Problem is that too many of our SL/RFL rulers are focused on their own clubs and 'the game' as a sport is very much secondary in their eyes.
It always amuses me when supporters, from over the hill, start chanting 'Yorkshire, Yorkshire!'
To them the battle of the roses is still on!!!!
If Salford remain in SL after the farce of this season leaving players and club staff without pay for weeks on end constantly, taking on more loans that they can’t afford to payback etc the corruption and signs of death of our game will be even more clear to see
If Salford remain in SL after the farce of this season leaving players and club staff without pay for weeks on end constantly, taking on more loans that they can’t afford to payback etc the corruption and signs of death of our game will be even more clear to see
Much as I'd like to see my (by far) least favourite team dumped out of SL, the addition to fourteen teams won't do 'em any harm unfortunately.
If they do go, three will need to be (wrong word) promoted, so who'll get the nod? Bulls? Knights? Toulouse? 'Yeds? London? You mob?
All but the former play out of decent stadia, which should be favourable, and Hetherington's not gone darn sarf for the fun of it.
I've asked this question many times previously, but I'll throw it open to you again. "What would / could the Odsalites bring to RL's upper tier? Their financial history is far from unblemished, and their home is summat from the dark ages, but..........................
And trying to be polite here! Will a certain connection at the top end of the game's hierarchy, strongly desire that the likes of Pies / Wire / Rhinos, are heading to a BD postcode next term? So.................
Moving it on a bit, prediction time! Who do you Widnesians reckon will be dining at the top table come 2026?
The more I think of it, the more unsure I become, but my sincere hope is that the Pinks are not amongst 'em!
Biased moi?
Spelly.
@spelly I think the rightful 3 would by form of previous years would be Toulouse York Bradford.
I’m not Bradford’s biggest fan (mainly their social media guy who writes tweets during games like a 13 year old girl) but I genuinely believe, should they be supported money wise and gain success towards the top end of SL, similar to a Leigh, their fans old and new, would back them. Superleague success relies on game attendances to show a broadcaster the game isn’t dead.
Yorks owner has FAR too much entitlement for me when they get less than 2k pretty much every home game (they don’t announce it surprisingly enough 🤔) I don’t believe that will EVER work, but on the field and off the field they’ve proven their chance progressing year on year to be a top 3 championship team.
Toulouse - I believe they could get the crowds if given significant time in SL to establish themselves ala Les Dracs
I believe London will be in the running but it just does not work, it’s been proven time and time again.
we’ve no chance and nor should we, fev have given up I think. Oldham are in dreamland and their owner will get bored soon enough, constantly moaning week after week about home attendances.
Other than that no other championship club has a hope in hell of ever making it up to the supposed ‘promise land’ for me, it’s the poison chalice, without a backer you’ve no chance of succeeding and become a Huddersfield just passing with the wind each season
Rumours on X that the 13th and 14th teams may not be getting central funding...
People were moaning about the Salford scoreline the other day, more of the same incoming for team 14 I feel....
That's ridiculous. What a farce.
I love topics like this, and suggest the fans have more idea than the Administrators.
What a sad state of affairs.
Too much vested interest by people who should have zero club connections who can make decisions on the future of the whole sport and not just the chosen few.
I see Sport England are getting involved now.
Twenty nine years of wasted opportunities and many millions of £'s since Sky came along.
I just can't see a, way back now 😢
Nigel Wood: "This week the Championship and League One clubs will discuss how we can deliver the most compelling fixture list for the vital part-time game.
If we can’t provide strong central revenues any longer for tier two, the least we can do is create opportunity for them to grow by giving them the best fixture format possible to give them a compelling competition". From League Express.
Compelling=More Yorkshire derbies? Less travelling costs for Yorkshire teams?
Can't provide strong central revenues= SL will take the money, if there is any?
Wonder how compelling it will seem after the meeting this week!
Toulouse to replace Salford as the 12th IMG team. York and Bradford hand picked.
York have done well but for me are another Sheffield or Huddersfield, they just don't have the fan base. Bradford have a fanbase but Odsal is a borderline unsafe on and off the playing surface.
