& after plenty of us Leigh fans supporting your fans through your last 2 administrations too ! Classy.

Have they fixed that enormous sink hole yet ?

Well thought out & interesting post .....

Well thank you Sir

The product is failing, expansion is last on the list at present. Also how do you think Catalans are still viable in SL.

Sadly, I think Leigh are proof that there are a limited number of SL players of influence. 11 clubs got to pick first, they got what was left, and a lot of them aren’t able to affect an SL game.

I’m not suggesting that their squad doesn’t have players who CAN play at this standard, but that they lack the players who can determine a change in momentum/unlock defence/control a game.

Usually, squads have a lot of these ‘filler’ players, for example Wigan have had Isa, Clubb, Crosby etc. and Leeds had Kirke, Gibson, Achurch etc. No doubt that these have been successful in their career by being in squads that have won trophy’s, but they don’t influence change in matches themselves.

So, is the answer to have less clubs and make the top of the pyramid narrower, or to facilitate better movement of these core talents across a settled group of elite clubs. It’s evident that a lot of clubs have finished their recruitment business before promotion is sorted, so the talent pool is drained before they even get a chance to pick.

Expansion of SL would be a by product not the main aim. The main aim would be to give teams with potential a fighting chance and, over time, improve the competitiveness of the whole competition.
Sorry, I don’t get your reference to Catalans.

Some great posts on here......

I lap up all the business about structures and can assure you for two years now Lenegan & his cohorts cannot stop pushing for a 10 club Superleague and maybe the same for the Championship, so much so that it went to a vote he lost, but that hasn't been the end of it.

Lenegan & Co. getting total control of the SKY money 2022 gives him another chance to push for his "2x10" set up, and how we get to that isn't in any way in the hands of the RFL who have no money, and no power. If at the end of the season Mr. Lenegan and his rich fellow chairmen want to significantly change things who is to stop them?

Certainly it was the votes of Championship and League onc clubs that stopped him last time, a vote he accepted. But once he has all the SKY money he doesn't have to accept West Wales Batley and Coventry saying "no" to him.

Leigh can be the worst ever SL club (bar London) but if Mr. Lenegan fancies Mr. Beaumont to continue putting his money into Superleague next season, rather than bailing out a skint groundless Salford, or allowing Toulouse to field an anglo-aussie team in SL then there we will have it....................

.................Unless anyone can find a quote from Lenegan promotion is 100% "on" this season

Another excellent point

Gone are the dark days of the WUM's...........

If there is to be major change for when the reduced SKY deal comes in then as you indicate Lenegan & co can't really make that change after the grand final.

It is an excellent point that clubs are signing players for next season now before the cut off? Could leigh be doing this privately?

I didn't get this point either? Their viability for me is Gaush's money, and the release of Falou, combined with Les Catalans playing nine Frenchmen against Castleford and winning.

The worrying thing with RL at the moment is that it feels like a ever reducing spiral of decisions. Talk of reducing numbers in SL restricting teams that have academies reduced sky money. Less availability of quality players. One of the key things should be to increase participation across all ages all teams should have academies and be charged with recruiting, attracting new players, this is how sport works this is how we grow. Not by reducing the top league so a TV channel can just show a small group of teams endlessly playing each other over and over again. All teams are capable of producing SL quality players given the right development structures. With Leigh we have an owner that is willing to put the resources in the build an academy to create a pathway for local players but is being declined the opportunity. The Leigh club historically has always had a good % of home grown players how can we get back to this without an academy or reserves team.

Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/

Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/

Quote ="Ornery Optimist"Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/'"

Quote ="Ornery Optimist"Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/'"

Quote ="Ornery Optimist"Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/'" So a 10 team league which includes Newcastle, a team from Wales which is in league 1 where it's failed before and two French teams OH edited just for ragingbull hope your happy now

Quote ="Ornery Optimist"Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/'" So a 10 team league which includes Newcastle, a team from Wales which is in league 1 where it's failed before and two French teams OH edited just for ragingbull hope your happy now

Quote ="Ornery Optimist"Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/'" The sooner, the better. Take the power away from the owners who are blinded by self interest. As for a 10 team league, that would be going further backwards and would grow stale quickly. However there are a number of clubs that are only there making numbers up.

Quote ="Ornery Optimist"Independent Commission for the sport? https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19 ... by-league/'" The sooner, the better. Take the power away from the owners who are blinded by self interest. As for a 10 team league, that would be going further backwards and would grow stale quickly. However there are a number of clubs that are only there making numbers up.

Doesn't that apply to most sports, if not all of them?

