There just ain't the money in the game or the desire. The sport cannot compete salary-wise with Union either.

I've opined numerous times that RL entered a state of managed decline around a decade ago. And that state is the only plan in town. Sadly, there is nobody currently employed in the game who has any vision to change that.

It survives on handouts from Sky, which is tantamount to visiting a foodbank.

I hope I'm wrong but I forecast the game to be semi-pro inside the next decade with only a handful of clubs able to sustain full time contracts. I think we know who those clubs will be.

You've been saying it'll be semi-pro for several years now so that decade keeps shifting.

It's certainly an era we will never see the likes of again.

Great while it lasted though.

Lots to talk about and get excited over, massive up's and massive downers from one week to the next, a thriving transfer market, more publicity, more terrestrial TV coverage, more star players, larger media profile, more fans in total through the turnstiles each season.

Union going full-time pro has had a huge effect. RL always benefited from a steady stream of recruitment from Union, particularly from Wales. Not anymore, sadly.

Just like that SL salary cap keeps shifting, eh?

Hope you continue to enjoy your foodbank rugby league.

There was certainly plenty of it on show last season and on Boxing Day.

Nice trying to avoid the point.....but how long is this decade going to last because you have been saying it'll be "semi pro in a decade" for quite a long time now, probably almost a decade in fact.

I've definitely been stalked for over a decade.

I wasn't aware I was being stalked for over a decade by you too?

I'll add you to my fan club, shall I?

.

Either that or there'll be further cuts to wages all round. In other words, the game may remain professional though standards may not. Still, the odd stand-out player could well shine more brightly so no doom & gloom on my part.

So it's half a decade now?

Bill is correct super league ain't super any more how can it be when it can't even support an a team league bring that back to begin with and the kids will stay in the game longer players stay at clubs for longer also should allow a teasers to remain semi pro.

The really interesting question would be...

Could Leeds realistically remain full time pro without the annual foodbank handout from Sky?

Cap in English union is 7 million and it will go up. I don't think they have a cap in France. Wasps made an operating loss of 3.8 million end of last season, they can't exist without input from owners, but that's not the point. The point is that RU players are not interested in league. There's no money in it, and no good reason to switch.

Facts are facts. Quins can fill Twickenham for a league fixture and a resurgent England have massively revitalised the international game as a whole. The profile, the money, the safety and security in the mini and junior game, player development pathways, European club competition etc. Union didn't just go professional, it got it's act together in a big way at all levels.

It may be unsustainable, but Union is I think on the brink of really taking off. Japan World Cup could kick it off to a genuinely global audience. It could go big or it could pop like an over inflated balloon. Whatever, there's no "talent" for league clubs to poach anymore.

Just a quick one on the view about getting Union players early in their careers.There is a lad that has just played his 100th game for Carnegie,as a youngster played league to service area standard,could play FB or SO very good defence and great under high ball got overlooked by rhinos acadamey but I know is a big league fan and considers his grounding in the game contributed a lot to his success in Union.

Agreed.

Union has got it's @rse in gear since it became full time pro.

I wasn't convinced that club rugby in Union would take off but it has done.

The benefits of a thriving, touring international stage is a huge help of course, along with good management.

In comparison, RL has allowed its own much smaller international touring stage to become an afterthought and something that gets in the way.