I know I’m probably paranoid when it comes to Trinity, but things like this send a shiver down my spine. e.leeds-live.co.uk/_act/link.php ... Id=8345848

I know I’m probably paranoid when it comes to Trinity, but things like this send a shiver down my spine. e.leeds-live.co.uk/_act/link.php ... Id=8345848

I'm with you Dunkirk.
Like you, call me paranoid but, with the likes of London, Toulouse, Newcastle, York, Bradford, Fev all wanting a spot in SL, IMG will be able to engineer their criteria to fit whoever they want into SL.
The HUGE elephant in the room is what funding will be available and without pointing out the obvious, just what did London's inclusion in SL do for the game overall when they were last in the top flight.
It almost looks like we are going back 25+ years to when SL was started, with certain clubs utterly protected and others (like Trin) being seen as collateral damage.
Something maybe does need to be done to prevent the promoted side being relegated immediately but, you just get the feeling that we are about to get right royally shafted.

Disappointing attitude. Can you imagine John Minards spouting this rubbish? MC? This sort of viewpoint keeps us in the dark ages. It's far from helpful. Maybe IMG are independent? Maybe they have been given a clear brief and the best intentions are being pursued with a fully open book?

We have all moaned at the RFL for being impotent, then they do this, and still they are moaned at. Game has to evolve unfortunately and there will be some casualties.

I think with London it’s being tried numerous times and there’s just not the interest. I have no issue with London being a potential target to grow the game but this should be a long term plan to build on and progressive. Catapulting them into the top league will not and has not worked previously. I think that’s what some fans are fearing. A club who doesn’t measure up to trinity getting a spot purely on location to drive growth in an area. If over time they grow and meet the criteria then nobody could argue.

I don't see anything wrong with it.
IMG have no axe to grind. They are not engineering something to get rid of us.
But if we don't come up to scratch they probably will.
London isn't our enemy. We need to be a better option than Cas, Fev Bradford etc if we want to be included.
They clearly say London is a long term project too.

Apparently they want to change the name as other sports are using the Superleague moniker

It must just be me that is getting a whiff of deja vu. ??

I agree that IMG are not "anti Wakefield". However, that doesn't mean that we wont be the fall guys (again).
Equally, I have nothing against London but, my 50+ years on the planet and the many attempted "re brands" of the structure and the sport in general have done sweet FA to elevate the sport and London are NOT the magic silver bullet.
We had a "golden era" when we could cherry pick RU talent with a few gold coins and through self interest and poor management, the sport languished as an also ran, wat behind the major sports in the UK.

Like it or not, we ARE one of the lower end clubs in SL and have been for most of the last 25 years, which clearly makes us vulnerable. Even the most optimistic of Trinity fans must be able to see this.

There are 12 places up for grabs and it will only take 2 or 3 clubs, who are not currently in SL to tick a couple of boxes to see us jettisoned from the top flight.

With the comments from IMG, London seems to be the first one.

Are you happy that Trinity could be sacrificed for London, York or anyone else ?

Without additional money, there is little scope for expansion and there has been absolutely no mention of this. In fact, there is more likely to be less cash from Sky (or whoever).

As for the game evolving, I dont know how old you are but, we've had numerous structure changes over the years.
Back in the 80's there were 16 top flight English sides and now we have 11 (10 last year).
So, you will have to excuse my scepticism.

It’s only rubbish in your opinion, Watching our game for the past 70 years has taught me to be cynical of our game’s leadership, especially since the onset of Super league.
No I don’t expect MC & JM to spout rubbish, but I’m sure they have considered the possibility, and do everything to minimise risks.

Fair enough PT, but what do London bring to SL more than Trinity do. I think you’ve been around long enough to remember the start of SL, you’ll remember how Trinity were engineered out of SL.

I remember it well!

Expansion should not be at the expense of existing clubs.
How can it be true expansion if say London and Newcastle are brought in and Trinity plus one other are out.?
Expansion is maintenance of heartland RL and adding to it.

If you believe that IMG are truly `independent` in the sense of the usual suspects having there usual influence on decisions then I think you are extremely naïve IMO, I don`t believe it for a minute. As Dunkirk alluded to, I`ve seen too much in this game to have faith in the integrity of decisions made and that`s not just where we have been shafted, look at the the Cas relegation / Wigan points deduction postponement situation, had it been the other way around can you seriously say the same would have happened? I really hope that it`s different this time but as I say based on the history you can`t blame anyone for been sceptical.

London invested properly in can bring more than any club in SL. Unfortunately that will take a monumental amount of money and time to realise that.

I’ve just read this item from the link. Perhaps we might earn some brownie points after all. But it appears it’s not just about stadium quality “It (licensing) was based on business plans rather than actuals. One of the challenges was that people weren’t sticking to those plans. “We are looking at what you have actually done. It isn’t about planning to build a new stadium.” https://www.totalrl.com/img-vice-presid ... licensing/

I’ve just read this item from the link. Perhaps we might earn some brownie points after all. But it appears it’s not just about stadium quality “It (licensing) was based on business plans rather than actuals. One of the challenges was that people weren’t sticking to those plans. “We are looking at what you have actually done. It isn’t about planning to build a new stadium.” https://www.totalrl.com/img-vice-presid ... licensing/

Quote ="Dunkirk Spirit"I’ve just read this item from the link. Perhaps we might earn some brownie points after all. But it appears it’s not just about stadium quality, but the wording is a bit ambiguous “We are looking at what you have actually done” “It (licensing) was based on business plans rather than actuals. One of the challenges was that people weren’t sticking to those plans. “We are looking at what you have actually done. It isn’t about planning to build a new stadium.” https://www.totalrl.com/img-vice-presid ... licensing/'"

