quite where we can go with coaching. We've tried many Aussie coaches and we still struggle with the basics at times.

[The Parksider]

We will continually keep getting beaten in the WCC until all clubs start to take junior development seriously and not just the few who do now.

 

The continued signing of has been's and never was players from the NRL has no benefits what so ever for British Rugby League.

 

All professional clubs do take junior development seriously, they all run academies.

 

The "few" whose academies turn out English professionals are the "few" who have the on field success and money to attract the low number of English kids up to the current grade.

 

The sad fact is that the NRL has been's and never was's are ready made players of a better quality than our own lads beyond the few who make the grade.

 

Down under they have so many more playing the game they have a surplus of talent against our shortage.

 

The big myth is the idea our SL clubs sign poor players from down under and ignore home grown junior talent.

 

The reality is clubs sign the best they can and NRL rejects are sadly better than most of our young players.

[The Future is League]

All professional clubs do take junior development seriously, they all run academies.

 

The "few" whose academies turn out English professionals are the "few" who have the on field success and money to attract the low number of English kids up to the current grade.

 

The sad fact is that the NRL has been's and never was's are ready made players of a better quality than our own lads beyond the few who make the grade.

 

Down under they have so many more playing the game they have a surplus of talent against our shortage.

 

The big myth is the idea our SL clubs sign poor players from down under and ignore home grown junior talent.

 

The reality is clubs sign the best they can and NRL rejects are sadly better than most of our young players.

Young British talent needs to be given a chance before the has been's and the never was players from the NRL.

[moorside roughyed]

It may be the case that Rugby League is a lot bigger in oz than over here.They may have a bigger talent pool than us.On a world stage all they really do is rugby and cricket I think. But over here it's more diverse sporting environment with people exposed to more variety of sports. (Just a thought)

[jpmc]

All professional clubs do take junior development seriously, they all run academies.

 

The "few" whose academies turn out English professionals are the "few" who have the on field success and money to attract the low number of English kids up to the current grade.

 

The sad fact is that the NRL has been's and never was's are ready made players of a better quality than our own lads beyond the few who make the grade.

 

Down under they have so many more playing the game they have a surplus of talent against our shortage.

 

The big myth is the idea our SL clubs sign poor players from down under and ignore home grown junior talent.

 

The reality is clubs sign the best they can and NRL rejects are sadly better than most of our young players.

Bang on the button for me.

If i was a fan of a sl club i simply wouldnt pay £20/£25 to watch a load of juniors who arent good enough for the championship

[Futtocks]

It may be the case that Rugby League is a lot bigger in oz than over here.They may have a bigger talent pool than us.On a world stage all they really do is rugby and cricket I think. But over here it's more diverse sporting environment with people exposed to more variety of sports. (Just a thought)

They have a following for all sorts of sport, as long as they represent Australia and, more importantly are any good.

 

Rugby League, Swimming, Football, Cycling, Netball, Hockey, Cricket, Boxing, Tennis, even (God knows why) Rugby Union - as long as the country has a half-decent contender in the fight, but there's always a big chunk of supporters on the sidelines with rather naff chants and bad hairdos but bags of enthusiasm.

 

You even see this in British support in the majority of sports, but there's one glaring exception where the prospect of oblivion and disaster is always embraced with instant and relentless gusto. (hint: a sport involving an oval ball that isn't administered from Twickenham).

[Wellsy4HullFC]

Young British talent needs to be given a chance before the has been's and the never was players from the NRL.

If they're all given a chance, they'll be playing in a very low quality competition. How will that improve them?

We need more players exposed to this higher intensity of opponent if they are to learn anything.

[The Parksider]

Young British talent needs to be given a chance before the has been's and the never was players from the NRL.

 

Young British talent is swallowed up by the academy system big style and this gives those lads every chance to make their mark in the game, and at every club directors, coaches and fans alike cheer for every young British lad to make his mark.

 

Leeds scour the local area and beyond for talent, and believe me they play them and give them every chance to succeed. The crowd cheer them and will them on.

 

And yet tonight I'm watching Galloway, Delaney, Garbutt and Cutherbertson packing down against the Cowboys without Falloon who would have been there but for an injury.

 

That's nearly a whole Aussie pack playing at the club who has led the way with Wigan on encouraging and developing local and English talent.

 

Why do they have an Australian pack do you think?

 

Can you name me the quality young Leeds forwards who should have been on the pitch instead??

 

Josh "never was" Mantellato scored 334 points for HKR including 26 tries.

 

Which young Hull born winger should have been playing last year instead of him??

