RFL plan for Championship revamp/reset

[Hopie]

https://www.patreon.com/rugbyleaguelongreads/posts/rfl-plan-for-166398896?pr=true

All change, end of the line...

RFL CEO quoted saying things like: Increased central funding for some, more trophies, Fev might be back, and London might not be!

[Tommygilf]

Seems to be a suggestion that they want multiple trophies - ie a split in the league with a trophy for the lower teams, perhaps even call them a lower division...

[Gav Wilson]

It'll definitely work this time...

[Spidey]

Just now, Gav Wilson said:

It'll definitely work this time...

According to Widnes’ chairman they’ve got Canadian consultants involved to draw up suggestions

[Wandering pete]

..Broncos to play in NRL..blocks of home and away fixtures...worked well for the Wolfpack...

[Griff]

Rehashed twelves and eights?

Fixtures decided at the last minute?

Who knows what 2027 will bring ....

[Expatknight]

6 minutes ago, Griff said:

Rehashed twelves and eights?

Fixtures decided at the last minute?

Who knows what 2027 will bring ....

Probably find out two weeks before the start of the new season!!

[Griff]

Just now, Expatknight said:

Probably find out two weeks before the start of the new season!!

If there's to be a split, you won't find out that early.  You might get a week or ten days before the second phase starts.

That was one of the big criticisms of twelves and eights.   No time to arrange travel.  No chance to book stadia before soccer clubs book up shared grounds.  No time to sell sponsorship.   All lessons which seem to have been forgotten.

[Tommygilf]

The Championship is full of too many paradoxes.

Clubs who want to be full time professional but the vast majority can't afford it.

Clubs who want to be in a senior league but don't like when that league is not regional in scope.

Clubs who are barely better placed than strong amateurs against clubs with proper stadiums.

Clubs who want lots of local derbies but don't want to risk relegation to have them.

 

We have comprehensively failed to build a pyramid below the Super League (and RFL Premiership before that) capable of incubating clubs for the betterment of the whole sport. No progressive minimum standards. No clear progression from regional to national structures, or clear definitions of where those demarcation points should be. No clear progression to make the Championship the viable home of SL clubs in waiting.

Indeed on that last point, the actions of the past 18 months or so have decimated the second and third tiers. 

[Archie Gordon]

1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

The Championship is full of too many paradoxes.

Clubs who want to be full time professional but the vast majority can't afford it.

Clubs who want to be in a senior league but don't like when that league is not regional in scope.

Clubs who are barely better placed than strong amateurs against clubs with proper stadiums.

Clubs who want lots of local derbies but don't want to risk relegation to have them.

 

We have comprehensively failed to build a pyramid below the Super League (and RFL Premiership before that) capable of incubating clubs for the betterment of the whole sport. No progressive minimum standards. No clear progression from regional to national structures, or clear definitions of where those demarcation points should be. No clear progression to make the Championship the viable home of SL clubs in waiting.

Indeed on that last point, the actions of the past 18 months or so have decimated the second and third tiers. 

Are you saying that we need a club-led whole-game strategic review?

[Tommygilf]

2 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

Are you saying that we need a club-led whole-game strategic review?

Tried that, got distracted by a floodlight appeal and some delicious Haighs foodstuffs...

[Griff]

56 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

The Championship is full of too many paradoxes.

Clubs who want to be full time professional but the vast majority can't afford it.

Clubs who want to be in a senior league but don't like when that league is not regional in scope.

Clubs who are barely better placed than strong amateurs against clubs with proper stadiums.

Clubs who want lots of local derbies but don't want to risk relegation to have them.

 

We have comprehensively failed to build a pyramid below the Super League (and RFL Premiership before that) capable of incubating clubs for the betterment of the whole sport. No progressive minimum standards. No clear progression from regional to national structures, or clear definitions of where those demarcation points should be. No clear progression to make the Championship the viable home of SL clubs in waiting.

Indeed on that last point, the actions of the past 18 months or so have decimated the second and third tiers. 

No money, Tommy.

Or, at least, not enough.

No doubt your Aussies will be on shortly, when they get up, telling us that all you need to do is plonk a club in a big city and the fans will flock in.

Yet we have a club in one of the world's biggest cities which struggles to attract more than two or three thousand, depending on results on the field.

[dkw]

Yay, I cant wait until they ask for input from the paying customers again.....oh wait.. 

[Blind side johnny]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

The Championship is full of too many paradoxes.

Clubs who want to be full time professional but the vast majority can't afford it.

Clubs who want to be in a senior league but don't like when that league is not regional in scope.

Clubs who are barely better placed than strong amateurs against clubs with proper stadiums.

Clubs who want lots of local derbies but don't want to risk relegation to have them.

