Yep. Firstly, even if the intensity in SL were very high, unfortunately very few people really care about the clubs in SL. They're not relevant to them, they have no affinity to them and no real reason to support or follow one or the other. Yorks & Lancs is much more easily identified with. As for those who say people won't follow Lancashire, take a look at recent Lancashire v Yorkshire T20 games and their attendances, people the other side of the Pennines don't seem to have a problem following Lancashire in the right circumstances.

As said, it has to be done properly or there's no point, but then that could be said of any initiative.

I tend to agree with the Roses concept being a bit old fashioned.

What I'd prefer to see, is a complete three weekend mid-season break for both the NRL and SL.

This three week break would become the 'Summer International Break'. The Aussies would play their 3-game SOO series. NZ/PNG/Tonga/Samoa/Fiji would all play three tests against each other, and have full access to their NRL/SL players. England/Scotland/France/Wales/Ireland would play three tests, with the NRL based players and coach able to travel.

Other sports have dedicated International weekends where the domestic competitions take a break. Every country with a representative RL side should be playing matches these weekends and have full access to players.

I don't have a problem with the league continuing whilst the internationals or Roses comp is on, just that all players have to be made available. If they're not then they won't be picked for end of season internationals.

This would be great except I highly doubt the NRL would agree to a 3 week break. They are more likley to agree to release Aus internationals for 1 week and NZ internationals another week. Super League could take a break and Eng go down under and play a mid season game against each.

Sadly Eng playing and beating other home nations with ease isn't going to achieve much, those nations need to play competitive games against each other.

So questions.

What's the format: Yorks v Lancs, East v West?
When do we fit it in: Mid season break, during the weekly rounds?
What's the purpose: Growing the sport, a way of selecting for England/GB, money maker for RFL?
Will the clubs buy into it?
Will the players buy into it?

Let's be realistic, it's dead in the water, we can't promote it, we can't sell it and not enough people that matter will buy into it.

Would i go? East v West i would.
Yorks v Lancs.....I'm from Cheshire i couldn't give a monkeys about Lancs.

I thought if it was over the same weekends at SOO a three week NRL break would stand a better chance.

I think the other home nations still need exposure to a higher level of competition (playing England). If 'tier 2' nations only ever play other tier 2 nations, then where is the challenge to test yourself against the very best? Would a Welsh youngster be more inspored by a game vs Scotland at Workington in front of a couple of Cumbrians, or a game vs the old enemy England?

We need to make International RL the pinnacle of our sport. We need to give the emerging/Tier 2 Nations the chance to test themselves, improve, create that pathway for them to compete at the highest levels.

England will dish out a fair few drubbings of course, but so what? We have to think longer term for a change. Some will say England need a bigger mid-season test to compete with the Aussies, well if that's the view taken - prioritising the England team to be competitive then all we'll ever have is a three-team International game.

The same goes for Fiji, Tonga, PNG, Samoa. Maybe Fiji playing more test matches would help convince Radradra to represent Fiji instead of pledge to Australia? (maybe he's only bothered about money, who knows?)

Football & RU set the standard for International competition & we're massively lagging behind, mainly due to our own insular nature and poor governance.

Been saying for years RL needs some sort of 5 nations sell it to BBC or ITV and market the hell out of it take it too Ireland Wales Scotland and France and let the home fans get behind them and build from there,

I would love the NRL and Super League to both take a mid season break, I just don't think the NRL will ever agree to it. If it was to happen though with State of Origin on 3 consecutive weekends, a mid season test series against NZ would be the best thing for England. This could alternate between hemispheres so both sides have internationals on home soil every year.

I'm afraid most those teams aren't in a fit state to take part in a comp like that.
The players and fans killed the War of The Roses, who's to say they wouldn't kill it off again.
To create room in the calendar, we should start by ditching two teams from Super League. There just isn't enough quality in the comp to spread around.

It probably would be. But what's best for the game? I think we have to get out of the mind set of placing England's (or any other nation's) needs above the needs of the International game as a whole.

Don't blame ya mate. It's a foul place



But seriously, War of the Roses, Yorks v Lancs...anyone who thinks that that's the basis for a decent marketing campaign needs to think again. It might get a bit of lukewarm backing along part of the M62 but nationally??

Didn't the RFL come up with some stat showing that a high proportion of tickets for London games were purchased by folk living outside the heartlands? If we're going to run with some sort of sub-international concept it should appeal to them too (as well as others from all other parts of the country). That Yorks-Lancs county rivalry thing looks faintly ridiculous from any sort of distance.

People in Yorkshire are no different to people , say, in Wales or Scotland, in that we are proud of our "nation" and heritage, we just haven't proclaimed independence yet.
I often get asked by outsiders just why we are so proud of our county, more so, than say, someone from Dorset, my answer is simple, Yorkshire isn't just a county, it's our culture, our way of life, our heritage.

Well said

Cheers, although you're Humberside so nowt to do wi thee

[*
But can be used to increase the profile and reach of the game in Yorkshire & Lancashire. Even in our "heartlands" support and profile of the game is only average at best.

