Another SL restructure is being planned

[Tommygilf]

16 minutes ago, JT RL said:

You make a very good point > we agree. The media pays [serious] attention to interesting one legged fixture [with a risk based meaningful outcome] involving teams from the top division [super league as is]. That includes games with opposition from outside that divsion. The magnet is the top division team - the risk & challenge from the team from the lower divsion.

The one positive of the super 8's was providing an understanding of relative strengths. The structure was counter productive to long term planning and development. At it's most simple, how could an attractive fixture be marketed in a fortnight. How does the context of the game develop. At best the game is a one hit wonder. Here today, gone tomorrow. And so it was.

Have the Top 8 clubs play the Next 10 once a year - 5 at home, 5 away.  Watch the competition grow.

 

Either you're all in one competition, with all games meaningful to all sides, or you aren't. 

Conferences I can accept. Playing second division sides arbitrarily to make up fixture numbers makes literally no sense from a commercial, marketing or most importantly a sporting sense.

[Rupert Prince]

11 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

There's an argument for 2x10 if 'SL2' can be sold for decent money to a broadcaster.

It also solves the eternal ar*eache about P&R.

Plus the 20 clubs are pretty obvious.

SL1 : Castleford, Catalans, Huddersfield, Hull, Hull KR, Leeds, Saints, Salford, Warrington, Wigan

SL2: Bradford, Fev, Halifax, Leigh, London, Newcastle, Toulouse, Wakefield, Widnes, York

No.  This is just mad.   Where does the money come from.  No forget that...  where do the players come from.

We are looking good if we have 10 quality clubs as it is.   Where do we go if our best, our star, players go to Australia.  How do we sell our game to TV companies?  We are lucky this year that Hastings is currently box office... But he is going home.  French was in the frame last year.  

20 is bonkers.

[Man of Kent]

31 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

No.  This is just mad.   Where does the money come from.  No forget that...  where do the players come from.

We are looking good if we have 10 quality clubs as it is.   Where do we go if our best, our star, players go to Australia.  How do we sell our game to TV companies?  We are lucky this year that Hastings is currently box office... But he is going home.  French was in the frame last year.  

20 is bonkers.

I don’t particularly want it either, I’m just playing Devil’s advocate and thinking through how it might work.

As I said above, I think we’d quickly see ‘SL2’ become almost two leagues in one as we don’t have 20 strong clubs with Academies etc.

I’d rather see the number of clubs in Super League increase. I realise money is tight, however.

[JT RL]

9 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Either you're all in one competition, with all games meaningful to all sides, or you aren't. 

Conferences I can accept. Playing second division sides arbitrarily to make up fixture numbers makes literally no sense from a commercial, marketing or most importantly a sporting sense.

Again, we agree. One competition. The highest in Europe. 8 teams in the Top Divsion and 10 in Next Divsion. Coherent fixture list and timetable.

 

[fighting irish]

10 hours ago, JT RL said:

You make a very good point > we agree. The media pays [serious] attention to interesting one legged fixture [with a risk based meaningful outcome] involving teams from the top division [super league as is]. That includes games with opposition from outside that divsion. The magnet is the top division team - the risk & challenge from the team from the lower divsion.

The one positive of the super 8's was providing an understanding of relative strengths. The structure was counter productive to long term planning and development. At it's most simple, how could an attractive fixture be marketed in a fortnight. How does the context of the game develop. At best the game is a one hit wonder. Here today, gone tomorrow. And so it was.

Have the Top 8 clubs play the Next 10 once a year - 5 at home, 5 away.  Watch the competition grow.

 

Thanks for introducing some novel ideas into the mix. I think your ideas are worthy of serious consideration.

First of all it also shows that Rugby League is one game, trying to build as a group (a family).

Your point about knowing the dates well in advance to allow for forward planning (marketing) is a very valid one and whatever else is said about the middle eights they certainly did attract a lot of attention, (partly of course, because of the jeopardy involved).

These games would definitely spice up the Championship clubs season/fixture list (meaning extra cash) and might ease the burden on Super League clubs injury roster by providing an opportunity to try out younger players in these matches.

For regular travelling fans, its an opportunity to go somewhere different for a nice change! Variety can be the spice of life. I know from being involved in amateur RL that playing the same teams year in and year out, dulls the excitement a bit.

I've not thought this through carefully but its just occurred to me that perhaps some tally could be kept of the results and at the end of the season it might be interesting to see if any of the Championship clubs ended up higher up the table than the Super League clubs.

Anyway, there's bragging rights to be played for all over the competition and that counts for something (a lot). 

Where I live, they still talk about the day Llanelli beat the NZ All Blacks 9 - 3, donkeys years ago. Hell, Max Boyce even wrote a song about it. 

[Tommygilf]

16 minutes ago, JT RL said:

Again, we agree. One competition. The highest in Europe. 8 teams in the Top Divsion and 10 in Next Divsion. Coherent fixture list and timetable.

 

Two divisions isn't 1 competition...

[RP London]

29 minutes ago, JT RL said:

Again, we agree. One competition. The highest in Europe. 8 teams in the Top Divsion and 10 in Next Divsion. Coherent fixture list and timetable.

 

I'm sorry but the one thing that seems quite obvious is that you really don't agree... 

[steve oates]

On 29/04/2021 at 11:11, Man of Kent said:

There's an argument for 2x10 if 'SL2' can be sold for decent money to a broadcaster.

I don't think there's any argument, that's what Mr. Davey is actually organising and that gives the biggest 10 Superleague clubs three things 1. control of 20 clubs 2. control of P & R, and 3. all the money........ 

It also leaves the RFL out on a limb when it has been the case that SL and the RFL seemed to be getting it together again during the pandemic. At some time Mr. Rimmer may be asked to comment??  That will be very interesting?

At some time Mr. Davey may be asked about how exactly will the P & R work? 

[Man of Kent]

37 minutes ago, steve oates said:

I don't think there's any argument, that's what Mr. Davey is actually organising and that gives the biggest 10 Superleague clubs three things 1. control of 20 clubs 2. control of P & R, and 3. all the money........ 

It also leaves the RFL out on a limb when it has been the case that SL and the RFL seemed to be getting it together again during the pandemic. At some time Mr. Rimmer may be asked to comment??  That will be very interesting?

At some time Mr. Davey may be asked about how exactly will the P & R work? 

You may be right but it’s just speculation at present (unless you know differently!). 

[steve oates]

14 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

You may be right but it’s just speculation at present (unless you know differently!). 

Apologies. I was trying to make the point generally that 2x10 clubs under superleague control was first floated about 18 months ago, because some posters may not know this given their replies. Given Mr. Davey now has all the money it seems to be a good bet rather than speculation but of couse I may be wrong?