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Roofaldo wrote:

I think what the OP means is "Super League Has Failed because MY team isn't playing there"

Again just because a poster as a teams name in his username does nt mean he`s a fan of that club.
IMO it`s the easiest way for some posters to troll.

LeighGionaire wrote:

Obviously if SL clubs have increased their attendences across the board my absence won't be missed but I don't think they have.

Why don't you think that they have? Do you think they've gone down?
Seems a strange thing to assume based off obviously no evidence.

LeighGionaire wrote:

I remember all the rubbish spouted about how having a smaller, full time, top level league with no automatic promotion and relegation would -

a) raise playing standards and allow us to beat the Australians on the international stage and

b) make clubs more financially secure as the spectre of relegation and 'yo yo' teams constantly overspending in attempts to stay in the top flight would end.

c) Help spread the game nationally.

However New Zealand managed to win the World Cup without having a full time professional league and Super League clubs can still be found in dire financial stress, the mighty Bradford Bulls the latest example! As for expanding the game I don't any real example of this at all, infact I'd say there's far less interest in RL then there previously was in my locality at least.

Teams outside the top flight suffer from dwindling attendences, primarily IMO because the dream of automatic promotion has been taken away. I'm one such fan. I used to hold season ticket, travel to most away matches and support the national team when they played internationals nearby. Since automatic promotion to the top flight was ended I've only watch my hometown team three times, two free tickets and one I bought to watch us recently play a Super League team in the Challange Cup.

So IMO at least Super League has completey failed.

Discuss.

Views like this are why change doesn't happen.

Short term thinking has corrupted UK sport, and I'm not just talking about RL here. In football, we see inflated wages and investment and a reliance on foreign imports, with the latter being a dominant feature in English RL. It happens at junior level as well, as I said a few days ago, as junior coaches in ALL sports seek the thrill of a short term victory instead of the long term satisfaction of seeing young players enjoy themselves, while growing and developing as players and people.

As others have said, it has been FOUR YEARS since licensing was introduced. Do you seriously believe that the benefits you mentioned will be seen overnight? Enough of this club bias, let's have some long term thinking for the good of the game and give franchising a chance.

FFA wrote:

Typical of the 'super league' closed shop attitude , teams like Halifax, Leigh, Featherstone were around long before franchising and will be around long after franchising the same can't be said for Celtic Crusaders/Crusaders/South Wales Scorpions or Bradford atm

Why will South Wales not be around long after franchising?

And I believe Bradford were also in existence before 1996, but since I support a Super League club could a Championship fan tell me?

I remember being at craven park in the 80's &90's when we were in div 2&3 and our crowds were around 1000 with most away games being 5-700. Have crowds in the lower leagues really got any worse?

Compared to the decade pre SL I would say the top league is in a better state so no it hasn't failed IMO.

I keep seeing that super league crowds have grown since 1996. That’s fact the figures show this, however was 1996 a bad year for crowds what was the average crowd over the 10 years up to 1996? What is the average crowd up to present? one other thing I would like to see, to confirm that the crowds have gone up and super league is a success as this seems to be the main marker people use to support super leagues success is the cost of a season ticket with regards to average earnings this would be in % form. Is a season ticket cheaper now? Look what that has done to Bradford. Bigger crowds may not mean the club and league is growing.

As for comparing football teams going bust to rugby teams going bust there is one major difference. The Football association did not stop promotion and relegation claiming it would stop teams going out of business. The rules apply across the board and do not change depending on your geographical location or if your face fits.

Almost everything is UP in SL.

Crowds, stadiums, missed tackles, debts, fan obesity, forum trolls, income, popularity, scorelines, baby changing facilities, TV money and monster truck sponsorship.

The only thing that's down is Bradford and Huddersfield season ticket prices and that's a win-win for fans. I'm a lobotomised Championship fan but I still love the game of Rugby League whether it be the cloth capped luddite games I watch down here or the Rolex flashing truffle snuffling super elite games of Super League. I even love the fight between good and evil on this super-highway battle venue that is RLFANS.COM.

God loves Rugby League.

Everything is alright . . . .

[Kinnock mode] "We're alright. We're alright. We're alright!!!"

I wouldnt say it is a case of SL has failed, it just isnt succeeding as well as most would like , the original concept has failed, we dont have super clubs in super stadiums in super cities drawing super crowds with superstar players

What we have is a competition with half a dozen viable clubs, which is an improvement on 96

The question is can it continue to improve to the level originally envisaged?

My opinion? , nah, we'll still be in a very similar position in another 15 years

Starbug wrote:

I wouldnt say it is a case of SL has failed, it just isnt succeeding as well as most would like , the original concept has failed, we dont have super clubs in super stadiums in super cities drawing super crowds with superstar players

What we have is a competition with half a dozen viable clubs, which is an improvement on 96

The question is can it continue to improve to the level originally envisaged?

My opinion? , nah, we'll still be in a very similar position in another 15 years

I'd say since franchising started SL is beginning to get closer towards the levels required of a top level comp, and the amateur game seems to be growing too.

The big problem that's facing the game is the current Championships, and where the RFL want to go with them. Is the aim to grow the Championships into being professional, full time leagues with a paid TV contract, or is it to be a league to 'groom' expansion clubs for Super League, as well as housing clubs like Fev, Leigh, Fax, Batley etc who have great histories and good fan bases, in which case why have it on TV, enjoyable as it may be the game isn't making any money from the TV deal.

I think the academies have developed and every super league club has home grown players of decent levels that could play internationally, the likes of clubb,lms would never have come through without all the solid work of super league in general and the licensing has changed attitudes towards allowing players to come through.