https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport...www.google.com
So can anyone explain in simple terms what it could mean for rugby league these guys getting involved??
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport...www.google.com
So can anyone explain in simple terms what it could mean for rugby league these guys getting involved??
NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS
Insta @christianjamescreative
Instead of selfish chairmen voting in self interested ways on the future direction of the game, consultants who are "experts" and no real understanding of the game will manage the game for the next 12 years.
What happens when said selfish chairmen vote down the proposals today, I have no idea!
I was just about to say that. Whatever IMG propose today, the entire sport will spend the next 6 months ripping itself to pieces as everyone fights over their own self interest and small minded views.
I hope they come up with something dynamic and revolutionary that will create some excitement and media interest in the sport, but whatever it is we have to as a sport get behind it.
Any thoughts on what they could do for positive change?
Obviously raising the profile of the sport and players but not sure how that happens
NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS
Insta @christianjamescreative
I was hoping that IMG's involvement would be on the proviso that they get something of a say in the progress of the game and I'll be gutted if they don't hold any kind of voting power.
Why sign up for twelve years when anyone who knows the game could tell you that in twelve minutes some of the chairmen will vote down any forward-thinking proposal in their own self interest?
To be fair, IMG have already set up the RFL commercial entity - absolute insanity that we didnt have one previously - which should help with at least two of those (https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby...s-img-28097874)
I will add sweeping reforms for almost all aspects the RFL are responsible for, refereeing, disciplinary, youth and academy teams, distribution models etc
They need to be ruthless.
1. Every club has to have a fit for purpose stadium by end of 2025 - any who do not; off the top of my head you have Wakefield who spring to mind are relegated
2. Split Super League and rebrand the championship as Super League 2. Both 10 team competitions.
3. Scrap the quota or at least increase it to improve player quality. The purpose of this quota has well and truly sailed, not enough top quality from this country then our top quality going to the country who we quota players coming the other way.
4. Invest in a proper marketing team with consistent social media output advertising the best action from each weekly rounds. Including weekly game build up, head to head with captains and coaches.
5. Continue and attempt to even improve that free to air contract with channel 4 to get the game available to all.
6. Make clubs incentivise tickets, reduce cost of away support ie. Each club accepts 500 free tickets for season ticket holders of their opposition for away games. The remainder are heavily discounted, shared across all teams should even out: clubs still make money from reduced cost sales and food/beer etc.
A few there off the top of my head.
The structure, whether we go for ten, twelve, fourteen or however many is, in many ways, not that important. The way in which we make up the required thirteen home games per year is slightly more important, though there’s far greater things to worry about.
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
Sky is one of the major problems for mine.
You'd hope that having to make up 13 home games a season would be temporary as the need for that is driven by income. The long term plan and part of IMGs job has to be bringing in enough finance from other sources (higher tv deal, private investment etc) that clubs are not desperate and reliant on 13 home matches.
The RFL/clubs keep banging on about player welfare but run the players into the ground with excess matches, 10 home matches per season + play offs & CC should be plenty.
100% correct.
If we’re just going to vote on a different way of doing 27 weekly rounds, of which most but the last ten rounds are devalued and meaningless, without any longer term plans to reduce it whilst looking at revenue streams elsewhere, then all of this is a complete waste of time and resources.
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/spor...closer-7638820
A return to a form of licensing
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For starters:
Total overhaul of MRP
Reduce dependence on Sky
New commentators to enhance professionalism of the sport
Review standard of officiating, including linesmen
13 team SL. 12 home games + maybe Magic. Each clubgets free weeks during season
Captain's call
"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom." Danny Blanchflower.
Might have been written by a footballer about football - but never a truer word............
I think being ruthless with teams that add no value.
Probably easy to say as a saints fan.
But speaking to a Wakefield fan who has worked in league and union agrees Wakefield offer nothing to super league.
Just as an example.
Less teams seems a bit of a backward step. Although there is the idea of less English teams. And then catalan being part of a European comp that runs along side a smaller super league.. in which the super league play in. Just a random thought.. I've never quite known where I stand with the French teams. Should there be more focus on the UK? Or are we that limited as far as what other clubs do or can offer that we need the likes of Catalan and other clubs that may be in the pipeline??
I like what Catalan bring to the comp by the way and I'm all up for developing the game in France.
I agree with the sky presentation. I think Carney is solid but since Eddie left for the main match commentary.. it's taken a backward step.
Baz and Tez as much as I have the nostalgic like for them, they are not good enough.
The whole spectacle of the game.. like the old days of the bulls, and pretty much why American sports are so appealing shouldn't be underestimated.
American sports are boring. But the spectacle of them, especially college football is brilliant.
I guess they just put much more emphasis on their sports than we do from a young age. But there's no reason the gameday spectacle cannot be improved across the board.
Another problem we face with this crack down on contact sports as far as government backing for developing young players in sport.
I'm sure rugby league is way down the pecking order for any government investment
For me the biggest focus long term is attracting the young players to the sport. Even giving academy/reserves players more of a presence/exposure. And hopefully that's something they can help with the most.
But I totally agree they need to be given a great deal of control for the foreseeable future
NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS
Insta @christianjamescreative
https://www.superleague.co.uk/articl...ecommendations
Ho boy all hell will break lose the first time a "A" club finishes bottom but a "B" club gets relegated ...
Last edited by STIDDY; 28th September 2022 at 14:41.
https://inews.co.uk/sport/rugby-leag...23?ITO=newsnow
Even from the title you can hear the anguish. There are already those that want to take the academies away from Saints/ Wigan/ Leeds because its not fair ...
I liked the premise of licensing when it was brought in 10-15 years ago. It was so poorly executed and become a safety fence for some clubs and become almost impossible for others to join the league. I still like the premise now and hope that as a completely independent and impartial body, that it is implemented far better.
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
There isnt any relegation from the top league, so that wouldnt happen. It says that "A" clubs are guaranteed a place and the rest of the spaces will be taken by the top rated "B" clubs. So a "B" team can relegate themselves if they dont improve whatever criteria is judged to make an "A" or "B" team. Or a team can improve themselves and get promoted via that route. But it doesnt appear that where you finish on the league will be the decider
I read that to mean that A graded clubs will not be relegated. B graded clubs, knowing the rules at the outset, have to get their house in order and meet the criteria. If they don't they have to accept the consequences. This appears to be aimed at clubs who manage to survive on the field but do nothing to improve other on field off field standards e.g. No academy/youth development, no ground improvement etc. If so I have no problem with this.
Loyal and true, not a glory hunter.
The license is good in theory but would get abused in this corrupt sport so that they can catapult any team they please into the top division in attempt to expand the game outside of the M62. If it isn’t abused it could work. Every 3 years review the leagues. If a club in super league is constantly failing on the field, has dwindling support, poor facilities they get swapped out for a club that has been knocking on the door for a while and ticks all the right boxes (stadium, fan base etc).
Surely 3 years is plenty time for an ambitious club with decent financial backing to make a good go of being in super league.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
I know this is just the opening discussion and the meat still needs to be put on the bones.
But there isn't anything within those proposals that hasn't been discussed within the sport for any number of years.
Season date changes
Emphasis on international games
Licensing against a set criteria
Expand into new domestic markets
Limit overseas participation
Strategy change to cover all aspects of game
Increase revenue by centralising
If that is the case then it would suggest that it was the delivery of these ideas has been the problem.
So IMG will need to take more control of the delivery as it suggests that the RFL haven't been fit to deliver for the sport (is that really a surprise to anyone?)