 

We have comprehensively failed to build a pyramid below the Super League (and RFL Premiership before that) capable of incubating clubs for the betterment of the whole sport. No progressive minimum standards. No clear progression from regional to national structures, or clear definitions of where those demarcation points should be. No clear progression to make the Championship the viable home of SL clubs in waiting.

Indeed on that last point, the actions of the past 18 months or so have decimated the second and third tiers. 

Sounds like you want to split it into 5 different leagues. That would work.

The second and third tiers haven't been decimated, unless you mean something quite different.

[Tommygilf]

58 minutes ago, Griff said:

No money, Tommy.

Or, at least, not enough.

No doubt your Aussies will be on shortly, when they get up, telling us that all you need to do is plonk a club in a big city and the fans will flock in.

Yet we have a club in one of the world's biggest cities which struggles to attract more than two or three thousand, depending on results on the field.

I think it just needs to be open now to encourage money into the sport. Right now, its difficult to get involved in the pyramid, and most of the clubs there already probably don't want you in.

Edit: to add, that isn't entirely the fault of those clubs. As you say, they have the money and support to operate in a regional competition, and shouldn't be forced into a National League.

Edited August 12 by Tommygilf

[Tommygilf]

48 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Sounds like you want to split it into 5 different leagues. That would work.

The second and third tiers haven't been decimated, unless you mean something quite different.

Not at all.

The 2nd Tier (Championship) is a joke, hence the actions needed in the article in the OP.

The 3rd Tier (League 1) was sacrificed.

[Damien]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

The Championship is full of too many paradoxes.

Clubs who want to be full time professional but the vast majority can't afford it.

Clubs who want to be in a senior league but don't like when that league is not regional in scope.

Clubs who are barely better placed than strong amateurs against clubs with proper stadiums.

Clubs who want lots of local derbies but don't want to risk relegation to have them.

 

We have comprehensively failed to build a pyramid below the Super League (and RFL Premiership before that) capable of incubating clubs for the betterment of the whole sport. No progressive minimum standards. No clear progression from regional to national structures, or clear definitions of where those demarcation points should be. No clear progression to make the Championship the viable home of SL clubs in waiting.

Indeed on that last point, the actions of the past 18 months or so have decimated the second and third tiers. 

This is the crux of the issue and I know we have said all this before. We have gone from a real strategy on this in the Richard Lewis era, where we were actually attempting to build a pyramid and suitable leagues for all, to a complete disaster with no strategy.

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

This is the crux of the issue and I know we have said all this before. We have gone from a real strategy on this in the Richard Lewis era, where we were actually attempting to build a pyramid and suitable leagues for all, to a complete disaster with no strategy.

Indeed. Years ago we would debate the merits of a League 1 North and League 1 South, with tiers below them - never did anyone suggest no League 1 at all.

No strategy, no growth, nothing more than the most basic hand to mouth existence.

Edited August 12 by Tommygilf

[Prince]

Even without London, Year 1 of the merged division was always going to have blowout scores as the disparity in central funding was still impacting. Money talks and central funding is something the RFL can affect but it looks like they are continuing the disparity in 2028 with the 3 pillar approach, something that they don’t feel necessary in SL.

Whilst the introduction of the salary cap also goes someway to levelling up the playing field the request for dispensations could still see a London situation with a club spending a million more than the rest and killing the competition before it even starts.  If I was London I’d be using this as a way of forcing the RFL’s hand - let us up, regardless of grading, or we will continue to smash everyone in the Championship.  

[Griff]

51 minutes ago, Prince said:

Even without London, Year 1 of the merged division was always going to have blowout scores as the disparity in central funding was still impacting. Money talks and central funding is something the RFL can affect but it looks like they are continuing the disparity in 2028 with the 3 pillar approach, something that they don’t feel necessary in SL.

Whilst the introduction of the salary cap also goes someway to levelling up the playing field the request for dispensations could still see a London situation with a club spending a million more than the rest and killing the competition before it even starts.  If I was London I’d be using this as a way of forcing the RFL’s hand - let us up, regardless of grading, or we will continue to smash everyone in the Championship.  

Why not change the name to London Bully Boys, ffs?

[FearNothing]

Oh FFS, here we go again.....

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

Days away from an announcement of a SL revamp too I'd imagine....

[Cake Tiger]

Bring back 14-8-14. It's what the people want!

[OriginalMrC]

This year's championship has been a shambles. Next year will be a shambles. When you consistently make decisions with no strategy involved then there are consequences. 

Edited August 13 by OriginalMrC

[Griff]

7 hours ago, Cake Tiger said:

Bring back 14-8-14. It's what the people want!

I loved it. There were some great games.