2019 Super League restructure with an eye on a new broadcast deal

[JoneslessBishop]

With the current structure confirmed for 2018, but not beyond, so much rumour circulating about new teams, and with a new broadcasting deal on the not  too distant horizon (2022?), I have taken a stab at what a 2019 restructure could look like.

 

Objectives

Main driver is to get the most commercially attractive clubs in place in, or with a roadmap to, Super League, whilst still remaining as much access to SL for all clubs as we have now. 

 

This is combined with moving towards a full-time Super League 2 (funded by the new 2022 broadcasting deal), to minimize the impact relegation has, and making it relatively easy for clubs in SL2 to gain promotion. All clubs in SL and SL2 would need reserve teams (as Halifax have shown is possible in the Championship) and academies, to ensure that the improving academy scene in SL is compounded upon and talent is not lost from the game. 

 

Additional broadcast revenues will also increase development officers to feed these academies, thus increasing participation, increasing Sport England funding and thus more development officers in a virtuous circle.

 

What it means for 2018

One difficulty I am conscious of is how this is sign-posted to retain competitiveness next season. Far easier to restructure last time after licensing. I anticipate the RFL would sign-post who they anticipate joining SL in 2019, emphasizing the benefits such team can bring, potentially with off-filed criteria being met (shared TV deals from France and Canada, stadium improvements at Ealing with some on-the road games in London for bigger fixtures) but still run next seasons structure. 

 

Top 2 in The Championship go up automatically and teams 2-6 join Super 8s. Performance in that competition can influence 2019 SL make up. Not perfect admittedly, but can seems better than licensing. 

 

It may even be that just by having 2 automatic spots, that much of the above is acheived (i.e. Toronto go up with one other from Toulouse/ London and Catalan), with others admitted at a more logical restructure when a new broadcast deal comes in 2022, but I think the below might stimulate some interesting debate.

 

               2019 and Beyond 

 

Super League

14 teams to allow controversial additions (Toronto, Toulouse, London and Catalan if relegated) without removing too many heartland names. After a 3 year period (to coincide with a new broadcast deal after the biggest ever World Cup in England in 2021), this would reduce to 12 to minimize player strain 'naturally' via P&R place allocation. Non-heartland 'glamour' teams should have had sufficient time to cement their place by then.

 

There will be no Super 8s, as 14 teams would generate 4 more games in the regular season. 

 

There will be a top 5 play-off to more properly reward the League Leaders Shield, maybe rebranded to SL Premiers, which is won after the regular season.

 

The bottom 4 join a 'Middle 8s play-off'. So the same amount of jeopardy is retained, but a far more concise format. So less player strain and commercial concerns about being able to market games. Teams finishing 11th and 12th play teams 1 and 2 from SL2. The winners are in SL next season. The losers play the following week. As the SL teams weren't the worst, and the SL2 teams were the best, they deserve a 2nd chance the following week if they lose, just like the SL winners in the Top 5 play-off.

 

Teams finishing 13th and 14th play 1 and 2 from SL2.  The losers are in SL2 the following season, the winners live to fight another day.

 

So essentially we get 6 'Middle 8 play-off games' 4 of which are Million Pound equivalent. Lots more drama. And no sob stories. SL2 will be mainly full-time. How many HKR players lost their job? Sorry Kevin Larroyer, but turned out ok for you, and that is pro sport!

 

So 5 teams don't play in play offs at either end of the table at the end of the season, but enough jeopardy above and below them to ensure every minute matters, so very few dead rubbers in the regular season, and a few teams only miss a couple of weeks after. Same as SL used to be, and NRL is now.

 

The proposed teams, with a little commentary to hopefully head-off controversy:

 

Castleford

Salford

Leeds

Hull 

Wakefield/ Bradford - Wakey's ground issue won't go away, and they have no reserves or academy. If they have to go, they need to be replaced by a Heartland team, and Bradford have been muted (alongside HKR) as being favoured by the Lenegan mob as being needed in SL. Bullmania may have been decades ago now, but you only need to go back as far a McNamara's reign for 20k crowds versus Leeds.

