I disagree. The finances don't add up. Licensing will lead to huge financial problems because as the Welsh regions have found out in the Magners League, lack of relegation means a surfeit of meaningless games so attendances drop. Add to that the British need for a fear of relegation and I think pretty quickly the RFL will have no alternative but to abandon the idea.

well, that's the straw I'm clinging onto!

Super League is competitive until the end though due to the nature of the game and the fact the teams put out their strongest teams by and large.

Magners League in union is a glorified warm up for the Heineken Cup.

I watched Cardiff Blues-Scarlets tonight in what was a weakened team kickathon with a secret point given for dropped balls and knock ons judging on what the players were doing.

I'm ok with it though as if the union clubs keep serving up this dross the fans are more likely to stick with league when they see an entertaining sport in comparison.

Naah. it'd be against employment law, unless the RFL owned all the player registrations and contracted them out to the clubs. Which will never happen.

But it isn't - history shows that SL teams with little to play for end up being walloped at the end of the season (mind you, the season we were relegated, both us and Leigh were embarassingly dreadful).

Conversely, Wakey had their biggest crowd for a decade in the relegation decider against Cas a few seasons ago. Result? The following season they doubled their average attendance (and Cas' attendance didn't drop much in NL1). Average attendances are already down this season and media coverage has dropped. Licensing is not good for the game which is why I remain vehemently opposed to it.

You were right about the Blues-Scarlets game. I am a Llanelli fan - have been ever since 1974 - but that merely illustrates the point I was making. If you don't think that's how SL will end up, I'm afraid I think you will be disapointed.

Average attendances are probably due to the fact they have introduced us and Saflord who don't have great figures and will bring the attendance down accordingly. I will make my judgement regarding us after the summer. I think we might draw better crowds once union and football is finished. It is a straight battle then for the sporting public between us and Glamorgan CCC. This is not a direct contest either as a lot of the large attendances are at the cricket on a Friday night for 20/20.

Actually, I was comparing like for like (ie excluding games involving the two new clubs). the biggest fall has been at Wigan and (% wise) Quins. In fairness to Wigan though, their fans in the last two season have been amazing given the comparative lack of success.

I don't think Celtic can be judged on this season - your team is simply too uncompetitive and not likely to attract in the crowds yet. You need a win against one of the big boys. Good luck.

If P&R ever returns, it will be with a fully professional second tier/SL2. The only way to placate SL clubs into accepting the possibility of relegation now will be if they'd still get a half decent t.v deal when they went down and were playing in a pro comp. The crowds aren't that bad in the Championship, if you could get another 8-10 lower league teams together with facilities like Widnes + Leigh's then we might be on to something. I think a fully pro SL2 full of teams with decent facilities and alright crowds could get an alrightish t.v deal from sky.

I wouldn't care how it's branded Dan. I just want a return to P+R!!

yh crucrucru i best not go to it because i got a maths exam the following day. sorry. thanks for the offer though. Harlequins i might.

maths exam? can you count above 10 without taking off your shoes and socks? then you'll be fine

Like the English RFU is doing - not a bad idea at all in my opinion.

But at the moment, we scarecely look like a Championship club let alone an SL club

This could be the most sensible post ever made.

The preceived problem of P&R was of promoted teams not being competitive in SL (overlooking the fact that they were, until the NL GF was put back beyond the end of the SL season... but that's another story...), and of the inabiility of SL teams to financially plan for the long term with the threat of a financially-crippling relegation looming.

The solution, instead of having one top-heavy expensive league and one part time league, is to have two full time leagues managed with scaleable costs.

14 SL teams + Widnes, Leigh, Whitehaven, Halifax, Tolouse Olympique, and then five more.... p any from Sheffield, Gateshead, Donny, Fev, Hemel, London Skolars, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast, Leicester, Gloucester, Bath, Exeter... basically, the proven heartland clubs with facilities and a following, and the aspirational development clubs and/or RU-dual code franchises.

Split into 2 divisions of 12, cut the season by 4 games, run Magic Weekend for SL1 on the 1st bank holiday, and an equivalent for SL2 on the 2nd bank holiday (Blackpool? London? Newcastle?), make it one-up-one-down, add a system for promotion/re-election into SL2 for the very bottom club, and Bob's your uncle.

Sounds like a good idea to me

In principle, I agree but I think Barrow would have a say in that and possibly Oldham too. Additionally and heretically, I would amalgamate the French Elite League into the Championship or SL2. We need to take a long hard look at what the RFU is doing because I genuinely think that is the way forward.

Oh - good luck this week Celtic.

Oooh I'm sooo proud my original posting is now 6 pages long darling fans of mine! Keep it up!

Um origanally we were having ago at you. So I don't know how we are your "darling" fans. :S

What a great achievement.

Well done.

It's his final achievement on these boards

More like only achievement

Just to remind you widnes got 5,000+ yesterday against geatshead

#

Yes and also had free entry for everybody.

How many would we have got if we announced free entry.

A lot more I would think if we had 3,000 yesterday.

Incorrect.

Other than the season ticket holders who had paid for the game already who paid then Pepe me old mucka?

Zilch I believe to be the correct figure. Enlighten me who else did.

And as your Chairman is now giving you an extra game next season for free to season ticket holders it is in theory a game which everybody has had for free. Provided the season ticket holders renew and don't jump ship.

Your site says -

"Whilst in the short term this will only benefit non-season ticket holders, it is my intention to offer an additional one game discount to those season ticket holders who renew for 2010 in the ‘early bird' period when it is announced."

Tell me where I am wrong please?

See, it wasn’t too difficult was it?


You’ve answered it youself. 2,000 season ticket holders.

Well done.


No I paid for that game, as did 2,000 other st holders. What happens next season happens next season. It’s not like the RFL have to do it for us, or anything as worrying as that, is it?