I remember all the rubbish spouted about how having a smaller, full time, top level league with no automatic promotion and relegation would -

a) raise playing standards and allow us to beat the Australians on the international stage and

b) make clubs more financially secure as the spectre of relegation and 'yo yo' teams constantly overspending in attempts to stay in the top flight would end.

c) Help spread the game nationally.

However New Zealand managed to win the World Cup without having a full time professional league and Super League clubs can still be found in dire financial stress, the mighty Bradford Bulls the latest example! As for expanding the game I don't any real example of this at all, infact I'd say there's far less interest in RL then there previously was in my locality at least.

Teams outside the top flight suffer from dwindling attendences, primarily IMO because the dream of automatic promotion has been taken away. I'm one such fan. I used to hold season ticket, travel to most away matches and support the national team when they played internationals nearby. Since automatic promotion to the top flight was ended I've only watch my hometown team three times, two free tickets and one I bought to watch us recently play a Super League team in the Challange Cup.

So IMO at least Super League has completey failed.

Discuss.

Do we really need another thread about this?

All I saw on the first two pages are constant threads about 'Exiles' whoever they are, I didn't see any thread slagging off Super League. As a Leigh fan do you think Super League has been a success?

It could be argued that Super League has been a major success. The Grand Final is a major event now with guaranteed crowds flocking to see it. Crowds are significantly up on pre-96 levels.

The RFL is a waste of space so there are unquestionably many issues in RL in this country. Namely the quantity and quality of young people going into the game, the geographcial spread and also the perilous state of the game's finances.

Sweet Jesus.
Licensing is in its 4th year, anyone who says it has definitively succeeded or failed is talking rubbish.
New Zealand do have a full time pro league, the best one in the world, it's called the NRL.
As for finances, it's been 3 years. During which we've had 2 teams in admin and possibly a third soon. Wakefield's owner went bust, Crusaders' buggerred off & Bradfords board couldn't add up. Are you suggesting these wouldn't have happened if there had been P&R? I fail to see the logic in that.

Licensing (which wasn't advertised and promoted as you say, but that's another story) is supposed to encourage behaviour such as better youth development, better finances, better facilities etc it can never, and never said it would, 100% ensure these things at every single club. Also, IT'S ONLY IN ITS FOURTH SEASON!!!!

The sad fact of the matter is, the game was screwed over by clubs and owners decades ago. When clubs like Wakefield were getting 30k crowds, where did the money go? Where did the money from Central Park go? Etc. (I'm just using those clubs as examples, it happened at the vast majority of clubs) We are now feeling the impact of those decisions made in the past, when ALL levels of the sport were ignored.
The job of the RFL now is to rebuild the sport in the best way possible for the future. Long term projects cannot be dismissed and counted as a failure after 3 & 1/2 seasons.

Grounds are better
Wigan dont win everything
Youth is coming through
Less overseas players
..........

All 'bar saints' council built community stadiums so nothing to do with sl.
Wigan went bust chasing all that silverware so that period of rl history would have ended anyway.
Youth has always come through,thered be no game without it.
Is that because theyre all going back to aus because they can earn more.

It's always the Leigh fans...

Oh f**k off!

Can we just get a sticky thread about P & R?

The growth in attendances and Sky viewing figures from 1996 to present is astonishing.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." — Lao-tzu

To the OP - t must be nice to live on a planet where you can ignore reality, but thanks for dropping by.

like the Bradford board did for the last 2 seasons (or possibly more!

)

Yes they did, quite what that has to do with this though I have no idea.
Portsmouth went into admin in the Premier League. Damn that Football Association for running such a rubbish competition.

Are Rugby Union & Football now to be subject to the same derision as the RFL now? If not, why not?

Dear OP

You need to see the doctor, your medication isn't working any more.

For the survival of the game i believe that the sooner that teams return to a semi pro status the better and restore P & R, otherwise all i see for the future are more clubs heading the same way as Bradford.

If the rugby league in this country went semi-pro wouldn't all the kids just go to rugby union or other sports?

The best senior players would be off to the NRL and Rugby Union in a heartbeat.

Why?

Seriously? You actually need to ask that question?

Is there anywhere online I can view see these statistics showing attendances have increased?

Four seasons is long enough to kill my interest in RL and I used to be a diehard. I'm sure there are thousands like me who have given up watching RL because of the ending of automatic promotion and relegation. Obviously if SL clubs have increased their attendences across the board my absence won't be missed but I don't think they have.

I know lets go back to P and R lets go back to winter games lets all were a flat cap and a string round our coats now BOG OF

Fair enough, that's your decision, one I wouldn't agree with but that's up to you. It's also not what you put in your opening post.

Quote ="LeighGionaire"Is there anywhere online I can view see these statistics showing attendances have increased?'" Yes. Several places in fact. But it's all been tabulated in simple form here: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=259 The highlight: In 1996 there were 12 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 77,604 or 6,467 per club. In 2011 there were 14 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 124,980 or 8,927 per club. Your argument is not supported by the facts.

Quote ="LeighGionaire"Is there anywhere online I can view see these statistics showing attendances have increased?'" Yes. Several places in fact. But it's all been tabulated in simple form here: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=259 The highlight: In 1996 there were 12 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 77,604 or 6,467 per club. In 2011 there were 14 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 124,980 or 8,927 per club. Your argument is not supported by the facts.

Leigh fans