Super 8s or franchise : Wed Sep 20, 2017 1:41 pm  

Be interested in folks thoughts.
For me this year the 8s concept has been excellent. In the top flight the last semi final spot is still up for grabs.
In the qualifiers it's all down to the final weekend who gets the 3rd spot, even our game means something. We have some movement between the leagues, which I think is essential for the sport.
Dennis Betts and his comments about stability in SL, HKR seem to have done ok this year judging by there crowd numbers.
Franchise I think stagnates the game a bit, and it makes the whole game more of an old boys club more than it is now.

Sadly I suspect the RFL will go back to franchise in 2019. And in call me dogs words reinforces the "rich mans toys" those with the biggest backers get to play in the top level.

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Wed Sep 20, 2017 2:47 pm  

Super 8s for me. It keeps the leagues interesting and poor teams get found out.

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Wed Sep 20, 2017 2:56 pm  

Franchises allow teams to build. We may be about to see the failure of the P&R system played out (albeit through the mid 8 system) with HKR going up and Leigh coming down.

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Wed Sep 20, 2017 4:41 pm  

My view on this is we as a game need to be bold and start to reinvent the production of the game to make it more marketable and worth column inches, and attractive to spectators new and old.

One thing that is blindingly obvious is that whilst not neglecting the heritage of the game and the fantastic clubs we have, there are the new boys who are now adding the geographical dimension to the game and these should be given their chance in the sun. The game at the highest level needs to be accessible, watchable, glitzy, global.

My view FWIW, break the mould and go for Conferences, 2, a rough current geographical spread, but with the capacity to evolve over time. The idea of every minute matters also appeals as well as jeopardy, with an element of security that the franchise system offers.

Scrap the salary cap
Scrap overseas players limit

Minimum criteria for top level, inc

Clubs running reserve grade, academy and scholarship – focus on home grown talent
Proven and demonstrable financial management, participation bonds
Marketing plan to increase crowds and revenues, and, to supplement, ground suited to accommodate anticipated crowd growth
……….. sure there are a few others.

2 Conferences formed at the end of season 2018, both 8 teams, top 4 sides in the Championship invited to join current SL teams to form the conferences.

Hypothetically, us, Toronto, Toulouse and Leigh join the 12 SL clubs to form the conferences:

Wigan, Warrington, St Helens, Salford, Widnes, Leigh, Toulouse, Les Cats

Leeds, Hull, Hull KR, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Castleford, London, Toronto.

All clubs in conference play each other home and away, plus play other conference either home or away, inc one game for Magic or ‘on the road’, total games 22.

End of season play off each conference 1 / 2 rest, 3v6, 4v5, then two conference semis, highest place winner in conference 1 play lowest in conf 2, the winners play Grand Final

Bottom two team in conferences play, winner to retain status loser to play winner Championship (a la MPG)

In theory, the conferences in 2023 could look like

Wigan, Warrington, St Helens, Salford, Barcelona, Cumbria, Toulouse, Les Cats

Leeds, Hull, New York, Featherstone, Halifax, Castleford, London, Toronto.


At the Round of 32 in Challenge Cup, the 16 qualifiers get a guaranteed home tie against a top tier side based on a free draw, adds a bit of spice to Cup, final brought back to May.

Add in a Conference State of Origin (not sure of the qualifying criteria)

Add in dates for Internationals.

I am sure all pie in the sky, but I like it !!!!

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:18 pm  

Brilliant and too clever for the RFL to adopt

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Wed Sep 20, 2017 10:28 pm  

Licencing every day of the week for me, but with a raft of conditions, including independently audited business plans, attendance targets, development targets and a new Superleague management team in place, with little or no connection to the RFL....or the clubs for that matter!
Central Marketing is a must if the game is to grow and whilst I love PC Plums plans, they are "back of a beermat" stuff unless there are clear rewards and consequences for teams that don't pull their weight.

Teams that don't step up in terms of development, business acumen and other basic fundamentals of running a profitable or sustainable business will receive assistance and guidance, but if they choose to ignore the expert advice given, then they are cut adrift. There is no room for "romance and reminiscing" in Modern sport...Toronto have pulled 7k averages out of the hat year 1 and I suspect that will continue next year too, because they "get it"......that fans, leads to interest, leads to exposure, leads to corporates, leads to more income and whilst there are clubs in SL as bad as we are at this sort of stuff, none of them have the potential audience that London do and therefore, if we get a second chance, we will need "fresh" money behind us.

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Thu Sep 21, 2017 6:17 am  

I see Wigan have made a considerable loss.

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Thu Sep 21, 2017 9:31 am  

Super 8's is London's only route.

Franchise - No ground, no fans and no money. The only positive being academy performance.

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:06 am  

Riverside Red wrote:

Super 8's is London's only route.

Franchise - No ground, no fans and no money. The only positive being academy performance.

Well the RFL won't be able to find 12 teams for SL then.

Re: Super 8s or franchise : Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:41 am  

If the RFL concentrated on health and safety in the ground rather than how many seats it has that would benefit clubs as they would not be forced to build grounds bigger than their requirements will ever be