For the survival of the game i believe that the sooner that teams return to a semi pro status the better and restore P & R, otherwise all i see for the future are more clubs heading the same way as Bradford.

If the rugby league in this country went semi-pro wouldn't all the kids just go to rugby union or other sports?

The best senior players would be off to the NRL and Rugby Union in a heartbeat.

Why?

Seriously? You actually need to ask that question?

Is there anywhere online I can view see these statistics showing attendances have increased?

Four seasons is long enough to kill my interest in RL and I used to be a diehard. I'm sure there are thousands like me who have given up watching RL because of the ending of automatic promotion and relegation. Obviously if SL clubs have increased their attendences across the board my absence won't be missed but I don't think they have.

I know lets go back to P and R lets go back to winter games lets all were a flat cap and a string round our coats now BOG OF

Fair enough, that's your decision, one I wouldn't agree with but that's up to you. It's also not what you put in your opening post.

Quote: LeighGionaire "Is there anywhere online I can view see these statistics showing attendances have increased?'" Yes. Several places in fact. But it's all been tabulated in simple form here: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=259 The highlight: In 1996 there were 12 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 77,604 or 6,467 per club. In 2011 there were 14 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 124,980 or 8,927 per club. Your argument is not supported by the facts.

Quote: LeighGionaire "Is there anywhere online I can view see these statistics showing attendances have increased?'" Yes. Several places in fact. But it's all been tabulated in simple form here: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=259 The highlight: In 1996 there were 12 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 77,604 or 6,467 per club. In 2011 there were 14 sides in SL with a total average attendance of 124,980 or 8,927 per club. Your argument is not supported by the facts.

Leigh fans

I think what the OP means is "Super League Has Failed because MY team isn't playing there"

Typical of the 'super league' closed shop attitude , teams like Halifax, Leigh, Featherstone were around long before franchising and will be around long after franchising the same can't be said for Celtic Crusaders/Crusaders/South Wales Scorpions or Bradford atm

It obviously hasn't 'failed' in the absolute sense of the word ( it still exists ) so 'failure' or otherwise is a relative judgement and comes down to a matter of opinion. Personally I don't think the sport has achieved the growth it could have, missing it's potential by a large enough margin that I wouldn't argue with the word 'failed'. The relative rising fortunes of the Union game have probably coloured my opinion, their upward trajectory seeming to be steeper than ours. I know they've got financial issues at club level but there's enough cash sloshing around that sport that somehow or another it's not going away. I know they start out with a much richer demographic ( or advertisers see it that way anyhow ), but still, the fact that we couldn't even find a paying sponsor is a desperately poor state of affairs. What worries me most of all is the claim that the Stobart 'deal' was worth millions. If the RFL are knowingly talking cr@p, that's one thing, but if they actually BELIEVE we're in good place commercially, then we really are in trouble.