The state of our game is a worry and Bill Eve (Believe) with others make some valid points. What is clear is ditching promotion and relegation and introducing the franchise system has not enabled the lower clubs to invest in player development as was promised. The lack of enough young talent with true class and the drought from downunder has given us a real problem and unless we increase the salary cap to prevent the talent drain to Union and the NRL the future in not bright as our deteriorating product will attract less and less sponsorship which is much needed.

Lets hope the new reorganisation of SL brings some joy.

Having just watched Leeds Carnegie v Rotherham I have to say the Union second level looks in much better shape than the League one. Also James Lowes looks to be doing a good job.

People have been predicting the demise of RL since it's inception. I guarantee that if the internet existed 50 years ago that it would be awash with posts from people complaining about the governing body, the referees, the play the ball, the standard of matches, the chairman, the BBC etc. The game will carry on no. I'm not burying my head in the sand or putting my fingers in my ears. I no the game has problems, but there're also many positives within the game. Do I agree with everything that the RFL and the S chairman decide? Of course not, but ATEOTD they're more qualified than I, or any other miserable old pleb with sand in their gash who "wants their game back".

I watch RL because I enjoy it, even the 5hite games are enjoyable for me. Of course I want every game to be close, competitive, and full of skill, but I know that's impossible, so I enjoy it anyway. If you don't then I'd suggest you go watch or you do something that you do enjoy, it's that simple.

It is quite possible, but I think we all know William isn't "concerned".....and hearing it every week also leads to questions why someone would spend their time doing so.......but some like to bury their heads to that question.

So "safe in this knowledge" you predicted Leeds to finish in 7th place at the start of the season! .........at least your judgement is consistant..

You can't expect The Printer to understand that simple logic. The second sentence is him to a tee.

Unless my reading is amiss you posted "Go follow another sport then"!! how can you deny that?

William loves this sport more than most and I would suggest he supports the sport at all levels far more than some one team supporters who can't see beyond what is happening at Headingley hence his posts of concern. The fact that you cannot see that suggests your ability to understand simple posts are questionable?

You have been to the last four games Leeds have played - in your view is that the standard the League should be offering? Its an embarrassment to elite level RL. You,it would appear, unlike William are only interested one club and not the game as a whole.

As a counter are London / Bradford any worse than the like of the awful Huddersfield, leigh and Halifax teams of the past?

Quite true and, in your case in particular, views are validated by reasoned argument and constructive suggestions on how matters may be improved. It seems to me that if someone continues to make the same criticisms and never put forward a sensible solution to the problems they perceive, then that person shouldn't be surprised when they get dismissed as appearing to be a "sado, pleasuring themselves over back copies of the Australian Rugby League Week in a darkened room". For the avoidance of doubt, the speech marks are not a reference to a previous quotation, I put them there for effect.

:30bca337

Because before you added "if you don't love what is on the field".....never wrote that at all.



Again waffling on about me apparently denying anything is wrong with the sport.....

Please quote where I've said this.

Totally agree Eagle which imo shows we need fewer teams and reduced play off numbers.
Hopefully a 12 team league will prove to be better but i disagree with the 3 x 8 format I'd go with top 5/6 and 1 up 1 down.

Unlike some I do not take some things too seriously. Predicting finishing positions in the league is surely no more than a bit of fun.
At the time I was trying to display my disappointment in the club's apparent lack of ambition in making well considered new recruitment ( unlike say Saint Helens - Salford have shown how not to do it by contrast ). Obviously the club realised there was simply no reason to recruit. The degenerating old pack and first choice pedestrian half backs are still sufficiently competitive in the equally degenerating overall standards of the present league.

We probably have a player pool to sustain an 8 team top division. But (and I have no access to the books to assess this, so it's a question) could we keep generating enough revenue with so few games?

Maybe we should have been more radical, and siphoned off a chunk of the new TV deal money to run 3 or 4 big regional elite academies and run a NFL-style draft system for the resulting talent.

I'm not sure whether thats a serious suggestion or not.