I don't think the 'structure' is too bad, but I do think that a lot of our problems are down to marketing.

The RFL clearly has a marketing budget, but it appears to me that too much of it is spent on trying to preach to the converted. I get loads of glossy brochures in the post encouraging me to buy Challenge Cup, Grand Final and International tickets that I and other supporters will buy anyway. Surely it would do to completely replace this expensive exercise with a round of emails.

To make the game bigger, we have to apply the same marketing and product principles as are applied in business. We have to firstly understand whether we have a product that will sell, and then put the right marketing in place in order to make sure those sales happen. In other words, we have to understand what people want, and then when we know we're delivering it, we have to make it easy for them to find it.

Now, we know we have an amazing product - literally everyone I have spoken to, who has taken the time to watch a game of top flight RL has told me that they love it. I've heard this from die-hard football fans, Southerners, Irishmen, Jewish people, Americans, the lot. I can back up the above 'groups' with examples if anyone wants them.

The only negatives I have had about RL are (apart from the obvious die-hard unionite RL haters) are from people who either don't like sport at all - well you always get them - and those who dismiss 'rugby' as being 'boring' or 'too complicated'. And you know what, when I tell these same people that there are two types of rugby, and that the one I'm on about is nothing like the sport Jonny Wilkinson plays, they're often surprised. Quite simply, RL is not on the radar. We fans all like to think it is, but is simply isn't. We're kidding ourselves.

I often then go on to remind them about 'British Bulldog' - that game we all used to play in the playground. Almost all remember it, and then I tell them that RL is like British Bulldog, but with a ball. They 'get it', then.

So, we know we have something that will sell, just as it's been sold to Northerners for 100 years. It's now about making the sport visible, and accessible.

Now for a start, it's no good us complaining that the media is London-centric. We know this, and we can't change it, so that's why it is VITAL we have a London team in Super League. In fact, I reckon it's vital we have another one in London to create a derby of sorts. THIS is where the money should be spent establishing a new team, or nurturing the likes of London Skolars.

We also live in a celebrity obsessed world right now. How hard can it be to get a few zed listers, many of whom would turn up to the opening of an envelope, to 'pledge alliegiance' to one of the London sides and be seen at the games? I reckon a few would do that for little more than free entry, free ale, and guaranteed paparazzi.

The other issue is with sponsors. I've said on here many times that, whilst we all know that cash comes in useful, why can't the RFL try and do more exchange deals? Wouldn't it be great to get, say, Cadbury's sponsoring the Challenge Cup, but instead of paying us for the privilege, they advertise the game on their packaging, maybe even make one of their adverts (an advert that they would make anyway, thus NOT putting a further dent in Cadbury's budget) RL themed? If Guinness can make a classic advert based around Hurling, why can't it be done with RL?

I could go on, but I do honestly believe our failure to appeal to the masses really is down to our failure to understand and adapt to what makes the general public tick. We need to appeal to them, not the other way around.

I take it you’re a bit of a hardliner & probably support a team that would be in this league of ten.

I see the only real expansion vision is now coming to the fore.

2 x 10 in SL, 27 games plus play offs. £1m and £700k
Limit non nationals to 2
Centrally fund international players
International players to meet up for 2 days every 2 weeks in season
Fund Championship to £150k per team regardless
Wembley to June
Put Lewis, Woods and all on the dole
Get rid of Hemmings and Stevo.

Robinson - good post there. Agree very much.

I'm doing a project at Uni at the moment looking at the Franchise system in RL. I was talking to my lecturer about RL to explain how RL is set up so she can understand what I'm talking about because she comes a Southern, Union background, having worked for the RFU herself.

She was fascinated by the Franchise System, particularly about the massive emphasis that is placed on bringing through youngsters and also supporting local communities. For all that the naysaying flatcappers hate Franchises what has to be acknowledged is that our system is very unique and, for all that there are flaws in the system and it needs time to bed in, it will provide us with a vastly superior product over other sports. My lecturer was impressed by this and said something similar to you that if the RFL is to succeed its needs to engage with a public, outside the core fanbase, with an 'educational' campaign; to explain what the game is and what the attributes of the game are.

I always wonder why we can't get someone like Sam Bugess on Strictly or some such programme. That in itself would do wonders for the sport; he loves the camera, he's very articulate, is mates with Russell Crowe, is very engaging, always has a smile on his face and, I'm sure the ladies will agree, is a bit of a dish. Ok, I know he's in Oz and yadda yadda and Offiah and Hanley have been on, but you get what I'm saying; someone young who the public can see with the shorts on at the local stadium the next weekend.

