I'm hearing Sam Barlow's agent

I have a photo but don't know how to put it on here. Anyone send me a email address and I'll forward it on.

What - the three eights ?



Are they really ?

Quote ="griff1998"What - the three eights ? Are they really ? '" Yes m.halifaxcourier.co.uk/sport/hal ... -1-5741775 I am glad that they are as well, think it's a brilliant idea for our game if they can find the right funding levels.

Quote ="griff1998"What - the three eights ? Are they really ? '" Yes m.halifaxcourier.co.uk/sport/hal ... -1-5741775 I am glad that they are as well, think it's a brilliant idea for our game if they can find the right funding levels.

It's a bit harsh charging ST holders a fiver IMO. Say 500 ST holders paying £5 is £1500. That's about the cost of the weekend trip. Should it not be the season tickets used on the day go into the draw anyway.

At least it's something new though and may attract some new fans for the day.

It's the "if" that bothers me. The current proposal leaves less chance of promotion and relegation than the franchise system we currently have.

How on earth do you come to that conclusion?

The middle division will consist of four teams on £1.25m, two teams on £800k and two on £180k.

You reckon the two on £180k have a better chance of going up than the current one every three years ?



Sort the money out before you vote. That would be my advice to club reps.

Anything is possible on the field. Currently it is impossible to get promoted to SL.

And I'm not saying the 24/3 is workable on current monies - I'm saying that it is possible to get promoted. A Marwan Koukash can make it possible.

And the bottom division is playing for?

Where did you get those figures from? They haven't been agreed yet have they?

To avoid relegation.

500 x £5 = £1500 is it, really ?????

Sorry MM it's these freakin smart phones, you type something and it changes it for you. £2500, the coat of the weekend, still funded by the £5 from season ticket holders. Like I say, harsh on us who pay up front. I like the innovative new idea, I just think the execution could have been thought out a little better for the ST holder.

....and they're ten a penny, obviously.

You've probably less chance of finding a Marwan Koukash than getting a franchise under the current system.

What bottom division ? Now or proposed ?

Exactly my point. Agree the cash first, then the format. Not the other way round.

Your argument was based on figures you had just made up, And for that reason you are against it? The proposal in theory is a great one IMO.As the club is fully aware this can only be great if the right level of funding is found.

Are you against the idea and if so why?

I do like the idea of splitting the divisions mid term but the funding and salary cap must be agreed first.
If the bottom four super league teams are full time and have a cap of £1.6m or whatever it is while the championship teams have a part time squad on whatever their cap is the playing field is not level is it ?
It will be interesting to see if the eagles can defeat London who are probably the weakest super league team when they meet in the cc in a few weeks time.

Not at all. They are the figures proposed, including the new "parachute" payments. It does not mean that the proposals will not be amended.



I am against the idea unless the finances are leveled out. I would consider it inevitable that the four better funded teams will finish in the top four and the two poorly funded teams will finish in the bottom two. What interest is there in that for spectators ?

The alternative scenario is that clubs will push the financial boat out to attempt to gain promotion. That could easily lead to more financial disasters and more than likely will.

Exactly.



Beating a $uperleague team in a one-off game proves nothing. In a league season, the better teams have bad days and the poorer teams have good ones. Yet, over the season, the better teams finish near the top and the poorer ones at the bottom. Extrapolating an Eagles win to justify promotion would be dangerous.

Do you have a link for that information? The Halifax chairman has said no figures have been agreed yet?

'Cos it's not true if it's not on-line, eh ?

No - got them out of our programme - £2.50 from the Eagles' offices.

I didn't say they had been agreed. I said proposed. So Mr Steele and I agree.

Actually, it's not even about the money, is it ?

Suppose the RFL say that the top four clubs in the first phase Div 2 get their money made up to the same level as the $uperleague clubs. Who would you spend it on ? You won't know you're going to get this money until mid season - who's going to be available to sign who's better than you've already got in the squad ?