Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Mon Oct 19, 2020 8:12 pm  

After this season cause & effect = Covid & short season, the whole of Rugby League which includes SL, look as though they are
Going to plough on & start next season & end of Feb - start of March. This even though Covid will still be an issue, fans attending
Games likely to be locked out until late April !
So, thinking ahead, which the RFL, are incapable of doing, why not, a). Delay the season, b). Plan for a shorter season with the sponsors of needed but held for future discussion & agreement if needed. c). So the the season started later, if all things/covid
Turn out OK, then let the full season run out later as this year ? d). What ever the start date is for the new season, let all the games played be the full consecutive Challenge cup games & final before the league games start, this time can move on prior to
The main season starting. Once again, the RFL, could have aforethought, BUT I doubt they are capable, they will plough on &
Cry about circumstances rather than mitigate issues !

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Mon Oct 19, 2020 9:03 pm  

TrinTrin wrote:

After this season cause & effect = Covid & short season, the whole of Rugby League which includes SL, look as though they are
Going to plough on & start next season & end of Feb - start of March. This even though Covid will still be an issue, fans attending
Games likely to be locked out until late April !
So, thinking ahead, which the RFL, are incapable of doing, why not, a). Delay the season, b). Plan for a shorter season with the sponsors of needed but held for future discussion & agreement if needed. c). So the the season started later, if all things/covid
Turn out OK, then let the full season run out later as this year ? d). What ever the start date is for the new season, let all the games played be the full consecutive Challenge cup games & final before the league games start, this time can move on prior to
The main season starting. Once again, the RFL, could have aforethought, BUT I doubt they are capable, they will plough on &
Cry about circumstances rather than mitigate issues !

You make it sound like the RFL is in a position of power to negotiate these deals.
Unfortunately when you've got lazy people taking whatever they can from SKY and they devalued the game and did irreparable damage to it's image by giving the sponsorship rights to Stobarts for nothing!

[PopTart]

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Mon Oct 19, 2020 9:08 pm  

Can't delay. Sky need the games and we need their money.

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:21 pm  

I think the points are being missed, Covid causes disruption no matter so we may be heading to a lot of missed games by players
Unavailability, fixture pile ups & still no supporters to attend !
We may have to have a shorter season, therefore contingencies should be considered rather than panicked enforced poor decisions.
To pre armed is a far better outcome even if not used or eventually not desirable !
But I suppose everyone is happy to blunder along !

[PopTart]

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:29 pm  

TrinTrin wrote:

I think the points are being missed, Covid causes disruption no matter so we may be heading to a lot of missed games by players
Unavailability, fixture pile ups & still no supporters to attend !
We may have to have a shorter season, therefore contingencies should be considered rather than panicked enforced poor decisions.
To pre armed is a far better outcome even if not used or eventually not desirable !
But I suppose everyone is happy to blunder along !

Plan ahead? Absolutely.
Reduce the season? Not if you want to keep financially viable while people can't pay to watch.

For me, the best way for RFL to plan ahead is to spend time building a pay per view site where people can pay an 'entry fee' to watch the game.

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Tue Oct 20, 2020 3:43 am  

The season needs to be as long as the Sky contract says it must be.

Ideally we would bin the loop fixtures and possibly Magic (if there's little prospect of fans attending). Maybe the structure could be negotiated, perhaps extending the number of weeks by using bye rounds so that more games could be televised.

The stopper for a late start is the World Cup at the end of the year. This has to be the main focus for next year and could turn out to be the saviour of the sport.

Some disruption of the regular season seems inevitable, but we need to follow the money if the sport is to survive. That means fulfilling the TV contracts, the whole season should be planned around this.

The elephant in the room is, of course, how many teams will be competing?

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:56 am  

They may stick with 11 teams and keep whoever's bye round it is "on call" incase another team is unable to fulfill their fixture.

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Tue Oct 20, 2020 8:21 am  

PopTart wrote:

Can't delay. Sky need the games and we need their money.

And there's a world cup coming.

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Tue Oct 20, 2020 8:22 am  

charlie wrote:

They may stick with 11 teams and keep whoever's bye round it is "on call" incase another team is unable to fulfill their fixture.

Are we scrapping Magic ?

Re: Thinking Ahead for next Season. : Tue Oct 20, 2020 9:19 am  

coco the fullback wrote:

The season needs to be as long as the Sky contract says it must be.

Ideally we would bin the loop fixtures and possibly Magic (if there's little prospect of fans attending). Maybe the structure could be negotiated, perhaps extending the number of weeks by using bye rounds so that more games could be televised.

The stopper for a late start is the World Cup at the end of the year. This has to be the main focus for next year and could turn out to be the saviour of the sport.

Some disruption of the regular season seems inevitable, but we need to follow the money if the sport is to survive. That means fulfilling the TV contracts, the whole season should be planned around this.

The elephant in the room is, of course, how many teams will be competing?

Like the binning of the loop fixtures.....
I would be for keeping Magic and delaying it to later in the season and play it at say Elland Rd
If we could have fans in, that would be good for our sport. If no fans, bin it!