Regarding the P&R debate, I understand both sides of the story, which have been debated to death over and over, how about this idea as a middle ground where everyone would be happy...


Keep franchising with P&R every 3 years, as it is now.

But instead of spending a fortune on any of the ideas of a 2 tier SL, reducing the amount of teams etc etc, why not spend some money on prize money in the lower leagues.

If the prize money in the NRC, C1 and Championships were vastly increased the competitions would get the vitality they need, if teams won they can reinvest for preparation for SL, rather than paying off debts.

If there was a dominant team for a few years, like Featherstone, instead of getting kicked in the teeth, they could have their ground, accounts and maybe even squad bridging the gap between the Championship and Super League.

This would also give the lower Super League teams and promoted Championship teams the required 3 years to adjust to Super League and develop slowly.

just have a bottom of super league v top of championship play off game every year

Yes and then the third year P and R I would go with that

leave it alone!!

superleague has never been more level playing fields so to speak.

and with fear of relegation would we have seen the likes of watkins, hardaker, cudjoe, lomax, charnley, dwyer, currie. i think not.

While the Championships die from lack of oxygen.

And then they get promoted take two thirds of the team that was relegated then get relegated anyway

Yes we would have done. How many of the clubs that brought those players through would have had a fear of relegation anyway?

Why wouldn't you have?

I don't know how feasible this is but I like the idea.

Good idea, I like it. Franchising is the way forward for the long term future of the British game, as long as the application process is reformed. It would work brilliantly if a more ruthless approach was taken (i.e. don't admit clubs with clear financial difficulties/ relegate clubs regardless of established heartland or expansion status). The talent pool in this country simply isn't big enough to sustain p and r; as those clubs who get promoted are resorted to signing average Aussies to even stand a chance of staying up the next season. This does nothing for junior development or long term financial security, as clubs would have to increase their expenditure significantly. Increasing prize money seems like the best solution for long term stability, as long as the money is used for just that purpose.

Championship clubs already receive healthy prize money. I'm not sure why some Championship fans seem to think that the RFL has an obligation to fund their clubs, but it needs to stop.

Well if you are so 'in the know' do reveal exactly how much it is then?

£100,000 for winning the Grand Final! And errrr £0.00 for TV rights.

The Super League clubs are being funded. That the Championship clubs are not is a big reason why the gap between the leagues is so large. Furthermore franchising appears to be the solution to the artificial problem caused by the stark difference in funding.

Hardaker was developed by Fev, he went to Leeds as the finished item. All he needed was full time fitness. He was supposed to spend a further season at Fev on loan, but because of injuries they recalled him. Leeds didn't need the security of licencing to "develop" him. Niether did they need it to develop Sinfield, McGuire, or Burrow in the P & R era.
The question we should be asking is if (for example) Fev had been playing in SL would Burrow & Briscoe have started their pro careers there instead of with a club from elsewhere? The lack of P &R is throttlng clubs in the lower leagues. Fev have dominated the Championship for the last two seasons but seem to have peaked. What happens if they can't keep it up until application time do they miss out? Probably. The whole thing is a bad joke dreamt up by someone who knew nothing of the game and TBH obvioulsy cared less since he's now off back to tennis.