Gotcha to invest/speculate you have to have something to invest/speculate with. You have already said not many teams run at a profit.

You said the NRL increased their cap massively and it hasn't done them any harm but they had a billion dollar TV deal signed. They didnt increase their cap to gamble on their future they increased it cos the teams could afford it.

To say the NRL has nothing to do with our competition when so many players from each team in SL is filled with ex NRL players seems ludicrous. The top rated players can now stay in the NRL because the cap has been raised and so the quality of import to SL is lower so it has a big impact on our competition.

Any increase on our cap would be a financial gamble and still would not attract top Union players, would not attract top NRL players and would stop SL players wanting to go to the NRL so the player pool wouldn't increase.

Ever since you and I have watched RL the game has been dieing and on its last legs yet it's still going.

Our problem is that NRL isn’t a spectator sport it’s a TV sport. Aussie Rules is a spectator sport not a TV sport, that’s why you see the huge crowds at AFL but the TV money goes to NRL. Superleague is really a spectator sport and until it becomes a TV sport you can forget salary cap increases.

There is a few inaccuracies there Marty.

Just because teams do not run at a profit, does not mean they can not speculate or improve the product. It doesn’t revolve around profit. Changing what the spending is on for a start. This is where business knowledge comes in, and pick up on your point of should be run like a business.

I didn’t say the NRL increased its cap and not done any harm. You have read the wrong angle there. I said they had increased their cap and its has enhanced the game over there. Because now they can afford to raid other comps and other sports, and keep their top players from the opposite.

The point on the NRL having nothing to do with our comp wasn’t in terms of how much finance they have. As long as we are paying our own players what they are worth then we will succeed. It isn’t about bringing Aussies over, it’s about keeping our own.

I completely disagree on your point of what the cap wouldn’t do, and believe it is without any foundation, and defeatist.

I have been watching since 78, and I disagree that the game has always been dying. But I strongly believe that I have never seen such a poor quality across all its teams as I see now. I just watched a really poor Huddersfield team hammer an Hull team that has recently beat two of the top teams. That Hull team would have struggled to beat a league 1 team today. It’s embarrassing to see this. It needs to change.

We can all argue about why where and how but the responsibility to improve the game/brand/clubs lays purely with the Clubs themselves and the RFL.
We can't keep having separate factions to start with the SL RFL and the rest of the game need to be under 1 controlling body imo.
Of course when negotiating tv deals and sponsorship the contracts will be separate from the SL CC and lower leagues but the sport as a whole needs to be going in 1 direction as one.
My own pov is IF Clubs can show proof they can afford to invest more in their squads then so be it there is no way Teams should be held back if they can afford to be better.
I'd also re-think the imports set up i.e 5 overseas allowed and that's it no non fed loophole etc.
A minimum of 18 home grown players in SL Clubs 35 man squads.
Also certain "rules2 need addressing i.e this guessing about a try or not just a simple ? to the VR Try yes or no. Also this obstruction rule is a farce as is the ptb and players diving.
VR at EVERY game no need for the we cant afford it SKY sponsor us so get them to provide the cameras the off duty Refs/ex players can do VR duties.

Realistically we can't increase the cap far enough to sign top flight NRL or RU players en masse. Even doubling the cap would mean we might pick up a few better NRL players but not much else beyond what the current marquee rules allow. The main difference might be in stopping players leaving for the NRL/RU.

So if we were to increase the cap, where would the money go apart from lining the pockets of existing players? I don't see any point in increasing the cap significantly without forcing clubs to spend on junior development, because that's where we're going to get 90% of our players from.

If you told any SL side they have 100% more to spend today, the first thing that would happen is all the existing players would have their hands out wanting rises. For zero benefit to the game. That's why you have to be very careful about increases and how they are managed.

Stop talking sense. This isn't the place for that.

At the moment it seems like we have become an active nursery for the NRL. Young lads coming through are hoping to raise their profile enough to get an offer from Aus. That’s actually pretty good for the national side in the medium term, but I’m not sure how sustainable that leaves domestic RL.

End of the day, if we want a competitive sport, older community-based clubs are going to have to increase interest. Otherwise for me we’re back into franchising.

Due to the demographic and commercial landscape in England, RL has some very serious challenges. The fixes are complex and in places too big.

One thing the game does need is Leadership with one vision, rather than a collection of egos waving their willies and acting in short term self interest.

The game is poorly run from the top in this country.

At the grass roots level there is passion and dedication to the game. At the top level there is no vision, no planning and no money.

The professional game is in a battle to stay alive in this country in the next decade

I could say "t'was always thus" - but I do think there is a bigger threat now. RU is SO much stronger than is was 10 years ago, and the NRL is streets ahead also (relative to Super League). If we get further left behind financially, we really will struggle. Add into the mix the change in aspirations for youngsters who might otherwise play the sport, and it's a toxic combination.

I'll probably get rinsed for this, but I wonder whether the NRL should get involved in the wider game. Both Australia and the UK could benefit from closer integration in a host of areas (junior development, referees development, coaching development, marketing...).

And again back to topic, losing Leeds from SL is not going to be a step forward in any strategic sense for the game.

i don't think you'll get rinsed, but that statement fails to recognise that the NRL is only bother about Origin, and then the NRL.

SL can eff off, Internationals can eff off as well.

The problems are no one at the RFL are good enough to Market SL none of them have the relevant experience, knowledge or expertise to market this great game. They are not prepared to take the necessary risks that are needed to take this game to the next level. The English premier league walked away from the football league and have never looked back they are now the richest league in world sport with everyone wanting to buy a piece of the action. Someone needs to take a risk, long term growth will come from the UK not Canada and the US. Scrap the Salary cap or at least increase it by doubling the cap. Clubs with small crowds they need to market themselves not rely on the SKY money why should teams with an average crown of between 4k and 5k hold back teams with crowds of 12k plus. Its time to take some risk take the blinkers off market SL properly and let the teams who can afford it buy better quality players from the NRL and not having to settle for the cream of the crap brigade.
for those who simply say that any increase in the salary cap would be paid into the players pockets, well I do not mind paying top quality players good money, but to pay good money to mediocre players then the clubs only have themselves to blame.
I have spoken to a number of SL CEO's they are desperate to keep the Salary cap and it just so happens to be , these guys run the teams with the small crowds, these are the same people who are keeping SL in the doldrums and are responsible for the teams buying players from the NRL at the lower end of the scale.
All this does by keeping the Salary cap is dragging everyone down to the bottom of the barrel and we can see that this year on the pitch.

There needs to be more clauses to the cap if its going to stay, id like to see somthing that rewards clubs for bringing there own players through, maybe 3 home grown players nominated at the start of each season who dont count against the cap. That along with the Marquees potentially gives you 5 quality players who would only count 300k against the cap and rewards clubs for getting the youth through.