but is it right to shaft the rest of the game to look after yourself?

SL is the element of the game in the UK that generates all the revenues. If the game is to prosper it will be driven by the elite competition. With the best will in the world how is giving more money to Batley/Featherstone/Workington rather than St Helens and Wigan going to drive the sport forward.


These championship clubs wine about SL yet a significant proportion of all their squads are made up of ex SL players who the clubs have invested in since they were 13. How much investment is Kevin at Batley making in youth development/training facilities/sport science etc. elements that drive the sport forward.

Because if you cut off the roots of the tree the rest of it doesn't last very long.

Wow that Jamie Peacock statement doesn’t hold back in having a dig. Stating he is fully behind the changes and new man in charge. But the comment “The worst kind of self interest is when it’s hidden behind claims of thinking of others”, that is one slap at GH.

Havnt followed the new proposals, and the reaction to them, closely enough to have a valid opinion either way. But can anyone explain which detail/details of the new proposal have got GH so flusterd? Id of thought, for the most part, what benefitted saints, wigan, and warrington would also benefit Leeds, with them all being at the top table of the british game.

Where can I find JP's statement? I've searched and can't find it. Cheers

It was on newsnow rugby league. Think it was in one of the morning papers.

JP maybe a Leeds legend but he does talk a load of s**t really. On the RL gravy train now of course as England team manager. What does he do at Hull KR does not seem to amount to much

He's strangely quiet on playing fewer games these days. Flog the players and f*** the smaller clubs seems to be his current style.

You must have seen different comments to others. He has continued to state we need less games, which of course means less income.

I haven't seen any comments. I may have missed them; maybe you can link something recent he's said on that topic?

This idea that the small clubs prop up the game and are the roots is ridiculous, if you have a tree and its dieing you cut off the dead branches or the whole tree dies.

I’d agree however I’m not sure the lower league clubs are the roots of the tree. I’d say that’s the amateur clubs.

Whilst I think the lower league clubs have a role to play I certainly don’t think they should be the primary or even secondary concern in any setup.

Would the community game in Featherstone or Dewsbury be as strong without the local professional club coordinating the amateur clubs and giving a very clear focus for local young players?

The majority of SL clubs want to reduce their exposure to relegation and get their hands on the money that goes to the Championship clubs.

There are plenty of problems in Rugby League and the RFL have played a difficult hand poorly. But the idea that the biggest problem are the smaller clubs and taking money away from them to add relatively small increments to the top flight's funding is ridiculous. Much more could be achieved if those so called big clubs operated effectively.

This argument is absolute nonsense.

Wigan is part of Greater Manchester with a population of 2.8 million.

Wakefield and Castleford are only a 20/25 minute drive from Leeds city centre. They have the same potential corporate audience as Leeds.