Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 5:04 pm  

Straight promotion and relegation has to be better than the current system as it is no matter whether it's one or two teams that go up or down. The way I see the current 8s system is that it provides false hope for teams in the Championship that they are good enough to compete with the Super League teams, and in our case I wonder whether that lead to signing more players that we couldn't afford (e.g. Nielsen). I'm not suggesting other teams have been irresponsible in the same way but it's like waving a Wonga loan in front of someone who is skint and won't get paid for a month. The present system favours the Super League clubs - we all know it even though there has been two promotions in three years. It's time for a change, and I hope whoever decides this can make the right decision and stick to it this time instead of chopping and changing the league structures every three years. Surely this chopping and changing contributes to supporter alienation.

Probably a lot of incoherent and non sequitur arguments there. I'm tired.

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:40 pm  

The problem with automatic P&R is that another major reorg will be needed because the bottom 4 SL teams will be losing 7 games and their revenue.

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:13 pm  

The comments from some SL teams that four of them could go down is utter tosh one or two at the most. A few rich clubs just want to get richer and see the poor clubs go down the drain. if they are not careful they could have 5 clubs in SL (the ones with money) and the rest scratching around for cash.
2 up 2 down suits me if you are not good enough to be in SL make way for clubs that deserve a chance.

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:45 am  

This "guaranteed" 1 up 1 down P&R - have they actually guaranteed it? Or is it guaranteed based on criteria such as academy, ground etc like 15yrs ago?

[Bulliac]

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:14 am  

Bullseye wrote:

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.

One of the major problems is that, if we are to believe what we hear, the TV money is far more likely to fall than to rise, so I don't know how that would go down, but I'd suspect it would be more likely to increase the infighting than decrease it.

That is also compounded by the fact that, yes, arguing over a hundred grand is a bit like moving the deckchairs to most, but I'd suspect that for some clubs in our league, £100K would probably amount to somewhere near their total annual turnover, so not, in any way, small change for them. I think those clubs would definitely regard it as detrimental.

If someone were to write a novel, or make a film, about the game of rugby league it would be panned by the critics as just too detached from reality to be believable.

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:59 pm  

rugbyreddog wrote:

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

Home team keeps all revenue from league games (since late 70s, before that there was I believe a levy taken from gate receipts paid to the RFL which was shared out between the clubs and RFL - 'big' clubs objected so it was changed, same old......). Shared gate games eg cup, gate takings shared after home team have deducted expenses (cost of stewarding etc).

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:02 pm  

Highlander wrote:

This "guaranteed" 1 up 1 down P&R - have they actually guaranteed it? Or is it guaranteed based on criteria such as academy, ground etc like 15yrs ago?

Of course it's not guaranteed and has been stated to be subject to the Championship club meeting 'criteria'. You can, of course, also guarantee that those criteria will not apply to the existing incumbents.......

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:05 pm  

DrFeelgood wrote:

Straight promotion and relegation has to be better than the current system as it is no matter whether it's one or two teams that go up or down. The way I see the current 8s system is that it provides false hope for teams in the Championship that they are good enough to compete with the Super League teams, and in our case I wonder whether that lead to signing more players that we couldn't afford (e.g. Nielsen). I'm not suggesting other teams have been irresponsible in the same way but it's like waving a Wonga loan in front of someone who is skint and won't get paid for a month. The present system favours the Super League clubs - we all know it even though there has been two promotions in three years. It's time for a change, and I hope whoever decides this can make the right decision and stick to it this time instead of chopping and changing the league structures every three years. Surely this chopping and changing contributes to supporter alienation.

Probably a lot of incoherent and non sequitur arguments there. I'm tired.

Problem is the 'plan' they have come up with is simply going back in time around 10 years. Then, the same system was ditched because it didn't work. Clearly there are some with influence who have short memories........

[Bulliac]

Re: 2019 Promotion & Relegation : Sat Jun 16, 2018 10:07 am  

Indeed, the so-called 'yo-yo' syndrome.

To be honest, I'm coming to the conclusion that we'll never find a total solution, at least not a 'perfect' one. Maybe we need to just find which system has the fewest flaws and accept that? These days we do seem to jump from one thing to another without giving the 'latest wheeze' a long enough go to find out if it will work long term.

The big problem is the number of clubs. We simply don't have enough for three divisions and I'd vote for going back to two divisions for the pro/semi-pro clubs and leave the current div3 (champ1) for the expansion clubs. With around 14 to 16 clubs in the first and second divisions. This would leave room for any new Toronto type newcomers who come ready formed with fully pro operations. It would mean a re-jigging of the play-offs and cup comps, of course.