Whilst I agree with the idea of not following EVERYTHING the Aussies do (SOO doesn't work over here for example) there are certain things we need to follow imho.

Their structure of the leagues in regards to the lower division teams being joined with a top level club wherever possible for example.

So genuine feeder clubs?

You see that working over here?

Is the Challenge Cup really less important than the County Cups were 20 years ago? I was ball boying at Trinity during the final season of the competition, and without checking the attendances, no-one gave a stuff until the final. That one point is complete rubbish.

Wakefield stuffed Highfield in 1992 years before franchising, in a "golden age of cup competitions." Big blowouts between teams in different divisions never happened before professionalism.

Also with regards to old vs. new Wembley "but the magic and history of the occasion meant something that shiny seats and modern facilities will never replicate." I would give an arm to see Wakefield at Wembley and couldn't give a stuff if it's been turned 90 degrees and isn't the same turf Neil Fox scored a load of points at years ago.

Ask players to play more games and you'll have Peacock and Wilkin on their soapbox for a whinge.

Things don't stay the same. Some good, some bad. That's life.

Not feeder clubs as such. The dual registration move is basically doing it now except the player can go to any club he wants. What I would do is attach a lower league club to a Super League club and pool the talent.

Say Wigan and Leigh were joined (fans wouldn't be too happy but it's the logical choice), those Wigan players that are desperate for first team rugby such as Ryan King and Sam Powell would be able to turn out each week for Leigh. Leigh would also be able to call upon those Wigan players not in the 19 such as Logan Tomkins for example from this week.

If there's a player at Leigh in top form then he could get the SL call up he probably never would when Wigan have injuries. Rhodri Lloyd played against Leeds and Bradford for example. That could be a Leigh player who gets that chance and thus puts himself in the shop window. NZ Warriors have several players that starred for the Auckland Vulcans before getting their big chance with injury etc.


The closed shop of Super League could be an issue though and fans of those clubs that didn't get in could leave the game for good.

So not a feeder club, but behave like a feeder club

Sounds like a feeder club to me, what little support that remains at say Leigh would be gone in a couple of seasons, they could knock down the LSV and play at Leigh East

They could do that now.



I guess it would be a feeder club rather than a sister club but it would create a much more competitive 2nd tier imho.

The 2 nd tier is incredibly competitive now, its just nobody is interested in paying to watch it

Including you.

I did say " what little support that is left now " , attendances are starting to slip, we are on course for our lowest average for 15 years

Yes, bring back P and R and I'd probably find it worth paying for again

There's P & R now it's just done over 3 years.

Get your finances in order. Get your stadium in order. Win a trophy and then put in an application. If it's good enough you'll get in.

Ooh you've got me so excited, I could crush a grape

For 40 years I watched Leigh to enjoy what was on the pitch , with no thought of the administration of the sport , either at club or competition level, now its all about ticking boxes off the pitch and hoping some suit in Red Hall likes the butties you serve up at half time

You can still enjoy what's on the pitch.

I can do that at Leigh east watching the under 7 s , or watching a SL match on SKY

If you take the emotion out of it a lot of what is said is spot on wether you agree with his solutions or not.

Structurally the game isn't right.

We all have ideas and Im not sure what the best approach is but what we have now isn't working.

And one big thing he picked up on was the competitiveness.

Any changes should be aimed at increasing this for the players and the fans.

Maybe thats why were falling so far behind the Aussies.

Making the eight in a 14 team league? Top 4 playing for position in the playoffs? No penalities for finishing bottom? One Cup competition?

When we have got Bradford the club that embraced Super League the most in serious trouble we need the guys running the sport to wake up.

Because we are sleepwalking into serious trouble.

But you don't have to justify the decision by picking holes in the Game.

(My pet hate I hate hail mary kick to tall wingers on the last)

Theres nothing wrong with RL playing a lesser role in your life.

Youre not any less of a fan.

You just grew up.

I made a longer post on TRL but my issue with the article is this:

Basically he says: there are some problems with the game. But there always have been - and in the past arguably much bigger ones than today. It's the leap from that to "the game is dead to me" that I really can't comprehend. Because those equivalent issues in the past were presumably mentally brushed under the carpet.

So people referring to the mentality or psycholigical state of the author are IMO making a perfectly valid point as there are only two options as top why the matters referred to would have this end result: either it is something about the issues mentioned (which can be discussed but in my judgement is not the case as structural issues should not have that end result.) Or there is a changed perspective from the writer - presumably, age - which affects the judgement on these matters.

I can't help but feel that Saints losing every Grand Final since 2006 has somewhat clouded his view of the game.

Agreed. Similar to those fans of lower league clubs who detest the game because they've been told their team isn't good enough.

Nobody needs to tell me ' my ' team isnt good enough for a franchised SL, that is plainly obvious, and from a playing point of view the Championship is a vibrant, competitive, worth winning in its own right competition, its just nobody wants to pay to watch it

if its not good enough for a franchised SL it isnt good enough for SL.

Fair comment, balanced out by half the clubs in SL not being good enough for SL

A bit weird that he's not harking back to a time when Saints were successful, but rather a time when they are worse than what they are now!

In itself the article is fine, with many good points worth discussion.
It is the fact that it only highlights negatives rather than a balanced view that make it less worthwhile.

If he could bring himself to see some of the positives in the game, or even the negatives of the past he may find a different conclussion, rather than the game is dead.

At the same time, I know at Saints of fans who have bought their first season ticket for years, including ones for their kids too. Attendances across the board appear to be growing so these must be a new generation of fans and old fans returning to the game now that it's more professional. Someone may wish to argue about the professional aspect but I bet if you looked at clubs' business plans from 1990 you'd laugh.

Interestingly the Championship isn't as methodical as SL, so maybe the Saints fan would be better hoping that Saints were in this league? I do enjoy watching the Championship because it's not as polished on the whole.