Quote: Bullseye "Realistically if funding for all championship clubs is made the same then you reduce the chance that anyone will get promoted to SL under the current system. It’s a proposal that has backing from SL clubs as it increases their security.
Criticising the RFL for imposing a “cliff edge” system is a bit wide of the mark IMO. Clubs voted for the 8s system. It wasn’t imposed. Clubs in the championship also voted for the current financial distribution. It’s up to them to run themselves properly. When the RFL get too involved it can do more harm than good as my own club found out.
One up one down is probably the way things will go from 2021. It should be straight P&R if it is. No MPG since under a level funding arrangement the championship club wouldn’t have a hope against the SL side.
Whatever route you choose there is no way of totally preventing a club from getting into difficulties. If any of the likes of Moran, Davy, Hudgell, McManus etc decide to walk away then those clubs will suddenly find themselves needing to make cuts.'"
Of course the clubs voted for it.
There was massive pressure to find a way of allowing some form of promotion and relegation and for The Championship clubs, there was at least the chance to gain promotion and for the SL clubs, they could forsake some of their protected status but, in the knowledge that the cards were stacked heavily in their favour.
The 2 issues that really didnt appear to be very well thought out were, the inability of clubs to escape the middle 8's year on year, although we have seen Leeds and Huddersfield have to go through the "qualifiers" and the second issue being the drop in funding for "the big 4", should they fail to qualify, heavily affected by the inclusion of both Toronto and Toulouse in the Championship, which make qualifying far less certain for Fev, Fax, London and Leigh (who, prior to the inclusion of Toronto and Toulouse, were the only realistic challengers for promotion).
Of course Bradford will expect to be battling towards the top end of The Championship next season, therefore, the 4 big clubs, suddenly becomes 6, with the funding only at a reasonable level for 4 of those clubs. So, who will be next to fail ?