Before that it was just Wigan, so that is a significant improvement

and 3 tiers in Super League? Can't see what the problem is.
It's not like no one ever wins across the groups.

They have changed as well with Warrington breaking in and Bradford falling back.
Hudderfield would probably say they are at least on the edge of tier one.

Exactly that; if this same attitude had been taken at other periods in SL history, Wigan, Warrington and Huddersfield would all have been confined to the lower 'tiers' and, self-fulfilling prophecies being what they are, may not have had the opportunity to improve themselves, the game or the communities they serve in the way they have done, for the reasons Andy Gilder has already articulated.

Change is a process, not an event.

This.

Yet more negative backward comments that SL doesn't need when it is (IMO of course) in the strongest health it has ever been in.

Yes some clubs like Salford and London have continually struggled, but even they are now spending full cap and can hope for better times ahead.

Every other club has been in phases of being good, and being rubbish. As others have pointed out, Wigan were almost relegated but came back to win the title and the CC. Hull tasted success and coulden't keep it up, Bradford dominated then faded, Saints have had their run of sucess and now have slipped back and have to re-build.

I think we'll always see sub standard sides until we become Single-Entity.

I suggest that SL is a failure, until every team is exactly comparable in quality to every other team, with no perceptible difference apart from the colour of their jumpers; ideally, every game should be a draw and at the end of the season, everyone finishes first (or last) and the Grand Final is contested by 14 teams on the field at the same time; the winner is decided by the team with the last man standing - a modern day spectacle to rival the 3 day gladiatora munera staged by Marcus Lepidus in 216 BCE.

Only then will SL be a worthy spectacle, and it STILL won't be as good as the NRL.

Now that's just silly

The salary cap is pointless if clubs spend nowhere near the allowance.

But it caps the tops clubs, if it wasn't there then teams like Hull, Wigan, Leeds and Warrington would just spend what they liked and the other teams would be even further apart, a bit like Wigan in the 80's.

I don't really understand this thread surley ever league in every sport has teams that are better than others and split into invisable tiers?

There are simply more better players in the NRL. That means every club can be competitive on its day, and accelerates the capability to rebuild a side. It doesn't mean that the Sharks stand a cat in hell's chance of winning the competition this year, but they aren't so far off in playing terms that they can't become genuinely competitive within say 3 years if things go right for them.

My own feeling echoes vbfg - it looks very much to me that SL standards are improving, driven in large part by a focus on home-grown players, combined with the salary cap which stops the likes of Leeds and Wigan snapping up every young player who looks to have potential. That focus on developing young players is being driven by cap limitations, gradual painful quota reductions (combined with unavailability of star Aussies) and the stability brought by franchising.

Huddersfield to me are the prime example of a team that through a gradual but continued commitment to youth, have got better almost year on year. With no salary cap restrictions, would they have been able to keep the likes of Cudjoe? With no franchising would they have even dared go down that route in the first place?

The one thing that I would like to see change is the mindset in SL that losing - to anybody - by 30 points plus is in any way acceptable. Not saying it can't happen - it does in the NRL as well although less frequently - but in my opinion too many sides throw in the towel ridiculously early. Maybe if standards even up we'll see fewer blowout scores, but I can't help but think there are mental issues as well.

Top 8 Super League - Franchise based with applications every 3 years

Catalans
Huddersfield
Hull FC
Leeds
St Helens
Warrington
Wigan
Bradford/Hull KR

Top 4 playoffs, followed by a Premiership style end of season competition

Division 1 - Bottom team relegated

Castleford
London
Salford
Wakefield
Widnes
Bradford/Hull KR
Leigh
Featherstone
Halifax
Sheffield

Top 4 playoffs

Division 2 - Champions promoted

Batley
Dewsbury
Hunslet
Keighley
Swinton
York
Oldham
Rochdale
Barrow
Doncaster
N Wales
S Wales
Whitehaven
Workington

Top 6 playoffs


Divisions 1 and 2 play in NRC

Until the lesser sides can keep hold of their better players then the league will probably continue to be like it is. In recent years salford have lost 2 quality british halfbacks to warrington, now that inturn pushes warrington right into the mix but really knocks salford for six. Same at wakefield losing players like murphy,george and brough to huddersfield, the sad thing is murphy should be playing everyweek in superleague, yet hes rotting away kind of in the reserves. cas appear to have thrown all their eggs in one basket keeping hold of chase and at present that tactic seems to have backfired.Widnes were always likely to struggle this year forming a new team plus we all know last years widnes were poor even in the division they played in, so the local lads theyve got in there, will take a year or 2 to get used to superleague.All clubs need money men not just the select few sadly this doesnt appear to be happening at present.

What happens to the work done at Skolars

.......... with some spending above it, but having clever accountants.