Edit

only one phrase

i bloody well hope one day it returns


in sl at this point i reckon there are about 10 dead games to play where
teams have nothing to play for, boy bet the crowds are going to be good for those!!


the employment issue does not enter in to it as all sl contracts are void if club loses sl status so players can move to promoted and/ or other clubs.

Teams have had a playoff place to play for. If they are now unlikely to make it then it is too bad. I don't see how it can be better for teams to be involved in a relegation battle, with all the consequences involved with failing, than it is to simply miss out on the playoffs meaning that you can plan ahead for next season.

So all the players of the bottom nrl club deserve sacking each year to do they?

Will there ever be P & R again? Answer - No, not whilst we have the current regime in charge of the game because the current system allows them to manipilate it to fulfill their expansionist policies.

They will tell you that it is to safeguard the lower league clubs from going bust but the only difference at the moment is that those same clubs that they are so worried about are heading for going bust trying to obtain one tick in a box towards the ten they require for a successful application.

Licences are issued every 3 years and lower league clubs have to appear in a Grand Final or win the NR Cup in that 3 year period to get a tick. When that 3 year period ends those that have achieved a GF final or won the NR Cup have it all to do again in the next 3 years to get that same tick again.

Only one Championship club, if any, will be given a licence in 2011 for the start of the 2012 season and yet we have about 5 or 6 clubs hell bent on spending money to get to a GF final this season and next. Widnes are in the box seat having won a NR Final and they have a superior stadium to all the others and yet these clubs are still spending money, for what?

Surely, some of those clubs should be saying we have no chance of a licence in 2011, so lets not spend money and wait for the next 3 year qualifying period? But, the way it is going several clubs will hit the buffers in there attempt to now merely fulfill one smal part of the application process.

No guarantee there will be another qualifying period , hence why some are selling the family silver to try to make it this time

It would seem the RFL dont actually understand human nature , the desire to better yourself at any cost

The real problem will come when they have to drop somebody out of SL mid June/July , whatever club that happens to will implode

Quite, hence my point about there still being de facto P & R, except now it's three times worse for "relegated" clubs.

so you are suggesting that, for example salford, are going to have the resources with crowds not turning up for dead matches to strenghen????
no my dear friend they will go backwards and not keep their young talent eg myler you see relegation games brought big gates, huge gates sometimes, witness wakey- cas, perhaps the biggest game for the games image in recent years, certainly the only one that got full page treatment in every national paper. relegation is as exciting as winning things you see, trust me im a wakey fan!

fact is people only turn up in a summer era if theres something to play for, otherwise, its barbi, hols, cricket, pub, or from tomorrow footy.

get real the sport needs relegation from sl, other wise becuase of the income base sal cap the best worst gap will get wider.

Next time round there is a franchise point for an average finish of 8th or better, so there is in fact something to play for other than the playoffs.

Of course British RL needs annual promotion and relegation. This is not Australia. Super League is a minority sport, in danger of being perceived as a limited group of homogenised clubs owned by SKY and dominated by Australians. It simply isn't big enough to miss out on the opportunities to develop its profile, improve credibility, and heighten awareness which would be brought by the excitement of annual promotion and relegation.

There are difficulties to promotion and relegation, in the way franchising and expansion have difficulties, but if the will was there, it could be done well, and with noticeable benefit to the sport.

Unfortunately, there are teams who were in the right place at the right time, found themselves in an elite club, and have no intention of allowing a threat to their position merely for the sake of the sport in general. These are the real flatcappers, whose call is "It's fine as it is. Don't change it now."

eh? oh ok so team in twelth place needs to finish 4th next year to get its average 13th 3rd etc

well ok in theory............

You stupid idiot.

Promotion and relegation does not work well in any sporting competition it is used in. It has never worked.


You fool!

id so love to see you try and shout that from newcastle city hall steps!

Why, because Newcastle is the perfect example of why it doesnt work?

Clearly a top grade team, huge support and yet they have a bad season, they have to wipe millions of dollars off their playing roster, give players away and start all over again at a lower level.


Geez, what a great example.