Look at the game we love. The game is on its through bad management. Greedy corporations and the lack of progression and investment in the game.
This rant and my restructure proposal was born a while ago. But due to the football superleague proposal that was made and died. Gary neville made a amazing rant and amazing argument. Which alot of the arguments can be easily made as well with not just football. But also the same arguments made about our game. The game we love.
Gary neville was right when he says it is about grass routes. But if you look at rugby league. grass routes is dying. And we need to put more back into it. We have a rich history of clubs. Amateur and professional. And I would say we have enough clubs. Even at amateur level to facilitate a league structure and breathe some life back into the game. Take 2019 as a good example. We had over 100 teams from pros to semi professional to the amateur levels that competed in the challenge cup.
We need a full restructure from top to bottom. Otherwise we are going to go backwards and the sport is going to die. There is More exposure for the darts than we do for the great game we need to have better negotiating tactics. Better tv deals. And more money going into the lower leagues to support the game as a whole.
I believe we can bring back the pyramid system and allow the game to prosper with new existing games and new teams entering each league.
My proposal would be. As follows.
4 or 5 tiers of 12. No loop fixtures. 22 games. 23 games of you want a magic weekend.
Simple 3 up. 3 down promotion and relegation. And the 4th or 5th tier. Build the smaller teams up and when they are in a position to enter. Let them in when they are sustainable. And when tier 4th or 5th tier has 16 teams in the league for example. Split the league off as a new tier with 8 or so teams build up the pyramid structure again.
Challenge cup. EVERY team enters the competition in round 1. 128 teams gives us 7 rounds of competition.
The pennines cup. Top 8 teams from Lancashire/cheshire and north. And the top 8 teams from Yorkshire/humberside and the south. Quarters. Semis and final. With the winners of each playing each other in the yorkshire vs Lancashire cup. (In effect the old regal trophy I believe) replicate that for a smaller teams as a 2nd tier as well.
That's not too bad. And it's what. 35 Games per season. It's about what they play now.
Maybe we can look at a world club challenge structure at the end of the season. Top 4 from the superleague and the top 4 from the nrl. (Make it compulsory) Quarters. Semis and final straight knock out format. (Have it before international sason and maybe have gap years when it comes to world cup years.)

Bring the salary cap up to help the league example. But also put the safeguard in there so the teams do not go bankrupt. What was the old salary cap rule we used to have back in the early days of superleague. 1.2 million or 50% of gate sales.
My proposal would be
Superleague. 2.5 million.
2nd tier 2 million
3rd tier. 1.5 million.
4th tier. 1 million.
5rh tier and lower £750,000

We need to compete with the NRL. Without the gimmicks of toronto. But similarly. Australia can get away with a closed franchise league of 16 teams because that works for them first off. And 2nd. There isnt much leeway in regards to lower tiers. Because the nrl clubs own the smaller teams and tiers as that is effectively there youth system
it's different for us. We have always been grass routed rugby. As we have been with football. So We need to build up the grass routes of the league again. And we need to work with the nrl to build upon the game again around the world.
Get rid of catalan and Toulouse from the british game. We need to help support and rebuild the french game again. Same with the canadians and Americans who seem to (well atleast pre lockdown) be interested in building up a few franchises of rugby league teams in and around the Americas.

This is not just a superleague thing. (Although we need to get our grass routes back and effectively go back to pre superleague in regards to the structure of our game) it's not just a nrl thing. (Maybe the leagues can be alot more competitive if the international rugby league federation brings the salary caps in line with superleague to equalise the game worldwide with adjustments made for inflation and international prices of money)
It's a world wide thing. Where we need to build up the sport in a way that we all prosper.

Look at the other side of rugby. Union maybe mostly amateur. But there is more teams and more people playing it around the world. We need as a rugby league game. Just go back to basics and rebuild the game from the ground up. Because the game is dying.

I maybe shooting a crap load of hot air. But something needs to be genuinely done because the british game is on its and now we are coming out of this lockdown and we can all start going to watch the game from next month with full stadiums in june. Maybe it's time we can do something about the whole game. Protect its history and to rebuild it into the game it deserves to be.

Thoughts.

The game (outside the NRL) is on its booty. Agreed.

The rest is pie in the sky (pun intended). There is no money in the sport cos it has very limited appeal. Big numbers of clubs being promoted and relegated every year would see massive numbers of clubs going bust.

Do I have any better ideas? No. We are going to remain very much a minority sport in England. It ain't gonna change whatever fiddling we do with structures. The current product at Super League level is pretty poor too. The niggly play the balls and trying to cheat penalties put us a million miles behind the NRL, never mind the quality of the players. If I wasnt emotionally invested in it, would I start watching? I doubt it.

