Championship 2025 Onwards

[Gav Wilson]

35 minutes ago, Keep The Faith said:

If we aren’t having promotion to SL 

go back to all year round 

 October to April - championship 

April to October- SL/internationals 

the clubs would gain the fans 

Absolutely not. 

[Hopie]

2 hours ago, JM2010 said:

I’m a bit confused. Every time I click on the Championship thread it takes me to the IMG one

It's a Halloween feature, if you don't like a thread you can mention IMG and it will spookily disappear 

[Roughyed Rats]

39 minutes ago, Keep The Faith said:

If we aren’t having promotion to SL 

go back to all year round 

 October to April - championship 

April to October- SL/internationals 

the clubs would gain the fans 

Exactly where we are headed, if IMG follow what they did in Basketball and grading was attempted (unsuccessfully) before being swapped with full-franchising. 

[JM2010]

19 minutes ago, Hopie said:

It's a Halloween feature, if you don't like a thread you can mention IMG and it will spookily disappear 

Maybe we should set a challenge to see if we can take every thread off topic by mentioning IMG

[Archie Gordon]

It does all rather sound that - if there is any exchange between the Champo and SL - the Champo will be where former SL clubs go to die. 

If being overtaken by a Champo club is made very hard to achieve, then any SL club that befalls this fate won't be able to bounce back any time soon. The second tier will likely become moribund. Possibly for other reasons too, Hughes has been the first to react to this reality.

[Bulls2487]

What happens if we have 14 grade A clubs in the next couple of years? They want to increase standards does SL get extended? Or do the 2 lowest grade a clubs miss out?

[The Blues Ox]

28 minutes ago, Bulls2487 said:

What happens if we have 14 grade A clubs in the next couple of years? They want to increase standards does SL get extended? Or do the 2 lowest grade a clubs miss out?

We won't have but in theory if that were to happen people have been saying that Sl will be increased to 13 or 14 clubs but this won't happen unless there is an increase in money coming in to the game because greedy SL chairman would not accept a smaller peace of the pie. I think if it ever did happen(Probably better odds of winning the lottery) then I suspect IMG would ammend the gradings rather than expanding the league.

We should get to 12 pretty rapidly but no Championship team is getting to 15 points. I think at very, very best around 14.75 points would be the best a Championship club could hope for and that is pushing it.

Edited October 21, 2024 by The Blues Ox

[phiggins]

28 minutes ago, Bulls2487 said:

What happens if we have 14 grade A clubs in the next couple of years? They want to increase standards does SL get extended? Or do the 2 lowest grade a clubs miss out?

I think if there are 14 A grade clubs this week, 2 miss out. It appears unlikely this week, but entirely feasible in 26 or 27, if some of this year's predicted scores become reality.

The RFL need to clear up the contradiction of having a fixed number of clubs as well as the idea that a certain score is guaranteed a SL place.

[Click]

1 minute ago, The Blues Ox said:

We won't have but in theory if that were to happen people have been saying that Sl will be increased to 13 or 14 clubs but this won't happen unless there is an increase in money coming in to the game because greedy SL chairman would not accept a smaller peace of the pie. I think if it ever did happen(Probably better odds of winning the lottery) then I suspect IMG would ammend the gradings rather than expanding the league.

There are "greedy" chairman at SL, Championship & L1 level. 
You make it sound like SL clubs and chairpeople are awful, but the Championship and L1 equivalents are holier-than-thou 

[The Blues Ox]

3 minutes ago, Click said:

There are "greedy" chairman at SL, Championship & L1 level. 
You make it sound like SL clubs and chairpeople are awful, but the Championship and L1 equivalents are holier-than-thou 

Difference been that it is the greedy SL chairman that control the game. Personally I feel they as a collective are the reason that the game is in the mess that it is. I will say that I do not blame them, they have to do what is best for thier own clubs and if that means penny grabbing in any fashion they can then so be it. If anything I blame the RFL for giving them too much power but then again previous people at the RFL I wouldn't trust them to look after my dog.

[Blind side johnny]

There appears to be a general assumption that all of those clubs below SL actually have an aspiration or even desire to become members of that league. I can assure you that this is not the case and would suggest that the number with such a plan is very small indeed.

