super league 1&2, spliting into 3 divisions after round 11? Why does the RFL always have to over complicate things?

To me it would make sense keeping the SL1 and SL2 idea. winner of SL1 wins the league cup. Top 3 clubs from each league compeate for the 'Super league trophy'. Bottom three demoted from SL1 and the Top two from SL2 promoted. 3, 4, 5 & 6 in a play off for the third promotion.

Makes more sense to me. SL2 winner can get the LLS as well as compete for a major bit of silverware other than the CC.

Your proposal sounds just as complicated to be honest mate. It's fine the way it is.

How when they plan to slit the two leagues into three divisions after round 11 playing each one home and away and then goin back to the two leagues again?

The way I suggested, it's just two straight leagues with P&R. top three from each playing for a trophy. Whats hard about that?

I wasn't sure at first, but I think it could work well if given a proper chance. It allows for Championship clubs to gradually develop, rather than being thrown straight in (then out) of the deep end. It also satisfies those on here who complain that the regular season doesn't matter.

People will still moan and find a fault with it.

Teams that have an injury crisis early in the season unfairly penalised, it's meant to be a league not a mini series - it's a farce, the league is basically compressed into a 11 game season etc. etc.

I'd stick with the current set up - the best teams will always have the luxury of rotating their squad. Very rarely under the old P and R system did we have the mythical last match 4 pointer. It was usually the team that came up got absolutely hammered every week and were relegated long before the end of the season unless an existing team was in freefall such as Halifax.

I think the current system needs tweaking (i.e. top 7 play offs so each game is sudden death, maybe a 3 year league cycle so the best performing team over 3 years plays the worst performing SL team over 3 yrs over 2 legs.)

I think one of the key reasons we have so many good young players coming through is that teams didn't need to worry about relegation and making short-term purchases.

The issue with rugby league isn't about the league structure - the game needs to be far more aggressive in it's marketing. And I don't just mean the RFL but the clubs - apart from Wigan - they are all very parochial and complacent. I see very little effort to widen the market - more of a build it and they will come approach. You can see the limitation of that with our own club.

The other big issue with Super League is the governance - it needs a single leader to drive it forward. Having the clubs control things just leads to nonsense such as scrapping U21s for the dual registration mess. Everyone blames the RFL but it was (certain) SL clubs that voted for that.

The Premier League has Richard Scudamore, F1 - Bernie, BTCC - Alan Gow. For this sort of thing to work you need a single strong leader.

All this league structure will do is make the game look micky mouse and is just a knee jerk reaction to a few negative headlines from RL journos.

Do away with the playoffs and have a 12 team SL which splits into top half and bottom half after 22 games giving a further 10 games where the best 6 play each other and the worse 6 play each other. Every game matters from Round 1 to Round 32 regardless of whether it's Wigan or London and the team that finishes top of the pile after 32 games is clearly the best team in the competition and have earned the right to be called Champions.

Revamp the Magic weekend as part of the Challenge Cup.

bring back promotion and relegation..top 8 should be a different comp and the champs are the ones who win the league not some team who finishes 5th..keep the challenge cup and get rid of the magic weekend

How to kill the game in one quick message board post, by Sir Adrian Morley Esq.

its not exactly thriving at this moment although you may think so..still we are all entitled to our opinions ....even you

The answer is simple, find loads of money from somewhere and give it to 20 clubs.

Best idea to me would be 2 leagues of 10 or 12, with 2 teams promoted and relegated this year, this would make every game in the season a big game, the bottom of sl 2 still works as a lisencing system, thiswould increase attendences all around in my view e.g. widnes are dominating sl 2and get high crowds, plus then a promotion tobe back at the top, bottom of sl1 wakefield and hull kr (theoretical) are scrapping for points every week, keep the magic weekend it was by far the best away day last year, one idea from the rfl I loved as long as it stays at the etihad

Looks like Tony Smith isnt impressed by it all, that and he reckons salford should have points docked... www.warringtonwolves.org/tv/?v=512

Looks like Tony Smith isnt impressed by it all, that and he reckons salford should have points docked... www.warringtonwolves.org/tv/?v=512

Thought he was on shaky ground with his comments about Salford.

Did we not get a late winner against Wakey last year with an extra man on the pitch?

Agree with him re: the lack of firm of firm leadership from the RFL on certain matters but with regard to the farcical changes to the youth system, the majority of the clubs have a lot to answer for.

If our extra man was a French referee then yes, he gave us an extra tackle which we scored off.

Ah yes now I remember.

This is why I don't post much.

Back in my box for another few months.

I think the comment on strong leadership is slightly unfair.