First, let me say the European SL in football isn't going away, it will be back on the table within two years in sheeps clothing and all the hand wringing will be replaced again, by grasping, greedy hands. Most football owners don't care about the fan in the street or the history of the game.

In contrast, I genuinely believe the powers that be in RL [ido[/i love the game and care about it. But generally, they are incompetent. They couldn't run a bath. The likes of Wakefield and Salford are being run in the same way they were 40 years ago with the same net result.

I keep hoping for some kind of global tie up with the NRL, or a revival of the Hearns interest or anything that will shake up the management structure and apathy because, no matter how well intentioned, the current custodians are sleepwalking into oblivion.

Ralph head-in-the sand Rimmer said there was no meeting of minds with the Hearns. Pity as they have been fairly successful with darts and snooker. Mr. Koukash pulled out because he could see no progress being made and Elstone's investment plans were rejected. The RFU has attracted outside investment in its format and RL has to do the same even if it involves pain. I'm sure some of our wealthy club owners know what needs to be done as it's clear outsiders have an interest in our great game. We cannot cannot continue saying and doing the same old things.

I agree we are on our booty, despite the Walter Mitty grade fantasies that seem to do the rounds. Like has been said we are run by the wrong people. However, despite holding us back I'm not naive enough to think they don't wan the sport to survive. We do of course need to move forward steadily and cautiously.

I don't have the answers, but I would like to see at least the following three elements as a start:

1) Make the game the spectacle it was about 15 years ago. Make it faster and more open, even at the expense of defensive strengths. We may well not compete with the Aussies (we don't really anyway) but we can start drawing more money and fans into the game if it's more attractive to watch.

2) Entertain the idea of letting someone else promote us. It's a start with the ten games on the BBC but I'm not expecting any more plugging from them than the usual regional stereotype 'cheesy-peas' targeted stuff that we get with the challenge cup.

3) Let the NRL get involved if they have to. We can be a feeder league and still have an entertaining product by encouraging flair and skill from the kids with then lure of a big Aussie deal if they're good enough. If the NRL are involved they might take the concept of international RL a bit more seriously if they think they can capitalise on free-to-air international series.

Sky have if anything marginalised RL ,outside the heartlands if you don't pay to view you won't be interested in paying to watch rugby league anyway. At least BBC offered free to air nationwide viewing to everyone ,even people who had never seen the sport before ,with the chance it tempted some to become regular followers.

I personally don't understand the constant push from some to reduce the number of teams.

I think it's probably mostly driven by the top clubs wanting more share of TV and sponsorship money but it doesn't make for a great competition IMO.

Personally, I would have 14-16 top flight teams again. 14 teams would be 26 fixtures + possibly a magic weekend. It would satisfy both those who want more heartlands clubs and those who want expansion. I get bored watching us play Cas three times a year, every year.

I would also revert to two knockout competitions again (Regal Trophy equivalent) - this gives more teams' fans a genuine chance of seeing their team in a final or lift a trophy.

Outside the Challenge Cup and Internationals I don't remember much BBC coverage pre- Super League. Even with the lack of live sport on the BBC nowadays they choose to put the early CC rounds online rather than give them live airtime, and regionalise the SL Show to odd hours of day.

Sky haven't marginalised RL, the self serving SL clubs might have though by looking after their own interests rather than the developing a nationwide game.

Wondered when someone would bring up the point of the clubs looking after their own interests. They all seem to veto each other and so we get nowhere, I thought that was where the appointment of Elstone was meant to make a difference but it clearly didn’t as it seemed they vetoed him as well. We need some one to take sole charge and decide for everyone. As it stands right now it’s not working. Also having Ken Davy as interim/stand in is not ideal for me, what ever they are going to do needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.

Worst case scenario in your idea then, you're looking ar 36 rounds/weeks for a completed season, where are we putting the 2nd cup competition in, after the challenge cup?

Quote ="Fantastic Mr Cat"Worst case scenario in your idea then, you're looking ar 36 rounds/weeks for a completed season, where are we putting the 2nd cup competition in, after the challenge cup?'" I count over 40 fixtures for Wigan in 1991-92 (I pick out them because they won most stuff in the season I started watching): https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seas ... mmary.html So you could argue that that many fixtures is problematic, but it certainly used to happen, and squads are bigger now. I would have the Regal Trophy or equivalent back. It could satisfy those above who want to see more free on terrestrial TV games to get people interested in the sport. And, as I said, having another cup in there gives more chance for supporters to see their team lift a trophy. Even in 1990-1991, when Wigan were dominant and we had a mediocre but hard-working team, we won that trophy. The following year, Widnes beat Leeds in the final when Wigan and Saints were the teams scrapping it out for the league.

