Sport, including rugby league, will be here after this virus has been sorted. There will be players wanting to play, fans wanting to watch and tv channels wanting to show sports events.
Like all business, there is a distinct risk that some clubs may not survive financially when costs are being incurred, including player contracts, with no income coming in. Those most at risk are those in SL with players on substantial contracts. It all depends on how long the shut down continues and whether the Government can sustain the support for business and employees for a longer period of time.
Rugby league survived two world wars and no doubt will survive this epidemic, so we can look forward to watching Widnes again - and criticising (constructively of course) the club, the coach and players to our hearts content, as only fans can do.
Maybe the people who run RL - RFL/SL- can have a total re-think about where the game is heading and whether best use is made of the substantial tv money (which will no doubt start again) to promote and expand the game in the UK, rather than directing it to a few clubs.
As has been mentioned, a stronger Championship, with teams being able to be promoted to SL and being able to compete and those relegated from SL not being forced into financial meltdown, is what is needed. I am sure that if the Championship was promoted as a competitive league, with teams playing a good brand of rugby, there could be a tv deal on top of any SL deal.
In any event, I am hoping we can start watching Widnes again this year and, if not, as soon as possible.
But having a 10 team comp filled with bigger clubs that are currently in the championship would increase commercial revenue, entice tv deals and increase attendances.
if Salford and Wakefield dropped a division it would create some interesting rivalries. For me, for the championship to grow we have to get rid of the bottom feeders clubs taking central funding but offering nothing to do the division commercially.
Dewsbury, Whitehaven, Swinton, Oldham.
I don't think the SL2 suggestion is a terrible one - but only if both divisions go full-time, or as close to that as possible.
An even better suggestion would be to have a conference system in Super League - whereby the expansion/overseas clubs are in their own little conference and are untouchable, but then the rest of us can still play in a relatively traditional pyramid system. You'd have cross over games between SL "England" and SL "Expansion", but then SL "England" would relegate to Championship and you'd still give the opportunities for non-cool clubs to progress.
The biggest thing holding the game back at the moment is that the likes of Wakefield and Salford have the voting powers to protect themselves.
Btw, completely agree about London's stadium being a farce despite my suggestion of putting them in SL - but you can hardly hold that against them while Wakefield and Castleford are in the comp.
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.
Everybody connected with each team would have to be completely isolated, possibly for months. The players would have to tackle each other whilst keeping 2 metres away from the player they are trying to tackle. Complicated.
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.
Everybody connected with each team would have to be completely isolated, possibly for months. The players would have to tackle each other whilst keeping 2 metres away from the player they are trying to tackle. Complicated.
Mmmm? Never thought of that. I think Widnes were ahead of the time in 2017 when they defended in this way!
I am presuming that at some stage. the restrictions will be lifted or eased. I see the NRL are speculating about re-starting next month.
An even better suggestion would be to have a conference system in Super League – whereby the expansion/overseas clubs are in their own little conference and are untouchable, but then the rest of us can still play in a relatively traditional pyramid system. You’d have cross over games between SL “England” and SL “Expansion”, but then SL “England” would relegate to Championship and you’d still give the opportunities for non-cool clubs to progress.
I've thought about the 'conferences' idea a lot over the years, albeit always in an East / West arrangement akin to the NFL etc. Always the issue was whether we could have two competitive conferences filled with competitive teams.
Ironically, with the rise of these global teams and ignoring the people who are dead set against them, there may now be scope for an East and West conference in the near future. American / Canadian clubs joining NW England clubs in 'SL West' and French teams joining London and Yorkshire teams in 'SL East'. Each Conference has a Champion (with a trophy) at the end of the year, the 'big' prize being awarded when East Champ meets West Champ in the Final.
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.
Did you have any objections in 2011 when Widnes were gifted the golden egg after finishing 5th whilst Featherstone Rovers and Leigh were miles ahead of us ?
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.
Did you have any objections in 2011 when Widnes were gifted the golden egg after finishing 5th whilst Featherstone Rovers and Leigh were miles ahead of us ?
We were not "gifted" SL status as you suggest. The RFL had introduced a licensing system for 2012 and Widnes were able to meet the licensing criteria. Those were the rules at the time and Widnes were promoted to SL in accordance with those rules. I was made up that we had got SL status back. Do you ever wonder whether the fact that a number of players knew that they would not be part of the SL squad, may have had an impact on their performance, particularly in last two games against Featherstone, after a run of seven wins and two narrow defeats to Leigh and Halifax?
If SL decide to go to a 14 team league, then they will need to determine the criteria and teams
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.
Did you have any objections in 2011 when Widnes were gifted the golden egg after finishing 5th whilst Featherstone Rovers and Leigh were miles ahead of us ?
As i said in my post - either on or OFF the field. We weren't gifted promotion, we obtained it and earned it by putting a lot of pretty expensive measures in place and proving our fanbase had the potential etc. The point i made was that no team should be arbitrarily given a place at the top table - they must earn it via a PRE-agreed evaluation mechanism. Be that on the pitch or off it, or both.
I'd say elevated to Super League rather than promoted.Instead of puuting the cue on the rack Widnes should have shown their worth on the pitch as well as off it instead of limping home in an embarrassing 5th position and bailing out of the play offs at the first hurdle v Sheffield.
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.
How long is a while Spikey? And who you been saying SL should be a 14 team competition to? Asking for a friend