Change the rules! Yet another confusion as SL changes the league system.
I appreciate the stress that the management must be under but how can clubs compete when rules are modified like this?
What else do you suggest then ?. It is the fairest way or would you not play out this season or carry on for another year until all the clubs have played the same amount of games.
Null and Void as most Everton fans would say
Back 100 years plus when teams played different amounts of games and the league was not won on pure points then.....
Null and Void as most Everton fans would say
Cancelling the season would cost the game an amount of money it cannot afford to lose.
Lambs to the slaughter just because a few businessmen can’t take away the 6 figure salaries?
Lambs to the slaughter just because a few businessmen can’t take away the 6 figure salaries?
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Are you ignoring the fact that players are regularly catching the virus and the virus has been linked to long term help defects even to those who have it “lightly”
People’s health - in the case in question - rugby league players - should be the only concern.
The reason it isn’t the only concern is because the loss of revenue for a game which, generally speaking, has very limited revenue puts the whole future of the game in doubt.
If it were me I’d cancel the whole season, let SL take its chances and start again with (or without) a full time professional league in March or April next year.
Agree entirely that the health of the players, staff and officials should be the first priority, as should the case for all employees returning to work.
I hope that the SL/RFL have the strength to cut short the season, if necessary, even if it does mean a big financial hit from the Sky deal. The SL clubs have each had to accept a £280,000 cut in funding to reflect the reduction in televised games due to the pandemic. The cut has been deferred to 2021.
The tv rights deal post 2021 has been put out to tender, with SL clubs demanding an increase in the funding from the tv rights. Apparently, under the current deal, SL clubs receive £30m and RFL £10m. The SL clubs are demanding an increase in their share to £32.5m from the tv deal or at least keep the current £30m if the deal results in reduction in the total funding. The rights have been split between the SL games and League 1/Championship/Challenge Cup/Internationals.
In my view, the SL has too much power. There should be one management body running the game, representing RL as a whole and not just 12 teams, who should control and allocate any funding from the tv rights. SL clubs have too much say, to the detriment of the game as a whole. Having said that, I am not convinced that the ability of the current RFL management to act in a fair and professional manner.
The problem is that the RFL board only care about their next pay packet, not if the game thrives/survives.
All have the same attitude as Rule.
Wonder if any of them are taking a big pay cut, or indeed Fat Nige who is still being paid?!! Thought not.
The problem is that the RFL board only care about their next pay packet, not if the game thrives/survives. All have the same attitude as Rule. Wonder if any of them are taking a big pay cut, or indeed Fat Nige who is still being paid?!! Thought not.
Everyone always points to the RFL? The issue with rugby league over the last 25 years is the clubs, Leeds have too much influence, Wigan do and so do Saints, it isn’t a balanced playing field.
Many advocate for expansion, citing the “commercial benefit” and more “money into the game” but why does the game need more money? Every club can be sustainable and self sufficient if they stick to the cap. Those who want more money into the game are those who would benefit financially or rugby league headcases who think a region sport can compete with union.
Are you ignoring the fact that players are regularly catching the virus and the virus has been linked to long term help defects even to those who have it “lightly”
Mate if you want to have a discussion around the morality of people going back to work whilst this virus is about that's a different discussion that could be had elsewhere.
The reality is many sectors are back into work now, the furlough scheme is ending, and for the moment the expectation is of a gradual two steps forward one step back move towards relative normality.
That means Super League has a contract with Sky Sports, to provide X number of games and a grand final at the end of it. By cancelling the season they would likely have to repay the full sum of £40 million as Frankg raised above. The clubs would still have contracts with all of their players and staff that would need to be paid, with zero income streams and even worse a sum of money that they now owe to Sky Sports that they've already spent. Most clubs I would imagine this this scenario would be immediately insolvent.
This would be the same for Widnes, who despite not being in Super League receive a share of the Super League money (via the RFL central funding), we would now owe a bill that we likely could not afford to pay. You can't seperate this into Super League and non Super League, the way the game in this country is structured our fates are unfortunately bound together. Cancelling the season would have had a direct impact on us.
Rugby isn’t “key” tho is it. Rugby clubs are still signing players and spending money like it’s an open check book so spare me the cries of teams financial woes.
Re the tv rights, perhaps the RFL should attempt to reach a separate deal with a North American broadcaster to televise all TWP and Ottawa games (and NY when they come in) - and possibly other games. If Perez can be believed, there is a big market there and broadcasters will be fighting to show the games and pay accordingly.
It would be better RFL getting any deal direct rather than allowing TWP and Ottawa to agree their own deals. This could be a third element of the invitation to tender for tv rights. It would also require something to be written into UK tv deals to allow this. On this basis, they could agree to give TWP their share of central funding. Of course, it could all be smoke and mirrors and there will be no chance of any substantial tv rights deal in NA (but you can live in hope).
This, of course, assumes that the NA expansion continues.