I think that, yes, the RFL has a lot on trying to keep up with the Aussies on the pitch, trying to keep heartland clubs in line and trying to expand out of the north, but a decent marketing campaign would do wonders for the game. I'm sure there are a lot of disenfranchised soccerball fans out there who are fed up with rocketing ticket prices and paraphenalia, which funds the ridiculous rich lads that have no conception or respect for real people anymore. Why are we not trying to ensnare these soccerball fans with decent ticket prices and a down to earth respectful, full throttle game?

I dont see the point in half measures and yes, I guess you could say I'm a hard liner.

As for the 10 teams, as a Rhinos fan I do support one of the 10 who would probably "get in". However, this year I have been to 11 games in the UK that did not involve the Rhinos and I live in Ireland. I just love RL.

The game needs intensity. I would go as far as central contracts and assigning players clubs to make things more even.

It's no good having only 4 teams who have won Superleague in however many seasons. For the good of the game it was good that Leeds did not get to the GF this year. Had Warrington not bottled it big time it would have been even better.

Like a Draft??

I don't think there's too much wrong with the structures.
The SL comp is ok but we need to drop the Magic event and run a 26 game season with play offs. If anything the Magic should be transferred to the CCup.
The last 16 should be betwen 14 SL clubs and 2 Champ clubs, eight games over one weekend at either Bramhall Lane or CoM.
At the last 16 stage of the CCup it would fill either of those stadia.
If we are to have better calibre players in vast numbers so we can compete with the Aussies and Kiwis then we have to accept we will have to pay them the going market rate. That means raising the salary cap massively, replacing it with a system like the Aussies are trialing or abolishing restrictions altogether.

What does worry me is the standard of management at the very top, Lewis and Wood. Also at club level. For us at Wigan we suffered 10 years of ownership by Dave Whelan when the club was in decline throughout that period. Ian Lenagan in his third season has taken Wigan to be the best team in the SL and winning the League Championship.
There are other very good CEO's like McManus at Saints, Moran at Warrington and the crew running HKR are doing a fantastic phoenix like job at Craven Park.

Those I mentioned above have made it happen at their clubs. The rest just let it happen. They pick up their SKY money to run a full time club and hope something will happen to make them competitive. They all vote in the salary cap as it restricts the progressive clubs in becoming stronger with better players and squads.
Salford, Cas & Wakey have strugggled to survive, Leeds and Hull are very wealthy but going nowhere with the useless people they have in charge. Catalans, Crusaders & Quins are all having problems in their dev areas.
Although these separate problems have been identified it needs better calibre people running most of those clubs, especially in the "heartlands", if the game is to thrive.

For me the problem is a management one. Better calibre execs and owners bringing a more professional attitude to their clubs and into Red Hall. We need execs with a proven track record in business and a very keen interest in Rugby League.
Wigan, Saints, Warrington and HKR have done it and until the other clubs bring in owners and investors of the same ilk then the majority of clubs will struggle. So will SL and so will British Rugby League.

1) Bring more intensity into the games, because at the moment its 27 friendlies with a bit of a surge at the end to get into a play off comp. So..............

a) Reduce the league to 12 teams home and away only.
b) Bring back promotion and relegation (with promoted team subjected to minimum standard)
c) Top 4 play off.
d) 3 points for a win, 2 points draw, 1 point (within 6 points score)


2) Bring more English (British) players into the game

a) Maximum of 4 overseas players, with no residency rules, no existing contract honouries etc.
b) Alternatively maximum of 7 overseas players in the squad, but only 4 overseas players in the match 17.
c) Overseas players to be assessed on its effects on development. eg if every club signs an overseas stand off/ scrum half, this would be rejected.
d) Bring in the Academy Final as a pre match to the Challenge Cup Final. Final rescheduled to end of July.


3) Bring Rugby League to the fore front of Sport

a) Sack Lewis and Wood with immediate effect.
b) Set up a professional media agency to promote the sport.
c) Set up a promotions team, to attract sponsors, sport funding and TV advertising.
d) Create a think tank commitee from the legends of the game, to re model the game without "gimmicks"

completely restructure the Salary cap, giving players from youth academies and expansion areas (Europe and the home nations, with those players only entitled on the basis they are declared to those nations) priority and an allowance for union players.

Restructure the Sky Payments, cut it in half and have the other half made up of payments for playing british players of say £10k for playing more than 10 games in a season, and bonuses for players playing international for the home nations. As well as payments for the club where the player came through the academy, for example Warrington would get £10k for Myler playing more than 15 games for them in a season, and £10k for him representing England and Widnes getting £10k for every season he plays for England, but have a flat rate of £10k for lower league to SL transfers, with a £10k bonus on an players international debut.

