Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sat Aug 11, 2018 11:22 pm  

puroresu_boy wrote:

It is a problem in a salary capped sport. The NRL is salary capped and they have had more than 4 sides winning the premiership in the same time period.

If we actually had a salary cap system that worked we possibly have a real competition where from 1 - 8 there was a genuine exciting play off system where anyone could win like you see in the NRL.

What we have is salary cap which isnt maxed out by all sides and then the same sides year on year reaching or winning the Grand Final.

A salary cap should mean that its genuinely possible for the majority of sides to believe they can win it. We are well away from that.

There can only be 1 or 2 sides who aren’t at or near maxing the salary cap. I’d say probably Widnes, maybe Salford now (but were maxing it under Koukash). That doesn’t explain why the other 10 teams aren’t winning the comp between them and it’s concentrated at 3 clubs now.

I think we worry over the salary cap far too much in RL and obsess about it not increasing and that’s the cause of our woes. I think the other advantages the NRL has far outweigh any increased salary cap.
Namely:
- their feeder club system
- their league structure

The feeder club system is by far the best way to develop players. I’m sure I read a stat a while ago that the average of NRL debut was around 24 years old. The SL equivalent must be a lot lower, I’d guess at around 19 or 20. Their youngsters get those valuable extra years playing against men in their second grade. Ours have to make the step up 3 or 4 years earlier and then get sporadic game time during that time.

Their league structure is massively advantageous toward a comp where multiple teams can be successful over a few years. No threat of relegations means that clubs can plan for next season and the season after without having to panic about this year and the clubs future. Then the bottom half of the table clubs get a helping hand by only having to play the top teams from last year once. This is a huge advantage and is often overlooked when we compare the 2 comps.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sat Aug 11, 2018 11:52 pm  

Personally I’d go with either a 16 or 20 team licenses SL. All other clubs to be feeder clubs to the SL clubs however it’s not just a one way street. There would be set a minimum amount of funding to go from the SL club to the non-SL club and also help and support in all other areas. The SL clubs have to pull their weight or they themselves get reduced funding and lose the benefit of a feeder club.

There would be minimum standards and relevant targets set for all SL clubs. Those underachieving over a 5 year period would be at risk of losing their licence or central funding depending on the circumstances.

Based on a 20 team league each team would play every other team once and play each team from their half of the table from the previous year twice, like in the NRL. That would give 29 rounds including the Magic Weekend. Then a top 8 playoff system.

I would move the Cup to earlier in the season and have SL clubs enter earlier in the comp to make it feel more like a challenge. I’d also have stricter homegrown player requirements for the Cup.

I’d move the Magic Weekend to the August Bank Holiday Weekend. I’d make it either a simple system that the top half teams from last year play each other and the bottom half teams play each other. So for instance 1st v 10th, 11th v 20th etc. Or do a draw pre-season. I’d make it a permanent fixture in Newcastle for the next 10 years and use it as bass from which to help the Newcastle club grow. Strong advertising and marketing of the Newcastle club all through the weekend etc. I’d also follow it up with an England game each year at Newcastle.

I’d increase the homegrown player requirement.

I’d have the RFL hold a central pot of money that is deducted from the TV money that is to go to marketing one game each season for each club to try and make it a big event.

I’d have a few themed rounds. For instance the superhero round when clubs can wear their Marvel shirts, a proper state of mind round that the sport actually pays attention to, maybe a health related round? Obviously would have a heritage round where all clubs would wear heritage shirts.

In terms of internationals I’d establish an annual mid-season 5 nations comp of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France. Play each team once. No final. League leader wins. Yes the winner would be England to start with but we have to start somewhere and the only way the other nations will
improve and grow is with guaranteed games every year.

I’d have the RFL take more control over the amateur game. It’s in a shocking state at open age level and needs the morons within it that are holding it back getting rid of. We need social 6-a-side touch comps setting up across the country.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 1:36 am  

Him wrote:

In terms of internationals I’d establish an annual mid-season 5 nations comp of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France.

Why split the national team up? GB vs France and Ireland as a Tri-Nations. Scotland has no domestic comp. Give up, up there.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:43 am  

RLRealist wrote: A great well written article discusses to urgent need for the game to make some serious adaptations and tweeks in order to prosper. https://tidesofhistory.wordpress.com/2018/08/09/seize-the-day-twelve-ways-to-make-rugby-league-great-again/ There is nothing on that list that we don't already know, it's the guys at the top that don't seem to see it. Point 2 is the controversial one, all though I fully agree with it with the exception of a merged Cumbria side, not sure there is enough potencial in Coventry, and a second French side is a must.

