Super League keen to develop league structure clarity

[GUBRATS]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Thats just taking your bat and ball home and sulking. 

Yes it is , but it's no different to a convoluted group system , ultimately you can't have what you want , rearranging the deck chairs won't stop the Titanic from sinking , just altering the loop fixtures into CC group stages won't make one iota's worth of difference 

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

I must confess, some of your posts do come across that way, so I apologise if that isn't the case.

Maybe I'm not old enough, so please humour me and tell me when this period in the past was. I presume we've established it wasn't the mid 80s to early 90s just pre-SL, because you weren't a fan of Wigan's domination. So when was it?

Yes it was prior to that , much like football before 3/4 clubs started to dominate , it isn't coming back , but neither is this utopia you're looking for , we all want the same thing , but we aren't getting it 

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

42 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Yes it was prior to that , much like football before 3/4 clubs started to dominate

Are you talking the 1970s? The game was on its backside then. Attendances were far lower than they are now, and loads of clubs were struggling financially, just like some are today. If this is the period that you mean, are you sure that it's because the game was better, and not just because Leigh were more successful?

43 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

it isn't coming back , but neither is this utopia you're looking for , we all want the same thing , but we aren't getting it 

I don't believe that we do want the same thing. I'm not searching for some utopia - I love the game and want it to continue to move forward and develop. I don't believe that the game can survive by standing still, as the world around it continues to move forward whether we like it or not. But there isn't some magic competition format that I'm holding out for, or will stop watching the game if we don't get it. I'll continue to watch rugby league if it becomes amateur and it's 13 v 13 on a park.

I have very fond memories of when I was growing up and first discovered the game in the late 80s and early 90s. I love the style of play from back then, and everything was new and exciting because I was in my youth. But I don't wish the game would go back to how it was then - things have evolved whether we like it or not. 

From what you've said - and by all means correct me if I'm wrong - I get the impression that your 'utopia' was from a time when you were in your youth and your team was more successful and had a chance of winning things. It's easy to look back at those times through rose-tinted spectacles, but objectively speaking, the game wasn't 'better' than it is now. It's just that you enjoyed it more. Which is absolutely fine. And it's also fine if you don't enjoy the game as much these days. But equally it doesn't mean that Leigh's place in the modern game is the fault of SL or licencing or whatever. 

[GUBRATS]

35 minutes ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

Are you talking the 1970s? The game was on its backside then. Attendances were far lower than they are now, and loads of clubs were struggling financially, just like some are today. If this is the period that you mean, are you sure that it's because the game was better, and not just because Leigh were more successful?

I don't believe that we do want the same thing. I'm not searching for some utopia - I love the game and want it to continue to move forward and develop. I don't believe that the game can survive by standing still, as the world around it continues to move forward whether we like it or not. But there isn't some magic competition format that I'm holding out for, or will stop watching the game if we don't get it. I'll continue to watch rugby league if it becomes amateur and it's 13 v 13 on a park.

I have very fond memories of when I was growing up and first discovered the game in the late 80s and early 90s. I love the style of play from back then, and everything was new and exciting because I was in my youth. But I don't wish the game would go back to how it was then - things have evolved whether we like it or not. 

From what you've said - and by all means correct me if I'm wrong - I get the impression that your 'utopia' was from a time when you were in your youth and your team was more successful and had a chance of winning things. It's easy to look back at those times through rose-tinted spectacles, but objectively speaking, the game wasn't 'better' than it is now. It's just that you enjoyed it more. Which is absolutely fine. And it's also fine if you don't enjoy the game as much these days. But equally it doesn't mean that Leigh's place in the modern game is the fault of SL or licencing or whatever. 

As usual the focus turns to whatever particular club somebody happens to support , that really isn't the issue here 

Attendances at some were better , some were worse , but as I put there was more diversity in who won things , that diversity helped clubs to get bigger crowds , these days it's the same fans buying a ST and attending matches with little increases here and there , back then a team could get 1500 one game and then five times that for a different game 

This thread has drifted from its origin , as they do , you seem to believe swapping loop fixtures for cup group games will improve things ( as in increased attendances ,) I doubt it will 

I'll leave the debate there, I wouldn't want you to think I'm moaning about it 

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

1 minute ago, GUBRATS said:

As usual the focus turns to whatever particular club somebody happens to support , that really isn't the issue here 

With respect, I'm not so sure. From what you've said previously, your level of interest in the game seems to correlate pretty strongly with your team's opportunity to win things.

2 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Attendances at some were better , some were worse , but as I put there was more diversity in who won things , that diversity helped clubs to get bigger crowds

Really? The aggregate number of fans through the turnstiles was way down compared to what it has been in recent years. I'm not sure what objective evidence you are basing this statement on.

6 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

these days it's the same fans buying a ST and attending matches with little increases here and there , back then a team could get 1500 one game and then five times that for a different game 

I don't understand what point you're making here. That attendances were occasionally ok and occasionally really poor? The culture has changed to a season ticket culture, and that is reflected by significantly higher attendances.

7 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

This thread has drifted from its origin , as they do , you seem to believe swapping loop fixtures for cup group games will improve things ( as in increased attendances ,) I doubt it will 

And that's fair enough - we can agree to disagree. I don't think we'll ever get the chance to find out.

8 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

I'll leave the debate there, I wouldn't want you to think I'm moaning about it 

Yeah I'm still not convinced you weren't moaning...