St Helens

Huddersfield

Wigan

Catalan - assuming they go down this season, a chance to bring them back, but may well come back via two auto promo places as per suggestion above.

Warrington

Toronto - concept proven already.

Hull KR - assumed promoted this season.

London - the game needs a strong Team in the capital. Great academy, and commercial no-brainer. Trailfinders isn't Wembley, but had a certain charm with frequent close ups of fans enjoying boutique beers pitch-side against Wire on Sat. If it's good enough for the Super 8s on TV, isn't it good enough for SL? Maybe another temporary stand, and if it's not fit for TV, only schedule them for away games. With some chat on here about Sky Arena Sat games being the future, have a couple of 'heritage/ nostalgia' games each season at Brentford/ Charlton/ Harlequins/ Barnet (I liked that place) on the road in London for the TV cameras when away fans will travel. With a choice of stadiums to tender to, they don't need to be bent over a barrel on cost. Wigan would probably bite their hand off to go down to Millwall again to refresh their London strategy (whatever happened to that ....)

Toulouse - a 2nd French team give real weight to a bigger French TV deal, with SL clubs partially enjoying the spoils.

 

Super League 2

Not really a judgement of any current SL teams who find themselves down here and not the end of the world if they do. 

 

Whether it is rebranded in 2019 or at the next TV deal, a full-time 2nd tier is the end game. A 10 team SL2 initially, as 14 in SL, with both 12 when the latter reverts to 12 in 2022.

 

Top 4 to enter Middle 8 Play-Offs with bottom 4 SL teams, with P&R with league below as currently, possibly with minimum criteria by 2022. With teams either battling for a top 4 spot or avoiding relegation, sufficient jeopardy to mean plenty of drama.

 

5 full time:

NYC - Toronto were the proof of concept. Such teams in a 3rd tier, where other teams part time, seems inappropriate after Toronto have proved that concept can work. Assumes Perez-led (travel costs, etc covered) with different investors.

Montreal - see above. 

Leigh

Widnes 

Wakefield/ Bradford - see SL section.

 

5 part time:

Feverstone 

Halifax

Batley 

Dewsbury 

Cumbria - a more tenuous one than those commented on in sections above, but has been mooted. A joint venture with Workington and Whitehaven and possibly Barrow. Those clubs cannot be promoted from Championship 1, where the clubs seemed to have found their level. Players dual-reg with Cumbria, with the best playing for Cumbria, who rotate around their partners stadia initially the weekend their partner play away (3 home games at each). A proof of concept for 3 years to build viability for a new stadium and potentially going full time. Potentially re-invigorates the game around an enhanced Cumbrian academy.

 

Championship 1

12 teams. Essentially the bottom 4 of the current Chanpionship excluding the Bulls, and the top half of the current League 1, removing to blow out scores against the expansion teams. Initially plenty of access to SL2 via standard P&R (except for the Cumbrian clubs due to joint venture - see above) but if SL2 approaches near full time status towards 2022, increased criteria may become a factor. The likes of York, Newcastle, Rochdale and maybe Doncaster, any Cumbrian club (if they can successfully operate outside the joint venture) and Sheffield (if they get good tenancy at the Olympic Legacy park, and why they not listed in SL2) seem most likely to be able to step up, in that order of likelihood.

 

Oldham

Sheffield 

Rochdale

Swinton

Barrow

Whitehaven

York

Doncaster

Workington

Keighley

Newcastle

Hunslet

 

Championship 2 

A 4th tier is added to give a proper home and a more feasible 'incubator' to smaller expansion clubs.  

 

I have listed 12 clubs for symmetry, but this is aspirational, and the number at this level can be fluid, as no P&R below. Odd numbers or failing clubs/ mergers at this level has little harm, as is so far below the radar it won't register in the main stream media, and as at a level beneath heartland clubs, doesn't impact the games' core.