RLRealist wrote: A great well written article discusses to urgent need for the game to make some serious adaptations and tweeks in order to prosper. https://tidesofhistory.wordpress.com/2018/08/09/seize-the-day-twelve-ways-to-make-rugby-league-great-again/ There is nothing on that list that we don't already know, it's the guys at the top that don't seem to see it. Point 2 is the controversial one, all though I fully agree with it with the exception of a merged Cumbria side, not sure there is enough potencial in Coventry, and a second French side is a must.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:47 am  

ThePrinter wrote:

That’s not really a problem even though people often use it. How many teams have won the Premiership in the last 20 years or La Liga in Spain. We could’ve had 7/8 winners in the past 20 years and it wouldn’t really change anything from where we’re at now. Whilst not the top prize we’ve still had 4 others winners of silverware in the last 5 years and up at the top end of the table in Wire, Cas, Hull and Hudds which is more than can be said for those aforementioned leagues.

Funny thing is that we might have a new winner of silverware in 2 weeks in Catalans yet a lot of the fan base will be more interesting in slagging off the attendance figure at Wembley. That leads us to one of the unspoken issues with RL.....the fans. Never the ones criticised because we think we have the best fans in the world for some reason but reality is we don’t, far from it. The fan base is as much a problem as anything yet it never makes these types of list because it’s easier to pint the finger elsewhere.

Totally agree with the second para, RL are its biggest downfall.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:52 am  

puroresu_boy wrote:

It is a problem in a salary capped sport. The NRL is salary capped and they have had more than 4 sides winning the premiership in the same time period.

If we actually had a salary cap system that worked we possibly have a real competition where from 1 - 8 there was a genuine exciting play off system where anyone could win like you see in the NRL.

What we have is salary cap which isnt maxed out by all sides and then the same sides year on year reaching or winning the Grand Final.

A salary cap should mean that its genuinely possible for the majority of sides to believe they can win it. We are well away from that.

They don't have p&r though do they, a side can be bottom for a couple of seasons, and rebuild a side and be challenging for the title in the next 2-3 seasons, rather than the treat of relegation. The sides that perennially are in the lower reached in our league are always signings the dregs of the league, the better players still get attracted to the top teams. In Nrl they don't as everyside has a chance.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:56 am  

EastHullUTR wrote:

So because Coventry, London, and Newcastle are expansion sides they deserve to be in super league over Cas?!! Wakey, Leigh, Hull KR Widnes, Huddesfield and Salford. Well those expansion sides aren't capable of super league purely cause of their fan base. I'd suggest whoever wrote that article did their research and come back. Cas tier two? Wrong

With a the exception of Cas, the rest of those sides barely average 20k combined. Why do they deserve a place in the top flight, just because of tradition. And you only exclude Cas as they have been a good side for 3-4 years but people forget they nearly went bust 5 years ago and have been relegated twice in 15 years.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:20 am  

The author makes some good points and some others that I don't necessarily agree with.
But fair play to him, he is at least attempting to encourage debate.
All I see is a rudderless and clueless RFL (Has it ever been different?).
Someone needs to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shake. Ralph Rimmer is not capable of this.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:36 am  

Him wrote:

There can only be 1 or 2 sides who aren’t at or near maxing the salary cap. I’d say probably Widnes, maybe Salford now (but were maxing it under Koukash).

Wakey too, I believe. £400k under according to some on their board, a figure apparently undisputed by Mr Carter. I have to say that if this is accurate, they've done a fantastic job with the resources at their disposal. Were it available, that £400k could have brought in two very high-quality players and with that you'd have to say Wakey would be realistic silverware contenders. Sorry, gone a bit O/T there.

Re: Twelve Ways To Make Rugby League Great Again : Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:47 am  

Zuider wrote:

The author makes some good points and some others that I don't necessarily agree with.
But fair play to him, he is at least attempting to encourage debate.
All I see is a rudderless and clueless RFL (Has it ever been different?).
Someone needs to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shake. Ralph Rimmer is not capable of this.

It was different when Richard Lewis was at the help.
Just for a short while, the sport appeared to be moving forwards.

Since he departed, we have looked only for quick fix after quick fix and right now Rimmer looks to be like a backward step from Mr Wood, which is quite an achievement.