Well, tbh, that should be the rule if the RFL is going to insist on keeping the current format. After all, how else is any championship club going to be able to compete with SL clubs if there is a disparity in how much clubs can spend. However, given the lower crowds, lack of TV exposure and lower overall investment, I think what needs to be looked at is the amount of prize money given out to championship clubs. I also think that the RFL should be doing more regarding the TV exposure for the Championship and the lower leagues. Sky have the rights but do not have the inclination to do anything with them. But without this TV exposure, advertising revenue for clubs is always going to be limited.

I really don't understand why sky can't put a game on TV. It would help

Why should they help? They've got some cheap TV that pulls in decent viewing figures. They're not going to give that to anyone else and there's no need for them to show anything beyond SL because the RFL lowballed themselves on the TV deal

Both Toulouse and Toronto have the finance to be full time and will be challenging in the next couple of years. Whether they get to SL depends on their infrastructure and experience as well as the cash. What chance the RFL increase SL to 14 teams again? Or the championship has half the teams full time. May get a better TV deal at the next negotiation. Competition will be fierce.

I believe when the Sky deal was done,it was noted that Championship games would be shown from 2017 onwards.Listening to the recent interview with Eric Perez,he has already secured the services of Premier Sports to broadcast live all Toronto's UK games and one main Canadian broadcaster for their home games.
How can you compete with that?

The RFL will bend every rule to get Toronto and Toulouse into Super League - just like they did with the North Wales Crusaders.

....while leaving typical RL heartlands with little publicity, pitiful support and falling attendances.

Standby for plea from Green: If we want to compete we need to put prices up.

It may be better to spend it wisely, we currently have a squad bigger than the NFL.

Personally I was expecting that come the end of the season anyway, regardless of whether we get promoted, miss out, or lose the Championship shield.

Our prices are I assume the highest in the division. Our crowds are the biggest in the division.

Therefore we do not need to put up prices to compete.

If despite having high prices, we need more money to compete, then that can only be because our other income/funding (or lack thereof) turns the ticket sales advantage into a shortfall of income.

I doubt our expenses are THAT much different to other clubs, for example, no ground is free to maintain.

Keep the entrance fee as it is. Charge people to get out.

Sorted.

And then argue "nowhere on the ticket did it say that you would be allowed to leave" as reasoning. I like it.

Has anyone thought of charging fans with tickets an extra couple of quid to get in at every home game??

Oh, that salary cap change is from NEXT season, is it?

So, Toronto are going to be spending up to £1.85 million - and playing teams like Hemel and Oxford who spend, what, £100K?

There's going to be some record-busting score lines in Champ 1 next season

If you don't use your full salary cap they should allow you to sell it.

Yes, that's what Brendan Rodgers said before Celtic's game against some pub team from Gibraltar

But as we are constantly told there is no such thing nowadays as an easy football game.

And it's just as much utter, total, rampant bollox as ever it was

A bit like the thoughts of chairman Nigel then

I think our best 'savings' should have come form the, "leaner, smaller squad", which we were apparently getting for this season. Maybe next year?

Agree that no ground is 'free' to maintain, but I think the sheer size and age of our ground causes much of the extra expense and makes us a bit of an exception; often for the basic H&S reasons which can't be avoided if we want a safety certificate.

I think it's fair to say that RL clubs have historically left all maintenance, with the exception of maybe, 'slapping on a bit of paint', to be done sometime "later", and it's true to say that many of those clubs which have got new grounds actually left their old one in a very dilapidated state. To be fair, you you can get away with that sort of dereliction more easily if your ground is of a reasonable size and was built or renovated a bit more recently than Odsal. Or, of course, if you have new one on the drawing board...

I'm far from an expert on equations, but would reckon that [ the cost of maintaining existing Odsal would be less than
[ the cost of maintaining New Improved Odsal (not free) + [ the cost of servicing the ginormous borrowing to build a New Improved Odsal + [ the future "take" of any developers/funders who take part in any scheme, and who naturally do so to secure a permanent future slice of the action

Meanwhile professional Rugby League in York appears to be facing oblivion. It's utterly utterly depressing.

Sort of. While York Council and York City FC haven't been particularly helpful to the Knights over the past few years (especially shooting the Knights in the back when they left their home at Huntingdon stadium), the Knights chairman is the sort of rampant egotist who makes uncle Marwan look like a down-to-earth, approachable grandfather figure who will give you a pat on the head and a worthers original.

Without him in charge I don't think it will be long before someone more approachable can be found to start up another professional RL club in York which will make use of the new stadium being built.

In the past the owners of YCFC have even expressed an interest in buying the Knights. However, that was before they got relegated out of the league at the end of last season....

It is pretty sad to see a club go like this; especially one that has had a good season who are not really in the heartlands. They did say thanks to the RFL for all their help, but I can see that being put in there BY the RFL to deflect attention from them not supporting them enough while posting a profit, and expanding the game into Canada and France.

The consistent message is that the Chairman of York Knights has irritated everyone he has had dealings with, quite possibly even those with the best interests of the club at heart.

Combine that with a historically disinterested council and a football club not being entirely flexible about the groundshare (they wouldn't let the Rugby be played this weekend because they've scheduled 3 friendlies in 8 days), well it's rubbish.

York has always struck me as a club that can get gates of 1000+ with very minimal success. I really hope York Mark 2 (or is it mark 7.2?) gets off the ground very soon.