Championship Rethink

[Tommygilf]

Strong suggestion here that the York/Newcastle model is going to become more of a default if not a formality next year in the Championship.

[RigbyLuger]

What at terrible thumbnail. Makes both look like morons.

[Charlie]

52 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Strong suggestion here that the York/Newcastle model is going to become more of a default if not a formality next year in the Championship.

Personally I don’t like it and it will see a lot of semi pro players out of a job. But it’s a easy model for the rfl 

[hunsletgreenandgold]

Is this 'model' much different to NRL teams links with NSW/QLD Cup sides? 

[Charlie]

57 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Is this 'model' much different to NRL teams links with NSW/QLD Cup sides? 

It’s pretty much the same. Just a very different culture. The nsw cup clubs are pretty much just reserves with no fan bases. Qld cup is a bit different 

[dufftown1]

3 hours ago, Charlie said:

Personally I don’t like it and it will see a lot of semi pro players out of a job. But it’s a easy model for the rfl 

Better utilisation of the player pool we have should create more scope for more clubs and as such more semi pro opportunities

[barrowrugbyfan]

Another idea to save super league clubs a couple of quid, and further reduce the English player pool.

Super league clubs should have full a teams .

I watched rl for 40 years who do I want to watch players who change ever week just to keep them fit for superleague, could championship team have always had a strong local contingent,  why would a local lad who want to play rugby play for a club that when it suits the super league team he will be stood down..team spirt none existent as will be the support, he just play with his mates in amateur ranks

[Tommygilf]

17 minutes ago, barrowrugbyfan said:

Another idea to save super league clubs a couple of quid, and further reduce the English player pool.

Super league clubs should have full a teams .

I watched rl for 40 years who do I want to watch players who change ever week just to keep them fit for superleague, could championship team have always had a strong local contingent,  why would a local lad who want to play rugby play for a club that when it suits the super league team he will be stood down..team spirt none existent as will be the support, he just play with his mates in amateur ranks

I guess the problem is, and we see this in lots of sports, is what if the A Team league is worse than the 2nd Division?

[Charlie]

1 hour ago, dufftown1 said:

Better utilisation of the player pool we have should create more scope for more clubs and as such more semi pro opportunities

It will force a lot of semi pro players out of the game as sl clubs will just play there reserves there. Off course the better semi pros will still get clubs. 

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, Charlie said:

It will force a lot of semi pro players out of the game as sl clubs will just play there reserves there. Off course the better semi pros will still get clubs. 

Tbf, semi pro players are being forced out of the game now with a reduction from 28 Championship and League 1 clubs to just 20 in a decade. 

[Charlie]

19 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Tbf, semi pro players are being forced out of the game now with a reduction from 28 Championship and League 1 clubs to just 20 in a decade. 

Your right and more will be gone 

[dufftown1]

56 minutes ago, Charlie said:

It will force a lot of semi pro players out of the game as sl clubs will just play there reserves there. Off course the better semi pros will still get clubs. 

Not if we have more semi-pro sides

[Charlie]

17 minutes ago, dufftown1 said:

Not if we have more semi-pro sides

Why would we have more? There’s no signs of this happening. less is more likely 

[dufftown1]

Better access to better players makes it easier to run a lower league club

[Prince]

I suspect the difference in revenue between SL and Champ makes it more financially beneficial for a player to sit in the stands at a SL club than play at a Champ one. Here is an option that is worth exploring - give more central funding to the Champ clubs so they can attract the players.  It also closes the gap, which would allow teams to move easier between SL and the Champ.  And therein lies the problem, clubs who are in SL, understandably, don’t want to see this happen so will never agree to it.  This is why a governing body needs to be making decisions based on what is best for the sport.

[Billy King's Boots]

5 hours ago, Charlie said:

It’s pretty much the same. Just a very different culture. The nsw cup clubs are pretty much just reserves with no fan bases. Qld cup is a bit different 

 

Newtown Jets might just disagree with you there, buddy.

[Hopie]

The stated ambition was to increase standards at the top, but the result of all the recent changes has just been to kill off any sort of 2nd tier competition. Can't get relegated if there is no 2nd division!

[Billy King's Boots]

5 hours ago, Charlie said:

It’s pretty much the same. Just a very different culture. The nsw cup clubs are pretty much just reserves with no fan bases. Qld cup is a bit different 

And North Sydney aren't far behind, either.
 

[Pulga]

49 minutes ago, Billy King's Boots said:

And North Sydney aren't far behind, either.
 

North Sydney and Newtown are exactly what Championship clubs should be aiming for.

[Sports Prophet]

1 hour ago, Billy King's Boots said:

 

Newtown Jets might just disagree with you there, buddy.

 

1 hour ago, Billy King's Boots said:

And North Sydney aren't far behind, either.
 

Both examples are pretty disingenuous. Im pretty sure neither Newtown or Norths look like this for anymore than perhaps two regular season matches a year.

[Tommygilf]

4 hours ago, Prince said:

I suspect the difference in revenue between SL and Champ makes it more financially beneficial for a player to sit in the stands at a SL club than play at a Champ one. Here is an option that is worth exploring - give more central funding to the Champ clubs so they can attract the players.  It also closes the gap, which would allow teams to move easier between SL and the Champ.  And therein lies the problem, clubs who are in SL, understandably, don’t want to see this happen so will never agree to it.  This is why a governing body needs to be making decisions based on what is best for the sport.

That funding has to come from somewhere.

The Championship (and previously League 1) was funded, significantly, by the larger SL deal. That money was used to prop up massive wage inflation but did not give a return in making such funding levels sustainable - either by increased attendances or a TV Deal supplementing that income. 

That SL TV deal went down and so did that funding accordingly - though notably Championship clubs decided that it would be better for League 1 clubs to first take the massive hits in that respect. That move ultimately destroyed that League.

[RBKnight]

If championship club that gets 1,500+ through the gate and a secure ground that's affordable, I can see lots of reasons they'd say  "No thanks".

I can see no reason why they can't compete alongside clubs that have gone into partnership with SL clubs.

What you don't want is a partner who just uses the club as a place to keep fringe players match-fit - you want them to bring in sponsors, help with marketing and viral, help with coaching and S&C resource. 

[Damien]

6 hours ago, Pulga said:

North Sydney and Newtown are exactly what Championship clubs should be aiming for.

The last average attendance I can find for North Sydney was 1800, lets not pretend these are crowds are greatly different. I cant find any accurate data on Newtown.

[Just Browny]

5 minutes ago, Damien said:

The last average attendance I can find for North Sydney was 1800, lets not pretend these are crowds are greatly different. I cant find any accurate data on Newtown.

I assumed that, as 'what Championship clubs should aim for', he meant that they could be the rumoured relocation site for any ailing Super League club - like North Sydney are.

[Anita Bath]

North Sydney are financially supported by the Norths organisation which owns and runs multiple clubs in NSW. That includes the very successful Twin Towns club in Tweed Heads which is in Titans’s territory. Titans don’t have a leagues club…simply an affiliation with a golf club in Southport, miles away from Robina where they play.