Where does it leave us - the future? : Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:24 pm
Interesting comments from Phil Clarke recently. It seems there is a greater number of people can see how wrong the new twinning arrangements are. It would seem its arisen from the SL clubs needing to save money and some championship clubs wanting to avoid relegation by getting in players they could never afford on their crowds on the cheap.
All sorts of questions -
Aren't junior development pathways part of SL criteria?
Do the RFL really run the sport anymore?
Do people really think championship players will get better by playing with ever changing, uninterested SL players every week?
How is the system allowing more players to play?
What is the point in championship clubs being independent if they are to be feeder clubs - shouldn't SL clubs take over the running and expense of these clubs?
And, perhaps, most importantly, where does it leave clubs like Halifax? All credit to the board for the statement they made on twinning, but, Fax are not ready for SL but are obviously, now, too good for the championships as they can survive without feeding from the breast of a SL club? I suspect it will leave us nowhere. Not in SL and constantly fighting the pressure to be a feeder club.
Hats off to the Lilly livered RFL, as the tail continues to wag the dog they take their eye off the whole purpose of their being - developing and protecting the sport at ALL levels. The talk is of increasing attendances, do they really think that will now happen in the championships? That clubs will be able to continue to raise the revenue to run themselves as SL feeder clubs? Or, maybe, the plan is for fans of championship RL to gravitate towards SL - there's one here that won't be!
Be great for all the independent championship clubs to join forces and make a statement and fans to boycott twinned teams!
Rant over - what do we all think?