Big Changes to Rugby League? : Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:18 pm  

Did I hear Harry Gration right on 'Look North' last night while doing a piece about Halifax and The Shay saying that there are major changes afoot in two months time? Karl Harrison was talking about four divisions of ten clubs each last week in 'League Weekly. So will we see Castleford, Wakefield, Salford (maybe) and London playing with Featherstone, Halifax, Batley, Sheffield in a Super League 2? Where does that leave Cougars?

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:08 pm  

Harry Gration - Look North Friday 12th April: "There are lots of rumours rattling around about a radical re-structuring of the game which can only be good for the sport in the long-run, especially for the likes of Featherstone, Batley and Halifax."

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:57 pm  

Surely that would have to mean automatic promotion and relegation between the four divisions? (Even if only one up, one down). If so, that could be the saviour of the game.

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Sat Apr 13, 2013 4:21 pm  

Lawkholme Len wrote:

Did I hear Harry Gration right on 'Look North' last night while doing a piece about Halifax and The Shay saying that there are major changes afoot in two months time? Karl Harrison was talking about four divisions of ten clubs each last week in 'League Weekly. So will we see Castleford, Wakefield, Salford (maybe) and London playing with Featherstone, Halifax, Batley, Sheffield in a Super League 2? Where does that leave Cougars?

And all the more reason EVERYBODY who has the club at heart needs to pull together in a big TEAM effort - to do everything possible to ensure Keighley Cougars secure that sixth place in the Championship this season.

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Sat Apr 13, 2013 4:40 pm  

If it is, as has been mentioned, Superleague 2 will these second tier clubs have to have ground and attendance criteria to meet?

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:33 pm  

Lawkholme Len wrote:

If it is, as has been mentioned, Superleague 2 will these second tier clubs have to have ground and attendance criteria to meet?

If there is a Super League 2 and it won't happen until the current franchising period ends, i'd almost guarantee that there'd be criteria and that a 2nd French team, probably Toulouse would be included.

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:54 am  

Maybe Gary's dream may come true after all, Cougars in Super League in 5 years! We could very well be in Super League 2 in that time!

Joking aside, Harry Gration clearly doesn't see the Cougars in the same light as Batley and Fax. Disappointing, but IMO we're miles off those two teams both on and off the field.

Also, I was watching Super League on Friday evening and heard Stevo and Eddie applauding the franchise system regarding Catalans. Without the franchise system they claim Catalans could not have developed like they have. Whilst there may be some element of truth to that, how many millions have the RFL put into Catalans and then offset that against other SL teams. I bet my bottom dollar there is a massive disparity. Also, we've developed a handful of clubs at the detriment to the lower level clubs. I think this just emphasises the single minded view in Super League.

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Tue May 07, 2013 11:56 am  

See both League papers this week (6th May). We should ask ourselves as a club where we want to be in this new set-up. As supporters we should ask ourselves what we can do to help the club get there. Failure to get where we want to be in "the most radical changes to the structure of the game since the introduction of Superleague," may condemn us to twenty or more years struggling in the lower divisions.

Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Tue May 07, 2013 8:34 pm  

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Re: Big Changes to Rugby League? : Tue May 07, 2013 9:10 pm  

We still have to be in a position, league wise, where we would make the cut of 24. At present...