An Australian and former Hull Chief Executive, Shane Richardson, has circulated proposals to the NRL and some SL clubs on proposals to re0structure the game. His main intention is the proposals are intended to promote the international games in order to have a viable world-wide game. Without these changes, he foresees that game in the UK at all levels, going part-time within two years. His proposals include an independent body to run the UK game in order to get away from the current fractured structure, with those running the game having a self-interest in their own clubs rather than making decisions for the good of the game. He has also proposed a 10-team SL (including two French teams, a Welsh team and Newcastle), but more importantly a properly funded second tier with promotion and relegation. I have no idea who Shane Richardson is or what his interest is in the UK game, but his proposals at least should be addressed by those running the game. He is right about the fractured state of the UK game; the benefits of having a viable international game that could promote the game world-wide; the need to move away from the UK game being run for the benefit of a few SL teams; and the need for a viable second tier in the game with promotion and relegation. The most sensible suggestion from someone in the game that I have heard for some time.
Shane Richardson was the CEO of the original Gateshead Thunder club, he “saved” Hull FC from going bust at the end of the 1999 season by “merging” the 2 clubs, the new club carried on as the Hull FC we know today, but with a vastly improved squad and no mention of Gateshead! …much to the derision of the Thunder supporters, who in defiance, set up a new Gateshead Thunder club, which entered into the Northern Ford Premiership in 2001. He is right about the UK game heading back towards part time, but his 10 team Super League idea is a joke. He’s just another in a long line of “dodgy saviours” with even dodgier ulterior motives…
You have taken a dislike to the man so all of his ideas must be rubbish ? Why is a ten team top tier ‘a joke’ ? F you’ve seen the proposals and operations plan for the league can you let us know what the joke is ? The game is dying on it’s feet – I think all genuine proposals to look at restructuring the game to try and provide a future for the game should be considered.
Gateshead fans absolutely despise him, so that's good enough for me.
Plus anyone who wants another Welsh team back in Super League is, quite frankly, an idiot.
If the gossip/news reports are to be believed , it looks like Leigh won’t be relegated this season and that Toulouse and Featherstone will join them in SL That’ll make 14 clubs for 2022 before another proposed re-jig to create 2 SL divisions with 10 teams in each! Only in RL!!!
The more they tinker with it ...The worse it gets 🤦♂️
It's no wonder RL in this country can't attract big money, Its a laughing stock.
Will anyone outside RL realise that there is a restructuring taking place?
Watching the Olympic 7 a sides and just can't understand why RL isn't represented anywhere . Our highly paid executives and club owners must have just waved it through. Rumour has it that the NRL are hoping to get RL in some form introduced into the Brisbane Olympics. Might seem like a sideshow to some but the publicity for the game is massive.
Any reorganisation will depend for its long term success on the way the central funds are split, and in the long term just how the academies are to be financed.
Both of these have to be part of the plan or it will fail. Almost certainly SL clubs will have some re-jigging to do for their long term future. If their funding is to reduce they should be forewarned to give them time to prepare. If there is too great a difference between the leagues it will simply be a smaller SL.
I would rather see an independent review of the future structure of the game, rather than a knee jerk reaction from the self-interested clubs in SL and those currently running SL/RFL.
All the clubs in SL, the Championship and League 1 should be required to produce a 5-10 year plan to show that they can be viable. They should ask themselves whether they have done enough to attract sponsorship and supporters; and whether the club could be sustainable with a reduction in central funding. Can (or should) a professional or semi-professional club survive, when it can only attract a few hundred supporters and be almost totally reliant on central funding.
If a club cannot produce a viable long-term plan, assessed by an independent panel, then they should consider whether they deserve a place in a professional game.
There is an argument that we need "stars" in the game to attract a tv deal. I think we need a more competitive league, with an open and entertaining brand of rugby league, with an expansive fast running game and hard tackling. Home grown "stars" would emerge in the game again. There could still be scope for bringing in overseas players, but on more realistic contracts.
Those running the game should consider whether the game can afford to pay 6 figure sums to players and Chief Executives, mainly to over-rated Australians and English players who can't make it in the NRL.
In the short-term, the SL clubs should shoulder the reduction in Sky money and if that means them offering reduced contracts to players, so be it. The salary cap should be reduced to reflect this, with a lower salary cap for Championship and League 1 clubs.