Reverse the dual contract system so that SL clubs can take a player for training and playing from the lower leagues for a period of 3 months for a flat rate of £2k, then make a decision on if they want to sign him permanently for the previously mentioned flat rate. Clubs would also get a SC exemption for this player for 2 seasons to encourage clubs to take more risks with lower league players.

bring in a 15/20 rule, whereby if 15 academy products play 20 games in a season for you, you are rewarded with a £150k 'bonus' on the SC to be used on one contract for three years.

Increase the amount of clubs in the semi-pro leagues.

extend the time between franchise decisions being made and clubs being admitted, and separate the admission of clubs from the demotion of others. If you can add value to the league you are in, if you cant you are not. If you are in the league and getting left behind you are out. The two things dont, and shouldnt depend on each other. Also the scrap the three year time frame, if a club comes now which is well financed and has everything in place to add value, we should admit them now and give them two years to build, not tell them to wait a year to apply then only have a year to build.

Set 'prize money' for doing the things the RFL wants clubs to do, i.e gain £100k more sky money for averaging 10K a week, £150k for hitting 15k, £200k for hitting 20k to reward clubs for getting people through the turnstyles.

have feeder and development areas, rather than teams for SL clubs. Have them share coaching, fitness and sports science knowledge with the lower league clubs, maybe even coaches and facilities if a club wishes, this is in return for taking dual contract players on loan. Also allocate every top 25 player in SL to a club within these development areas. That player would then only be allowed to play for his SL side and that lower league club on the dual contract system, but would also need to spend at least 20 hours a month, training, coaching and helping to market that lower league club.

Employ a high profile Coaches-Coach. Someone with the sole responsibility of garnering all the latest techniques, information etc and passing it on through coaching courses.

Admit a select X17 picked from the national competitions of developing nations to Challenge Cup, and give the SL clubs a 'pet' side, to forge links with, when they come over to play their challenge cup game/s they can train with, get information from the SL club, as can the coaches which should filter down over time.

Get more players on TV, Radio, and in the public eye, and try and keep more former players within the game.

Here's a radical idea

Start off with kids rugby. It should be played in summer to try and attract more kids to play the game as obviously kids would rather play sport in warm weather rather than in the middle of the freezing winter. A scoring system should be devised to encourage teams to play proper attacking rugby rather than just give the ball to the biggest kid and let him run over everybody all the time. Also coaches should be encouraged to rotate who plays in the key positions (half backs, full back, hooker etc) to allow every kid to gain experience of these positions, and those who over a period of time show the most aptitude for these positions should then get specialist coaching.

There should be salary cap concessions for players who come up through the ranks and into the first team of pro clubs and for each of these players that go on to play for England clubs should be paid a bonus. All England players, whether it's the full national side or academy should regularly meet up throughout the year go through their attacking/defense patterns and tactics for the end of year internationals, so when it is time the players will know what to do off by heart.

I would keep Super League at fourteen clubs, but bring back the five team playoffs which would hopefully increase the intensity throughout the season as teams wouldn't be able to afford to lose as many games as they can now. I would give the Magic Weekend a chance to develop into a big event to start the season with, but if after five years it still hasn't really taken off then I would use it for the quarter finals of the challenge cup. The playoffs should be marketed to death, with the view that 20,000+ paying £10 would look better than 10,000+ paying £20. Where possible games will be taken to football grounds that can hold over 20,000. I would even have Hull KR playing their home playoff games at the KC because of the scope for bigger crowds.

A live Super League game would be broadcast on terrestrial TV each week and have the regular season and playoffs as different packages. The Grand Final would be shown on the saturday night in full on terrestrial TV.

The championship should be split into east and west divisions with eight teams in each one and each team playing the teams in their division twice and from the other division once. The top four would playoff to determine the division winners who would then play each other in the Grand Final.

The challenge cup would be moved back to the beginning of the year with the final in May, as IMO August should be about the race for the playoffs and having the CC final there is a distraction.

When the licenses are announced clubs from the championship who win a license will be given a year to put together a competitive team, rather than go into SL the following year and having to spend the off season scrambling around trying to put a team together.

Exposure and misinformation.

-Bring back P&R.
-Cap the overseas players down to three for every team.
-No Dual Registration
-Expansion can only be a god thing, but it has to be done correctly. Needs to be done slowly while making sure the current Leagues and Team are in a good financial situation and drawing crowds. No automatic promotion or introduction into Super League.
-Someway that could create a draft like in the NFL, teams have to bring new players through and create future talent.
-Yorkshire V Lancashire, much more emphasis surrounding that. 3 matches like they have in the SOO.

I've been away for a few days and needed a laugh

Thank you.