SAM BURGESS believes Super League needs to get creative to grow as a competition, and is advocating a return of the War of the Roses concept and an end to loop fixtures, both of which have been proposed by the game’s consultants IMG.
While the NRL is thriving and continuing to expand, Super League is struggling to break out of its heartland areas.
Wigan and Warrington will play a historic match in Las Vegas next year at Allegiant Stadium, as part of the NRL’s bid to crack America, but Wolves coach Burgess says the English game needs to do more to become more popular.
“We’ve got to be creative,” he said.
“Vegas is one thing, but I also think we have to accept and grow some of our players. Get our players to be more household names and encourage their personalities.
“Let’s not shy away from player’s personalities. Let’s let them be themselves. We need to be able to reach an audience we’re not reaching, because it’s such a beautiful game to watch.
“I think it’s entertaining. We have to get creative.”
Burgess, a dual-code international, is one of Rugby League’s most well-known figures of the past 15 years after spending nearly a decade down under with South Sydney.
The War of the Roses between Yorkshire and Lancashire was held regularly between 1895 and 2003, but was axed 21 years ago because of falling attendances.
Despite that, the 35-year-old would like to see the return of Yorkshire against Lancashire as England’s own version of State of Origin.
“I’d really like to see some sort of State of Origin Yorkshire-Lancashire thing, but make the players partners,” he said.
“Let them understand the business side of it. Get the players out to sell it, get them involved with the marketing and make it a great week.
“A carnival-week, get them visiting schools. Get to different places with the Yorkshire camp, the Lancashire camp. Get amongst the community and with that try and get the national media across it and then you’re growing the international game, you’re picking an international team from it.
“Then your top 40 players in the league are playing two intense games against each other, so they’re getting better and there’s more connection there. And then when they get to play Australia and New Zealand it would be something great. I think we have to get creative and we also we all need to get on board.”
Burgess believes that reducing the overall number of games, and their impact on players, would make for a more attractive product.
“I think we need to drop the loop fixtures,” he said.
“Make it a home and away competition and sell it out. Everyone will complain about revenue, so let’s just sell it more effectively. Let’s just do better.
“I’m going to get killed by a few CEOs. But let’s have State of Origin games in the middle, with standalone weekends, then we can have two byes where teams can have a break and reset.
“The number of injuries clubs are having to manage is due to overplaying.”
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