I often wonder if posters on here actually watch rubgy league or just log on here to argue with people for the sake of it.
Last time i checked Newcastle were in the champioship.

Hello H

not been on for a while hope your fit and ready for what looks like another long debate with the rights and wrongs of rugby league,

Let start with your comment about taking the power away from the owners of super league clubs, if your investing quite a lot of money into a business and someone tells you that you have no say into the matter of that said business how would you feel seeing your money disappearing and not being able to control it? suppose you could say its like a slot machine you take your risk the more money goes in the better the chance of winning, so yes they do have self interest and yes they are always wanting to keep pushing for more.

Now agree that the super league clubs have forgotten about the lower leagues to the extent that the game has starting to fragment, we've seen this as fans for years but I've seen in some past posts on here is they should shut down if they they can't afford to run the club, survival of the fittest they call it.

some rugby league family we have become to turn our backs on clubs struggling.
The situation we are in reminds me of the dominated years of Wigan where the spent their way to success and did it well, we now have a few more clubs that spend to the cap and also can afford the marquee player which has split the league to the extent now that half the clubs will never be able to reach the top without investment, but then we're back to owners not having a say on their investment.

Are you suggesting that the RFL take full control with the clubs having no say whats so ever? that wouldn't give me the greatest of confidence especially the way they have handled the academy licences out again telling clubs what they can and can't do with their investment in the club.

Enough has been said on the 10 team league on here and looks like Richardson wants to start talking about it again and gawd knows why he'd want to ditch 6 super league to achieve this especially adding two division one sides

so its something we can agree on this it would be a massive step backwards and would totally break up clubs which have a footing in the super league.

He is right on the mid season England a game waste of time, players pulling out, not the full England team with players on the opposition side so you can't really call it a run out, shame the french don't have a side worthy of a challenge.

I wish I had all the answers but like he said its beginning to love its self to death, the foundation of the game is in a mess and its now worked its self to the top.

sorry for that meant the wales team silly me

Credit for them stepping up last minute. They have actually been quite respectable given they are a championship team plus one signing.

They aren't really up to it unfortunately, I have been cruelly calling them the bye recently as teams are obviously not taking them seriously. Leeds move a game to Sunday knowing they only have Leigh on Wednesday. Warrington CEO is all for the All Star game knowing they will beat Leigh with half a team.

A lot of teams are clearly taking their win against Leigh for granted.

Someone will come unstuck....and I hope it's a huge scalp!
Leigh (and the rest) were stupid to apply without certain conditions being put in pace, the first of which should have been 1 year exempt from the drop. Tough on the team in 11th, but ask Castleford if it was fair for them when Catalans came to the table.
Halifax are currently the worst SL side ever.....One of my first games was watching them get their sole win at Griffin Park....

Leigh may not have to do anything.

Your making a Gross Assumption it's business as usual and current rules apply. Did any of those who applied apply on the basis that they would take a hammering every week and then be relegated? Especially with short SL funding for this season? I very much doubt this don't you?

Either we have a whole series of grossly stupid chairmen, or we do not know how things will work for 2022 which is a whole new contract and a whole new ball game.

For best part of two years SL has been pondering a 10 club superleague, a closed shop, or relegation every two years only, do we continue with French clubs who are guests only?

Mr. Beaumont is wealthy, smart and going forward offers RL in Lancashire a fourth competitive club and good gates when his team mix it with Wigan, Saints and Wire, Salford are fighting for their own existence off the field as Sale and Salford City FC look to take their ground, and no solution is forthcoming from Salford council.

Don't just look at the league table Gents, look at the various factors that will decide SL's make up 2022, and if it was the ten then........

Wigan. Leigh, Saints and Wire........ Hull & HKR........ Leeds, Cas, Wakey & Fartown could be the ten........

I'd personally keep Les Catalans in SL as they have now done a massive about face and started to recruit and play as many French lads as they can. But even then, why do you think this guest club with no voting rights may be dragging in all these French players in on the eve of a new English TV deal?? Is it just a coincidence?

The assumption Leigh go straight back down could be attributed to Beaumont not thinking such was his desire for promotion in any form including at the last minute when totally unprepared.

If this was just a stupid move fuelled by the mans big heart, and not head, then consider that a load of other Championship Chairmen were seemingly just as reckless in their applications?? The clamour to get in SL this year smacked very heavily indeed of being a last chance to do so..........




.....

With out a doubt. They couldnt even get near a Leeds reserve team tonight

the bulls are the most scrounging club in rl they've got more buckets than b&q

I know, they were missing as many players as Leigh were, so definitely their reserves. Up the Bulls !