Quote ="Fantastic Mr Cat"Worst case scenario in your idea then, you're looking ar 36 rounds/weeks for a completed season, where are we putting the 2nd cup competition in, after the challenge cup?'" I count over 40 fixtures for Wigan in 1991-92 (I pick out them because they won most stuff in the season I started watching): https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seas ... mmary.html So you could argue that that many fixtures is problematic, but it certainly used to happen, and squads are bigger now. I would have the Regal Trophy or equivalent back. It could satisfy those above who want to see more free on terrestrial TV games to get people interested in the sport. And, as I said, having another cup in there gives more chance for supporters to see their team lift a trophy. Even in 1990-1991, when Wigan were dominant and we had a mediocre but hard-working team, we won that trophy. The following year, Widnes beat Leeds in the final when Wigan and Saints were the teams scrapping it out for the league.

Quote ="davids"I count over 40 fixtures for Wigan in 1991-92 (I pick out them because they won most stuff in the season I started watching): https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seas ... mmary.html So you could argue that that many fixtures is problematic, but it certainly used to happen, and squads are bigger now. I would have the Regal Trophy or equivalent back. It could satisfy those above who want to see more free on terrestrial TV games to get people interested in the sport. And, as I said, having another cup in there gives more chance for supporters to see their team lift a trophy. Even in 1990-1991, when Wigan were dominant and we had a mediocre but hard-working team, we won that trophy. The following year, Widnes beat Leeds in the final when Wigan and Saints were the teams scrapping it out for the league.'" Squads are smaller now, the game is a million times tougher than it was in 1991. Theres too many games now, short turnarounds are rough, playing midweek games would be suicide, we tried that in 1999, it was horrendous.

Quote ="davids"I count over 40 fixtures for Wigan in 1991-92 (I pick out them because they won most stuff in the season I started watching): https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seas ... mmary.html So you could argue that that many fixtures is problematic, but it certainly used to happen, and squads are bigger now. I would have the Regal Trophy or equivalent back. It could satisfy those above who want to see more free on terrestrial TV games to get people interested in the sport. And, as I said, having another cup in there gives more chance for supporters to see their team lift a trophy. Even in 1990-1991, when Wigan were dominant and we had a mediocre but hard-working team, we won that trophy. The following year, Widnes beat Leeds in the final when Wigan and Saints were the teams scrapping it out for the league.'" Squads are smaller now, the game is a million times tougher than it was in 1991. Theres too many games now, short turnarounds are rough, playing midweek games would be suicide, we tried that in 1999, it was horrendous.

Then I don't know. But two things make the modern game boring for me (compared to what it was) and they are:
- only two cups to win each season
- playing the same teams up to three times a season in the league

I did contemplate 3 tiers of 16. But to put the regal equivalent as well as the challenge cup I suggested. Your looking at 43 games. Thus why I went with 4/5 tiers of 10. 34 games and less congested. I tried to strike a balance as well as thinking of how we can bring the game back.
Maybe 3 up. 3 down maybe a little.too much. But certainly 2 up 2 down can work. It freshens up the comp each year. Plus I also purposely did not put a grand final in. For the sheer element that your working your off for 23 weeks. That's where the league should be won.
And to who it was who thought I was thinking about warrington and the big teams. Quite the contrary. I want a competative league structure from top to bottom. Enabling teams like featherstone. Halifax. Dewsbury and bradford to come up to the big leagues and be competitive with the other teams. Similarly. If wigan. Saints. Leeds. Wire or hull have a shocking season. There is a real threat of relegation from the top league. There was genuine intrest in 2008 I think it was when wigan were bottom of the league half way through the season or whenever it was. Yes. They came back and finnished 8th. But there was genuine intrest in would wigan be relegated. That's the aim. A competitive league structure from top to bottom.

I have other views. Like for example. Make a 2nd, 3rd 4th 5th and 6th package. No 1 broadcaster can have more than 2 packages. And atleast 3 packages (1 from each batch of 2) must go to terrestrial channels. More eyeballs on the game with more broadcasters and the packages are split evenly between the league tiers. So saints, wire, wigan etc will have 6 games each in each tier. And similarly. Oldham or dewsbury have a game atleast in each tier. So in effect. We can have on tv.
Thursday night
Friday night
Saturday 12.30pm
Saturday 3pm
Saturday 6pm
Saturday 8.30pm
Sunday 1pm
Sunday 3.30pm
Sunday 6pm.
Monday night
Tuesday night
Wednesday night

Yes. I may of overdone it and we could lose 1 of the packages so only 10 games are shown per week. But it gives exposure to each tier and each team.

