Who is Ralph Rimmer. Just another overpaid professional justifying his existence by coming up with a lot of nonsense. Fact is that Rugby League is 2 divisions of 14 with one up and one down each season. Simple as that.
Until the powers that be realise this then the game will continue to decline.

He is just the mouthpiece , the monkey to the organ and its grinder

Currently the Championship is the most competitive wide open league in RL.
Basically on field it works.

Off field clubs struggle massively for support and media coverage.
By closing the league are we led to believe that the clubs and the RFL feel this will force gates up and increase media exposure, equally will adding 2 clubs increase the intensisty of the competiton



For me those 2 questions are very important and ones that the games governing body and the club chairmen need to look at in great detail before making any kind of decision.

In other words, the fall guy, for when the **** hits the fan over the latest franchises. (e.g. if Widnes don't get in; or when a SL team gets "relegated"icon_wink.gif

Championship One could get exciting, if no new clubs show an interest. With 14 in the Championship, we'll be down to 7 in Championship One.

As for Toulouse, I suspect they weill lose interest in Championship RL, fairly soon, especially if their SL dream is not realised.

How about tinkering with some of the finances?

I've just done a few quick sums.



The Championship average last season was 1670 per game or total of 16700 for 10 home games. Obviously.

The average cost per ticket is about £14 not including discounts. I keep hearing folk in this town say 'for a quid more I can watch SL rugby'. Fair comment.

If a 50% RFL subsidy was granted based on historic averages, then that £7, over 10 league games would add up to just under £117k per club (using last seasons crowds).

For 11 Championship clubs thats £1.3m a season. A full division. Not one club, 11 predominantly heartland clubs in towns that help feed the game as a whole. It's peanuts compared to what gets given out in SL.

So, what is best spent....£1.3m subsidy to one SL club to p*ss away on foreigners and journeymen or [ihalving the cost[/i of watching Championship rugby which in itself should make the game far more attractive to latent fans and newcomers?