And you have therefore shot yourself in the foot as we aren't one of the three then why bother are we targeting 11th too

I never suggested that 9 teams are purely just trying to stay up. I said only 3 existing SL clubs have ever won the comp in 20 odd years. That's a fact.

I do believe for a good 4 or 5 sides, survival is their number one priority. They lose their SL status and they do a Widnes or Bradford, so it's little wonder they focus on just staying up.

Licensing allows that uncertainty to be taken away. Allows (properly run) clubs to lay foundations. It would likely make investing in clubs a much better proposition too and, let's face it, we need as many investors in our sport as possible right now.

You actually said that the majority so that's seven which I don't think is correct or a fact backed up by your latest proposition that you believe it might be a good four or five with survival as their number one target all of which is not the same as targeting 11th probably two or three (all conjecture of course).

Anyway this thread is actually about the 12th club for next season not specifically licencing versus P&R and given the situation that we find ourselves in that's surely worth tackling first?

The trouble for London is once a player makes a name for himself, the big boys come calling - Hendo no doubt using his influence to get Davis and Butler - which sort of goes against us putting a huge amount of effort into our academy and follow Leigh and Featherstone path and just sign up SL 'standard' players who don't have to move home, etc. Then again, back in the day we were criticised for just signing Aussies, an Aussie team, now a team of mainly academy players is seemingly not good enough. You can't win !

Thanks for a different perspective PCP. Do you believe that franchising would help London to keep hold of talent, assuming a license was awarded to them?

Forgive me, Gents.
I've not read the thread, so, if I'm copying anyone, I'm sorry.

Let's go (for one season only) with 11.
Why? Well.
It's a World Cup year, so, 2 games less. for players
There'll be less fixture congestion at Easter (as there was SUPPOSED to be, this year)
One team each week, gets a rest.
All 3 above points helps WC hopes, and improves player welfare, which is becoming more prevalent.

Then, there's the "new" team.
Basically, they're on a hiding to nothing.
They've currently got championship standard players.
Anybody half decent/out of contract has already been signed up, so the "new" team comes in with what they've got, and with the flotsam and jetsam of SL. Add to this, any over the hill NRL 2nd tweaker, who fancies topping up his pension, will come. They'll be lucky to win 2 games.

Go with 11
Come March, see where the country/world stands with Covid and spectators. Open up a bidding process (that lasts 1 month) for the 12th team for 2022, and then select one. Then, they can build a squad that can compete for 2022.

Bringing a club in for 2021 will be foolhardy

Isn't that a given?

Certainly easier to keep a player at a club, or even entice a player to the club, if they know they can be guaranteed 3-5 years minimum in the top league?

Decent post there lefty, however........

1. It's already been agreed that there will be a 12 team SL next year.
2. How would Magic W/e work?
3. Leigh are building a team right now that would compete in SL, not that i suggest they should be there.


4. Promotion at the end of next season should be decided on the field.
5. Who should be selected for that 12th spot next season? Blimey! I haven't got a clue.

Reading through this gives a good indication on what a crap show rugby league is currently in

That squad finishes dead last

Krisnan Inu? That would be a real different level of signing to the other winger!

Agreed. However, that's only part of it.

I am not sure its about franchising, but certainly there needs to be an incentive. My slightly controversial view - and this applies across the leagues - is that home produced Academy players in the 1st team squad are not counted on the salary cap and a weighty transfer fee applies if another club come for a a clubs current or ex Academy player.

Take Broncos for example Wigan signed Kai Pearce Paul on the back of his Academy Origin performance for Lancs, and I bet he went for a song. Butler to you guys similar.

Cheers for that, and I'd agree with you that if you find them, then there should be some advantages, or incentive to keep talent at each club. I'm not sure that franchising does help that much, as the standard of SL player has continued to fall in the last 20 years, with and without it.

[iI am not sure its about franchising, but certainly there needs to be an incentive. My slightly controversial view - and this applies across the leagues - is that home produced Academy players in the 1st team squad are not counted on the salary cap and a weighty transfer fee applies if another club come for a a clubs current or ex Academy player.

Take Broncos for example Wigan signed Kai Pearce Paul on the back of his Academy Origin performance for Lancs, and I bet he went for a song. Butler to you guys similar.'"

Has the standard of player fallen, the standard of coaching, or just the way the game has developed in recent years?

Let's face it, the game has become a regimented one in recent times - Individuality is knocked out of young players at the first opportunity. Coaches all play the same, safety first game, all like to spout off about how proud they are when they nil an opponent. Its a results first, entertainment second sport now, as we see by the regular debates on here about how boring we are to watch at times.

So maybe, rather than the players being the problem, we should look at what the sport has become and whether it's actually become too professional for its own good?

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... eague-spot

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... eague-spot

Yes to those three, but the [iability[/i with ball in hand has dropped the most.

Giving the French a local derby in Toulouse may be a more reasonable way of expanding the game than daft miles across the Atlantic.

Agree, my vote would go to Toulouse

I think Wigan will set it up for Leigh to get in.

But Warrington are another team near Widnes, Leigh, Wigan St. Helens, Salford etc. Do you not like local (ish) derbies ?

I would be happy with Toulouse or Leigh, both have recruited well for next year.

With the announcement that there will be relegation in 2021 on top of the reduced funding, the difficulty in pulling a squad together at short notice, this almost seems like a poisoned chalice.

It will be very difficult for the 12th club to remain in SL past 2021, the deck seems stacked against them. Alternatively it gives the other leading Championship clubs a strong chance of 2022 promotion, given one of their major rivals will be out of the picture...

It's very rare a newly promoted team doesn't get relegated anyway so that's not really a new issue for next year.
Also the clubs will have good players and wouldn't need to massively change the squad, London practically had the same squad when they came up with a handful of additions and they were brilliant.
Yeah they'll have a shorter period to get the squad together etc but if they don't make wholesale changes they won't be that much worse off then clubs any other year, yes they'll have less money but they can still get a squad together and fit for the start of the new season.