Clubs consider combining Championship and League 1 for 24-team competition

[Magic XIII]

10 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Is this not an indication that Toulouse are in Super League? This can only be East and West and I can’t imagine it would be deemed fair to send eleven clubs to France but not the other twelve. 

Can only guess it would look like:

West - Leigh, Widnes, Swinton, Oldham, Whitehaven, Barrow, Rochdale, Workington, Keighley, Coventry, West Wales, North Wales. 

East - Featherstone, London B, Dewsbury, Bradford, Halifax, Batley, Sheffield, York, Hunslet, Newcastle, Doncaster, London S. 

East is more stacked in terms of current Championship sides. 

I can’t really work out the merit of this idea, really.

London players qualify for Lancashire at Origin level, so guess we are West. Swap with Keighley !

[Hela Wigmen]

3 minutes ago, Magic XIII said:

London players qualify for Lancashire at Origin level, so guess we are West. Swap with Keighley !

There’s two London sides, one in the East and one in the West is daft. 

[dkw]

I think some people are thinking short term on this proposal and seeing the bad in it, I see the long term as being very beneficial for many teams, including the top Championship ones. Whether we like it or not clubs finances are taking a battering, all clubs (other than ones with generous benefactors of course). There`s a need to bring costs down while simultaneously stimulating interest in the game where its definitely on the wane, League in many areas has now become pretty dormant during the many lockdown situations, it needs to be presented back to the fans in a way that entices them back. If we look at the 2 leagues currently its basically 3 leagues, top of championship, bottom of championship/top of league 1, bottom of league 1. I`m not sure creating these 2 rationalised competitions will weaken it in any way, in fact it should strengthen the weaker teams over time.

[DavidM]

10 hours ago, BD20Cougar said:

Not sure if this is the answer but with only 10 clubs in league 1 next year as things stand something needs to be done as 9 home games isn't enough. Might just be as simple as everyone playing everyone 3 times.

Yes this is the crux for us , we need more games , especially after this year  - league games .

[LeytherRob]

53 minutes ago, dkw said:

I think some people are thinking short term on this proposal and seeing the bad in it, I see the long term as being very beneficial for many teams, including the top Championship ones. Whether we like it or not clubs finances are taking a battering, all clubs (other than ones with generous benefactors of course). There`s a need to bring costs down while simultaneously stimulating interest in the game where its definitely on the wane, League in many areas has now become pretty dormant during the many lockdown situations, it needs to be presented back to the fans in a way that entices them back. If we look at the 2 leagues currently its basically 3 leagues, top of championship, bottom of championship/top of league 1, bottom of league 1. I`m not sure creating these 2 rationalised competitions will weaken it in any way, in fact it should strengthen the weaker teams over time.

What are the positives for a top championship side? We've tried this format before, it started as the Buddies cup back in 2002 and eventually became the northern Rail cup. The pool stages were treated as nothing more than friendlies and resulted in blowout scores even with the bigger teams resting players. Crowds were non existent because fans want to see competitive games. I've got zero appetite to see my team running over the top of amateur teams like West Wales.

[Smudger06]

This is not beneficial to Toulouse, London, Featherstone, Leigh, Halifax, Bradford or Widnes. Its beneficial for true expansion though. It gives 18 Clubs outside those 7 a real opportunity to really grow their individual  fanbase. 

Don't need conferences. Bin conferences, one conference would be way stronger than the other. 

Have a 30 game season over 29 weeks before playoffs. Sort the fixture list each season by grouping based on last seasons standings, have a single table. 

[LeytherRob]

3 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

This is not beneficial to Toulouse, London, Featherstone, Leigh, Halifax, Bradford or Widnes. Its beneficial for true expansion though. It gives 18 Clubs outside those 7 a real opportunity to really grow their individual  fanbase. 

Don't need conferences. Bin conferences, one conference would be way stronger than the other. 

Have a 30 game season over 29 weeks before playoffs. Sort the fixture list each season by grouping based on last seasons standings, have a single table. 

Take Toulouse, London etc out and swap them for Leeds, Wigan, then apply that argument to SL and it will be equally as ridiculous. You don't achieve anything by this except halving the quality of the league.

I'd love a couple of guaranteed games against Wigan a year to fill the coffers, would I take a conference system to get it? Absolutely not, it would make a mockery of the competition. 

[Griff]

1 hour ago, Magic XIII said:

London players qualify for Lancashire at Origin level, so guess we are West. Swap with Keighley !

Origin level ?

There is no Origin level.

[Griff]

Why not go back to one big league of 36 ?

[del capo]

Didn't see this coming

Looks like SL is to become a closed shop outside the RFL

Thoughts ?

[Smudger06]

5 minutes ago, LeytherRob said:

Take Toulouse, London etc out and swap them for Leeds, Wigan, then apply that argument to SL and it will be equally as ridiculous. You don't achieve anything by this except halving the quality of the league.

I'd love a couple of guaranteed games against Wigan a year to fill the coffers, would I take a conference system to get it? Absolutely not, it would make a mockery of the competition. 

