Read today that Elstone is suggesting that the Government funding will be used to compensate clubs for lost income from the games that will be lost and those played behind closed doors. The £16m won't go far then, with most of it likely to go to SL clubs and being used to subsidise Moran, Hudgell, McManus and co, who have previously covered the losses incurred by their clubs.
He agrees with the proposal of no relegation from SL, but also no promotion from the Championship, He somewhat incredulously suggests that it would be "unreasonable and unfair " to promote a team into SL in 2021. What he means is that the Sky money will have to be shared with another club - and no doubt at some stage, TWP will want to shove their snout in the trough.
SL will eventually become a closed shop, but run on a franchise basis and the game will change to suit the North American market as proposed by McDermott ie a 60 minute game with four quarters of 15 minutes to allow for more adverts and. no doubt, multiple substitutions. There will be no place in that competition for traditional teams like Wigan (Manchester), St Helens (Merseyside) Salford (Manchester), Castleford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Hull KR and Warrington - to be replaced by Ottowa/NY/London/Newcastle/Toulouse/Moscow/UAE etc
The sooner the so called SL moves on, the better in my view. RFL should be planning for this change and can then concentrate on promoting RL in the UK.
Be interesting whether Toulouse, Leigh, London et al would take SL to court over non promotion given the investments made in playing staff.
Ina funny sort of way, no promotion until the following year may be better for us, giving us a chance to further strengthen.
But I agree, Closed Shop League is coming...
Corvid 19 could see the end of SL/SLE as it has been. Sky bought our game in effect and we can see it becoming another Sky gameshow. It will encompass the whole Northern Hemisphere which takes it way out of the ability of active supporters to follow physically.
RL needs to pick up RL from its roots and reform it for its active support. It will not challenge soccer or probably RU nationally but it can have its own niche market well supported on the ground but living within its own budgets.
I agree, RL needs to stop comparing itself to RU.
The moment RU went professional any chance of being comparable was gone given the true globalism of the International Game and southern-bias to the domestic game.
Sport is cyclical and no-one has a divine right. 20 years ago Hunslet and Dewsbury were the NFP Champions, Hull KR were a reasonable Top 8 NFP side and Halifax were a solid SL club. Some of our SL friends just don't get it at all.
The 20 team SL could work. Lower salary cap , a SL of two ten team divisions and P/R between the two. We would need to be in the too 8 next year presumably.
Remains to be seen just how thd existing SL teams respond!
The taster of the old days with more teams in with a chance was a reminder of a time with a more varied league. Could give Sky a nudge ?