 

Although there is rumour of  Gloucester and Oxford merge as Bristol, this assumes they remain, as do Hemel, despite accusations they are a good community club failing as a semi-pro. Hopefully, as they have been no better this season they'll revert to type, especially if they aren't competing against so many heartland teams.

 

West Wales are there to see if they can beat similar accusations. Great stadium, bar revenue streams and juniors across age groups. 

 

Manchester Rangers would be popular, as would Avignon with many. All strongly mooted already, as have been an Irish team, with the Irish RL stating they have been 'knocking' on the door. I'm indulging my RyanAir RL delusion as per other threads due to synergy with their smaller regional U.K. airport destinations. An Irish team might never make SL or SL2 but still greatly build the Irish game and the national team, and initially leverage partnerships with the likes of Wigan St Pats and Dewsbury Celtic to add some Irish heritage players of an appropriate level to add to domestic players.

 

Manc Rangers, Coventry (not going to mention Wasps!) and Avignon could potentially head up the pyramid, but this league is more about slow burning growth to grow the game. More money from broadcasting deals should fund 1-2 part time heartland players  to raise the standard, whose day jobs are as Development Officers to get into schools and set up juniors. 

 

The final places are for community clubs to join the semi-pro ranks. Obviously with so many clubs coming in from further afield, it's important to keep the whole game engaged, and a few heartland community clubs have been rumored to be interested. P&R may not be feasible as it may result in to many expansion clubs being relegated, but any that fail financially could be replaced by willing heartland community clubs, and increased community involvement could occur as Championship 1 is reviewed at the end of each broadcast deal. 

 

London Skolars

Crusaders

Oxford 

Gloucestershire

Coventry

West Wales

Hemel Stags

Manchester Rangers

Ryanair RL

Auvignon

Community club x2

 

 

                     Conclusion

 

So this reduces the number of SL games (including 8s removal and play-offs) by 2 between 2019 and 2022, given room for mid-season internationals. As SL reduces to 12 teams from 2022, scope to take advantage of a potentially increased international mid-season fixtures then, and maybe even reduce the number of games we play in the northern hemisphere.

 

 

Shorter broadcasting deals, maybe 4 years, from 2022 onwards, nicely following increasingly high profile World Cups,  can then allow for review at those stages. As many of the more expansion-minded on here came to a bit of a consensus on on other threads, the end game is not endlessly filling SL with international teams. A temporary step, so potentially by 2026, or more feasibly 2030, North American and European leagues spin-off leaving a 10 team English SL with a Champions League filling the revenue gap that North American and French broadcast deals previously provided. 

 

So we get the international growth we all want, a healthier footprint domestically, and better infrastructure in the heartlands.

 

[West Leeds Riviera]

I think SL2 is where we're heading. SL2 would be a great place for new teams to start rather than starting them in League 1 or throwing them straight into SL.

The main focus I think for expansion teams to be successful is stability in the league which means don't keep chopping and changing. We're just putting in obstacles for expansion clubs like Skolars and Coventry to be successful 

I think we need to be on terrestrial TV. Channel 4 would be great for RL, their alternative Andrew to experiment and push boundaries. I hope the RFL talk to other broadcasters and not just SKY next time

[Flagedgetouch]

17 minutes ago, West Leeds Riviera said:

I think SL2 is where we're heading. SL2 would be a great place for new teams to start rather than starting them in League 1 or throwing them straight into SL.

The main focus I think for expansion teams to be successful is stability in the league which means don't keep chopping and changing. We're just putting in obstacles for expansion clubs like Skolars and Coventry to be successful 

I think we need to be on terrestrial TV. Channel 4 would be great for RL, their alternative Andrew to experiment and push boundaries. I hope the RFL talk to other broadcasters and not just SKY next time

I've thought that before about channel 4, or even 5 - they have cricket and RU premiership highlights packages already and seem keen to add more sports. 