So, what should be the objectives and strategies for clubs who's futures lie firmly with the Championship leagues for their future and the future of those leagues?

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

 

So, what should be the objectives and strategies for clubs who's futures lie firmly with the Championship leagues for their future and the future of those leagues?

To be competitive, grow the fan base and win the titles of those leagues.

[Roughyed Rats]

16 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

There appears to be a general assumption that all of those clubs below SL actually have an aspiration or even desire to become members of that league. I can assure you that this is not the case and would suggest that the number with such a plan is very small indeed.

So, what should be the objectives and strategies for clubs who's futures lie firmly with the Championship leagues for their future and the future of those leagues?

That's a good point. So how do they do that? They could move back to winter, so that they are a competition in their own right, attract the SL fans that are starved of RL during their closed season and perhaps even some TV coverage. They might have to at some point, just to survive. 

[Taffy Tiger]

On 20/10/2024 at 12:20, DEANO said:

Ok tell me which team outside sl can gain enough points to get into the top flight and which current team in sl can lose enough points to be relegated

Aren't Wakey expected to be Category A this year (from Championship) . What is stopping other clubs attaining a Category A in the Championship.

You mention how the weighting is so biased towards SL clubs and yet , by all accounts , Wakey will score higher than some SL clubs this season, if reports are to be believed . You could argue it will be harder for Wakey next season as they lose a guaranteed 0.35 points from this season's success .

I would agree that on the whole it will be easier to remain in SL than to get into it , but there are an extra 0.35 points available (more than 3 SL places) in the Championship each season . It is also much easier to get maximum points in the Turnover/CF ratio.

As for attendances there are currently 4 SL teams whose attendance score will be the same as Championship clubs at the top end of the scale this season (although this won't be the case with Leigh next season) . Wakey will be in SL next season , but won't be able to increase their attendances enough to move to the top score in this category for at least another couple of years , most likely 3 at best . You could argue that there is a clear bias towards Championship clubs in this area with the current attendance criteria , as their is a large gap of 4.5k (3k -7.5k) between the top 2 scoring bands , something that the likes of Huddersfield and Salford (and Wakey in the immediate future) won't get anywhere near . The real bias towards SL clubs would come if IMG grading criteria put another band in there around the 5k mark , but no suggestion this will happen .

The final point that you seem to be forgetting , especially regarding a closed shop , is that SL isn't fixed at 12 teams . It isn't necessary for a team to lose enough points to be releagted , for another team to be promoted under this new system. Any team getting 15 points or more is guaranteed a place in the following season's SL . IMG themselves have said that they are hoping for a 14+ SL team with all Category A teams in the future . 

 

If Wakey can achieve this then why can't other Championship clubs in the future ?

 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Taffy Tiger

[The Phantom Horseman]

6 minutes ago, Taffy Tiger said:

Aren't Wakey expected to be Category A this year (from Championship) . What is stopping other clubs attaining a Category A in the Championship.

If Wakey can achieve this then why can't other Championship clubs in the future ?

 

This reads like one of those Viz "Top Tips" pieces doesn't it?

"CHAMPIONSHIP CLUBS! Worried that you can't get anywhere near a Grade A in those pesky IMG scores? Simply find a  multi-millionaire amongst your fans, and get him to fund a squad that costs three times as much as everyone else's, invest in infrastructure and reduce Adult season tickets to the cheapest in rugby league, and you too can easily attain a grade A!"

[Hopie]

3 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

This reads like one of those Viz "Top Tips" pieces doesn't it?

"CHAMPIONSHIP CLUBS! Worried that you can't get anywhere near a Grade A in those pesky IMG scores? Simply find a  multi-millionaire amongst your fans, and get him to fund a squad that costs three times as much as everyone else's, invest in infrastructure and reduce Adult season tickets to the cheapest in rugby league, and you too can easily attain a grade A!"

*Must have been a Super League club during part of the three year calculation period, other terms and conditions apply, no refunds.

[Taffy Tiger]

23 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

This reads like one of those Viz "Top Tips" pieces doesn't it?

"CHAMPIONSHIP CLUBS! Worried that you can't get anywhere near a Grade A in those pesky IMG scores? Simply find a  multi-millionaire amongst your fans, and get him to fund a squad that costs three times as much as everyone else's, invest in infrastructure and reduce Adult season tickets to the cheapest in rugby league, and you too can easily attain a grade A!"

