Derek Beaumont reveals Super League proposal for 13-team Super League next year

[Total Rugby League]

Derek Beaumont has revealed Super League clubs have proposed a 13-team competition in 2020, but to then relegate two teams the following year. The RFL...

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[Pigeon Lofter]

I like it, particularly these snippets:

 

Beaumont believes the current situation is the perfect opportunity to expand Super League to 14 teams, with one side promoted for the next two years and no sides coming down from the top tier.

“The most important part of the conversation is that the decision is solely made by the RFL. It’s not a Super League decision. The RFL will decide that.”

 

[Angelic Cynic]

I thought the international game was the way in which the sport grows.

I thought the elite players considered there were too many Super League games and that not all of those games were of sufficient high-intensity.

It now appears,with a World Cup fast approaching,that the powers that be want more teams in Super League.

One day,one fine day,the sport will take the time to decide exactly what they want,why they want it,and get it done that way,and stick with it.

Consulting players may help.Instead of saying that there are not enough good players to go round,and then failing to assist them to reach the top in a correctly structured manner.

They will no doubt be arranging the terms for Licensing and a date for the drawbridge to be pulled up.

Ever decreasing circles...

[themainbrace]

It would be great if they could have 13 teams in Superleague next year, but we're not even sure if next season will be impacted by the delays from this season.

[ojx]

13 teams means there can be only 24 games in the season. Which is actually perfect for a later start, better player welfare and more intense (less repetitive games). Also, every team returning from Toronto could have the bye week to recover. Sounds like a lot of wins to me.

Not sure about Magic, but I guess it could be during the bye week for Toronto.

They could really market the XIII for SL and rugby league.

[ojx]

13 minutes ago, SL17 said:

The 13th club being?

According to the article, whoever is promoted form the Championship in some hypothetical shortened Championship season to be held later in the year. However dubious that might be, with Toulouse being banned form playing.

[nadera78]

This is my favourite bit from that article:

“If they go to 14 teams then you’ve got a situation where the pie is being split more. But you’ve got to look at what is best for the game rather than what’s best for each individual club financially."

As if Beaumont is doing anything different! He's in the Championship, has put together a good team, and sees an opportunity to get his club into an expanded SL. Every club owner who has spoken publicly on this issue has done so from a nakedly selfish position. 

 

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, nadera78 said:

This is my favourite bit from that article:

“If they go to 14 teams then you’ve got a situation where the pie is being split more. But you’ve got to look at what is best for the game rather than what’s best for each individual club financially."

As if Beaumont is doing anything different! He's in the Championship, has put together a good team, and sees an opportunity to get his club into an expanded SL. Every club owner who has spoken publicly on this issue has done so from a nakedly selfish position. 

 

Wasn’t long ago I thought he was getting out of it altogether.  

Nothing to stop TO, Fev or LB putting a surge on and pipping Leigh to the post though.

[GUBRATS]

5 hours ago, ojx said:

13 teams means there can be only 24 games in the season. Which is actually perfect for a later start, better player welfare and more intense (less repetitive games). Also, every team returning from Toronto could have the bye week to recover. Sounds like a lot of wins to me.

Not sure about Magic, but I guess it could be during the bye week for Toronto.

They could really market the XIII for SL and rugby league.

13 teams = no magic weekend , odd number of teams means an equal number of games 

[Toby Chopra]

42 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

There hasnt been, in a single interview, a single comment of the wider good of the game, growth, or a thought to 2022 onwards. 

Not having promotion this year, doesnt mean 13 is a good idea next year, doesnt mean 14 is a good idea the year after. There is no leadership to say we should do x, y and z because it will be good for the game long term. 

This crisis just might be the breaking point. I have no faith that it isnt beyond the games leadership. 

Because our leaders have no power to act for the greater good. Whether Elstone or Rimmer, they are both heavily constrained by the members clubs that they purportedly lead. The individual members haven't ceded enough power to the centre to make it effective, but individual clubs of course have no power either. It's the worst possible arrangement.     

[GUBRATS]

2 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

Wasn’t long ago I thought he was getting out of it altogether.  

Nothing to stop TO, Fev or LB putting a surge on and pipping Leigh to the post though.

Nothing to stop Toulouse ? , Just the global pandemic

[Oxford]

Oh good yet another leaked Toc H lamp proposal from the people who brought you Kent Invicta and Wigan win everything for a decade.

Can't wait!

[gingerjon]

Just promote whoever's top now. Seems fairest.

[Eddie]

4 hours ago, nadera78 said:

This is my favourite bit from that article:

“If they go to 14 teams then you’ve got a situation where the pie is being split more. But you’ve got to look at what is best for the game rather than what’s best for each individual club financially."

As if Beaumont is doing anything different! He's in the Championship, has put together a good team, and sees an opportunity to get his club into an expanded SL. Every club owner who has spoken publicly on this issue has done so from a nakedly selfish position. 

 

Why wouldn’t they think about their own club first? 

[Eddie]

11 hours ago, Angelic Cynic said:

I thought the international game was the way in which the sport grows.