[West Leeds Riviera]

31 minutes ago, Flagedgetouch said:

I've thought that before about channel 4, or even 5 - they have cricket and RU premiership highlights packages already and seem keen to add more sports. 

And CH 5 highlights of RU and cricket are shown nation wide not like BBC showing SL Show at 1am in the north only

[Michael1812]

3 minutes ago, West Leeds Riviera said:

And CH 5 highlights of RU and cricket are shown nation wide not like BBC showing SL Show at 1am in the north only

SL show does get shown nationwide on a tuesday. That is how I watch it.

[Man of Kent]

Really interesting but not radical enough. How about the following:

League 13

Bradford

Castleford

Catalans

Hull

Leeds

London

Montreal

New York

St Helens

Toronto

Toulouse

Warrington

Wigan

Licensing with no automatic P&R (if certain clubs are failing, others can replace them from Super League). Minor premiership after 24 rounds. NRL style playoffs for top 8. Fixture list staggered to allow a new Sky Sports League channel plus French/US/Canadian TV to show every game live (Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday, Sunday UK/French home games, US/Canada home games on Saturdays/Sundays). Enhanced national highlights coverage on BBC.

Super League

Featherstone

Leigh

Halifax

Huddersfield

Hull KR

Newcastle

Salford

Sheffield

Wakefield

Workington

Widnes

York

Bottom four in qualifiers. Live games (avoiding clash with L13 games) on Sky Sports League with highlights on SSL and BBC.

Championship

Avignon

Barrow

Batley

Dewsbury

Doncaster

Keighley

Hunslet

Manchester Rangers

Oldham

Rochdale

Swinton

Whitehaven

Top four in qualifiers. Highlights package on Sky Sports League.

Southern League

Bridgend

Bristol

Coventry

Crusaders

Hemel

London Chargers

London Skolars

Nottingham

Valley Cougars

West Wales

This would be a standalone development league with no P&R but with room to grow if others want to join.

[BenGilesRL]

If they ever have a SL2 it should be ranked the same as SL1, with cross divisional fixtures.

You could then guarantee home and away derbies for the teams in closest proximity, whilst also keeping their matches with the other clubs from the other division home or away once, unless they meet again in the play-offs which should also be cross divisional.

Then you could have New York and Jacksonville say in one league allowing for home and away derbies, and Montreal and Toronto in the other also allowing for derbies. Same said for Wigan v Saints, Leeds v Cas etc.

Meanwhile London and Catalans can be split in each, so that's three teams from outside heartlands in each division, leaving seven heartland teams in each making a total of 14, and with the others 20, 10 in each.

 

18 fixtures home and away, plus 10 extra against the teams in the other division once making 28.

Then the cross divisional play-offs

 

[Gerrumonside ref]

If there's an increase in North American influence in the sport then we will probably see a move to East-West conferences or something similar.

It's the solution to expanding the top flight, maintaining viable clubs in areas where players are actually being produced, but also controlling the number of fixtures at the same time.

[Henson Park Old Firm]

Here's an idea....all games telecasted

[The Future is League]

9 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

If there's an increase in North American influence in the sport then we will probably see a move to East-West conferences or something similar.

It's the solution to expanding the top flight, maintaining viable clubs in areas where players are actually being produced, but also controlling the number of fixtures at the same time.

I think we are heading that way.

Tie this in with with whats happening with the Wolf Pack and the 2025 world cup and picture becomes cleaner as the RFL tries for a piece of the vast North Amercian lucrative sports market

 

[West Leeds Riviera]

25 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

I think we are heading that way.

Tie this in with with whats happening with the Wolf Pack and the 2025 world cup and picture becomes cleaner as the RFL tries for a piece of the vast North Amercian lucrative sports market

 

They were talking about North America on RL on Radio Yorkshire last night and how Moore Sports are looking to set up a pro NA league before 2025 WC and the problem being we could have the USARL, Moore Sports and RFL all with pro/semi pro teams in North America

[Captain Survival]

@JoneslessBishop  Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful speculation.  It was a pleasure to read it.

