stop talking stupid martin... brisbane wont win the nrl

Really? Apart from it being accidentally published in a leading marketing magazine a couple of months back?

Really?

The one bit I agree with is the fact that we need a larger elite talent pool, however, having that number of SL teams and claiming they will all be staffed by "elite players" is stretching credibility a bit unless the 'elite' player pool increases very quickly.

1 and 2 are within the same answer. I put Bradford in at the end and forgot to change the 9 to 10. People often talk about Bradfords stadium like it is as bad as Cas and Wakey but it isn't. It has a whole end of the ground which is brand new and dedicated to hospitality. It has almost 6k seats which is more than a lot of other stadiums, The terracing is not crumbling away like most old grounds and it is a high capacity for the big games.

The 3rd one was controversial but you only have to look at the crowds last time they were in super league to notice they will do better than most current super league teams. The local derbies agains Wigan, Saints and especially Warrington will be pulling 9-10k maybe even sell-outs. Their away support has also always been superb from what I have seen. I bet they will be the best supported team at MM, yes because its their first game but it shows the fans are willing to travel.
As for being competitive, the chairman has already said they will be spending to the full cap. This will automatically make them a top 8 team as there is only around 6 or 7 teams who actually spend the full cap.

Due to my quite extreme view of a large cut... I would have to agree with you.

My other point is that if the number of teams in super league was reduced then the salary cap in the championship should go up so it can get a lot closer to super league.

Anyone with half a brain can see that reducing the number of teams in SL would shrink the player pool, not expand it.

For the hard of thinking, it goes like this.

For easy calculation, lets say there are 14 teams with 25 players each at the moment, giving 350 SL players. Remove 2 teams, and that number obviously shrinks to 300, with the 50 'lesser' players presumably ending up in the lower divisions.
This removes the opportunity for players who were borderline SL players to improve their game (if indeed they do stay with the game, and don't go to RU) and in doing so they eventually weaken SL and the European game in general as if/when those players are needed they won't be up to speed.

As for the original suggestion, it could work if MM was counted as a normal fixture for teams, with one team considering it their home game, and then with the WCC as a bonus game on top. Other than that, none starter.
And how many clubs would give up a home fixture during the season? I'll bet it's less than one...

Finally... Starbug... you don't like SL/Licensing. We get that. No, really, we've picked it up by now... but if LCRLC were granted a licence then I'd guarantee that within two years you'd have changed your tune. P&R is a luxury RL can't afford at the moment.

I'd suggest the opposite , after 2/3 years you'd have changed your tune , unless you want us to be the northern version of Quins without a millionaire backing us

yes, thats the idea... thats why reducing the number of teams is the best way to improve the quality of superleague, and hopefully our national team.

There currently arent enough SL standard players for 14 teams.... its going to be even worse with 15/16 teams.

I think what clubs like Wakefield have proved over the past few years is that there are an awful lot of players in SL and Championship squads who aren't getting the opportunity to play first grade rugby and that if they're given the chance to do this and train full time, they can be succesful.

Look at Wire and the calibre of players that they're loaning out at the moment. Look at how Wigan got shut of Brown and Robinson all those years ago and how they're the backbone of Huddersfield now.

I think there is an awful lot of talent knocking about, enough to sustain an additional two teams. Your top elite are always going to play for the biggest club, its inevitable, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for anyone else. Also, having more clubs with strong academy set ups means that they'll eventually start to produce their own talent. This takes a bit of time, but we're seeing the benefits across the board in SL at the moment.

Event though the last time Great Britain was the dominant nation was when there more than 30 teams in one league?

Oh... i didnt know that.... that changes everything.

lets just merge superleague and the championship then.... problem solved...... we will soon be beating the aussies again.

Ooooo go on tell us what these issues are then?

Must admit, i'd forgotten MM was an additional weekend, but it's still very manageable. Make MM a weekly round, don't schedule local derbies so you don't hit the nominated "home" side with a big loss of home revenue. Allow the nominated home club to keep a % of the ticket price of tickets they sell (not sure if the RFL control this). With no outgoings, the majority of this % would be profit. half the league then have 1 less home game than the others, but without a complete loss. alternate the home side each year so to keep it fair. Not clean, but not impossible if we wanted it. I remember a few years ago we had a similar situation when we had a 12 team league yet played i think 27 games per year. It also gives the MM a pinnacle game and IMO increases the status of the WCC.

Sides like Quins and Crusaders weaken the concept of SL enough.

When you look at clubs like Leigh and Halifax and see how average they are we certainly don't want another poor quality side in SL thank you.

£1.2m versus £100,000
Stephen Hawkins IQ 165 versus your IQ of 34

How are Fax and Leigh not competing?
How are you not a professor?

Yet those are the reasons Leigh arent likely to get a franchise.

its a very contradictory standpoint for you to say franchising is wrong because it takes the prospect of promotion away from clubs like Leigh, but if Leigh were to be promoted they wouldnt be successful anyway.

If Leigh cant function in SL, then the fact franchising is keeping them out of SL is a good thing, and a system which allows them into SL is a bad thing.

The obvious answer to what you are saying, is there is a balance that needs to be struck. We need to keep expanding the league to give the pathways to young players to expand the player pool, conversely expanding the too far will dilute the quality

Im of the belief that the league should at the moment, be slightly bigger than the player pool will support. It gives us the impetus to increase it and I dont think we are that far away from supporting 14 teams, which in effect is actually only 11 teams (quins, crusaders, and Les Catalans have a special focus on their on providing a pathway for a developing player pool)

I think we are about right at the moment, but I think we are a long long way away from being able to support any more heartland sides from this player pool.

I think the proposed expansion of the championships is a good way of providing a broader base for the RL pyramid

It's all about the odds , posters like yourselves suggest that a club can come up after having a mediocre couple of seasons on pitch in the Championship and build in SL

I would suggest that unless your are coming up with a momentum of playing well and winning a league competition ( I prefer the win the league situtaion rather than the ' win one game ' scenario ) you are less likely to be competitive from the start , and that has been proved to be preferable in the past

However if you are not able to make the improvement enough to avoid a bottom finish then perhaps a season against lower opposition will allow you to build stronger the next time

Would 17 teams work?

I have stated in the past that the criteria for application is too low in my opinion , however I have also stated that the RFL are completely out of tune with what is required to improve the Championships , they haven't a clue what the clubs really need , it is pointless a club entering SL with 3 years guaranteed unless they can draw at least 4,000 attendances in the Championship , it is that mainly which has got Widnes a place this time

However there is then the other side of the coin , any SL club that isn't sustainable without massive owner input should be under real pressure from the RFL , or any club that isn't pulling in 8/9,000 fans is not a SL club , but just a Championship club who got lucky

If you are going to have a ' Super ' league , at least have it genuinely ' Super '

In your mind yes , in the real world no