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i think this fella has got corona and gone mad

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(@glynn)
Honorable Member

Some Super League clubs think there should be no relegation in 2020 because of disruption caused by coronavirus, says Toronto chairman Bob Hunter.

The Canadian side were promoted last season, but are bottom of the table after losing their first six games.

Super League has been suspended since 16 March and the situation will be discussed in a video call on Tuesday.

"It has nothing to do with our zero and six record, and I know we're not alone in expressing that," Hunter said.

"We, amongst other clubs, have voiced our opinion that we don't think that this is a good year to do it [relegation] but that's a Rugby Football League decision.

"The year has been so disruptive, I just don't think it's fair to any team."

Wolfpack signed two-time rugby union World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams in November, making him the highest paid player in the history of either code.

But the coronavirus pandemic has led to the club laying off office staff in Toronto, while Hunter says they may have to forego home advantage for some of their remaining games this season.

"There's lots of draft fixtures floating around - they're looking at extending the season by a couple of months and trying to bring in midweek matches which are going to be tough on the players," he added.

"It could end up that we have to play more games in the UK than we had planned but, if that is the only hardship, then we stand by what the league wants to do."

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Topic starter Posted : 31/03/2020 11:46 am
(@frankg)
Noble Member

The heading of the  thread is a bit insensitive, but the question is valid.

He is raising an issue that probably being considered in all sports. It is questionable whether the season can finish. It all depends on when the current restrictions are lifted. I don't think it fair that promotion and relegation could be determined on current rankings - although to defeat my own argument, I would award the PL title to Liverpool - but if the season can be completed then, of course, there should be promotion and relegation. Perhaps the play-offs may need to be abandoned and the team that finishes top of the Championship is promoted, if necessary.

I suspect that Sky and the SL will soon be pushing for games behind closed doors provided the safety of the players can be assured.

The SL/RFL must make a decision based on the best interests of players and clubs, taking into account of any travel restrictions in place. Both TWP and Catalan may face travel difficulties. It would be difficult to complete the season, if there are travel restrictions in place that mean teams cannot travel to or from Canada or France, although TWP are mainly UK based as far as I can tell. Having said that, if TWP are unable to play any games in Canada and are relegated, it may well be the end of that venture.

Depending on when restrictions are eased or lifted, it would be possible to extend the season to the end of November or December, if necessary. I guess there would be a need to some consideration as to the short-term extension of players contracts.

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Posted : 31/03/2020 12:51 pm
(@jdgsport)
Prominent Member Admin

It's unlikely they will be able to play out the full season, so I can see where he's coming from.

Super League should be 14 teams. Ditch the loop fixtures. Would anyone lose much sleep if Toulouse and London went up to join the current 12?

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Posted : 31/03/2020 1:41 pm
 CJ91
(@cj91)
Noble Member

Ditch relegation in the Championship too in that case, promote the top 2 from Championship and League One...

If Toulouse and London came up, would make our life a bit easier next year in the sense that they would be out of the way, for example a Hull KR wouldn't come down and it would be us, Leigh etc, giving us a chance.....

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Posted : 31/03/2020 2:05 pm
(@frankg)
Noble Member

It’s unlikely they will be able to play out the full season, so I can see where he’s coming from. Super League should be 14 teams. Ditch the loop fixtures. Would anyone lose much sleep if Toulouse and London went up to join the current 12?

I don't think that Leigh would be too happy with this suggestion and Beaumont may lose a lot of sleep!!!!

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Posted : 31/03/2020 2:49 pm
(@gpo1971)
Honorable Member

Despite laughing when reading that it "has nothing to do with them being 0-6", I kind of agree with him.

RL is fairly unique in that the season is relatively new and can easily be binned. So, may as well, they aren't going to be able to finish it.

Also agree with the 14 team suggestion.

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Posted : 31/03/2020 3:50 pm
 Dan1
(@dan1)
Honorable Member

The big problem is how can players train? It's not just playing the games themselves.  Players have family's so it's then exposing large groups of people. Football is considering going into training camps a bit like for the Euros or world cups, I can't see RL doing that.

Second thing is outside Superleague with no TV money how can they have crowds? If the lockdown is eased it's going to be with maintaining social distancing measures like we are seeing in the Supermarkets, you can't have 3,500 fans mixing in the stadium, at turnstiles, food counters etc.

Third one that is more difficult than football is you have teams from France and Canada, how are they going to fly with travel restrictions in place and planes grounded?
<p style="text-align: left;">Superleague and the Premier league could come to some kind of agreement with Sky to play behind closed doors, but if some form of social distancing measures are in place for 6 months what is that going to mean for all sports clubs in the lower levels that rely on crowds for the vast majority of income?</p>
Final point is even if we are ready to resume after say 3 months, the players won't be fit. You can only do so much at home, will they need some kind of mini pre season to get fitness levels up?

Like with anything related to this situation, so many questions.

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Posted : 31/03/2020 3:59 pm
(@spike-island-90)
Honorable Member

It’s unlikely they will be able to play out the full season, so I can see where he’s coming from. Super League should be 14 teams. Ditch the loop fixtures. Would anyone lose much sleep if Toulouse and London went up to join the current 12?

 

why London, what quality do they possess that gives them the X-Facfor. In essence, I think it’s embarrassing that London are even allowed to compete in SL.

