BACK ON TOPIC

Whilst I admit that the game has changed, levels of support/interest/professionalism/funding/player resources/the advent of the internal combustion engine and the M62, anyone promoting a play off system whilst denouncing FPP to decide our sport's Champion team by using the "that's how we have (nearly) always done things" must also do the same?

In my experience they invariably don't, which I think is simplistic and slightly unfair....for a pointer look at the league structure and fixtures when we last won the big prize and tell me how this 'fits' in with the concept of 12 fully professional teams that play each other home and away, ignoring the magic weekend skew.

I don't have an answer btw and by and large get the fact that our paymasters need to control what is their big event, but, think that the game in general undervaluing the LLS isn't a great starting point.

Agreed. About 75% of the games played over the course of the season are almost meaningless. I often find myself forgetting to look at the latest SL scores/results over a weekend because they just aren't that meaningful.

After the Wire vs Wigan CC game Tomkins gave the game away. He said "there was only 1 trophy left to play for now" referring to the GF. He then corrected himself and said "1 major trophy".

and isn't that the problem?

We might all subscribe to that view, certainly Wigan, Leeds and St's do, as it sets them as teams apart, whereas, ourselves in 2011 and last year's Castleford might have been 'guilty' or accused of bigging-up the 'lesser' trophy?

My point is that whatever the format it should be fair and by that I mean balanced, easy to follow and transparent, given a significance based on more than, well we've always done it this way and 'proper' Championship teams save a little in their tanks for the business end and hopefully under the floodlights in October.

We shouldn't necessarily depend upon it, but, we are additionally hampered by a lack enthusiasm from our antipodean counterparts for the WCC We've virtually aligned our league seasons to our detriment apart from nicer weather and avoiding clashes with soccer IMO.

Association Football might not be a good comparison but would a situation of LLS are the Champions going to a top 4 play off to decide who represents SL v Australian's Champions work better, a bit Champion's League ish? SKY will still get their showcase end of season finale and the LLS gets some respect.

Hetherington is not a happy bunny, is that because he is now not the supreme leader?

Hetherington is a whopper of the highest order.

The likes of Barwick, Wood, Wood's successor Ralph Rimmer are not the future of our game.
Hetherington has been outmanoeuvred by this new SL initiative.

McManus having a swing back at Hetherington now www.totalrl.com/saints-chairman- ... herington/

McManus having a swing back at Hetherington now www.totalrl.com/saints-chairman- ... herington/

Quote ="Alffi_7"McManus having a swing back at Hetherington now www.totalrl.com/saints-chairman- ... herington/'" That's what MP's say when they are calling another a liar.

Quote ="Alffi_7"McManus having a swing back at Hetherington now www.totalrl.com/saints-chairman- ... herington/'" That's what MP's say when they are calling another a liar.

Gary throwing his toys out the pram when a number of clubs decide what we have isn't good enough. He did the same thing when a number of clubs wanted to run a reserves competition. Gary didn't like that and convinced other clubs he bullies not to get involved an all.

He was quite happy to use Fev as his little side business.

Gary Hetheringtons Super League:- Gary has proposed a 13 team league of

Leeds
Batley
Bramley
Hunslet
Bradford Northern
Bradford Park Avenue
Manningham
Featherstone
Sheffield
Doncaster
Huddersfield
Halifax
Dewsbury

Applications to the league from Hull sides (too far from Leeds), Wakefield and Castleford (too competitive with Leeds) and any sides outside the Ridings of Yorkshire were disqualified as were Keighley (not enough mill chimneys). Gary indicated this would ensure a strong and stable Leeds and would be good for the future of the Northern Union

You forgot that all players now have to be born in Yarkshire so he can pay them in Hovis.

Yeah and it seems we're now best buddies. The great Saints/Wire/Wigan/Hull KR power grab of 2018 will go down in history as one of the pivotal moments in global sports.

Quote ="Alffi_7"McManus having a swing back at Hetherington now www.totalrl.com/saints-chairman- ... herington/'" That’s very wet well put from McManus there, well said!

Quote ="Alffi_7"McManus having a swing back at Hetherington now www.totalrl.com/saints-chairman- ... herington/'" That’s very wet well put from McManus there, well said!

Not much of an ego battle going on there, eh readers?

People have their views on Gary Hetherington but he knows what he is doing.

He has built one of the most successful sporting dynasties of the past decade and a half. Before he took over, Leeds were the glamour club of money but no real substance and success. He completely changed their performances.

He has earned the right to have an opinion.

I'm beginning to think you were once an ex coach or chairman.

And before that he built from scratch with his own money (when he wasn't rich) an expansion club that made it to the top flight and stayed there.

He knows more about running successful and profitable RL clubs than anyone else in the UK sport. He more than has a right to say.

