[Bulliac]

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Wed Jun 13, 2018 9:05 am  

The thing with the 8s is that the game has changed dramatically since they were introduced.

An idea based on what was, in its original concept, a 'shoo-in' for the well financed SL clubs, changed entirely once the Leigh owner fought for the SL salary cap to be made effectively the same for all well-funded lower league clubs. Nor were there any very well funded clubs like Toronto, Toulouse or New York on the horizon when the 8s were envisaged. "They don't like it up 'em, Captain Mainwaring".

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Wed Jun 13, 2018 1:43 pm  

RFL Returns fire https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/44468711

RFL Returns fire https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/44468711

[Bulliac]

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:41 am  

Trouble is we now seem to have two bodies, RFL and SLE, both of which seem think they run the sport.

Much as I've railed against a lot of the RFL's actions, I do think it's time the SL people were put back into their box.

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:51 am  

Bulliac wrote:

Trouble is we now seem to have two bodies, RFL and SLE, both of which seem think they run the sport.

Much as I've railed against a lot of the RFL's actions, I do think it's time the SL people were put back into their box.

I think we can all agree that the RFL have been ineffective, wasteful and utterly clueless in the past (and probably the future), but as the only thing the SL body cares about is SL teams; and as we're not in superleague, our only hope for the sport not be be gutted financially from the bottom up is for the RFL to take a lead here.

For SL to dictate who can and can't be promoted into their league directly affects Championship teams, how can they change things that affects teams not under their remit?

[Bullseye]

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:04 am  

There's a clear conflict of interest in SL clubs deciding the structure of the game. Quite a few of those clubs are failing businesses and propped up by a sugar daddy. They are no different in many ways to clubs below them in the championship.

The RFL should be leading the process but the issue is that it relies on a majority of clubs to vote. The majority of clubs are outside SL, so they'll decide even if it's against the will of all SL clubs. It seems barmy.

The main problem is we have a bunch of cash strapped clubs fighting over what is not enough cash. There isn't enough money coming in as a whole. Adding an extra few hundred grand to a club's budget here and sacrificing clubs to pay for it there won't be a game changer people seem to want (unless its detrimentally).

What the game needs is a significantly bigger TV deal as a whole. The game was healthier when we had salary cap parity with the NRL. Now we don't we're a 2nd class comp. Development of the game has been cut. Participation is well down. Arguing over a few hundred grand is like arguing over the deckchairs on the Titanic.

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:32 am  

Anyone else get the feeling that Big Nige was stopping Leneghan from wreaking havoc?

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:46 am  

Mark Moore (Halifax chairman) claiming that the SLE were planning to reduce lower league funding by £1m...

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:36 am  

Does anyone know how gate money is distributed? i.e home team, away team, league.

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 12:22 pm  

Scarey71 wrote:

Anyone else get the feeling that Big Nige was stopping Leneghan from wreaking havoc?

No idea what the answer to that is.

As far as I am concerned, its years of incompetence, inconsistency and stagnation caused by Wood, Rimmer, Barwick, Ganson and the board that has led to a vacuum.

The board at the RFL approved Woods payment of approx. £360,000 while simltaneously cutting the funds to development areas, now collapsing.

Something had to change, unfortunately it looks like its going to get worse.

The way this whole episode has exploded could have been avoided by a professional approach (heaven forbid)

A meeting and an agreement on a way forward, with approval from Sky and lawyers - then have a press conference.

But this is rugby league, so lets have a public fall out and make ourselves look like a bunch of dopes (again)

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:56 pm  

Fr13daY wrote:

"We're terrified of the prospect that we could lose four Super League clubs this season as a result of the Super 8s," Lenagan said. "That's not a sensible proportion."

Ridiculous. Risk is what makes sport thrilling, and artificially propping up a club by giving it money, and limiting the risk to it at the detriment to other clubs who don't have that windfall (or assurance) is equally as ridiculous. If 4 SL clubs, with all the money they are given, get relegated then that is because they are not good enough to beat the Championship opposition. And dare I say both leagues will be better off for it!

As if the field wasn't unbalanced enough already for Championship clubs. Admittedly the door hasn't slammed shut, but without a lot of independent financial support (a la Toronto) I can't see anyone getting promoted. Whereas the highly funded but underperforming SL clubs can sleep easy knowing that their place is secure.

Could you imagine any other professional sport actually stating "we're going to limit the number of clubs promoted and relegated as we want to retain a status quo in the clubs we already have in the top tier, despite the fact that they may be better than us"?

The idea behind the Super 8's was that it was to give the impression of P&R without ever actually delivering on it. Trouble is, SL has continued to go backwards in terms of quality as the sport in this country is run by incompetents at both governing body and club level to a point where there could realistically see a swing of 4 down 4 up. The crowds attracted by the teams at the bottom of SL this year aren't much but they're still better than what a promoted Championship club would be looking at bringing. As such, self-interest rather than good of the game wins out and the drawbridge to SL is slowly being raised again