I thought the elite players considered there were too many Super League games and that not all of those games were of sufficient high-intensity.

It now appears,with a World Cup fast approaching,that the powers that be want more teams in Super League.

One day,one fine day,the sport will take the time to decide exactly what they want,why they want it,and get it done that way,and stick with it.

Consulting players may help.Instead of saying that there are not enough good players to go round,and then failing to assist them to reach the top in a correctly structured manner.

They will no doubt be arranging the terms for Licensing and a date for the drawbridge to be pulled up.

Ever decreasing circles...

More teams can mean fewer games. Imho a 14 team league with 26 games would be ideal.

[Davo5]

6 hours ago, SL17 said:

I’ll await @Davo5 comments.

Degsy a true selfless RL visionary

[Number 16]

6 hours ago, ojx said:

13 teams means there can be only 24 games in the season. Which is actually perfect for a later start

The season's length will remain unaffected. Because of the weekly Bye a thirteen team SL will take 26 weeks to complete, not 24.

Same length but a reduced workload by two matches in that time. 

 

[nadera78]

39 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Why wouldn’t they think about their own club first? 

Do you really need my post to be explained to you?

[wiganermike]

1 hour ago, GUBRATS said:

13 teams = no magic weekend , odd number of teams means an equal number of games 

You are correct that with an odd number of teams we could not have a magic weekend in its current form i.e as an extra round of matches. There would be two ways in which magic weekend could remain in a 13 team league though neither would really be ideal.

With an odd number of teams each team would have two bye rounds over the season, magic weekend could be one of the standard 26 rounds of the season with it being one team's bye week as Ojx said. Though that would mean 6 teams sacrificing a home tie. Something which all clubs would be resistant to doing.

The second option would be to have two magic weekend events with say Toronto not playing at the first and Catalans not playing at the second and then at some stage when possible Catalan playing Toronto at a neutral venue as a standalone game to give everyone 26 h&a games plus 2 at neutral venues. This is not a good idea though as it adds another week to the season plus the two clubs needing to play that standalone fixture would either both need to be knocked out of the cup early on (to give adequate time to sell it) or to play it midweek as it obviously could not take place when 12 of the 13 teams were playing on a weekend.

While it would still be possible to include a magic weekend event in a league composed of an odd number of teams to do so would create unnecessary problems while doing away with the event would lose the sport one of its few big money making events. For that reason should the SL ever be expanded then I would think it more likely for practical reasons for it to go to 14 teams rather than 13.

[Damien]

52 minutes ago, Eddie said:

More teams can mean fewer games. Imho a 14 team league with 26 games would be ideal.

It is and gets rid of the loop fixtures too.

[GUBRATS]

15 minutes ago, wiganermike said:

You are correct that with an odd number of teams we could not have a magic weekend in its current form i.e as an extra round of matches. There would be two ways in which magic weekend could remain in a 13 team league though neither would really be ideal.

With an odd number of teams each team would have two bye rounds over the season, magic weekend could be one of the standard 26 rounds of the season with it being one team's bye week as Ojx said. Though that would mean 6 teams sacrificing a home tie. Something which all clubs would be resistant to doing.

The second option would be to have two magic weekend events with say Toronto not playing at the first and Catalans not playing at the second and then at some stage when possible Catalan playing Toronto at a neutral venue as a standalone game to give everyone 26 h&a games plus 2 at neutral venues. This is not a good idea though as it adds another week to the season plus the two clubs needing to play that standalone fixture would either both need to be knocked out of the cup early on (to give adequate time to sell it) or to play it midweek as it obviously could not take place when 12 of the 13 teams were playing on a weekend.

While it would still be possible to include a magic weekend event in a league composed of an odd number of teams to do so would create unnecessary problems while doing away with the event would lose the sport one of its few big money making events. For that reason should the SL ever be expanded then I would think it more likely for practical reasons for it to go to 14 teams rather than 13.

So I was right , an equal number of games 

[bobbruce]

5 hours ago, nadera78 said:

This is my favourite bit from that article:

“If they go to 14 teams then you’ve got a situation where the pie is being split more. But you’ve got to look at what is best for the game rather than what’s best for each individual club financially."

As if Beaumont is doing anything different! He's in the Championship, has put together a good team, and sees an opportunity to get his club into an expanded SL. Every club owner who has spoken publicly on this issue has done so from a nakedly selfish position. 

 

Exactly it’s why we never get anywhere because the clubs run the game. Whether that’s through SL or the RFL makes no difference and all they are interested in is short term gain. It’s why we flip flop from one bad decision to another. 

[Man of Kent]

Next week: Derek Beaumont calls for Super League clubs with Wigan postcodes to be immune from relegation.

[Hela Wigmen]

“Degsy” here doing the very thing lower league fans on here spend unnecessary time accusing Super League chairmen of; self interest. 

If we cannot relegate a side due to being unable to complete the season for whatever reason(s), how does he expect there to be enough Rugby League at lower league level? 

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, nadera78 said:

Do you really need my post to be explained to you?

No I understand it fully, I’m just amazed that you think club owners should act more in the interest of the game than themselves.