A 24 Club League with a truly national spread, England & Wales is the Real super league. It will be eventually if done right. Need to take that mindset, work to a point where SL clubs are wanting to join the league because its been grown and developed properly towards that goal. When SL has gone t/ts up because its a closed shop and boring, only 12 teams, 2 of which bring no fans to create a matchday porting experience we have to be in the driving seat and prepared when that eventually happens again. 

[Route66]

There is and will be a lot of self interest in any discussions but maybe the championship is trying to strengthen across the board in readiness for a massive reduction in tv income. Dont know the exact money at the minute but when one club starts with say £500,000 from sky and another in the same division gets £200,000 we are always going to get the same teams in the same order. Maybe a club like Coventry could take off and do well with an equal initial fund

[Smudger06]

Just now, Route66 said:

There is and will be a lot of self interest in any discussions but maybe the championship is trying to strengthen across the board in readiness for a massive reduction in tv income. Dont know the exact money at the minute but when one club starts with say £500,000 from sky and another in the same division gets £200,000 we are always going to get the same teams in the same order. Maybe a club like Coventry could take off and do well with an equal initial fund

Maybe all the clubs could take off if it was one for all and all for one. 

[Smudger06]

When a club wants to join, should be based on a system of how many season tickets they've presold with supporters get money back in event of been rejected. Not who the pretend sugar daddy is and how much money we are hoping he is willing to spend. 

[Rupert Prince]

1 hour ago, dkw said:

I think some people are thinking short term on this proposal and seeing the bad in it, I see the long term as being very beneficial for many teams, including the top Championship ones. Whether we like it or not clubs finances are taking a battering, all clubs (other than ones with generous benefactors of course). There`s a need to bring costs down while simultaneously stimulating interest in the game where its definitely on the wane, League in many areas has now become pretty dormant during the many lockdown situations, it needs to be presented back to the fans in a way that entices them back. If we look at the 2 leagues currently its basically 3 leagues, top of championship, bottom of championship/top of league 1, bottom of league 1. I`m not sure creating these 2 rationalised competitions will weaken it in any way, in fact it should strengthen the weaker teams over time.

Both leagues should go effectively amateur.  In the manner of the cricket leagues, offer payment to a limited number of players and coaches to all clubs.

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

When a club wants to join, should be based on a system of how many season tickets they've presold with supporters get money back in event of been rejected. Not who the pretend sugar daddy is and how much money we are hoping he is willing to spend. 

Sounds like a great community league, not very elite sport though.

[LeytherRob]

2 minutes ago, Route66 said:

There is and will be a lot of self interest in any discussions but maybe the championship is trying to strengthen across the board in readiness for a massive reduction in tv income. Dont know the exact money at the minute but when one club starts with say £500,000 from sky and another in the same division gets £200,000 we are always going to get the same teams in the same order. Maybe a club like Coventry could take off and do well with an equal initial fund

That arguement falls down for a couple reasons, firstly the tiered funding was only introduced in 2015, and has since been flattened slightly - before then it was still the same teams at the top of the championship, Leigh, Fev, Halifax, Widnes etc. They end up there regardless because they are stronger clubs.

Secondly, several clubs have broken into the higher funded league places when they have been run well, such as Toulouse, York, Batley in 2016. 

The tiered financials were introduced for a reason, to help bridge the gap between the championship and SL and it's been working, it's closer than it has been in years.

[Eddie]

Merge all three divisions and have one league of 34 teams - why not, it’s no more crackpot than most of the RFL’s ideas. I long for someone savvy to come and take the English game by the scruff of the neck. 

[Rupert Prince]

8 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

A 24 Club League with a truly national spread, England & Wales is the Real super league. It will be eventually if done right. Need to take that mindset, work to a point where SL clubs are wanting to join the league because its been grown and developed properly towards that goal. When SL has gone t/ts up because its a closed shop and boring, only 12 teams, 2 of which bring no fans to create a matchday porting experience we have to be in the driving seat and prepared when that eventually happens again. 

The NRL is a closed shop.  That is not boring.  Its thriving.  'Driving seat!?'  Is that how your brain works?

You live in a dreamworld and its your dreaming ... pretending we are in the 1950's ... that is holding back our game. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

If you’re going to do this you do need to limit the mismatches for player safety as much as anything.

I can see the argument though for some clubs wanting to have assured local derbies.

My suggestion for a name is the AFL (Away Fans League).

[Eddie]

7 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

Both leagues should go effectively amateur.  In the manner of the cricket leagues, offer payment to a limited number of players and coaches to all clubs.

Why should the tip championship clubs go amateur? Do you actually want rugby league weakened?

[LeytherRob]

10 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

Maybe all the clubs could take off if it was one for all and all for one. 

Then why didn't they pre 2015 when the funding was a flat fee of around 120k for chanpionship? There are more factors at play than just the central funding, SL teams get equal central funding but Wigan, Saints and Leeds never find themselves too far from the top.

[Chris Taylor]

This can't be serious? Surely?

[Smudger06]

7 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Sounds like a great community league, not very elite sport though.

Don't get involved then Tommy if its not for you. Stick with the SL inner circle. That circle gets smaller and smaller every month. 

[Smudger06]

Best idea the clubs have ever had this based on the initial reaction of the lucky elite league fans haha