Re: ""Super Eights " : Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:20 pm  

Norman Bates wrote:

Top team up, 2nd place plays 2nd to bottom in Million Pound game.

This.

Re: ""Super Eights " : Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:26 pm  

if go the way SL want they will have to all run 2nd teams as rest of clubs go to the wall.

Re: ""Super Eights " : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:48 am  

What a complete shambles this is turning out to be already. The RFL are the custodians of our game at all levels not SL. I understand that the top league is the showpiece but not to the detriment of all other clubs in whatever league below it.
The adverse logic to me is that they are about to get rid of a system that has improved the quantity and quality of clubs that can now challenge for SL, as there are several Championship clubs will give the SL a run for their money in the middle 8's this time.That looks to me to be the real reason why some SL Chairmen have grasped the nettle now and announced the changes -to safeguard themselves and others in SL.
Soft soaping the lower teams by saying funding will remain in place unti 20-21 season looks like a back handed way of saying look after yoursleves after that, as we are shutting up shop and keeping the money for ourselves.
Somebody at the RFL needs to grow a pair and explain to the Wigan/Saints and Warrington Chairmen that the game is not theirs to decide on. It is all the clubs, at whatever level, to decide what is best for the game overall.
I have a real passion for people to be playing rugby at whatever age and whatever level.Greedy Chairmen manipulating the game to suit themselves does not sit well with me at all.
Perhaps I am a traditionalist but I make no apologies for that.

Re: ""Super Eights " : Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:18 am  

swifty62 wrote:

if go the way SL want they will have to all run 2nd teams as rest of clubs go to the wall.

They'll probably dual reg with Rugby Onion teams. Or maybe Canadian Football.

Anything to cut costs ....

Re: ""Super Eights " : Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:21 am  

Living The Dream wrote:

The adverse logic to me is that they are about to get rid of a system that has improved the quantity and quality of clubs that can now challenge for SL, as there are several Championship clubs will give the SL a run for their money in the middle 8's this time.

Have they ?

Or are the Championship teams able to make a challenge because they have a wealthy backer ?

I suspect the latter. In which case, nothing's changed.

Re: ""Super Eights " : Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:06 am  

Mark has his say:-

Super League wanted to slash £1m off lower league distribution claims Fax chairman Moore
June 14, 2018 Matthew Shaw

Halifax chairman Mark Moore claims the Super League board wanted to take £1m of funding from Championship and League 1 clubs as part of the proposed new league structure.

Members of Super League, including Wigan and St Helens chairmen Ian Lenagan and Eamonn McManus, showed a presentation to their Championship and League 1 counterparts regarding the league structure they would like to come into effect next season several weeks ago.

Moore claims that the proposal included the funding to the lower leagues been slashed from the current figure, which is distributed between the 26 clubs.

The revelation comes after Lenagan claimed on Tuesday that they were fully committed to continuing funding the clubs below Super League until the end of the current broadcasting deal in 2021.

The proposal was outright rejected thereafter, and Moore is of the belief no further discussions have taken place since.

“We had a presentation from four Super League club chairmen which we all listened too and watched,” he said.

“Their presentation included the financial consequences that could occur and that is £1m would be taken away from Championship and League 1 clubs to fund these changes. That’s where the negotiations have to come in. In any partnership, it has to be two-way and at the moment we’ve only had it one-way, which was the presentation made to all clubs around four weeks ago.

“Our advisory group is trying to push the agenda further, but I believe it hasn’t got anywhere on that.”

Moore also joined others in hitting out at the Super League board for making their proposals public, despite an agreement on next year not being reached.

“It’s quite disappointing to say we’re professional people who are supposed to be negotiating changes to the game going forward.

“It’s my own personal opinion that this is potentially a way to try and bully us into accepting what they’re after, which doesn’t fit in comfortably with Halifax when you’re halfway through negotiations.

“In my eyes it’s trying to push us into a corner as they don’t want to negotiate with ourselves. They believe it is better for the game.

“One thing I support Gary (Hetherington) 100% is that we had four Super League chairman trying to dictate us on how the game should go forward, however only one of those clubs are making a profit. They should try and get their own house in order first before going out to say they can fix the sport.

“Not bragging about Halifax, but look what we’ve done this year on engagement, our gates are up, others are saying how fantastic we’re doing. It would be nice to see Super League clubs do what we’re doing.

“If a club like Halifax can move the goalposts, certainly those with the financial backings of Super League clubs should be able to do the same, then they wouldn’t need to have to come tapping into our purse strings.”

Moore is also of the belief that Super League clubs want to structure changing as they are becoming increasingly threatened by clubs in the Championship, and he claimed to change the structure would make things significantly harder for Championship clubs to compete on and off the field.

“The main issue here at the moment is the concept of the Super 8s, they probably didn’t see four Super League clubs be in the situation they’re in at the moment.

“Everyone knew from day one what the consequences of the Million Pound Game was going to be. The exposure we got in the eights last year, we’d never get that if it went back to old school. Yes, it needs some tinkering, but why are we changing things all over again.

