Hope a few Super League fans get to watch some of these games this year. After a great 4 point game between Leigh and Fax last night, the playoffs look really exciting.

Fev
Fax
Leigh
Sheffield
Batley

Fev are favourites, but in the last month or so have drawn with Sheffield, lost to Fax and beat Batley by 3.
Fax have lost by 4 to Leigh, beat Sheffield by 4 & 2 and beat Fev.
Leigh did Fax last night, but the last time we played another of the top clubs we got smashed away at Fev.
Sheffield started slowly, but as usual have started to peak at the right time, recently drawing with Fev, and losing narrowly to Fev.
Batley are lethal on their day, losing narrowly to Fev and Sheffield and battering Leigh in recent weeks.

This top 5 look so so even, it's the best line up since the early 2000's when P&R was the carrot and the likes Widnes, Leigh, Cas, Hull KR and others were getting 5k+ crowds in the playoffs.

It's just such a dissapointment to me that so few people will watch these games, and the reward doesn't match the standard of rugby and effort the clubs, fans (the ones left) and players put in.

I'm not bleating on about P&R, but even if some more funding and a bit more promo from the RFL would go a long long way.

Keighley in sixth can also play a bit.

Agreed, think they're run out of steam towards the end of the year, but next year they might make that competitive top5 a top 6.

In the last two years the speed of the game down here has quickened and the skill levels have increased. It"s great testament to the players who are juggling training and games with full time jobs.

It also shows that there are good coaches down here, eg; Powell, Harrison and Rowley. All British. Next year we have three Cumbrian clubs back into the fold in a revamped Championship competition. It's far from being dead BUT the attendances unfortunately are woeful. It's time the Championship clubs got together to work out a joint marketing strategy with the RFL. Whatever the arguments about P&R and the widening gap between the leagues are they should be a second to the necessity of getting more people watching Rugby League. It's a great product - in all the leagues.

I have read arguments that the lack of P&R makes the Championship comp a dead rubber. What a load of crap. I'm at one with Comrade Starbug on many things but the only one losing out on his non-attendance of matches in protest is Starbug himself. Last night"s match was of premium quality. Ignore the politics and delight in the sheer thrill of the fight because what was on offer last night at the LSV was breathtaking. It had the lot and gave me everything I want to see from watching a game of RL.(except the win of course) . . . .





. . . .and the shocking bias refereeing . . . . . .

Do you think a really cash big reward for NRC and Grand Final winners would help?

I know it wouldn't increase interest as much as P&R, but maybe it would make the competitions more 'important'?

If that's the right word?

That better jonny

Cash always helps

Increasing crowds have a snowball effect. As they increase people become curious - and not wanting to miss out - have a go themselves. As attendances grow (and if your club is doing well) the message spreads by word of mouth and quickly enough you've doubled your attendance. This is EXACTLY what happened in Halifax in 1985. OK - yes it was moons ago and the spark that generated the sizeable increase (1,400 to 6,800 ave) was the influx of 13 talented Australians and a spend-crazy Chairman but fact is there was a spark ignited that lasted until 2003. So there is a precedent but it need not necessarily happen so quickly as it did at Halifax and the spark need not necessarily be the golden chalice of a SL license. I confess - I don't know what that can be right now but 14 Chairmen and a marketing guru from the RFL must be able to sit round Nigel's breakfast table and work something out.

You know what, I started this thread to show how good the rugby in our league is and how good the playoffs are going to be, if you want to turn it into yet another 'Starbug knows best, the RFL are incompetant yadda yadda yadda thread', do it elsewhere and let people who actually go to games talk about the playoffs and how good they are going to be.

That's why they have to appoint a Championship CEO at the RFL - to guide the clubs in that league towards a strategy. The Chairmen have to change their outlook also towards the RFL. At the moment it's "we've got officials from the RFL at this weeks match" attitude. Like they're Ofsted officials or something. The relationship has to change in order to make a start.

Fair enough jonny

Couldn't help but notice who scored Leigh's final try last night. Sounds like just the sort of player we need, a young, confident, additional spark, good support player in the halves

Good call - please take him before we have to play Leigh again in the playoffs

Championship attendances are disappointing considering the standard of rugby on display. Fev v Cas and Wigan in the cup set a bench mark for the quality of CC teams.

However there do seem to be slow but definite increases at some clubs, Fev, Halifax and Leigh seem to be pushing towards 2,000 averages. Sheffield also seem to be on the increase to ver 1000 level, which is good for them.

Others though are a mystery. Batley are and have been for several seasons a very good CC team, winning the Northern Rail cup and being in the top four or five in the league, but struggle to get to the 1000 level with their attendances.

My own team, Keighley, on the back of promotion having a decent season and almost certain to make the playoffs are struggling around the 8 to 900 mark with attendances. They deserve more. After the Cougarmania era of 4 to 5000 crowds, you have to think the potential is there.

In CC1 there is only Barrow who have anything like decent attendances. Oldham and Rochdale, such previous strongholds of the game are being surpassed handily in the attendance stakes by the Crusaders. The two West Cumbrian teams, both having won promotion, have dire attendances.

I think a dedicated official at the RFL with a mandate to represent the lower leagues and develop marketing, promotional plans for the CC clubs could not be anything but a positive move.

If the teams in the lower divisions go to the wall in any numbers, the SL will be all that is left of out game and is too small in and of itself to be a significant factor on the national stage. The game needs the larger profile given by having a three division structure.