 

All clubs must play their best players/teams and do. All clubs would love their academy lads to be good enough - if not why do they have an academy??

 

But if the spare talent available from overseas is better than the home grown, they have to pick that talent. On the whole SL clubs average half a team of overseas players and this isn't because the coaches like to play players because they were once better than they are now, or cannot get a NRL contract. It's simply that they are better players than ones we produce. 

[Evil Homer]

Jamie Peacock once again showing his idiocy on the Super League Show by claiming that the competition is great and we shouldn't increase the salary cap because Hull KR wouldn't be able to afford it.

 

How about growing your business and revenue so that you can afford it instead of doing nothing and then dragging others down to your level? Moron.

[redjonn]

No simple solution but the financials are one of the key factors.   How can any team compete when a huge discrepancy in money (as in salary cap) available.   People argue about the middle 8's here and how unfair the salary cap difference is/was between SL and championship.  The same applies between SL and NRL.    

 

If our development was better as people say, then surely we would just see that top talent go off to better rewards in the NRL.   Still leaving a gap between us.  Of course having greater numbers to compensate for loss of talent may work, but then that costs more financially and we don't have huge amounts of monies here.   Gosh its hard work and sacrifice to make it to a professional level and sustain it "even" at SL yet the rewards are minimal for the younger players in a 25 man squad given the salary caps.  

[Farmduck]

They have a following for all sorts of sport, as long as they represent Australia and, more importantly are any good.

 

Rugby League, Swimming, Football, Cycling, Netball, Hockey, Cricket, Boxing, Tennis, even (God knows why) Rugby Union - as long as the country has a half-decent contender in the fight, but there's always a big chunk of supporters on the sidelines with rather naff chants and bad hairdos but bags of enthusiasm.

 

You even see this in British support in the majority of sports, but there's one glaring exception where the prospect of oblivion and disaster is always embraced with instant and relentless gusto. (hint: a sport involving an oval ball that isn't administered from Twickenham).

 

You left out Basketball - 10th in World Rankings, Women ranked 2nd, Skiing - usually one Gold at each Winter Olympics, Motorcycles - numerous World Champs, Surfing - 10 World Champions in last 30 years for men and 19 for women, Baseball - women's team ranked 3rd in World, etc, etc.

 

A lot of it is down to the climate and there's nothing UK can do about that.

[The Parksider]

Jamie Peacock once again showing his idiocy on the Super League Show by claiming that the competition is great and we shouldn't increase the salary cap because Hull KR wouldn't be able to afford it.

 

How about growing your business and revenue so that you can afford it instead of doing nothing and then dragging others down to your level? Moron.

 

Neil Hudgell grew HKR from being a championship club on low crowds in an east East hull stadium with sparse facilities.

 

Several £Million later HKR have grown to be a professional Superleague club in a much improved stadium,with the games seventh highest support base, so they have grown and grown their revenues for goodness sake.....

[Farmduck]

For many years there was more money in SL than NRL. From roughly 2000-2009 the SL salary cap was higher than NRL.

[bobbruce]

For many years there was more money in SL than NRL. From roughly 2000-2009 the SL salary cap was higher than NRL.

Not sure that's 100% true but the relative spend was much closer during that period. It's worth noting that SL league clubs won 7 of the 10 WCC in that period.

[Farmduck]

Not sure that's 100% true but the relative spend was much closer during that period. It's worth noting that SL league clubs won 7 of the 10 WCC in that period.

In 2009 the SL cap was £1.6mill and NRL was $3.9mill. The exchange rate at the time was $A1 = 40p

[Evil Homer]

Neil Hudgell grew HKR from being a championship club on low crowds in an east East hull stadium with sparse facilities.

 

Several £Million later HKR have grown to be a professional Superleague club in a much improved stadium,with the games seventh highest support base, so they have grown and grown their revenues for goodness sake.....

So what? They obviously haven't grown enough to be able to compete, do you think the rest of Super League should hold itself back because of that?

[mrbenarthur]

We should appreciate Super League for what it is and also appreciate the NRL too. Let's be frank, the NRL is the premier RL comp and Super League will never reach the same level. Despite this, I love Super League and will not be too pessimistic at what is wrong with it.

As outlined above, all clubs need to concentrate on youth as only a few Super League clubs do, however there will never be nowhere as many kids playing League like there is in Australia.

I recall reading a while back that there are more kids playing League in Parramatta than what there is in the whole of West Yorkshire. That's why Super League will never compete with the NRL because the Aussies have such a bigger pool of talent to choose from.