The SL clubs know that they generate the revenue, and won't part with it. They told the RFL they would not fund development, hence when Sport England cut the RFL development budget, there was nothing to fill the gap. The RFU, on the other hand, now pays all its development staff in-house.

But, the RFU fills Twickers, which it owns, a dozen times a year at £60 - £200 per ticket, plus corporate/city hospitality, between internationals and finals, independent of the clubs. Despite their ineptitude, they are awash with cash. The RFL just about fills Wembley and Old Trafford, which it hires, and makes sod all on internationals cos we can't be d even to fill the LSV to watch England. In other words, we have no money save that which keeps Bratfut and Salford on the brink, and they aint parting with it.

The RFL does its level best, and at least we have a single unified governing body with the best intentions and some very committed, talneted people. Put it this way: if the RFL board ran the RFU, there would be no RL within 5 yeas. If the RFU board ran the RFL, there would be no RFL within 2 years.. We have the best bunch we can hope for while the clubs put next week's wages ahead of long term planning.

If I had a $ for every numpty who predicted RL would be dead in ten years I could sponsor Sl myself!

Where did I predict they WOULD be dead?

I said that if they don't evolve and become more business savy, then English RL,as in the RFL in it's current guise, would be running an amateur sport......2nd year of SL without a paying naming rights sponsor......you need to get out of perth and have a pint of reality JB......the Championship in soccer is struggling to replace their outgoing naming rights sponsor...it's not all milk and honey in the UK...

I predict Superleague will not be directly run by the RFL within 5 years. Clubs like Leeds, Hull, Wigan, Catalan, St Helens, Warrington will break away and invite 2 other clubs to create a SUPERLEAGUE SELECT independantly run.
The RFL just don't have the processes to re-structure the game to a higher sports business model. This will have to come from a working group from the breakaway six.

Good point OP I'd say I agree that Sky Sports should run the top flight, cut out the middleman.

Ideally, no ... But the RFL is currently run by clowns who should have had the self respect to resign by now.

It principle, I'd prefer they stayed together, but presently there appears to be no prospect whatsoever of clearing out the clowns from the RFL ( they even have defenders on here .. the mind boggles at what they'd actually have to do before these people agreed that we might deserve better) so unfortunately, a split is probably the least bad option compared with years more of this lot.