Quote ="Dunkirk Spirit"I’ve just read this item from the link. Perhaps we might earn some brownie points after all. But it appears it’s not just about stadium quality, but the wording is a bit ambiguous “We are looking at what you have actually done” “It (licensing) was based on business plans rather than actuals. One of the challenges was that people weren’t sticking to those plans. “We are looking at what you have actually done. It isn’t about planning to build a new stadium.” https://www.totalrl.com/img-vice-presid ... licensing/'"

Quote ="Dunkirk Spirit"I’ve just read this item from the link. Perhaps we might earn some brownie points after all. But it appears it’s not just about stadium quality “It (licensing) was based on business plans rather than actuals. One of the challenges was that people weren’t sticking to those plans. “We are looking at what you have actually done. It isn’t about planning to build a new stadium.” https://www.totalrl.com/img-vice-presid ... licensing/'" We built a sustainable business model We built a first class academy and scholarship with clear pathways to first team football PDRL and LDRL We built an award winning community programme We own our own ground We are refurbishing the ground to excellent standards Other than the mortgage for the ground we operate with little or no debt Areas to develop further: the ladies team (ready for full professionalism) The commercial interface The multi sport Educational facilities Seems good progress to me… put a couple of genuine moneybags directors and we’re flying

Quote ="Dunkirk Spirit"I’ve just read this item from the link. Perhaps we might earn some brownie points after all. But it appears it’s not just about stadium quality “It (licensing) was based on business plans rather than actuals. One of the challenges was that people weren’t sticking to those plans. “We are looking at what you have actually done. It isn’t about planning to build a new stadium.” https://www.totalrl.com/img-vice-presid ... licensing/'" We built a sustainable business model We built a first class academy and scholarship with clear pathways to first team football PDRL and LDRL We built an award winning community programme We own our own ground We are refurbishing the ground to excellent standards Other than the mortgage for the ground we operate with little or no debt Areas to develop further: the ladies team (ready for full professionalism) The commercial interface The multi sport Educational facilities Seems good progress to me… put a couple of genuine moneybags directors and we’re flying

All great. But we don't have Montgomery Burns

People would feel far more comfortable with this if IMG had put their cards on the table before finding out who may want to be in SL.
Notwithstanding the fact that, on principle, you shouldn't promote/relegate anyone because they have more or less plastic seats.

I'm ok with having well defined minimum standards for SL but, this isn't what appears to be happening and who decides which criteria is most appropriate.

Just imagine if, at some point, in an attempt to expand the game, there is some geographical restriction on whether a club could be in the top flight.
Of course, they've said, from the get-go that A grade clubs wont be relegated but, as more clubs achieve this grading, RL will become a protection racket for certain clubs, just as it always has been, with certain clubs having substantially more influence then others into the running of the game.

Just remember folks, we were effectively chucked out once before.

RL is a sport and should be about what happens for 80 minutes on a Sunday afternoon and not measured by having X number of plastic seats and it's a major, major worry that IMG seem to have this concept back to front.

Just noticed this from yesterday’s Difficult to disagree with the first 4 of these clubs, but how the hell does number 5 keep getting the positive press. https://www.totalrl.com/imgs-overhaul-o ... -the-most/

Just noticed this from yesterday’s Difficult to disagree with the first 4 of these clubs, but how the hell does number 5 keep getting the positive press. https://www.totalrl.com/imgs-overhaul-o ... -the-most/

Bottom line is, should any of those clubs get in at our expense?
Have to say no.
London - Tried before and failed.
Toulouse - In the brown stuff financially.
Newcastle - Good idea, but part-time.
Bradford - Odsal. Say no more.....
York - Probably the best placed out of the lot.

You say "Bradford - Odsal. Say no more...", but I must!

Bust 4 times in a decade, whipround and auction money pocketed by old directors to pay off debts to themselves, delusions of grandeur, arrogance and entitlement, bailed out by the RFL in shady secret deals, owned by the bloke who oversaw the Toronto debacle!

Bulls for SL?

Not for me, never!

A fully functioning Bulls side could give the game a boost but, as usual, it's all about the money.

I'm still struggling with having "A" grade clubs exempt from relegation.
RL is supposed to be a sport and the game takes place on the field of play.
No problem with meeting financial criteria and some minimum standards but, even if there were 14 "A" grade clubs, it wont suddenly increase the appeal of RL to the TV companies and this is the most significant revenue for the clubs.

The truth is with Bradford is that they will never get anywhere near the height's they have been at, even with some success. They are looking back at "Bullmania" and it`s nothing but a pipe dream IMO. They haven`t had those massive crowds in 15 years, they haven`t been in SL for 10 years, Odsal is substandard (that's been very kind) and the money that they would have to put into to bring it to standard is above and beyond what you could imagine. Sure, if they came back into SL, they might add another solid club into the mix in terms of 8/9k crowds but that is about where it ends.

The best thing that IMG could do to promote the support is a 'sporting documentary' a bit like the 'all or nothings' that amazon produce, the amount of sporting documentaries both present day and in the past that have elevated the respected sports in unrivalled.

The ones of the top of my head that have been produced and are 'hits' on streaming sites.

All or nothings - NFL, NHL, Rugby union, Football
F1 drive to survive
The golf one
NBA
and I'm sure tennis (the one of the most dull sports around)