Bullinmyeye- I agree with most of your opinions . Standards are important and should be rewarded.
My first qualification is that when superleague started the standards demanded were never enforced . Quite a few clubs made little or no attempt to improve facilities and/ or structures such as academy pathways. Many fans remember this and suspect that history might repeat itself.
That may be a jaundiced perception but there’s absolutely no doubt that the 11 British Superleague clubs have a “me first “ mentality. I’m open to correction but I believe the “brass” is still shared by those clubs and not Catalans. They act like a cartel.
Your contrast with the NRL is accurate with a partial exception. Superleague clubs now consists of 11 clubs along the M62 corridor with a French outlier receiving no central funds outside prize money. The NRL clubs are based in 3 states in areas with significant markets. And there is a path to expansion in Australasia - it’s difficult but the conditions are clear.
I might be in a minority but I’ve always believed our sport will never become a major sport until it has major bases in or around cities/ large conurbations . The existing clubs ( and it’s them who actually dictate the sports strategy ) have never paid more than lip service to expansion. The only successful expansion has been over the channel and my belief is that would not have happened if the French had demanded a share of the funding
If anything it increases the advantageous position of current SL clubs, but no surprise there. Really we need expansion to be in with a chance of getting into the top flight again.
Well judging by Salfords current plight and having emergency auditors go in, I don't think it's too far fetched an idea of this happening. When you look at the numbers, the idea this stadium deal is going to be the silver bullet is just dreaming. Fact is though they don't lose any IMG points still and actually aren't far off a grade A which just makes the whole IMG process a sham.
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