Ey gents n ladies. I do not wish to interrupt you wise discussions on this thread, but I did manage to hone down on this, earlier. ROB BURROW will be chief guest in hIs absence tomorrow,(he's poorly) in one of our most unusual finals since post WW2 GAMES.
The biggest honour we can do for this amazing rugby league player and warrior, is enjoy tomorrow, say a few quiet prayers, lift a glass and wish the best to him, his family and the game he loves.
After 207 pages, I've work out we ALL love this game, IN MANY WAYS, Rob deserves our love therefore. He loves it too. and IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST.
Future of the game is more like Rob BURROW.
'Great defence, always wins games, y'only have to score one more point than them. If tha does, tha'll win, if that doesn't tha'll lose, learn from it, more than the win last week.'. Peter Fox, 1980.
Personally I’d move to a licensed system. I just don’t think the sport is anywhere near strong enough to support P&R, I think the only sport that can is football and even then they struggle with some of the consequences of it.
I’d have a licensed 18 team league of: Wigan Leeds Warrington St Helens Hull FC Salford (rebranded as Manchester) Castleford Wakefield Hull KR London Broncos (rebranded as Ealing) Toronto Newcastle Bradford Toulouse Sheffield North Wales rebranded South Wales rebranded Catalans
Of those clubs, Salford (Manchester), London (Ealing), Toronto, Newcastle, Toulouse, North & South Wales would all be given salary cap dispensations and direct financial assistance from the league to help grow the sport in strategically important locations.
Each club would be given KPI’s to hit otherwise some central funding would be withheld. These would be around both youth production/junior participation and increasing club revenue alongside others.
The clubs would be encouraged to work together both inside SL and with their feeder clubs outside SL. There would be expectations placed on the SL club to provide significant support to their feeder club(s).
Clubs should share staff, resources, facilities and best practice. We need to start all pulling in the same direction. Clubs like Cas and Wakey should come together to ground share for instance. Fev, as Leeds feeder club, should be able to use Leeds facilities, coaches, medical staff and facilities etc
The RFL would negotiate on behalf of clubs en masse or directly provide support to clubs for things such as social media management, websites, content, physical and online shops, marketing etc.
With an 18 team league they would play 26 league games. Play each team once and then each team from the same half of the league a second time. 8 team playoff and the cup along with Magic Weekend would give a max of 37 games if a club were involved in both finals. Which I believe is similar to now however clubs would have bigger squads due to the feeder clubs.
I’d reintroduce the salary cap of so much % of a clubs income and scrap the finite cap. If a club can afford to spend more then I don’t think we should restrict them. However I’d also say loans do not count as part of a clubs income for that calculation. If a rich club owner wants to spend money on his club great. But not while crippling it’s future. I’d also introduce fixed percentages of income that has to be spent on youth production, marketing and community/junior participation.
Why rebrand Salford as Manchester for greater appeal & then rebrand London as Ealing? Wouldn’t teams named after the cities provide greater appeal?
Why rebrand Salford as Manchester for greater appeal & then rebrand London as Ealing? Wouldn’t teams named after the cities provide greater appeal?
"London" isn't a specific enough name. Similarly I would only accept Bradford joining the new superdooperleague if we are renamed "Just off the M606 in Southern Bradford bulls". It has to have local resonance. And while we are about it what does "Castleford" even mean? They should be "On the road out of Cas but before you get to Ferry Fryston Tigers"
+ Salford is a City & the fans of Salford would end their support if it were to go to "Manchester" !
Manchester already has a couple of resident pro-RL clubs. Aren't Toronto based there? Aren't Ottawa also basing themselves there?
ANYWAY Your man Derek Beaumont is reported as being ready to "Pull the trigger on FIVE major signings to follow Wallace, Ellis, Walker and Gee, in a high profile recruitment drive as the centurions plot a return to Superleague next season".
Bit ambiguous that? Does it mean returning to Superleague after Leigh win the 2021 Championship? Or does it mean returning to Superleague next season after Toronto are possibly refused entry? Or does it mean replacing say someone like Wakefield for 2022? if Trinity came 11th. and Toronto came 12th but were protected by their upcoming return to SL agreement???