@Man of Kent I think your radical might even be edging more to what may transpire at least in respect of the breakouts.  A very good counter to JLB's groupings.

I am still getting a handle on all the uk clubs for which I lack familiarity (most of them I admit) but my business spidey sense tells me that however much the traditional elements desire to keep matters static, a radical rearrangement, with or without their consent, may be on the horizon...

 

[JoneslessBishop]

Ha, I knew this OP was a bit to big for the working day, but would get some responses in the evening.

 

Man of Kent, I don't doubt your suggested make-up is where we could get to. However, I think my 2 phase approach keeps the current SL clubs engaged, and I'm afraid that is where the power lies. However, as the likes of Toronto, NYC and Montreal get into SL and bring with them sponsorship and broadcasting deals that all clubs benefit from, obstacles from current SL clubs will reduce. 

 

Moore Sports, if they can deliver a successful 2025 World Cup, will be partners to welcomed, but by bringing the North American teams into our structure early, the RFL retain the power in our domestic competition as the broker between the domestic clubs and the American ones.  

[West Leeds Riviera]

If we're going to have NA teams in the structure I'd have it like this:

SL1- 12 teams, all full time and must run an academy and reserve grade

Top 5 playoff

Bottom club relegated, 8-11 relegation playoff with 2-5 in SL2

Castleford

Wigan

Saints

Leeds

Warrington

Catalans

Hull FC

Hull KR

Huddersfield

Salford

Toronto

London

SL2- 10 teams to start with view to expand to 12. 

Club apply for a SL2 license to join

Top automatically promoted, 2-5 playoff with 8-11 in SL2 

Widnes 

Leigh

Toulouse

New York

Wakefield 

Bradford

Montreal/Jacksonville (which ever NA team is next)

Halifax

Featherstone

Batley

Championship- 12 teams 

Top 5 playoff for Championship Grand Final

Bottom 2 relegated

Dewsbury

Oldham

Rochdale

Barrow

Swinton

Whitehaven

York

Doncaster

Keighley

Newcastle

Workington

Sheffield 

League 1- 10 teams with view to expand to 12 or 14

1st promoted, 2-6 playoffs

Hunslet

Skolars

West Wales

Hemel

Oxford

Coventry

All Golds

Manchester

Avignon

North Wales

New teams would apply to either start in League 1 or SL2 depending on a 5 yr plan, stadia, investment etc.. 

Reintroduce the Championship Cup for CH and League 1 teams

SL1 and 2 clubs would have licenses reviewed every 3 years. Failure to meet standard means relegation to Champinship. 

Champinship and L1 teams can apply for a SL license but all teams start in SL2

[JoneslessBishop]

Your suggestions seems very similar to mine West, which i take as the highest compliment. How do Toronto and potentially Catalan get into SL. Just via promotion via next seasons Super 8s? As suggested in my article, I expanded SL to 14 teams (for 3 years), with two auto promo places next season, to allow for promotion of such teams to prevent parachuting of clubs into SL. Without the carrot of addition income from a new broadcasting deal (can't happen until c. 2022), do you think the game can stomach that?

 

i an all for being visionary, and it is very easy to be so on an Internet forum, but any proposal the RFL put forward would need to be approved by the majority of SL clubs.

[sweaty craiq]

Two tens, no mixing FT and PT clubs, minimum spends not maximum, Academies for all. Expansion clubs to enter SL2, annual p&r between divisions and 3 year licences that can be lost annually by not meeting min spend levels and the objective to grow the 2x10 by admitting ambitious cash rich clubs

[sweaty craiq]

Oh and a completely new administration to run the sport, new ref controller and new salary package for Refs to attract and retain quality.