Other measures are needed to increase profile and reach in other areas. My basic plan would be:
- Reduce SL to 10 clubs. (Takes 6 games off the season. 4 regular season & 2 after the split)
- introduce a 2nd cup competition early in the season. (Max 4 games for SL clubs)
- introduce a 3 game Roses comp run alongside the regular season. All qualifying players to be made available for selection. If they're not then clubs to be sanctioned and players to be made unavailable for international selection.
- take £3.6m a year from the TV money to be invested in the game. £1.8m to be targeted investment in one or 2 areas (my preference being Newcastle and/or Manchester) to both help Salford/Newcastle grow and to grow the game at grassroots level in these areas. The other £1.8m to go toward grassroots growth in other areas.
- A regular mid-season international series established involving England, Wales and France.

That's an increase of a max of 11 games (4 max from 2nd cup comp, 4 from international series playing France & Wales twice, and 3 Roses games).
But there's a reduction of 6 games from a smaller league and due to the smaller league and an increase in the tv deal money clubs should be able to afford bigger squads.


I'd love to get Australia/NZ over mid-season but realistically I can't see it ever happening.

There isn't a single rugby league team from Lancashire in the top seven leagues of this sport. It might go further down the rugby league structure before you find one but I haven't looked that far down.

No we are not Humberside has gone did no body tell you that

This is the clearest as it has Saint, Wigan, Wire and Widnes all within their respective counties, Laughing Gravy, you need to move with the times and stop holding on to the past.

Lancashire County Cricket club should think about changing their name back to what it first was Manchester Cricket Club.

:1zst4cch

=#BF00BF:1zst4cchIt could do that, yes, but unless someone can provide reasons why it would be any better received than previous, similar efforts it seems to hold no greater attractions than, say, the Exiles games.:1zst4cch


Other measures are needed to increase profile and reach in other areas. My basic plan would be:
- Reduce SL to 10 clubs. (Takes 6 games off the season. 4 regular season & 2 after the split)
- introduce a 2nd cup competition early in the season. (Max 4 games for SL clubs)

=#BF00BF:1zst4cchNot for me, though others might feel differently. I reckon a new cup comp would be poorly attended and the temptation to revert back to a 27-game league season with each of the 10 clubs playing each other 3 instead of 2 times would be too great. Either way, a 10 club league comp would seem very stale to me.:1zst4cch

- introduce a 3 game Roses comp run alongside the regular season. All qualifying players to be made available for selection. If they're not then clubs to be sanctioned and players to be made unavailable for international selection.

=#BF00BF:1zst4cchSee above. I'm not averse to the principle of a 3 game series - I'm in favour - just not a roses one.:1zst4cch

- take £3.6m a year from the TV money to be invested in the game. £1.8m to be targeted investment in one or 2 areas (my preference being Newcastle and/or Manchester) to both help Salford/Newcastle grow and to grow the game at grassroots level in these areas. The other £1.8m to go toward grassroots growth in other areas.
- A regular mid-season international series established involving England, Wales and France.

=#BF00BF:1zst4cchBoth get my vote although I haven't the faintest whether £1.8m is an appropriate sum. But Newcastle and Manchester, definitely.

I am from Manchester proper, not a born & bred RL Fan but have been for 34 years now, I would still care about Lancs v Yorks, more so than I would a 3rd Wigan v Saints, Widnes v Wire - Magic Weekend game.

Drop 2 uncompetitive SL Clubs reducing SL to 10 teams, *there's your mid season break*
Championship stays at 12 with 2 uncompetitive Clubs relegated to League 1
League 1 goes from 15 to 12 Clubs with a new League 2 introduced, 3 uncompetitive teams relegated.

Introduce 1 up 1 down straight P&R *creates excitement & [icould[/i bring back fans to the terraces*. Get rid of or reduce the 8's (all of them), why should a team that finishes 8th in SL be crowned Champions ? Ludicrous!!!
Reduce it to Top 4
Have 2nd bottom SL & 2nd Top Championship play off for promotion/relegation.
This reduction in end of season 'Novelty Fixtures' creates yet more room for Internationals/Roses etc games within the regular season.

Above all, market the CARP out of it & create a buzz.

Unfortunately the success of such a venture would require leaders with a backbone & not the half A$$€D
bunch of invertebrates we have currently presiding over RL.

Re Clearwing -
I understand what you mean, I was previously against reducing the comp down to 10, like you I thought it would get stale. I probably still think it would. I think the benefits of it (larger squads for the 10 clubs, more tv money for each club, higher intensity/quality games) might be starting to outweigh the negatives. Though that's partly why I suggested a 2nd cup comp to liven the season up a bit.

Quote ="JonB95"Indeed.. when was the last time you heard fans of Saints/Wigan/Wire et al chanting Lancashire? In fact, even the good people of Yorkshire couldn't get up for it before it was scrapped - see the paltry attendances for yourself here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Lea ... _the_Roses Here's a wacky idea, how about we improve our international team (England) by playing a full international mid season with another international team (France) and stop trying to revive dead and buried fixtures from the bygone past.'" looking at all the attendances from 1895 onwards it is pretty clear to see that nobody gives a damn about this series. pointless exercise bringing it back.

Quote ="JonB95"Indeed.. when was the last time you heard fans of Saints/Wigan/Wire et al chanting Lancashire? In fact, even the good people of Yorkshire couldn't get up for it before it was scrapped - see the paltry attendances for yourself here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Lea ... _the_Roses Here's a wacky idea, how about we improve our international team (England) by playing a full international mid season with another international team (France) and stop trying to revive dead and buried fixtures from the bygone past.'" looking at all the attendances from 1895 onwards it is pretty clear to see that nobody gives a damn about this series. pointless exercise bringing it back.