Manchester already has a couple of resident pro-RL clubs. Aren't Toronto based there? Aren't Ottawa also basing themselves there?
Does Manchester have a couple of pro resident RL clubs? Salford is a city in it's own right, Rochdale, Oldham, Swinton and Leigh are towns in Greater Manchester making five(5) teams in all, unless your question is a rhetorical one concerning the two(2) NA teams in which case Ottawa are not yet a pro RL club in this country and as for Toronto, that's anybody's guess with them unless Lenaghan's been on the phone to you again.
Donnyman wrote:
ANYWAY Your man Derek Beaumont is reported as being ready to "Pull the trigger on FIVE major signings to follow Wallace, Ellis, Walker and Gee, in a high profile recruitment drive as the centurions plot a return to Superleague next season".
Bit ambiguous that? Does it mean returning to Superleague after Leigh win the 2021 Championship? Or does it mean returning to Superleague next season after Toronto are possibly refused entry? Or does it mean replacing say someone like Wakefield for 2022? if Trinity came 11th. and Toronto came 12th but were protected by their upcoming return to SL agreement???
As William Shakespeare used to say it is what it is, a few year back before your time I know, when Catalans joined super league they were given a three(3) year exemption period which was unfortunate for Castleford who came eleventh(11) and were subsequently relegated, so if the unthinkable happened for Wakefield fans anyway and they got relegated they like Cas would have to accept it, quick couple of questions BM, is ready to pull the trigger an Australian euphemism? and you asked a question about his man Derek Beaumont plotting to return to super league next season, that's three(3) questions you've asked yourself to your own statement, how strange.
[quote="little wayne69"] Ottawa are not yet a pro RL club in this country.....Quick couple of questions BM....quote] ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ottawa were accepted to the leagues, and Ottawa have appointed a coach and have been building a professional squad . Trying to discredit me must be tough Wayne when you yourself make such totally incorrect statements .
Anyway today's the day the deliberations on TWP and probably the North American dream as a whole commence (It was said that SL could not look at TWP in isolation as they are just step one of several steps towards the Transatlantic league). Mr. Beaumont has kindly stepped in and offered to spend money to make Leigh "oven ready" for Superleague 2021 should the clubs decide to reject TWP. SL bosses have already said going to 11 next season means serious problems for scheduling at a time when we want SKY to provide a new TV deal. They want to confirm 12 clubs to SKY.
Saying "YES" to TWP would be a no to Leigh. It would also be by implication be a "no" to ambitious millionaire owned clubs like York and Newcastle, with SL favouring Ottawa and New York. The only real "question" here is for you Wayne. Should the SL bosses today wave TWP back in and signal the door is open for Ottawa and New York......?????
OR should SL bosses say "no" to the transatlantic dream????. That is the choice.
Martin Sadler has (and fair play he has the right as he preserves the great Rugby Leaguer paper) has commented on this massive decision the clubs will work on over the coming days. Mr. Sadler says he "struggles to understand why anyone should want to kick the wolfpack out"
He for once goes on to justify why they should be allowed back. He states that TWP could be a great asset to Superleague by [u]playing games that would enhance Superleague where Superleague isn't currently played [/u] He feels TWP would be a great promotional vehicle for Newcastle Thunder by playing games in Newcastle, he also feels TWP playing in York at York's new stadium can promote York as a future Superleague venue.
Firstly I can't fathom out how he thinks that anyone in York needs Rugby League to be promoted to them, when York were formed as long ago as 1868
But more so than this, can't Mr. Sadler understand that it is pointless promoting Transatlantic Superleague in places like Newcastle, York and Leigh, when it will be clubs like Toronto, Ottawa and New York that would by their own entry to a Transatlantic League block such clubs progress???
Anyway either we decide in the coming days to go Transatlantic which needs an NATV deal and NA players soon, or we consolidate the game here and look to maintain our relationship with SKY..... which one is it to be for you Wayne?