I'm not so sure about an additional cup competition but I do think that in an ideal world additional fixtures via an expanded league structure would be beneficial as they could be planned rather than 'burdening' successful teams or providing them with additional income beyond prize money.

I would suggest that exposure and the lack of a structured international competition in comparison to Union (by design and ineptitude) is also holding us back together with our demographic and as far as our own sporting fan base is concerned loop fixtures.

There are problems with self interested clubs, depth and quality of the player pool and genuine appetite but could we reassess the league over say 5 years to get us up to a fully funded 16 team via 14?

Could we lengthen the season dates to accommodate this programme even by a month giving players adequate time to recover? Apart from welfare this would also even out income for all. If your not in the play offs then your club is shut down for 6 months and that's too long IMO

Top and bottom for me I love the sport (so I'm not the top target audience) but even I'm getting weary of playing Wigan 'familiarity breeding contempt'.

Re the Wigan issue, there's 2 parts that have played into that.

Challenge cup and magic weekend.

Magic, very straightforward they don't bother to rotate fixtures, it's lazy and boring, I got this way with saints and also widnes(maybe not beating widnes)

At the same time we've drawn Wigan a few times in the cup, now I'm not suggesting this is rigged but it has become a running gag. The likelihood though is down to them changing the rules a few years ago for non play off sl teams coming in a round early. They take out at least half of the lower league teams so when the next round is done, it's practically an all sl cup competition.

I think they need to tinker with this, possibly even seed it, make all superleague teams play away if you get a lower league side, that gives us a new place yo visit and gives the lower club the chance of a payday. And a big match experience (even if it is a kicking).

I do like the idea of an away day in the cup, hopefully to a new ground/town and preferably accessible by train with a plethora of decent real ale pubs on tap ha ha

Well, the whole reason I suggested an additional cup was because I don't want to see more meaningless league fixtures. Teams end up going through the motions to end in a playoff place or stave off relegation - too many dead rubbers when you don't get the main prize for coming top any more.

Cup rugby is do-or-die, especially a cup like the RT was. You had big clubs (see the Widnes and Leeds example above, 1991-92 who were already realistically out of the league running) going for it, you had clubs like Warrington and Bradford the season before who were fairly poor sides but knew if they could string 4 wins together in a cup competition it would be a memorable season for them and their fans.

On a more immediate note :

How will clubs adapt the matchday experience when fans, who've been away for over 12 months, return to the stadiums ?

If it's a return to overexcited beer drinkers hurling abuse and spilling beer around I'm not sure some will enjoy the return, having been in relative isolation for so long. Furthermore how will they appeal to those that have got use to money saved by not going each week, and attract new fans who might be desperate for a new experience ?

Okay, it's RL, I'm sure the planning is just to dust off where things were pre-lockdown and carry on as it was, but there is a chance for change now if they took it.

I share your concerns with "getting back to normal". Do the careful ones amongst us look forward to popping to the loo at half time and shuffling 6 inches away from the next man. I don't really think we will get back to "normal" for a very long time.

It will only take as long as you, the individual, make it.

It's whether that previous 'normal' is also the right thing to be striving to go back to - or should alternatives be explored to enhance the match day experience ?

I'm not just talking Jedward, the Wire Flyer and face painting, but also how fans behave and treat others around them - and how different people might need different time / methods that cope with an eventual return to a full stadium - noting that lockdown has probably made us all change behaviours.

It amazes me that despite the biggest killer by far being poor lifestyle habits the British and human race continues to get fatter and lazier. But then a virus comes along and all of a sudden the blame falls on anyone but us individuals.

Maybe one day we will target the source of the problem instead of lining MPs friends pockets with trillions of dollars. It takes the individual to accept responsibility and take ownership of the problem though. And that’s just not part of the ultra-capitalist mantra. Let’s keep drinking the Kool-Aid and hope that another virus doesn’t emerge... because the country certainly hasn’t got any money left in the war chest.

Is there anything more ironic than the sight of fat people wearing masks, while filling their shopping trolleys up with cake?

There's no irony there, you wear masks to, primarily, stop spreading things to others - whilst reducing your own life expectancy by poor diet choice doesn't.

However, that's straying now a bit from the topic of RL.