Given he's literally the only UK SL club representative without a financial incentive behind these moves (he doesn't have to put money into his club to support it) there is a lot to be said for looking at why he is against the other SL clubs trying to raise the drawbridge and sidetrack the rest of the sport.

Leeds don't care about the structure particularly nor do they care about pinching the money from the championship clubs - but putting the unsuccessful SL club owners in charge of everything is a recipe for disaster. It's Elstone's job to ensure he isn't sidetracked by the self-interests of those owners and the RFL's job to ensure the wider interests of the sport outside the top flight (especially the community game) are looked after.

So far Elstone's start as an independent arbiter has been distinctly unpromising.

I wouldn't say that Saints, Wigan and, to a lesser extent, Warrington are examples of unsuccessful SL clubs though.


The SL clubs are the shareholders of SL and pay Elstone's wages so I do hope he is putting their owners interests first. The RFL can look after the lower tiers and grass roots. Something has to change as the game is on it's knees.

I think the way this is going is ...

1. Have a smaller SL with French and North American sides with the TV rights money shared amongst a smaller pool. Salford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Widnes into the championship.

2. Remove / dramatically increase cap - so we can get some quality back into the sides.

If their stated concern is the commercial success of SL Wigan and, to a lesser extent Saints are the worst examples - huge losses despite being well established clubs with decent crowds and generally winning on the field. Wire are somewhat better.

Ian Lenagan is the last person who should be lecteuring other people on how to grow audiences and increase commercial revenues for RL. His only interest is in ultimately grabbing the money that goes to the Championship clubs.

Quote ="The Ghost of '99"If their stated concern is the commercial success of SL Wigan and, to a lesser extent Saints are the worst examples - huge losses despite being well established clubs with decent crowds and generally winning on the field. Wire are somewhat better. Ian Lenagan is the last person who should be lecteuring other people on how to grow audiences and increase commercial revenues for RL. His only interest is in ultimately grabbing the money that goes to the Championship clubs.'" Most of the association football Premiership clubs run at a financial loss due to the largess of their owners yet the Premiership is the most successful football league in the world. If you want to watch a club break even on 4-5K average crowds then don't be suprised to see low quality players and a dull spectacle. I'm sure seeing a healthy P&L will be of little comfort. Maybe less SL generated money has to go to the Championship clubs and have some go to the wall and the strongest re-invent and prosper. We cannot continue with the SL being hamstrung and restricted by bankrolling the long tail of clubs which even their own fans have stopped watching*. [size=85 *The average attendance in the Championship is ~2000*. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_a ... ts_leagues[/size

Quote ="The Ghost of '99"If their stated concern is the commercial success of SL Wigan and, to a lesser extent Saints are the worst examples - huge losses despite being well established clubs with decent crowds and generally winning on the field. Wire are somewhat better. Ian Lenagan is the last person who should be lecteuring other people on how to grow audiences and increase commercial revenues for RL. His only interest is in ultimately grabbing the money that goes to the Championship clubs.'" Most of the association football Premiership clubs run at a financial loss due to the largess of their owners yet the Premiership is the most successful football league in the world. If you want to watch a club break even on 4-5K average crowds then don't be suprised to see low quality players and a dull spectacle. I'm sure seeing a healthy P&L will be of little comfort. Maybe less SL generated money has to go to the Championship clubs and have some go to the wall and the strongest re-invent and prosper. We cannot continue with the SL being hamstrung and restricted by bankrolling the long tail of clubs which even their own fans have stopped watching*. [size=85 *The average attendance in the Championship is ~2000*. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_a ... ts_leagues[/size

But the stated point of this breakaway is to strengthen the commerical performance of the league. Why would we empower people whose own clubs (Saints and Wigan) have seen constantly declinining crowds and revenues? We're placing a lot of faith in Elstone who I'm sure is a fine administrator but if Lenagan is the power behind the throne we are in trouble.

Could it not be said that we are in trouble without change? The whole of UK Super League is in crisis with a stale, boring game with dwindling interest.

Superleague has created an exclusive product that is only played in a narrow strip of land along the M62 & a team in Catalonia. The game format is so exclusive that it has isolated itself from the greater rugby league community ,the lower divisions & the clubs that attract next to no fans but keep the game going in the minds of their local fans who have not been tempted by superleague. Even the Challenge Cup has become exclusive in more or less wiping out the involvement of the bigger clubs till the 4th round & eliminating the romantic giant killing notions of yesteryear that sustained amateur clubs for many years.

This new bloke could do worse than get everything below superleague shown on free to air tv & make the CC all inclusive again. Not everybody has or wants sky sports. Is Barry Hearn still interested ?

Reading between the lines I think Rimmer has ended the interest of the Hearn's.