Elstone definitely seems to have a plan which is a lot more than most of the other administrators in the game.

"But you’ll see a much better-looking competition in 2020 and the years after that. That’s a guarantee." does sound like the key sentence. Two referees may just be one of the changes being made, anything that helps improve the quality of refereeing has to be good given what a poor state it is in. "Expanding Super League’s global reach" could also have implication of an expansion to the league to help get Toulouse and Toronto involved as well.

Refreshing our game is speeding up the drop kicks from under the posts Compared too- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... r-NFL.html A few rule changes certainly isn't gong to extended the reaches of the game that's for sure.

Refreshing our game is speeding up the drop kicks from under the posts Compared too- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... r-NFL.html A few rule changes certainly isn't gong to extended the reaches of the game that's for sure.

Like the sound of the change to the Man of Steel voting.

Me too, the debarkle of last season made it a joke.

It's an exciting time to be a rugby league fan, he's definitely involved and has probably done more in this short time than Nigel Wood did in the entire time he was in the job, I like the fact that as mentioned above he doesn't mince his words.

Let's hope he gets it right.

Did Elstone (or SLE in general) have anything at all to do with Catalans taking their home game against Wigan to the Nou Camp?
The bits and pieces I've seen on social media seem to hint at this being the French club's idea.

All of the things he mentions above seem to me to be, for want of a better expression, polishing a turd somewhat.
I'm convinced that loop fixtures are not what the fans want to see, I guess we'll have to wait and see how the crowd levels in 2019 compare to years gone by.

Absolutely nothing other than tweaking. He should be presenting a 2,5,10 year measurable plan with commercial improvements/opportunities, expansion options, TV and other broadcasting ideas, crowd growth ............

All he's presented is the usual last minute rule changes with the addition of a big match in Spain. Is that any different to what the big lad presented every January?

Has he really? What’s he done? Changed the league format and introduced some different rules (one of which - the Golden Point extra time - most people don’t like the sound of). Those same things have been done plenty of times.

Hope 2020 does indeed herald a new dawn. Because he's said nowt to convince me that 2019 will. Change the rules all you like, with a shrinking audience fewer and fewer will know or care.

Yeah got to agree. Tbh I don't think he's had too much time to really bring about many changed for this next season to make any effect on getting many more watching. As it basically says he's spent most of the time dealing with other teams about the restructure. Apart from that as we know it's then just been about tinkering with the rules, trying to make the game a little more attractive and faster, with less timewasting. Which plenty of people have had issues with over the past few years. Some of the rules are decent but generally, I think most would be happy if there had been an announcement about sorting out the ruck area, then in this offseason, the RFL sent the refs out to work with the teams to show them how they want that part of the game to be cleaned up.

Hopefully from 2020, once he's got all the staff in place over in Manchester and can see what the rules have done this next season and maybe the move to 2 refs will see further improvements with how the game is viewed, plus he can get on with more important things like dealing with selling the game as whole better, getting lost fans back whilst also to continue to bring new audiences in from kids upwards. Then look towards the next contract agreements, hopefully with the game in a little better place than we are at present. He's got is work cut out but it's not an impossible task with the right vision and people behind him to help make it happen.

As a couple of other posters have mentioned I do like the way they're going to do the MOS award from now on, far better way to get the best man over the course of the full season.

Step 1. We know we have the greatest game and the 2019 tweaks help redress the slippage of late.

Step 2. Then its all about marketing. Marketing requires a consistent, identifiable, unique and compelling brand image. Two refs is one component from 2020, the Steedon ball etc - but a lot more can be learned and adopted from how the NRL does things. Needs commitment to do it not to mention hard work.

Let's have a truly global game. A process to discuss, agree, establish and maintain one set of laws by the NRL, SL, RFL and RLIF is essential. Given the starting point, this will be driven by the NRL - but the balance would be redressed over time.

The NRL and SL seasons need to be aligned so far as possible. Points to a 14 team Super League (by inviting in two overseas teams for 2020) (thus avoiding loop fixtures with Magic Weekend becoming the Challenge Cup last 16 on first weekend in May) but also retaining P&R thereafter.

All these changes yet still nothing done about the PTB. You want to align with the NRL then sort this PTB out as its simply a joke and its crazy that SuperLeague have not addressed this.

Totally agree , I remember one season when the RFL clamped down on this , they went through a period where they clamped down on a particular part of the game at the start of the season ... it never lasted long . Its so easy to police , simply keep penalising the offending team , the message will soon get through .

And I hope this season we dont see players feigning injury , no place for it in the game .

And no throwing the ball at a player who cant clear the ruck , or is on the ground . Simply penalise the player who threw the ball at him , again the message will soon get through .

We seem to focus on rule tweaks and speeding the game up. Cricket and Union are slower sports but have grown the awareness of there sports and ultimately seen increases in crowds(and sponsorship)

We need to do a lot more than shot clocks that's for sure.

Well they have had the radical idea of reducing interchanges so players get tired and its easier to score tries in theory.

They have obviously identified that the game in the UK is as dull as dishwater at the moment