I have said it for a while, either make SL a 14 comp or make it a 10 team competition and then introduce SL 2, a competition made up of teams that have decent fan bases but lack the size of the financial muscle to really compete in Super League.

The Championship has a lot of potential but it’s a dire competition and as a fan, I am not enticed to watch us play Whitehaven, Swinton, Bately, Oldham etc.

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Posted : 31/03/2020 4:05 pm
(@glynn)
Honorable Member

yes i wanted to change my title but it wouldnt let me

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Topic starter Posted : 31/03/2020 4:08 pm
(@frankg)
Noble Member

It’s unlikely they will be able to play out the full season, so I can see where he’s coming from. Super League should be 14 teams. Ditch the loop fixtures. Would anyone lose much sleep if Toulouse and London went up to join the current 12?

why London, what quality do they possess that gives them the X-Facfor. In essence, I think it’s embarrassing that London are even allowed to compete in SL. I have said it for a while, either make SL a 14 comp or make it a 10 team competition and then introduce SL 2, a competition made up of teams that have decent fan bases but lack the size of the financial muscle to really compete in Super League. The Championship has a lot of potential but it’s a dire competition and as a fan, I am not enticed to watch us play Whitehaven, Swinton, Bately, Oldham etc.

The SL seem to have a fixation of expanding with "big city" clubs at the expense of grass root towns like Castleford, Featherstone and Widnes.  The problem is despite trying for over 40 years, the game has not taken off in the capital, nor have attempts to build the game in Cardiff, Coventry, Gateshead etc. I am not sure where the likes of Warrington, Wigan, St Helens and Wakefield fit in with the planned expansion. These are towns that have large populations, but are not major city areas.

I wouldn't describe the Championship as a dire competition. We saw some dire games in SL too and, whilst Sky commentators always try to talk up SL, most SL games on tv are not as exciting as they would have you believe - and no more watchable than a number of games in the Championship. I miss the buzz of going to games against Warrington, St Helens and Wigan, but if we can develop a competitive team in the Championship capable of playing a decent style of rugby, the games against Whitehaven etc can be equally enjoyable.

I agree with the suggestion of a 14 team SL  If the leagues can be completed this year - subject to all the issues pointed out - then the top two in the Championship should be promoted with no relegation from SL. The play-offs, together with the 1895 Cup and the "Big Bash" could be abandoned.

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Posted : 31/03/2020 5:40 pm
 MT
(@mt)
Noble Member

Big difference between the football season which is over three quarters finished for most teams and the RL one half a dozen games in.

You can make a very rational case for the current standings being made final in football. If the RL season can’t complete at least half the games it surely should be void.

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Posted : 31/03/2020 6:51 pm
(@spike-island-90)
Honorable Member

This big city concept is flawed when we believe London bloody Bronco’s attracting 2,000 fans playing in a stadium that is not even comparable to a non-league football stadium.

There’s zero evidence that expanding increase revenue for SL teams.

My issue with the championship is that there are clubs such as Widnes, Leigh, Bradford, Halifax, Featherstone, Toulouse that are simply not comparable to the rest of the teams in terms of size and fan base.
I am not attracted to watch us vs Bately when they bring about thirty fans.

A super league two format could unlock some interesting games and rivalry’s, throw Salford and Wakefield into the mix and you will see a better competition that would entice a tv deal.

Sky wouldn’t risk a regular tv deal with the championship when they be left with broadcasting Swinton vs Sheffield in front of 700 fans.

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Posted : 31/03/2020 8:39 pm
PaulieWalnuts
(@pauliewalnuts)
Honorable Member

This COVID-19 will almost kill off the majority of non-top tier clubs in all sports. As clubs are going into a furlough situation, then players, admin staff ain't going to be hanging around waiting for a pay packet that may come next month or Sept, Nov, never.

All walks of life will never be the same again, after this is over.

Paulie xx

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Posted : 31/03/2020 9:45 pm
(@mick-george)
Prominent Member

The exact opposite of what you say. For lower tier clubs especially the furlough offer is a club saver. Where are the players and going to go ?  No employment available unless they want universal credit. they will gladly sit there on £2500 monthly, it is a no brainer for them.

Life will go on just as good as it was but it will take a little longer than expected. The world has had recovered from epidemics before.

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Posted : 01/04/2020 8:09 am
Northstar
(@northstar)
Trusted Member

 make SL a 14 comp or make it a 10 team competition and then introduce SL 2, a competition made up of teams that have decent fan bases but lack the size of the financial muscle to really compete in Super League. .

Completely pointless creating something called SL2. It would be just a different name for the Championship, be populated with similar teams to the Championship, under-funded by the governing body like the Championship, and treated shabbily all round and forgotten about..... just like the Championship.

Oh and I WOULD lose sleep over London and Toulouse being 'handed' a place in a 14 team SL, whoever it was that mentioned that. That would not be an acceptable means of establishing who is deserving a place in SL or not, plus the prize is too big to simply gift it to any team without them demonstrating - either on or off the field - that they should be gifted such a golden egg. That decision could make or break teams permanently and shouldnt be done on a whim by a few chairmen or other cliques within rugby league.

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Posted : 01/04/2020 11:37 am
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