Is the Warrington chairman, going to lead the way for Tony Smith, by Warrington giving up their right to vote on changes suggested by the RFL???

If we want strong leadership, then there needs to be less democracy and power more concentrated in the RFL. If you want democracy with the SL chairmen making decisions, then you have to accept a lack of leadership as the chairmen will each have their own idea's on what is best for them or for SL.

The RFL is a useful scapegoat for fans, but the real power lies with the clubs, not the RFL. The RFL is more akin to an advisory body for the SL chairmen.

Above posting is spot on.

Just watched Tony,sounded like a pitch for his next career!! could he be the strong leader the rfl needs?

Definitely time for change at the RFL. Nothing seems to be going particularly well at the moment - other than RLWC2013 which from what I've seen is being run pretty well by a specially created team.

Franchising has clearly had its faults but it did have some benefits too so I was a supporter of it coming in. However, it has now had its day and lack of P&R is clearly stifling competition in SL and killing ambition below SL. On top of that, the Academy changes voted in by some short-sighted SL clubs is ruining the good progress that had been made in youth development.

So, problems we have:
- lack of competitive games in SL;
- lack of clear reward for ambition below SL;
- youth development gone backwards;
- waning media profile (from an already low level);
- lack of sponsorship interest;
- declining crowds.

Some pretty big problems. However, do we really need to throw away everything we have and start again with some baffling, bizarre format? No, for me, all we need to do is:

- stick with 14 SL clubs;
- introduce 1 up/down automatic P&R;
- reduce playoffs to top 5 or 6;
- implement the u23s teams that the RFL review recommended;
- bring back the Great Britain team to play every 2 or 3 years.

Job done - all the above problems are in some way addressed by these solutions, which whilst will bring about change are not too drastic and simple to understand.

If you elect a leader you empower them to make decisions, SL chairmen make the calls based upon self interest - fact
The top 6 are not affected by P&R, they have the most money, the best juniors, the best players and we rely on them to fill the intl squad
The bottom 6 are most effected, produce few players and have thee same voting rights
Turkeys, Christmas .........

One of the best things that Super League did was get rid of promotion and relegation and bring in a licensing system. Straight up/down is incredibly in a sport that it is looking to develop its players and clubs.

The licencing system came off the back of the whole game review which led in turn to the need to build better stadium.
The whole game review culminated in a very good report
The fudge of the authorities was to give too many clubs a way out NOT to develop their stadia and facilities and increase their attraction to the public.

The other fudge was in regards to the 'financial stability' of clubs. How on earth could they give Bradford a 3 year licence based on financial health? It beggars belief - or shows that the accountants used by the clubs are cleverer than those employed by the RFL.

All we now need is (further) wholescale breaking of the salary cap....

I am concerned about Koukash's statements on this and in my view there should be draconian measures taken on any who transgress.
The previous 'slaps on the wrist' that I seem to remember kept some (including Wigan) in the top flight many years ago simply won't do.

Fudge is an appropriate word.

Best for whom?
Financial stability? Wakey,Bradford, Salford, Crusaders are fine examples
Even up the comp? Would you put your house on Wigan, Wire, Leeds not winning this years GF ? So since SL began we have had four GF winners and since frAnchising two
Increase the player pool? Yip, scrap teams and DC's says it all
Increase intensity? HKR 4 - how many Wigan
Salford, London, Cas, Widnes already have nothing to play for
Championships are dead and the heartlands amateur game is struggling
Is it all franchising-no but franchising has divided our sport and we are not big enough to be divided

If P&R does come back, would it be a good idea for the promoted team to meet a minimum standards criteria to enter the league. Such as in the Aviva Premiership?

why has Franchising and no Promotion and relgation affected the amateur game....surely that has little bearing on what the pro or semi pro game does..... ???

what appears to me is tinkering with the Amateur game has affected numbers....When it was in its pomp (in my era anyway) I'd say back in the early 90's I played in the North West counties 4th division with Laportes there were divisions five and six below us and then two reserve divisions thats nine leagues and then in addition to that was the National conference which The Woolston Rovers side dominated for a while.... It was a clear simple structure. play for your local team in the north west in the winter or play nationally in the Conference in the winter .
then they dicked about running a crappy summer competion which was crap and local lads went and played back to back rugby playing for Crewe wolves or something like that and then the Wizards came along and the great woolston side just seemed to get lost in it all?.... and now the games gone completely summer and they are down to six leagues with the last league just about a league with 7 teams in it...and some old familiar club names long gone...

maybe there's a lesson here for someone ............... dont dick around with the format otherwise people get ed off