So , yes , a Championship team can attain a Grade A then ??

 

Is this any different in recent times under P&R system ?

Edited October 21, 2024 by Taffy Tiger

[Click]

31 minutes ago, Roughyed Rats said:

That's a good point. So how do they do that? They could move back to winter, so that they are a competition in their own right, attract the SL fans that are starved of RL during their closed season and perhaps even some TV coverage. They might have to at some point, just to survive. 

Why would they have to move league or competition or anything else? The Championship has always been made up of 70/80% of clubs that aren't interested/aren't able to try and compete in SL, whether that would be under the old system of buying a team to do it, or under the current one.

Not sure how they would get any TV coverage, no TV company is interested in the summer, why would they be interested in the Winter when there is even more competition? 

[The Phantom Horseman]

3 minutes ago, Taffy Tiger said:

So , yes , a Championship team can attain a Grade A then ??

Yes, and amateur teams such as The Navy, Medway Dragons and South Wales Jets can win the Challenge Cup.

[Roughyed Rats]

6 minutes ago, Click said:

Why would they have to move league or competition or anything else? The Championship has always been made up of 70/80% of clubs that aren't interested/aren't able to try and compete in SL, whether that would be under the old system of buying a team to do it, or under the current one.

Not sure how they would get any TV coverage, no TV company is interested in the summer, why would they be interested in the Winter when there is even more competition? 

They are already in another league / competition. Even more RL competition in the Winter? Please don't tell me you are referring to football. I've got quite a few mates that are Leigh fans (my business was based there) and they would definitely come and watch Oldham play in a winter league. They've really enjoyed the one or two they came to this season. RL all year round, what's not to like? 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Roughyed Rats

[Click]

1 minute ago, Roughyed Rats said:

They are already in another league / competition. Even more RL competition in the Winter? Please don't tell me you are referring to football. I've got quite a few mates that are Leigh fans (my business was based there) and they would definitely come and watch Oldham play in a winter league. They've really enjoyed the one or two they came to this season. RL all year round, what's not to like? 

You said moving league/competition was an option for a team that wasn't that interested in SL, so I would assume that would mean creating a new league/competition for them to move into that isn't connected to SL, or I am not sure why you said it.

I was referring to football, as well as Rugby Union. And I was specifically talking about TV which you said they could potentially get. 

No TV company is currently interested in second tier RL played in summer, why would they ever be interested in it during the Winter when their schedules already have more things on?

[Roughyed Rats]

2 minutes ago, Click said:

You said moving league/competition was an option for a team that wasn't that interested in SL, so I would assume that would mean creating a new league/competition for them to move into that isn't connected to SL, or I am not sure why you said it.

I was referring to football, as well as Rugby Union. And I was specifically talking about TV which you said they could potentially get. 

No TV company is currently interested in second tier RL played in summer, why would they ever be interested in it during the Winter when their schedules already have more things on?

I said moving to Winter and if that didn't align with SL, it would simply be another league affiliated with the RFL. Football and RU  You may well be right on the TV deal but they'd be absolutely no worse off than at present. 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Roughyed Rats

[Click]

2 minutes ago, Roughyed Rats said:

I said moving to Winter and if that didn't align with SL, it would simply be another league affiliated with the RFL. Football and RU  You may well be right on the TV deal but they'd be absolutely no worse off than at present. 

Won't they? Standing outside in freezing weather on a cold, dark afternoon is quite different to going to watch the rugby while it is bright and warm outside. 

Especially with the standard of our grounds in RL.

[Taffy Tiger]

22 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Yes, and amateur teams such as The Navy, Medway Dragons and South Wales Jets can win the Challenge Cup.

Don't understand your point . Has no relevance to my question . 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Taffy Tiger

[Roughyed Rats]

2 minutes ago, Click said:

Won't they? Standing outside in freezing weather on a cold, dark afternoon is quite different to going to watch the rugby while it is bright and warm outside. 

Especially with the standard of our grounds in RL.

Bright and warm? You a Catalans supporter Some of us genuinely miss those winter days.....and there was nowhere colder than Sheddings I can assure you.  

 

 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Roughyed Rats