The RFL/SL should also bring in some professional marketing expertise as part of any review, who can make recommendations about the future marketing of the game in the UK and beyond and maybe develop a professional approach to negotiations with broadcasters to get a better deal.
Until this review is completed, the current structure should be retained, but with a fairer share of the central funding.
Super League is done.It has become stale, dated and boring.
Reducing the salary cap will ensure that all the best players jump ship to the NRL or to RU. The game was stronger when it didn’t have a salary cap at all. Maybe less competitive but stronger overall.
Sorry, just saw this thread had started up again.
I honestly think,the game was stronger back when it was semi-pro. Players played the game because they liked playing the game and families went to watch because they liked the game and it had a sense of community about it as a direct result.
The alleged proposals being discussed now seem to be sillier by the minute and seem to me to be bring the game into disrepute.
A ten team SL1, could very well include two French teams, bearing in mind the financial backing that Catalans and Toulouse have.
So our expansion will be to a game with eight top rank teams, not impressive. For the dynamics of a two tier SL to work well the promoted teams need to be immediately competitive in the top tier or they become yo-yo teams. That requires both SL 1&2 to be within touching distance insofar as central grinding goes.
Just read that Sky will have a big say in the re-structuring of the game. Why? Is that the independent review that the game needs? Sky's priority will be their viewing figure's next year, not the long-term structure of rugby league.
I have come to the conclusion that the long-term future of rugby league would be safer without Sky, who are slowly but surely killing the game, with the top 4 clubs in its pocket and the other 8 lap-dogs following obediently. What next, water breaks for more adverts in each half? As mentioned on another thread, the game has become predictable, with big powerful players running at each other at full speed - even the backs, who used to be able to beat opposition players with speed or a side-step, do the same; and a high kick with the hope of a mistake or a kick to gain another predictable set. Where has the skill gone from the game?
Re-structuring should ignore any Sky deal - work on the worst case scenario of no broadcasting deal after 2022 - and look to re-building the game from its current weak position, building from grass roots. SL has failed the game of rugby league and produced a game unrecognisable to the game of the past, which had powerful players as well as skilful and fast players. If that means going back to part-time rugby for most clubs, let that be the case and start again.
If the "big 4" clubs want to jump into bed with Sky, along with a couple of French clubs (who will eventually jump ship anyway) and another 4 clubs (London, Newcastle, Hull and York?), let them go and play super league. The rest should then revert to the game called rugby league. Of course, this will not happen and the game below SL will just fade away as decreed by Sky, ably supported by the RFL and SL.
Here's a proposal for 2022 to make it an interesting last season with Sky. Have a SL of 20, with the top 8 clubs promoted from the Championship to the Premier League. The Championship would comprise the L1 clubs, plus the bottom 6 from the Championship (more than likely including Widnes). The Championship to be guaranteed central funding of £100,000. A greater share of the Sky money to be used to promote grass roots rugby and promote the game outside the traditional rl areas. Reduced funding to be allocated to Premiership clubs and the salary cap reduced to reflect that, together with a reduced salary cap in the Championship, to provide a more even playing field. Encourage clubs to grow the game locally and aim to increase their local fan base and sponsorship to be able to be sustainable without yearly hand-outs from central funding. Some clubs may not achieve this and could eventually disappear.
In 2022, the bottom 8 clubs would be relegated from SL and the top 4 from the Championship promoted, making the Premiership 16 and the Championship 20. An alternative would be to automatically relegate 8 clubs and promote 2, with a play-off for the remaining two places in the Premiership.
In future, any central funding to be distributed evenly between all clubs - giving more to clubs that run an academy and/or increase their fan base - to ensure any clubs promoted will be able to compete financially in the PL. Prize money for competitions to be increased, with the team winning the league being recognised for that and payments to other clubs reflecting where they finish in the league. Scrap the end of season play-offs, other than for promotion and relegation, and bring back the Challenge Cup as a major competition with the final being the end of season highlight. Promote the international game with an annual Regional Competition probably requiring some flexible rules to involve teams representing England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France - and possibly an Exiles team.
Probably all just a pipe dream, but someone needs to come up with a long-term plan for rugby league - and it should not be Sky!
The big clubs will be working with Sky to ensure that Wigan v Saints or Wire v Leeds or Saints v Wire etc. are all on as many times as is possible.
We all know the game needs to be run by a body independent from both the clubs and Sky but I doubt it will happen.