Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Sun Aug 30, 2015 1:05 pm  

I watched the free broadcast of RL backchat on Premier sports the other say and was disappointed when the Wigan and Leeds chairman said that a much bigger share of all money should be given to SL and not the lower leagues.
Hetherington said no team should be allowed in unless they can offer more than the team going out - which is a fair comment as long as that incoming team has time to build.
The comment about most money going to SL though is "I'M OK mate - don't care about anyone else".
The RFL should have insisted on a weekly show / 2 games shown per week for the championship. Not only for the fans but it would help clubs get better sponsorship if they are on TV regularly. If Sky couldn't offer this it should have been kept separate from SL and accepted offers from Premier or even BT. I once paid the £9 for Premier Sport when they did the championship along with NRL - and would do so again.
Sky have bought the rights and then ignored them.

[Bulliac]

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:08 pm  

Hetherington's comments seem to show a big misunderstanding of how the system works. Any team promoted under the current system [or any other, non-licenced, P&R system, to be fair] have to show no such benefits to SL; they just have to win promotion on the field - end of.

I'm not sure the comments about the money going to the SL clubs has been fully thought through either. Most of the money paid to SL clubs will go to the ones with the better playing records, that is - surprise surprise - the two clubs featured on the show. Given that it's now patently obvious that some of the other, so called 'big money' clubs, namely Warrington and Huddersfield [bit early maybe, but Saints too?] are clearly falling back and obviously don't have quite the 'big money' behind them as Leeds and Wigan, it seems very much like self interest to me.

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Sun Aug 30, 2015 3:13 pm  

Given that only four teams have ever won the Super League title and only six have been involved in the Grand Final you have to question whether it's really improved the game at all.

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Sun Aug 30, 2015 8:45 pm  

Yes, Hetherington is talking rubbish. The minute that they voted to remove franchising, they specifically made it so that you do NOT have to show that you 'bring more' than the existing teams.

For example, it could theoretically be the case that Sheffield ended up in the mIllion Pound match, against Hull KR (as an example), and somehow beat them, thus taking their place in SL. Would a team with 500 supporters 'bring more' than the Cup Finalist team (albeit a losing team). Obviously not, and very unlikely to happen - but when you introduce promotion and relegation decided by a play-off, then anything can potentially happen.

He'd be better off just coming out and saying he wants to bring back franchising - and I would actually be averse, as we'd find it easier to prove that we 'bring more' than Wakefield or Salford, than it might well be to demonstrate that on the field of play!

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Mon Aug 31, 2015 7:30 am  

Hetherington wants more money because he is fed up with covering Leeds bills!!

[Bulliac]

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Mon Aug 31, 2015 9:04 am  

zapperbull wrote:

Hetherington wants more money because he is fed up with covering Leeds bills!!

GH isn't actually the guy with the money at Leeds, that would be [is it Paul?] Caddick and his company, Caddick Construction - I'm sure Gary is talking up the corporate position though! Funnily enough, when you look at the relative crowd figures, I'd guess he's throwing far more at Leeds Tykes than the Rhinos at the moment.

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Wed Sep 02, 2015 11:49 am  

woolly07 wrote:

SL has come down to just 3 teams who are capable of winning something. The rest are making up the numbers in a league that is predictable. I spoke to a lifelong Wigan fan last week and he believes RL is slowly dying as there is just not enough real competition.

At the start of the season you could have tipped Leeds, Saints, Wigan, Hudds, Wire & Cats to win something. That's half of SL, you won't find many sports with that percentage (or fraction..). With a few games left the odds are dramatically reduced, no sh it Sherlock. Wigan fans, since I can remember, say that the game is dying unless they have a period of dominance like 85-95, when everything is rosy & it's other teams are too lazy to get their act together. They are the most ignorant, paranoid, victim-mentality, inbred hillbillies in any sport. Fact.

[Bulliac]

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Wed Sep 02, 2015 2:49 pm  

tigertot wrote:

At the start of the season you could have tipped Leeds, Saints, Wigan, Hudds, Wire & Cats to win something. That's half of SL, you won't find many sports with that percentage (or fraction..). With a few games left the odds are dramatically reduced, no sh it Sherlock. Wigan fans, since I can remember, say that the game is dying unless they have a period of dominance like 85-95, when everything is rosy & it's other teams are too lazy to get their act together. They are the most ignorant, paranoid, victim-mentality, inbred hillbillies in any sport. Fact.

At the start of the season I would have said only three clubs were in with a serious chance of the title; Leeds, Wigan and Saints. As I said earlier, in some thread or other, I don't really think Wire and Hudds have ever progressed beyond 'looking like' they 'might' win something eventually - and in fact, have probably gone slightly backwards over the last year or three. I'm talking about the title here - not the Challenge Cup, as that can, and has, been won by plenty of teams you wouldn't expect to make a grand final. The luck of the draw can be a greater leveller than all the rain, ice, fog and slippery conditions in the world!

Not sure which 'Cats' you mean - obviously not Wakey........but neither Les Cats, who seem to stumble whenever they come out of France, and the big Tiger Cats of Cas who occasionally flatter to deceive, don't look consistent enough to be play-off winners to me.

Not really knocking them btw, they are very entertaining sides to watch, but title material?

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:10 am  

Bulliac wrote:

At the start of the season I would have said only three clubs were in with a serious chance of the title; Leeds, Wigan and Saints. As I said earlier, in some thread or other, I don't really think Wire and Hudds have ever progressed beyond 'looking like' they 'might' win something eventually - and in fact, have probably gone slightly backwards over the last year or three. I'm talking about the title here - not the Challenge Cup, as that can, and has, been won by plenty of teams you wouldn't expect to make a grand final. The luck of the draw can be a greater leveller than all the rain, ice, fog and slippery conditions in the world!

The post I replied to said 'winning something', not the GF. At the start of the season I would have said Leeds, Saints, Wire & Wigan are top 4, with Hudds outsiders for the GF & Cats (Catalan) for the CC. With hindsight Leeds & Wigan look favourites for the GF with Hudds outsiders, but all that could change if Saints beat Leeds tomorrow for instance.

[Bulliac]

Re: Rhinos Masterclass to Retain Challenge Cup : Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:09 pm  

tigertot wrote:

The post I replied to said 'winning something', not the GF. At the start of the season I would have said Leeds, Saints, Wire & Wigan are top 4, with Hudds outsiders for the GF & Cats (Catalan) for the CC. With hindsight Leeds & Wigan look favourites for the GF with Hudds outsiders, but all that could change if Saints beat Leeds tomorrow for instance.

Oh, I realise I was selective in the reply TT.

Thing is, as so-called 'big' clubs, you'd expect them [wire and Hudds] to be in with a shout of the GF, but [imo] they're not. Leeds are my favourites by a country mile, followed by Wigan and then Saints a length behind, the rest not really in the running. My argument was to show that there is a big gap opening at the sharp end, between the top two and the rest, a gap which has pretty much ended talk of a 'top four', of which any could win the big prize.