IMO it is showing that RL at this level is dying.

We have had Keighley, Doncaster, Gateshead recently experiencing an insolvency event - i.e. administration etc.

Rememeber not that long ago - us, Widnes, Oldham, Whitehaven got big crowds on a regular basis.

Now - only Widnes really - Barrow and Halifax occassionally?

It'll be interesting to see if they go up for the league games - i suspect they will but not by many.

Play off games used to get massive attendances....recently they have also been poor

People are losing interest IMO...and fast...

I have been advocating something similar too.

I also think franchising is a mistake though so without promotion and relegation I do not think it viable.

Success should be rewarded and a team finishing bottom of a Non Relegation league should be demoted.

We will probably never agree on that which is why there would not be a lot of point if teams full of imports are fasttracked at the expense of heartland sides.

More local derby's might increase crowds
Right side of the pennines plus Toulouse
Yorkshire side plus London
Play home and away and top 5 in each league play the top 5 fron t'other league home and away (based on previous seasons positions) - 20 teams each playing 13 mathes home and away plus cupties.
More matches - leigh v Swinton will attracr more than leigh v london
Two equal divisions and top 4 from each in play off at seasons end = our top v their 4th and so on so first two in each league have home advantage.
As for N R Cup - play it like the Challenge Cup with Final at Huddersfield on Monday of CC weekend - our squad can cope with two matches in three days!!!

Like your thinking - in principle - but got a bit confused with with your 'cross county' fixtures to make up the numbers of home games!!! Oh - and I make it 22 teams. Still splits as two 'conferences' of 11 (if we take the French/Welsh and the Tykes take the Geordies/Cockneys!! that would be ten home league games (as now - but more 'local' derbies). Then maybe the even numbered finishers in our 'conference' could play the 'odds' in theirs - and vice versa - to make 5/6 more home games each..... to which could be added a revised 'county' cup comp....obviously you couldn't call them the Lancs and Yorks Cup - with a 2-legged 1st round (thats another home game against 'local' opposition) - you are looking at a minimum 16/17 home games per season.....most against 'local' opposition.



Nice One !!



Maybe trains cup arranged along the lines I indicated in previous message....but I'd sooner the final not be on CC weekend - it's got to be promoted in its own right. - and I'd be tempted to take the final 'On the Road' - different venue each year (Lancs/Yorks/Cumbria/Wales/France - criteria for hosting it has to be ground with min 10k capacity - but NOT a current SL ground.....and non SL clubs should be allowed to try and negotiate broadcasting rights on their own - not tied to a deal that we get very little benefit from just to keep SKY happy!!

I've always advocated something like this in SL, expanded, including teams like Barrow, yourselves, Halifax et al
It would certainly be interesting to see at Chp level and the playoffs would be fantastic

Sounds good to me.
Dec 26th and Jan 1st will always see decent gates regardless of clashes with football fixtures.