When i answered, i did so with the view of how i would want things should Widnes be in the Championships. Its a very real Danger for Widnes given the RFL's track record.

And if the league was re-structured in a way similar to what i have posted i would not be nearly as dissapointed as i would be if we were rejected and things were left in the current format. But Obviously my idea of what will drive us forward as a group of clubs and a sport, will not be the same as most other peoples.

Yes you would , only one thing would be on the agenda , just human nature , your circumstances dictate your opinion , just like myself and all the rest of us , as I have posted , too many holes that need filling , those are the ' upset ' holes

Tony you posted this as a reason for a single competition



Do you not think that when we were all playing for a SL spot , that had more to do with bigger attendances , plus we didn't have our biggest ' money spinners ' on live TV on a midweek either did we , I attended that boxing day match at Widnes back in 2000 , what was the crowd that night ? , 6,800 all paying spectators , what would we give for an attendance like that this year ?

They havent figured it out yet , thats why they are asking

Neither is SL in it's current form and clubs because of it and being in it have wilted and died or very near death!!!!

See under Oldham, London, Workington, Wigan, St Helens, Bradford, Widnes, Leigh, Gateshead etc., etc., etc..

That match this year will probably be at 7.30 on a rainy Thursday night in Leigh and will be on TV, just like the last 2 years meaning our 'biggest' match of the season is as flat as a bloody pancake Meaning we lose out on lots of fans and therefore money as well as ruining the atmosphere. Good vocal derby matches are also the ones most likely to entice new or part time fans to come more often. They are probably one of the best adverts available to a championship club to those part-time supporters but if they are at home watching on TV then this chance is lost. Its not like we (Leigh) have many Derby matches in this league anymore.

Just for a change I'd love for us to play Widnes at 3pm on Easter Monday and have a good derby match with a fairly big away support. Last season our Easter 'derby' was tolouse for gods sake.

The fixture list planning for our league has been an absolute joke for the last few years and I really hope they have put more thought and time into it this year.

The Championship fixtures are out one day this week aren't they?

That aint going to happen who would want it?

Sky do a great job with the Thursday night games. How many NL1 union games do you see a season?

Correct , nobody would want it , and the question is , do we want it ?

It's a fair survey, Be honest with the RFL.

couldn't agree more with this idea - it would be good for the C/C1 game if it became available to terrestial viewers - great publicity in a minority sport
as someone brought up in a non-rl area (the wilds of norfolk) but as a sports nut all the same,my only access to the greatest game was on the beeb with saturday afternoon rl plus the Floodlit cup etc
problem is,would the beeb (or other) be interested in investing in this type of entertainment again ?

remember,RL IS A MINORITY SPORT - it will remain so as long as the diehards (ie Starbug) want to keep it 'oop north - at least the RFL are trying to expand the RL network !

What exactly am I a ' diehard ' of ?

the insular attitude of wanting to keep the game confined to the traditional rl heartlands in the belief that the game 'belongs' there and has the best chance of survival if it is restricted to these areas instead of spreading the game as the RFL & associated euopean bodies are trying to do.
I can understand your reasoning,maybe the strength of the future of the game has to be in the heartlands to survive but as i've said on numerous ocassions (ad nauseum !),i'm NOT from an rl area (couldn't be further from it !) but am totally engrossed in the game and have been since my first visit to St Helens in the 60s - the potential viewers/fanbase IS out there and I believe better marketing of the rl product plus more exposure on terrestrial tv can only help

You are being completely unfair to starbug, offensively so, and also startlingly short sighted. Being worried about the health and long term viability of the game below the top level does not equate with wanting the game confined to the north of england, and neither does questioning the means with which the game is being spread. Starbug, and others accused of such nonsense, have often offered their own suggestions on more viable options in spreading the game only to be described in very negative terms for it. The fact remains that the game is not thriving as we would all like it to be and worrying about the state of your heartlands is indicative of a game which is taking too many unaffordable risks.

Bottom line is expansion is about increasing what you have, not gambling what you already have on a risky relocation.

Do you mean like the suggestion I made a couple of years back that it would be a good idea to take say 10/12 young players from say the Russian or Ukrainian league , bring them over here for a season , align them in pairs to a SL club [ giving them the best of our full time training and coaching ] , and also put them on the playing squads of a NL club [ 1 each at no cost to the club , giving them the possibility of actually playing at a higher level ] , they would potentially then improve their national team and possibly become future coaches in their own country ?

All paid for by the RFL , I originally suggested something similar for players from the French Elite one as a better preparation for Catalans inclusion in SL