I can't understand any argument for the salary cap not increasing with inflation.

Also, re the expansion of SL, if and when it happens I think the idea would be to increase SL to 14 sides at least. One of the problems with SL at the moment for me is that its too small with too many repeat games. Sadly 12 teams probably is realistically the maximum the British game can support right now.

Is this the same SL that was cut from 14 clubs down to 12, just as few years ago, citing quality and shortage of players.
A "progressive" sport should always be looking to ADD quality.
There are some SL coaches and pundits who have been advocating trimming SL down to 10 clubs.
Peacock, whilst at Leeds, wanted this. However, since moving east, he seems more in favour of expanding SL
You say that the British game can only support 12 clubs but, where on earth do you think the N.American clubs will take their players from ??

I'd say P&R definitely fits with expansion. However, for P&R & expansion to work together there must be a strong 2nd Tier. Firstly because in theory the promoted team will be closer to SL standard, and secondly if an established club should drop down, the league is strong enough that they don't have to shrink too much & cripple themselves.

I'm not sure Leigh's ambitions have been "killed", they've been extremely active in the off season recruiting and have set themselves up for a shot to come straight back up. Rovers last year went down, dusted themselves off and managed to get straight back up.

So I disagree that Franchising is the [ionly[/i model to be used for expansion. I think both systems have their merits, however, with the current P&R system interest in investing in our league structure has never been higher.

But this debate is all a bit pointless. SL is owned by the clubs now (not the RFL), and we have absolutely no idea what they're planning on doing in 2019 let alone after that. The attitude of the clubs towards expansion might be entirely different to the RFL's. For all we know, the SL Chairmen may decide to leave it at 12 and shut up shop, we don't know.

Since Sl started, who have clubs ever signed (permanently) that were marquee??? Even the likes of Jamie Lyon came over here because of his baggage in the nrl. We are NEVER going to see the likes of Cooper Cronk in SL in his prime. The best we can hope for is seeing players like that at the end of there career in Sl, it’s nothing to do with money. As I said in the previous post paying Jimmy Keinhorst double isn’t going to do anything for the standard of the league.

The marque signing rule was just another gimmick and is a back door way of increasing the cap, which should have at least increased in line with inflation.
If this allows a few clubs to be a little stronger, then, good on them.
Certain clubs have found ways round the cap anyway so, perhaps this point is unnecessary.

Fat cats just want to get fatter, it's just the way it is and the lack of take up of the marquee signings shows that, despite the hot air and bluster in some quarters, we are probably at the right level of spend for the revenue that the game can generate.

Having said that, we should always be looking forward.

In can certainly recall watching talents such as Steve Renouf, Trent Barratt, Tonie Carroll, Ali Lautiiti, Lesley Vainikolo, Darren Albert and (if we include his brief cameo) Andrew Johns. All of these were fantastic box-office talents and representative players at the time they joined the league and continued to be for some years after. We simply don't attract that quality of talent any more.

And on top of that, we're losing a strong proportion of what we have - all because some clubs simply can't afford an inflation-linked increase in the salary cap.

People can choose to see this as big clubs wanting to have a bigger slice of the pie, or you can see it as people trying to make the pie bigger.

I think you can blame the economy as much as anything else for this. All of those names you mentioned came over here years ago when the pound was far stronger, the aus dollar was weaker, and britain wasn't trying its best to self destruct.

There's no point in even trying to compare the uk game to the NRL anymore because they are so far ahead in every aspect. They grew the sport on a domestic level and the money followed.

We will get the odd superstar over here in fits and starts, trying to resurrect their careers after falls from grace in the NRL (Barba). But other than that we're just going to have to create our own. And with the state of the reserve comp / dual reg fiasco, that won't be happening at the rate it needs to be.

Trent Barrett and Steve Renouf were the wrong side of 30 before Playing a game in Sl as good as they were it’s not the same as attracting key nrl players in the prime. Vainikolo played 68 times in 5 seasons of NRL before signing. Andrew Johns is the finest player I’ve seen with my own eyes however he played what 4 games ??? Hardly marquee. As good as Darren Albert was in no way can you call him a marquee player. Out of all those you mention only Lauitiiti and Carroll (for 2 seasons)would I class as marquee at the time of signing in SL. You can all you want about standards falling but but going on as if there would be a que of nrl top drawer players coming to play for Wigan or Hull if the sc wasn’t there is hilarious.

This is a very good point. If the clubs aren't doing enough to market themselves - and I'd agree they're not - then they're equally at fault when it comes to player development.

I have just listened to the BBC Five Live rugby league podcast, which included an interview with Ian Lenagan: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05xyb2w It is clear that Lenagan's prediction of an international expansion of Super League was not assuming change this year or even next year, but rather in five years. That would coincide with the next Sky TV contract. So we could have the new French and north American clubs -- Toulouse, Toronto, and New York -- entering Super League over the next five years. He also wants to see London promoted. Personally I would like to see Montreal and Boston also in the mix, to create a north American conference, and Avignon and Paris encouraged to join the system as well to create a French conference. Then we would truly have an international club game. But for all of that expansion to happen we must return to the system of licensing and franchises, rather than retaining promotion and relegation.

I have just listened to the BBC Five Live rugby league podcast, which included an interview with Ian Lenagan: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05xyb2w It is clear that Lenagan's prediction of an international expansion of Super League was not assuming change this year or even next year, but rather in five years. That would coincide with the next Sky TV contract. So we could have the new French and north American clubs -- Toulouse, Toronto, and New York -- entering Super League over the next five years. He also wants to see London promoted. Personally I would like to see Montreal and Boston also in the mix, to create a north American conference, and Avignon and Paris encouraged to join the system as well to create a French conference. Then we would truly have an international club game. But for all of that expansion to happen we must return to the system of licensing and franchises, rather than retaining promotion and relegation.

So, we have Catalans, Toulouse, Toronto, New York, Montreal, Boston, Avignon and Paris. That's 8 non-UK teams. Just how big is this new SL going to be, or are we planning a 4 team conference in the UK as well?

It's been said in response to one of my earlier posts that RU have a trans-continental competition (Super Rugby), so what's wrong with RL doing the same? Well, apart from a number of reported welfare and other issues with the travel involved, it's an expensive job transporting teams between continents every week. The game is struggling to make ends meet without the added expense of travel to this extent as well.

In concept, the idea of a transatlantic RL competition with European and North American/Canadian conferences seems great, and I do get why some folk on here like the idea. The problem is straightforward. Reality. RL is a minority sport in the UK and France, and what we have in terms of TV income is probably already maxed out. Any deals that are arranged on the other side of the pond would likely benefit the teams there rather than in Europe.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. What does the end game look like, and what is the 5, 10, 15 year plan to get there? Clubs popping up across the Northern Hemisphere in a somewhat random fashion doesn't constitute a plan.

...good job you're not tuned into SKY TV watching Catalans Hurtling towards the Championship....

Out of interest only why have catalans never taken more games to Barcelona? after getting 18k vs warrington all those years ago ?