With you Spike Island, as I said at the begining of this post the games best years were part time, players effectively doubling their wages by playing. Players maybe bigger and better fed but but their skills are no better imo.
A return to that system would make it more affordable at club level and players would play just as hard!
They have never watched it then!
True!!!!
Looking like the championship may get some exposure, on C4 or C5
Looking like the championship may get some exposure, on C4 or C5
Really? Not heard this myself, any source for this? Be beneficial for the game to have it on any terrestrial channel as long as the production valves are good. Doubt we'll see much revenue from the deal though.
Early days in discussions, there will not be a lot of money involved but if each club could get 30 K each and terrestrial exposure it’s a start.
It may end up with games on a Saturday, which is not such a bad thing, doubt it Sunday as up against prem football
Meeting on Wednesday discussing the future of Championship and League One clubs in light of the reduced funding.
Some clubs have previously suggested one league outside of the SL, but that apparently was rejected.
Currently 24 outside of SL, would we see the idea mooted some months ago of a conference system revisited?
Personally, quite like a 14 team Championship with a Top 6 Play Off, it is the viability of a 10 team L1 with lots of travel which would surely be the issue.
Is it time to be ruthless and demote clubs to the amateur/regional ranks? Especially if they are getting sub 500 attendances regularly.
Union and the NRL will be licking their lips. From our perspective though, perhaps the moans and groans about the academy etc from people (including myself!) will actually be shown to be good forward planning as it would seem to me that the Championship will get practically nothing and well ran part-time sides will flourish…..
How will any form of the game flourish if kids have stopped playing and spectators have stooped attending ? How is the open age amateur game going in Widnes at the moment ?
I think the death of SL and a severing of the link with Sky would be potentially very beneficial to the long term future of a supportable semi-pro / amateur game but it will take a lot of hard work from the top down to make it happen.
As others have said, do the SL teams actually care whether or not the game dies below SL level? I guess not, but to be fair, from a spectator point of view, if Widnes was still in SL how many of us would be demanding a greater share of the Sky money to go to Championship clubs?
However, the owners and people running the game should be concerned about the future of the game at grass roots level. Where will future players come from? What happens when SL clubs start struggling and fold? What happens when Sky decide SL is not a viable competition? Will they eventually finish up with a SL comprising 4-6 teams ie those not solely reliant on Sky funding?
As others have also said, perhaps the time has come for Championship/L1 clubs to give serious thought to setting up a separate competition and bring in some business expertise to promote the game at that level and seek sponsorship and possibly a television deal. Just let SL jump into bed with Sky and leave an open invitation for failing SL teams to apply to join the new competition in the future, that is if there is a future for the game of rugby league.
"How will any form of the game flourish if kids have stopped playing and spectators have stooped attending ? How is the open age amateur game going in Widnes at the moment ? I think the death of SL and a severing of the link with Sky would be potentially very beneficial to the long term future of a supportable semi-pro / amateur game but it will take a lot of hard work from the top down to make it happen"
I agree that it is not good at all reducing the number of clubs producing players and therefore the player pool.
What I meant was more maybe the board has seen what is coming and is positioning the club to be in as good a place as possible when the reduction hits home.
At the end of the day, has Super League succeeded? No.
I would also ask the question how many non-SL Club fans watch SL every week on Sky compared to 10 years ago?
I barely watch it. 10 years ago, even 15 when we weren't in it, I would still watch 80-90%, even the dire Wakefield v Celtic Crusaders type games. Watch far more NRL now.
Lots of good points made in those posts
RL needs to take stock of where we are - unfortunately there is a split on running the game, it seems SL are calling the shots with no thought for the lower leagues
but as has been correctly said if we were in SL would we care. The game has changed massively in that respect - back in the early 70’s the CC was the pinnacle, first round draw with all pro teams in plus 2 amateurs drew great crowds, now you cannot give tickets away
where to now ? I think the time has come to cast adrift SL with its global expansion policies ( or more correctly more money in our pockets policy ) picking up players that have come through championship clubs.
Championship in conjunction with RFL and League 1 clubs should market that competition, semi pro as is the majority of RU championship. Negotiate a terrestrial tv deal - does not need to be mega bucks, just get exposure every Saturday afternoon 2.45 ok then the Wendy ball results can be on the teleprinter after ! Promotion from L1 to championship, 1 direct 1 playoff.No promotion to SL, if an existing SL team wants to join they come in League 1
Every club to be tied in to local amateur team support, town ko rounds played as curtain raiser to game, with a fee given to participating teams
CC carry on and if SL teams want to enter charge them an entry fee,
nothing that is impossible here, but really need more teams in L1
No argument in general but I would try to boost travelling support by giving discount to travelling ST supporters. We need to promote our crowd involvement throughout the Championship league.
As said any TV contract would only need to pay what we got from SL clubs to maintain our current expenditure.
Elstone resigning.....what a shame....another crony of Maurice Lindsay.....
Another total failure, promised the moon ended up with cheese
the time to step away from SL gets nearer
Hang on a minute Ditton, his salary might be handed over to the Championship clubs!?
No, I'm only joking!!!
Big question is do they replace him or contract into one board now and run the game as a sport should be run? I would hazard a guess that the ones with their noses in the trough will hang on to as much of it as they can. If the game contracts from below the base for SL will fold and they will be looking for recruits from amateur clubs and competing with RU for talent.
It is interesting that two of the 'six nations' are coached by well respected ex RL players. They will be followed by others in time and they know where they can find well-skilled youngsters.