First of all i'm doing this before conersgiantsfan thread starter does

Would splitting SL in to two top divisions of 10 similar to NFL improve the national game ? Those top teams going in to a playoff system against each other at the end of the season

i mean currently we have 14 teams with 17 places in each team up for grabs

meaning 238 places up for grabs and limited quota rules

now with a split of two top leagues of 10, you

1) increase the teams from 14 to 20
2) increase the amount of NRL talent
3) decrease the amount of games in SL leaving room to expand elsewhere eg internationally, another domestic cup, etc etc
4) create an extra 102 playing spaces

There may be an arguement that we don't have enough quality to bring in an extra 6 teams BUT wouldn't the mixture of top Aussie pro's and with the top british pro's playing for these other teams because they may want to play for their own town team at some point not improve the guys who are playing in the NL.

Would it not improve the standards and depth of the british game ?
Initially no but with a little patience would it not be better in a few seasons time ?

Thoughts.

It's Conor thank you, and yes, probably it would.

I think its the logical progression if the game is to expand with a solid financial grounding, forming conferences within super league europe, but i doubt we would see something this revolutionary within the RFL.

Minor leagues will pave the way for this kind of system I think, and once they improve, then forming a champions league type system.

Italy is prime for this right now, as is the AMNRL, Serbia, Ireland, Germany, lebanon, with them being new enough that old rivalries, bitterness and senses of entitlement would have no bearing on a strong governing body putting a solid financial package to run these leagues, smaller conferences reduce running and travelling costs, whilst boosting local(ish) rivalries, and a few games against new opponents each season thrown in adds spice. Less games means more oppurtunity for rep games, and with growing popularity, bigger crowds, as if there are only a certain number of oppurtunities to see your team a year, you are more likely to make the effort to go.

I now strongly believe that the future of our global game lies with the innovations of these new nations, and not with the old hierarchy in this country, where we have become a minority sport, commanding less and less of the big event status, as a result, spending the last 10 years trying to innovate to gain market share over rival sports.

One of the biggest loads of garbage ever posted , the o/p was reffering to short term growth within this country and with mostly existing clubs

A ' Champions league situation ' , with Serbia,Germany, Lebanon and Italy

You need to stop smoking those funny cigs

Increase the NRL talent?

What about increasing the British players? Why do we think weakening the NRL would help?

Despite the probablility that a system like this [ if done within the next 9/12 years ] would result in Leigh in SL , I dont think it is the way forward , yes financially it would provide more derby games that should in theory make us all more money allowing for a reduction in games , therefore giving time for rep games of one sort or another

I would still prefer a two tier situation with unequal funding but allowing full time squads and P and R

Ah, the old 'massivley reduce each teams income from sky, even as most teams run at a loss, spending less than teh salary cap, whilst simultaneously hugely weakening the strength of the average team, and thus the intesnsity of the matches, at a time when england already dont have a cat in hells chance of winning a major tournament' plan... sounds like possibly the worst idea ever if you ask me.

Knowing the RFL, they are probably considering it. As we speak they are probably ringing round random football and union teams in far flung desitnations in europe, miles form anyone who actually gives a toss about RL, trying to see if they can make it happen, without having to bother letting in any proper rugby teams into the expanded league

Nail on t'head. Any changes like this would have to be approved by SLE (who, on a separate note, no doubt voted in the three year fixed licenses in the first place) which is run by all fourteen clubs, therefore it is unlikely to happen.

If this was done (doubtful) I don't think a complete split would be the best way forward - who would want to lose St.Helens/Wigan/Warrington vs Leeds/Bradford/Huddersfield/Hull/HullKR etc matches to play poorer quality matches (albeit closer ones). 20 teams is far, far too many. Maybe in a few more years 16 might be a possibility, and a split into 2x8 may be possible.

With 2 leagues of 8, H/A matches against your other 7 and a single match against each from the other league gives a more sensible (imo) number of games a year at 22 (plus CC, playoffs and internationals). It would also match our 4 tiered playoff structure (1st=2nd, 3=4, 5=6, 7=icon_cool.gif which would be divided into the top 4 from each league.

Just my thoughts, I don't think I would mind it following that path rather than just reducing the number of fixtures on a random basis, which will have to happen at some point (like the NRL) if players keep complaining about burnout.

EDIT: But naturally if the teams are the ones voting things in, only the short term goals that benefit the existing franchises will be selected.

It woudn't work for one simple reason: there aren't 20 clubs that are capable of putting together a full time professional outfit*. IMO there are currently at most two clubs outside SL with that immediate potential - and of course some recent events (including but not limited to Wrexham and Wakefield) may lead some to argue that there aren't 14 club in SL atm capable of being run as full time professional outfits.

* and that covers a lot more than just the first team squad.

Just to check: you're not really arguing that the way to get clubs which aren't capable of running a full-time professional operation ready to run a full-time professional operation is to get them to run full-time professional operation while they're not ready to run full-time professional operation? Are you?

If so, why stop at 20? Let's have everyone from Saints to Skolars operating in a full time professional comp, with all the associated costs, on the grounds that they will eventually be capable of operating in a full time professional comp (unless they go bust first, of course)

I get where your coming from but I don't get how it would improve OUR national game when



Now I know you said mixture of both, so please don't take my point in the way that I have completely dismissed that.

However, surely having this to improve our national game would include having more British players than Aussie's/Kiwi's? Say the RFL did this and for arguments sake, Workington Town, Barrow Raiders and London Skolars (a bit of a weird pick but they were the first teams to come to mind strangely) were chosen to go into a tier, now at current strength they are nowhere near SL standard. So what's the first thing they do? Raid the NRL for fringe players, all have squads jam packed with Aussies and Kiwis, maybe a few British players thrown in there. For me that doesn't in anyway shape or form boost our national game.



The two tier system works in the NFL;

A. because Gridiron is one of the "Big 5" (along with Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey and arguably Soccer) so therefore the talent pool is huge. Then look at RL at home, and our talent pool is mainly up North. Although it is growing down South.

B. The size of America itself. The distance between the NFL teams is huge, therefore putting teams in a close(ish) region in a league makes sense rather than have New York v Texas (not a clue on any NFL teams so that'll have to do ) Where as in England it's easy to go to ground's around the country.

I don't think what you've 'proposed' is a bad idea, it's just IMHO it just will never ever work unless RL is spread accross Europe and played all over at a very high standard. Then something like this would definately work, although if RL accross Europe was strong I'm sure we'd have a RL version of the Heineken (sp?) Cup.