[JoneslessBishop]

That all sounds great Craig, but how is that achieved? In terms of full time, assuming NYC, Montreal, Bradford and Toulouse could step up (London already full-time, are Bradford really - talk of 7-8 players training FT currently), that is 19 at my count, but if the incentives right, I am sure the likes of Fev, Fax, etc could.

 

But given the SL clubs need to vote in any change, are they going to vote in a reduction of clubs before the incentives that a new broadcast deal could bring? The only alternative is a big sponsorship deal attracted by glamorous new teams in SL that SL would need to negotiate in principle before putting before a vote.

 

The advantage of 14 teams by granting auto promo to 2 teams next season is that it cuts no teams, and just facilitates entry for interested parties.

 

I don't  see interested parties who want to take over the sport or turkeys voting for Xmas

[Route66]

Some good ideas coming up,interested to hear southern based supporters view on a part time southern stand alone league,could be a bit like football's old northern league in the north east before the fa started dragging clubs into their pyramid system 

[fearnowt]

39 minutes ago, Route66 said:

Some good ideas coming up,interested to hear southern based supporters view on a part time southern stand alone league,could be a bit like football's old northern league in the north east before the fa started dragging clubs into their pyramid system 

Seeing as Man of Kent thinks we are a southern club, I have to say that I am totally against the idea. Our nearest rivals would be Coventry Bears, 87 miles away.

Of course we have suffered setbacks over the last two or three years, but not so long ago we were getting four figure crowds as well as boosting other club's gates with our travelling support. We want to be doing this again, but we can't if we are exiled into a southern league. (Swinton, Oldham and Rochdale are all closer to Wrexham than Coventry).

On ‎05‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 7:42 PM, Man of Kent said:

Southern League

Bridgend

Bristol

Coventry

Crusaders

Hemel

London Chargers

London Skolars

Nottingham

Valley Cougars

West Wales

This would be a standalone development league with no P&R but with room to grow if others want to join.

Don't get me wrong, it's a privilege to be in the same league as the likes of Coventry Bears and London Skolars, forward thinking clubs where there is always a positive vibe when we visit, but why should clubs like these and ourselves be denied the chance to aim for promotion to a higher level?

If there is to be four divisions eventually, I prefer West Leeds Riviera's suggestion of P&R between the 1st and 2nd tiers, and between the 3rd and 4th tiers. The 4th tier will be mostly southern clubs anyway, so I don't see the point in making it formal. If the southern clubs are happy in the 4th tier, they'll stay there, if they feel ready to challenge at a higher level, let them have a go.

 

[JoneslessBishop]

There was no geographical preference of where Crusaders  in my original post fearnowt, just in Champ 2 as a reflection of current performance and a few potential big clubs (NYC, Montreal, Cumbria) coming in above you.

A strong Crusaders has a lot to offer RL. Just have to look at the team that brought through Dudson, Flower, White, Kear, etc. the higher up the pyramid a Welsh team are, the better quality Welsh players they'll bring through, and benefit the international scene.  

West Wales, with good income stream negotiated at their excellent stadium, and multiple age group teams will hopefully be everything that South Wales weren't and have the benefit  of stronger grass roots than Cru.

However, you have the advantage of heartland proximity and if you can progress over the next few years and potentially get back to the Racecourse on favourable terms, there is no reason cru couldn't be a SL2 team.

Great potential at both Welsh clubs

[West Leeds Riviera]

On 07/09/2017 at 10:24 AM, JoneslessBishop said:

Your suggestions seems very similar to mine West, which i take as the highest compliment. How do Toronto and potentially Catalan get into SL. Just via promotion via next seasons Super 8s? As suggested in my article, I expanded SL to 14 teams (for 3 years), with two auto promo places next season, to allow for promotion of such teams to prevent parachuting of clubs into SL. Without the carrot of addition income from a new broadcasting deal (can't happen until c. 2022), do you think the game can stomach that?

 

i an all for being visionary, and it is very easy to be so on an Internet forum, but any proposal the RFL put forward would need to be approved by the majority of SL clubs.