“I believe it would be a harder sell if the sport continues to go down the international expansion route. If it’s true that new clubs are coming like New York who can chuck money at it, this will become a hard sell to board members, investors and more importantly, supporters.

“Even though it’s not a closed shop, it will all come down to money. I’m a believer it shouldn’t be that and I think Halifax are proof it doesn’t have to be as we’re fighting with clubs spending over £1m, but it’s getting harder and harder, and if it becomes one up, one down, and you have international teams coming through, it will be a hard product to sell. I thought the objective was to make it more entertaining and more competitive.”

Re: ""Super Eights " : Thu Jun 14, 2018 1:31 pm  

Mr Campbell is not happy either

Featherstone chairman Mark Campbell has become the latest club executive to air his views on Tuesday’s controversial Super League press conference – slamming the proposals from some chief executives for ‘radical change’ amidst the scrapping of the Super 8s system.
Campbell issued a lengthy statement in which he slammed Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan, new chief executive Robert Elstone and other key figureheads following talk the Super 8s may go and be replaced with a one-up, one-down system.
He said: “At a meeting between the clubs, the Rugby Football League and Super League – less than one month ago – it was agreed no future plans would be discussed publicly until a solution was found for all concerned.
“So, as you can imagine, it was a huge shock to yesterday be informed that a press conference had in fact taken place. It was one thing to unveil Robert as Super League’s new chief executive but to make such bold and sweeping statements about the sport’s future was something else.
“Robert claims he has a desire to create a “positive working relationship with the RFL”. He has been in the job for two minutes and has already chosen to ignore the agreed consolation process which the RFL, Super League, Championship and League 1 is – or was – playing a part in. Perhaps Robert is just a puppet for Ian Lenagan.
“On Ian and some of his quite remarkable comments from yesterday, this is a man who is talking of “radical change” and the start of a new era. Going back to one up, one down. Re-introducing what we call ‘loop fixtures’ to essentially pad out a season. They are nothing more than a random lottery and have proven hugely controversial in the past. We have been there and done that. How is this radical change? If it was so good before then why was it changed to begin with?
“Did Brian Barwick, chairman of Super League and the RFL, know about yesterday’s press conference? If not, then why? If so, then why did the man at the top of the organisation not attend this alleged new beginning for elite rugby league? There must be a very good reason.
“Where is the RFL in all of this? It appears their so-called figureheads, one of which is supposed to be Brian, and spokespeople are all on holiday – given their total lack of response as a governing body. (Note: the RFL have since responded.)
“From where I am sitting, and the fact I am speaking on behalf of a challenging Championship club is irrelevant, this is about one man attempting to control the game – with the support of owners and chairpeople who are only interested in self preservation and, ultimately, clinging on to their existence.
“One of those clubs, in the town in which the sport was born and bred, is this week letting everyone in for free as an act of sheer desperation. Yet this club could survive, be rewarded for failure on and off the field, and continue to tick over in the top flight essentially free of charge. And all because of these “desired” changes.
“Those who sat at the top table yesterday and smiled for the cameras want the sport’s key stakeholders to believe this is for the ‘good of the game’. Don’t make me laugh.
“When the current format was introduced, none of the Super League chairpeople believed a Championship club could even remotely challenge for a place in the top flight, based on central income in the second tier and overall revenue.
“However, because the gap has and will continue to narrow, there is a genuine possibility that four current Super League clubs could be relegated as early as this year. There is now too much on the line, hence the desire for immediate change to protect themselves and not the sport as a whole.
“The sport of rugby league, now more than ever before, needs its clubs and fans to rise and voice their opinions. This is quite possibly the most pivotal period in rugby league’s history and it would be an out-and-out disgrace for three or four chairpeople to be able to take the sport apart.”

Re: ""Super Eights " : Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:23 pm  

Nailed on Widnes will get relegated. They're awful and won't even make the million quid game. All top 6 Championship teams would beat that lot so doesn't matter who the qualifiers are. Justice seeing that they got through the back door via the dodgy franchise system.

Re: ""Super Eights " : Fri Jun 15, 2018 1:34 am  

Can anyone picture this scenario, the new regime at R F L Europe introduce the franchise selection, however all are blind applications, each team is merited on: stadium viability, reserve team playing structure, operating costs, attendance v gate receipts, number of G B players, viability to be financially secure (without massive injection from T V ), current profitability if all faced foreclosure. The above are not in order of importance but each as to be accountable . How many current super duper teams would/could win a franchise? Will the R F L grow a pair and issue such a directive?

Re: ""Super Eights " : Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:55 am  

griff1998 wrote:

They'll probably dual reg with Rugby Onion teams. Or maybe Canadian Football.

Anything to cut costs ....

The game will be totally under the control, including funding or player arrangements of the SL clubs.

SL take the bulk of the money.

The rest become feeders (if they survive) with an increasing number of the SL clubs players making up these teams on DR, Loans or whatever they decide, no reserves needed for them with this in place.

If Lenagan and Co get their way they will be running the game, it's all about them, he has all but come out and said it and as his latest actions show.