Mr Campbell is not happy either

Featherstone chairman Mark Campbell has become the latest club executive to air his views on Tuesday’s controversial Super League press conference – slamming the proposals from some chief executives for ‘radical change’ amidst the scrapping of the Super 8s system.
Campbell issued a lengthy statement in which he slammed Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan, new chief executive Robert Elstone and other key figureheads following talk the Super 8s may go and be replaced with a one-up, one-down system.
He said: “At a meeting between the clubs, the Rugby Football League and Super League – less than one month ago – it was agreed no future plans would be discussed publicly until a solution was found for all concerned.
“So, as you can imagine, it was a huge shock to yesterday be informed that a press conference had in fact taken place. It was one thing to unveil Robert as Super League’s new chief executive but to make such bold and sweeping statements about the sport’s future was something else.
“Robert claims he has a desire to create a “positive working relationship with the RFL”. He has been in the job for two minutes and has already chosen to ignore the agreed consolation process which the RFL, Super League, Championship and League 1 is – or was – playing a part in. Perhaps Robert is just a puppet for Ian Lenagan.
“On Ian and some of his quite remarkable comments from yesterday, this is a man who is talking of “radical change” and the start of a new era. Going back to one up, one down. Re-introducing what we call ‘loop fixtures’ to essentially pad out a season. They are nothing more than a random lottery and have proven hugely controversial in the past. We have been there and done that. How is this radical change? If it was so good before then why was it changed to begin with?
“Did Brian Barwick, chairman of Super League and the RFL, know about yesterday’s press conference? If not, then why? If so, then why did the man at the top of the organisation not attend this alleged new beginning for elite rugby league? There must be a very good reason.
“Where is the RFL in all of this? It appears their so-called figureheads, one of which is supposed to be Brian, and spokespeople are all on holiday – given their total lack of response as a governing body. (Note: the RFL have since responded.)
“From where I am sitting, and the fact I am speaking on behalf of a challenging Championship club is irrelevant, this is about one man attempting to control the game – with the support of owners and chairpeople who are only interested in self preservation and, ultimately, clinging on to their existence.
“One of those clubs, in the town in which the sport was born and bred, is this week letting everyone in for free as an act of sheer desperation. Yet this club could survive, be rewarded for failure on and off the field, and continue to tick over in the top flight essentially free of charge. And all because of these “desired” changes.
“Those who sat at the top table yesterday and smiled for the cameras want the sport’s key stakeholders to believe this is for the ‘good of the game’. Don’t make me laugh.
“When the current format was introduced, none of the Super League chairpeople believed a Championship club could even remotely challenge for a place in the top flight, based on central income in the second tier and overall revenue.
“However, because the gap has and will continue to narrow, there is a genuine possibility that four current Super League clubs could be relegated as early as this year. There is now too much on the line, hence the desire for immediate change to protect themselves and not the sport as a whole.
“The sport of rugby league, now more than ever before, needs its clubs and fans to rise and voice their opinions. This is quite possibly the most pivotal period in rugby league’s history and it would be an out-and-out disgrace for three or four chairpeople to be able to take the sport apart.”

Nailed on Widnes will get relegated. They're awful and won't even make the million quid game. All top 6 Championship teams would beat that lot so doesn't matter who the qualifiers are. Justice seeing that they got through the back door via the dodgy franchise system.

Can anyone picture this scenario, the new regime at R F L Europe introduce the franchise selection, however all are blind applications, each team is merited on: stadium viability, reserve team playing structure, operating costs, attendance v gate receipts, number of G B players, viability to be financially secure (without massive injection from T V ), current profitability if all faced foreclosure. The above are not in order of importance but each as to be accountable . How many current super duper teams would/could win a franchise? Will the R F L grow a pair and issue such a directive?

The game will be totally under the control, including funding or player arrangements of the SL clubs.

SL take the bulk of the money.

The rest become feeders (if they survive) with an increasing number of the SL clubs players making up these teams on DR, Loans or whatever they decide, no reserves needed for them with this in place.

If Lenagan and Co get their way they will be running the game, it's all about them, he has all but come out and said it and as his latest actions show.

Its a power grab in a similar way in which the Premier League in football has managed to make the FA seem inferior. Thankfully it looks like it has been exposed before anything is signed and sealed and it is good to see so many club chairman actually speaking out freely.

www.totalrl.com/championship-clu ... in-stance/ Interesting read. Unless the championship and championship 1 agree looks like they are stuck with the middle 8s until 2021

www.totalrl.com/championship-clu ... in-stance/ Interesting read. Unless the championship and championship 1 agree looks like they are stuck with the middle 8s until 2021

There’s is now probably some irony that a large number of people who didn’t want the likes of Toulouse and Toronto to get in to Super League are now supporting that to put the noses of the big knobs in SL out of joint. From a Fax perspective those two teams going up would doubtless help us as the two teams coming down will generate more away support at the Shay.

So it will be interesting to see the next steps and also if the whole sport ends up in court or not over it.

This weeks press not surprisingly has a good few pages on it.
One report says in part.
The decision making process for the structure of next years comp is that the RFL board of directors will make the decision whether to stay with the existing structure or move to a more conventional structure with one club promoted and one relegated.
If the RFL decide to stick with the current structure the SL clubs could force a vote on it at the RFL Council meeting.
At the council meeting all SL clubs have 2 votes with the Champ and Champ 1 clubs 1 vote each.
The SL clubs excluding Leeds Rhinos could therefore muster 22 votes and the Champ clubs with Leeds voting with them muster 28 votes.
(Added, even if all the SL clubs voted in unison and get 24 votes if the Champ clubs vote together they would have a majority of 2 with 26 votes.)
Report continued.
Press understands the RFL would likely go with the SL clubs unless the Champ clubs could show them it was unfair to do so.

Added. The article doesn’t say if the Champ clubs can call for a vote if the RFL BOD decides to change the structure for next year at the next Coucil meeting.

Toulouse and Toronto should be in $uper£eague or not in our leagues at all. Makes no sense for part-time teams to be doing all this flying. It's going to cost £5000+ to go to Toronto whereas we were promised they would pay all costs. Then there's the visa issues - Dewsbury ended up with 16 players at the weekend. No wonder Toronto are winning games - turning up shorthanded just makes the game look to be a shambles.

Toulouse and Toronto shouldn't be in either league.When we were in s/l i hated the bland home games against London/Paris with no away support.Can't see the prospect of 4 pointless home games appealing to anyone.Surely for eg Cas would rather have homes against us/Leigh/Bradford/Fev.

Very hard to see what the gameplan for development of RL is . The easiest fix of all is to make professional clubs have a reserve grade . It's a hell of a lot simpler than pipe dreams in France and Canada. I am all for change but there has to be an element of practicality in what red Hall does and how it is communicated. I can't see that fat controller has left any form of sustainable legacy for the sport that provided him with an exceptionally generous life style and salary.

makes the game look to be a shambles.

The game is a shambles i would love every S/L & Champioship Side to have Reserves but where are all the Players coming from ? The Amateur (i refuse to say community clubs) are also struggling with falling participation