If teams 13 and 14 don't get the Sky money and I suspect they won't then no point Widnes applying as we can't fund a full time team.
I also don't like how Derek Beaumont seems to be in charge seen as he's the Leigh chairman. He's done a good job at Leigh but someone from the RFL should be calling the shots. Hence why no doubt they will be keeping all the Sky funding.
Took time out, last night, to watch 2 podcasts. One which Amor & Matt Shaw interview Kris Radlinski re; Wigan abstaining from the vote for restructure, and RL Raw interviewing Beaumont, which lasted 2hrs 40 mins. Both compelling yiewing.
Paulie xx
@pauliewalnuts The points that stood out for me were:
1.Interesting, but not unexpected, that Beaumont suggests that whoever is promoted should be guaranteed a place for 2026 and 2027, with no promotion or relegation.
2. Promoted Clubs will be given central funding at about 66% of other SL clubs, presumably in the first season but not clear; that a few Clubs
3.Some current SL Clubs - Salford. Huddersfield? - may need to apply for a place in SL in 2026 in the bidding process, if their IMG scores are below the first 12;
4. That the bidding process will requires Clubs to show that they can produce a team capable of competing in SL and financial support to plug the £2m funding gap of the SL Clubs. Does this effectively exclude Widnes or any team without some wealthy benefactor?
5. There was a suggestion of re-branding SL, as it is not clear that SL highlights the game of rugby league, which is what several on here have been saying for years.
6. It is clear that Leopard Man and Nige are in bed together on this (not literally, I hope), but he claims that there is no suggestion that the process will geared towards a Bradford promotion. We will have to wait and see on this one.
7. Both Kris Radlinski and Derek Beaumont are brimming with ideas to promote and grow the game as a whole and seem genuine in that regard. However, I cannot recall much discussion about the future of the game outside SL, although Beaumont did say that he was in favour of promotion and relegation based on performance on the pitch, not by spreadsheet.
8. That the SL clubs should seek to develop home grown talent through Academies which, together with an increase in the overseas quota, will produce the pool of players for an expanded SL. This will likely kill off the dual registration and loan system for Championship Clubs, certainly in the short-term.
As others have said, over the next couple of seasons, Widnes may need to think about building a team capable of performing at the top of the Championship, with a number of players able to form the nucleus of a SL team. potentially in 2028; and also to seek external funding to meet the short-fall in meeting SL costs ie about £2m a year currently!!! Not sure where we can go on the latter requirement
OK - Moving it on a step - Prediction time as to what'll happen next term eh?
Here's mine, but I hasten to add that I know nowt more than you!
Super League - Toulouse and the Pinks to swap places via IMG ratings, with the Knights, and the Bulls (wrong word) "promoted" to make up the fourteen. Fair and just? Ask Fev and the 'Yeds!
Championship (or will they come up with yet another name?) All clubs below SL in one regionalised (East and West?) division. Too many stuffings? Probably!
Play-offs at the end of the campaign? Top six to be retained, but I reckon there'll be no relegation in the first season to give the three new teams a chance to adjust to the far higher level they'll be playing at. Fair and just? Ask Fev, and the 'Yeds again!
I could well be totally wrong, and if I am, it won't be the first, second, or ninety-ninth time!
Over to you!
Spelly.
A bit bizarre that when you look back at the Lewis francising era, many hated that we had a leader with no ties to any club, set up criteria and applied it meticulously. The fact that as a club we followed the criteria as laid down upset many because it worked!
We now have IMG setting out odd criteria and an RFL/SL leader with very close attachment to a leading contender and happy to discard the criteria as it suits him.
What a sport!!!!!!!!
Please explain if I’m not following it properly; the top twelve are selected by IMG processing, the other two are selected by a committee. Therefore for this second process WHY can’t Widnes be judged on this and be in with a good chance, a ground as good as York, a crowd as good as Bulls, trophies are irrelevant from latter years and we have all the other necessary requirements to compete yet people continue to talk about York and Bulls. League positions are also irrelevant 👍👍