Hi first ever post on VT, so appologies if this one has been done before, but as a regular contributor on the wakefield forum, i would like to here the views of other RL fans.

My question is simple, does SL represent what supporters want?

I ask that you dont just think about your clubs perspective, but the league in general and internationally.

Are we going backwards internationally with the loss of GB, but does the increasing standards in Wales and France compensate for that?

Are our clubs better served by the three year franchise, or is the end of P & R stiffling clubs?

Is SL a better product on the whole, or are we losing individuality amongst teams and players?

over to you all, i look forward to your comments, and i hope to put them to good use.

For us to be a professional sport we have to have professional standard clubs. Clubs like Wakefield are comparable to some League 2 football teams. P&R clearly wasn't working now and at least with the threat of not getting a franchise clubs are (appearing to be) doing more to gain a better club. I know it must be difficult for a Wakefield fan as they appear to be doing and, perhaps not on merit, but I feel it's for the greater good of the game.

i wonder why you werent asking these questions 3 yrs ago when your club conned the rfl into a license

3 years ago it was widnes fans asking very much the same questions

yeah its the future of the game you are worried about

I'd say for the majority, yes,



England at the moment are standing still, the other 2 you mention as well as ireland and scotland are making nice steady progress




The games and its structure is evolving, move with it or get left behind, the last few years we had at P&R just weren't working anymore, I'd say promotion did Halifax and Leigh more damage than it did good



Depends how you like your rugby, its certainly faster these days, though id like to see more individual skill, we seem to be lacking in real quality halves

yes

whatever you think of wakefield, and i probably feel the same on most issues, this is not about my club,
i hold a view, which is largely reflected on the wakefield board, but i ask it here in order to collate the response from other RL fans accross the board.
As for wakefield, we deserve what ever we get, no complaints from me there, lame management is no excuse, however positive discrimination is not the answer.

I believe that franchising will be looked back on as a real boost to the game, simply because it has forced clubs to look at themselves and try to improve. Those who can't improve will, unfortunately, be the ones that don't survive in the long term.

exactly

and if they cant bad luck for them

i believe wakey will survive outside sl and being kicked out will force council to help the club finally sort out their ground

3 years down the track they could do a phoenix like widnes have

right now wakey are struggling to survive in SL, and without a new ground cant progress further

Let's see. Jury's still out on that one although it is early days. So long as we see a =#0000FFfair system i think the game can only get better, and not just at SL level.

Yes

youd be the first non sl fan to say the bit in bold

all i tend to read is how franchising is killing them off

and as you say, if its a fair system it will improve the game

I would suggest the question would be better as "Does Superleague represent what PEOPLE want?"

Those who follow Rugby League know what they are getting. It's those that don't that need "informing" and the game, SL in particular, is appalling at promoting itself.

Au contraire, only this morning i had the millenium flyer thru me letterbox

Finger on the pulse them RFL boys

So you are not a RL fan then I take it ?

Ive been known to attend a game or two

Was over your way for the real Leigh derby earlier in the season

It seems to me to depend on who you ask and where you ask them

On these boards it tends to be split

Most SL fans on here say it is what they want , with just a few against it

Most Championship fans [ mostly from clubs that at the toppish end of the Championship say it isnt with again a few agreeing with it

Ask at a match of either level and 90 % say no , they prefer P and R , although they might be lieing and just being nice to the poor Championship fan asking the question

So overall a split verdict

So you didn't actually read leaguefans post then did you , he was reffering to PEOPLE who are not already RL fans

Readings never been a strong point, there was a billboard on the M1/A64 or whatever that bypass is called these days on saturday on my way to York

That count?

That'll be why you're a moderator then

Or it might be that it says more about the ad hoc and unrepresentative nature of the sampling involved in 'the people I talk to at matches'

What is it about moderators not actually reading what is posted ? ,did you not get to the bit about them telling me lies ?

What is it about Starbugs not actually reading what is posted? I offered an alternative to them telling you lies: ie they're telling you their true opinions, but they're just not a representative sample and therefore no conclusions can be drawn about fans in general.

I did a survey once at Castleford - just asked all the sexy ladies in the home section of the crowd the sample questions. 2 out of 3 answered positively.

It represents what I want- summer rugby, in decent grounds, with less and less overseas players, with well attended finals in big stadiums, with a bit of innovation with the magic weekends and reasonably priced ticketing..... and thats as a Quins fan!

So you mean like people from W1g4n,Warrington,St helens and Salford who watch their towns RL clubs not being representative of RL fans of W1g4n,Warrington,St helens and Salford ?

Ok then