I think the field has been levelled pretty well, and makes games better to watch with the odd unpredictable result being thrown up.
I can understand the no relegation policy will help new clubs to get stabilised, and see the sense in it, but it's a massive shame for a club like Fax who would probably otherwise end up with a SL place next year.
How about, if a club gets promoted, it gets a year's grace to sort itself out, and the lowest place SL club which is already in SL at the start of the season loses it's place to the winner of the Championship?
And stop this obsession with expanding the game artificially! Sure, give new clubs all the help we can, but let's be realistic. Some areas just aren't going to support a SL club overnight. Get them into the Championship and let them develop naturally, building support etc as they grow. If they grow.

The only time I'm REALLy bothered about SL is when it is on the box! As an entertainment it really takes some beating.

I would like to see the development teams do well for the good of the game but it's not a model I, amongst others, am truely happy with.

I can't believe in a system that rewards FAILURE and that is what SL in it's current form does!

Eh? Apart from possibly Gateshull (I don't know their history) and Paris years ago, when has this happened?

Celtic follow your pattern and have grown on their own and Catalans have decades of history behind them as UTC, it's not like either were wet behind the ears when they won their place in SL.

I understand your post though, Fax should be in SL without doubt. The likes of Wakey, Salford and even Saints should make way for them should the promises of new stadiums fail to materialise.

Whats Super league ?

Although superleague is a closer competition this year, my opinion is that its gone boring and is now nery similarly to the NRL from 5 years ago.

With the 5 "wrestle tackles" and then a kick, I,m not sure if we are going to see any skills developing sufficiently to compete at international level.

Also this season we have enormous pressure on the referees by the players and the subjective rule interpetration, which results in games that do not flow and appears to generally favours the weaker team.

4 years ago we saw some fantastic superleague, this season I,m struggling to think of any "truly classic games" so far.

So the question....is the level playing field the result of the salary cap working or has the game changed and becoming sterile.

Never mind Super League, top flight Rugby League's better than ever IMO. And the Championship sides are getting their acts together because they know the bar's been raised considerably. Sure, there's a really long way to go but I get the sense that whilst there'll always be those that moan about absolutely everything, the majority of true fans (and I guess you have to [ireally[/i ask yourself whether you're a fan of the game and not just your club) are forward-thinking enough to keep the momentum going and develop with the game.

I'm be no means on my own when I say I'd like to see a slight reduction in the number of SL games and some real priority investment in developing the home nations, but then that doesn't just magic itself out of nowhere. I think it's about time some 'fans' stopped putting everything down and gave the game a chance to fulfill it's true potential with their support.

Maybe I would say it as a Wigan fan but I think the quality in the league is dire and I think this is reflected by the standard of the national team.

Wigan have been average at best for the last two seasons in my view but yet FACT IS at the end of the play offs we have been nearest behind Saints and Leeds at winning the Grand Final. That says it all to me - if I think we have been average what does that make the rest of the league?

We still have far too many overseas players, most of which I think offer nothing bar the exceptions of rare gems like Michael Dobson and Matt Gidley and I agree with the post by "Judderman". I too cannot remember a classic game from this season that I've seen on Sky.

Maybe it's just me but the league seems to have gone more power and less skill and this does not make for as entertaining a game as say 5/6 years ago.

Of course Hull KR fans will think different, its a generation since they were top of the table but for me compared to 5/6 years a go the league the quality is not the same.

1st year of Licencing and we have seen a certain amount of "leveling". The CURRENT top 8 sees no Wigan, Wire or Bradford and I for one think this is a good thing. Last year at this stage, these teams were 5th 5th and 6th.
I am sure that at least 2 of these teams will be in the mix come the end of the season, but for now, I think the cap, together with the knowledge of no relegation is making for a more competative league.
As for the standard of play, this has more to do with coaches watching the RLWC and adapting the tackle technique used by the Anzacs and less to do with the cap.

I don't see why tou find it necessary to bracket Salford with Celtic. They're not doing too bad for a newly promoted side. They are 8 ponts above Celtic, a point above Bradford and only 4 points behind Hull FC who are in 6th place. Could it be a vain attempt to dilute the fact that Celtic are well adrift of the rest?

the entire contents of the Atlantic ocean couldn't dilute that fact


Celtic have been off the pace all year, but if they can keep the nucleus of their squad for next year and add a couple of decent marque players, they will be a different proposition next year.
As for Salford, I am delighted for them and they seem to be getting better with every game......

Its going to be Leeds and St Helens battling for the top two spots this year and it has been for the last two years and probably will be for year and years.

Just imagine what the score line would have been today if Greg Eastwood was over here playing. Hull KR turned out to be great pretenders.

Nope the state of SL is still bad for me!

Competitive my .