www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... ring-plans And about time too!

www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... ring-plans And about time too!

Is Lenagan the new Gary Hetherington now?

Good. Let's hope there's a major restructuring and we can get someone with a bit of brains in at the RFL.

EDIT: Although, having seen the suggestion that they want to keep 14 teams, I think they're making a mistake. Go to 12, have promotion/relegation and reduce the playoffs to a straightforward knock out. And then stop playing about with it! It makes RL a total laughing stock.

It doesn't need a lot of change. we need to get rid of this idea that RL is full of innovations. I'm sick of them. This 12 and 8 idea was ridiculous. It was a qualifying competition to enter another qualifying competition, something that a lot have been moaning about, Clubcall needs to go too.
12 or 14 Clubs in SL, with P and R, a top 5 play-off, plus the chance of the top 3 teams going into an extended WCC should keep the interest going. It should also mean quite a big improvement in gates for the championship as some teams will be jockeying for promotion. Apparently SL weekend is a money maker, so that will stay whatever happens. I'd be looking for the championship equivelent, maybe at Blackpool.

+1
I spoke to IL on Sunday, he wants a top 5 play off with three clubs involved in the WCC.

in that case the beaten clubs not on the final could then playoff for the 3rd spot..
More drama!

I'd go with that, though I thiink the SL definitely needs to be cut to 12 (preferably 10) to concentrate money, players and create room to spend a bit more on the Championship. I'd love to see an extended WCC but I don't think the Aussies would go for it or an English team would pick up a win. Imagine us, Hudds and Leeds against Sydney, Souths and Melbourne, it'd be a massacre. Still, I think they should float it as it might actually improve the standard of our top teams.

Or have the Challenge Cup winners as one of the three (if they do not reach the Grand Final)?

We move within the corridors of power Rogues. I was talking to Brian Carney on Saturday night for a short while. I also had a good conversation with Ritchie Eyres.
I think that's the way we're heading, with either an increase in the cap, or exemption for a marquee player.

No, don't fancy that. It's more innovation. keep the CC separate. I might just apply for nigel's job. If nothing else feeding me would be a bit cheaper.

Apologies in advance for a long post

I think that we should accept that there are 3 competitions; League winners, Challenge Cup and Play off winners and that they all need different things to win them and they are all equally important.

Really glad the new structure proposals are being challenged, they are just daft,

Personally I would like to see

1 A salary cap that at least keeps pace with inflation and that is reset to make up the years that it has been frozen (Sky is getting us on the cheap at the moment). This is vital
2 The right to spend up to the cap for all clubs as long as they can show the funding is in place (to start to compete with the dark side). Very important
3 A competition with promotion and relegation (to encourage lower league teams and sharpen up the lower reaches of the SL). No brainer
4 14 teams. Yes I know the quantity of avaialble talent argument but for me I want as many games as I can have.
5 I am not fussed as to whether we have Magic Weekend or not
6 A serious, professional marketing campaign (sigh) from the RFL and the clubs. The best advert for RL would be if we were on terrestrial TV playing to full stadiums PLEASE
7 A serious, professional marketing campaign (sigh) from the RFL and the clubs (Yes I'll say it again)
8 A study to consider whether its possible to develop the whole of the 3 leagues as a co-operative with shared ethos, objectives and possibly some assets (Believe me this does not come from a left wing political dogma!). I think we need to lift the status and finances of the whole game in the UK, not just superleague, and not just the clubs with rich owners. However if we just concentrate on the finances (of the superleague) we have the danger of setting club against club. We need to find ways to maintain and improve existing centres of RL as well as (limited and targeted) expansion and to get a clear RL "brand". Not sure how this all could be made to work but I think there may be something in there, and it should be looked at. Sure as hell can't be worse than we do at the moment

correct, finish top and you automatically qualify.
Then the 2 grand finalist, should one be the team that had automatically qualified, then the team that finished next highest in the league qualifies