Yeah I think SL1 and 2 is the only way you can have the security of licensing and thrill of P and R.

The only way the game will survive is by expanding, it can't rely on Sky money forever. With no disrespect to any traditional clubs but Toronto, NY and Catalans are more well known than Leigh and Widnes.

[fearnowt]

19 hours ago, JoneslessBishop said:

There was no geographical preference of where Crusaders  in my original post fearnowt, just in Champ 2 as a reflection of current performance and a few potential big clubs (NYC, Montreal, Cumbria) coming in above you.

A strong Crusaders has a lot to offer RL. Just have to look at the team that brought through Dudson, Flower, White, Kear, etc. the higher up the pyramid a Welsh team are, the better quality Welsh players they'll bring through, and benefit the international scene.  

West Wales, with good income stream negotiated at their excellent stadium, and multiple age group teams will hopefully be everything that South Wales weren't and have the benefit  of stronger grass roots than Cru.

However, you have the advantage of heartland proximity and if you can progress over the next few years and potentially get back to the Racecourse on favourable terms, there is no reason cru couldn't be a SL2 team.

Great potential at both Welsh clubs

No problem with your original post, it was someone else who put us in a southern league with no promotion.

It would be great to bring superleage back to Wrexham, but we are a long, long way from that. We have fallen behind considerably since our promotion season in 2013, but at least the club is being run within its means now and making steady progress towards recovery. The club formed an under 11s team recently, the supporters trust has just been formed and the supporters club still run coaches to all the away games.

Don't see us ever going back to the Racecourse to be honest. We would have to double our crowds just to pay the rent. To be fair, Wrexham Supporters Trust, who own the football club and run the Racecourse, have to answer to their members. If they are not making money out of us using the ground, it will cause a lot of internal fallout for them. They would rather be making money from concerts.

Echo your comment about West Wales and looking forward to visiting them on Saturday.

[JoneslessBishop]

Good to hear on the slow and steady progress. Racecourse wouldn't be needed unless you went up to a current Championship level (or more glam SL2). You'd hope that level could double crowds, and TV income could fund that as well.

 

Enjoy the derby this weekend! 

[stevevalerugby]

On 9/5/2017 at 7:42 PM, Man of Kent said:

Really interesting but not radical enough. How about the following:

League 13

Bradford

Castleford

Catalans

Hull

Leeds

London

Montreal

New York

St Helens

Toronto

Toulouse

Warrington

Wigan

Licensing with no automatic P&R (if certain clubs are failing, others can replace them from Super League). Minor premiership after 24 rounds. NRL style playoffs for top 8. Fixture list staggered to allow a new Sky Sports League channel plus French/US/Canadian TV to show every game live (Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday, Sunday UK/French home games, US/Canada home games on Saturdays/Sundays). Enhanced national highlights coverage on BBC.

Super League

Featherstone

Leigh

Halifax

Huddersfield

Hull KR

Newcastle

Salford

Sheffield

Wakefield

Workington

Widnes

York

Bottom four in qualifiers. Live games (avoiding clash with L13 games) on Sky Sports League with highlights on SSL and BBC.

Championship

Avignon

Barrow

Batley

Dewsbury

Doncaster

Keighley

Hunslet

Manchester Rangers

Oldham

Rochdale

Swinton

Whitehaven

Top four in qualifiers. Highlights package on Sky Sports League.

Southern League

Bridgend

Bristol

Coventry

Crusaders

Hemel

London Chargers

London Skolars

Nottingham

Valley Cougars

West Wales

This would be a standalone development league with no P&R but with room to grow if others want to join.

So you would like to get rid of both Welsh  teams into a development league and promote another M62 corridor side Manchester Rangers and another French side Avignon.  Couple that with the fact there is only 1 team London below the M62 corridor unless they go into a development league hey but lets invite the rest of the world in 1st.  If you continue down that road there wont be a Super League either as these clubs will see the money they can make form their own world club championship and sod the rest of you.