I've been giving this more thought and have come up with a marketing slogan for the unprotected SL teamsThere to fall when others fail[/i

That'll help them enter a upward cycle of self-improvement, I'm sure. Who wouldn't want to see their team subjected to that kind of indignity, after all?

Crowds, profit and a successful academy are their own rewards for goodness sake!

Tbf, if you're on a wind-up, it's quite a good one.

More realistically, you could achieve the same aim by having a re-election system like the Football League used to.

It seems very clear that, if there is no criteria set well in advance, "we" have to be playing the "wait and see" game and if none of the expansion clubs are doing sufficiently well ie, competing at the top end of the Championship, the decision to expand SL will de deferred for another 12 months.
As stated previously, there is no way that the plan to increase SL to 14 clubs, is for any other reason than to include Toronto + 1.
It's not as though Sky have offered a whole extra wedge of cash to facilitate the change (ie to give them some additional TV games), in fact the opposite is true and the current Sky monies will need to be spread across more clubs and I dont see too many of the SL CEO's voting for reduced TV income ??

Its simple then keep it as it is until the sky contract finishes no need to change anything million pound game as normal if that means leigh replace the Vikings or Catalans then so be it

Ah. Missed the point of your previous post haha! Yes I agree. Clubs needs to know before pre-season starts the structure of the leagues etc. Tbh I am getting sick of all the tinkering. Go back to one down, one up or franchising. Top 6/8 playoffs and just leave it at that!

Not a bad idea the hybrid structure. It will at least encourage clubs to better themselves in areas such as youth development. How clubs are allowed to run without academies is beyond me and I am also so pleased that clubs are reintroducing the reserves. Shout out to the likes of Keighley and Halifax who have always had one. But SL clubs should have a mandatory one. And pleasing to see after the Bulls and Fev paved the way we now have a Women's Super League!

The only problem with a hybrid system is those in areas which will never get the crowds or decent youth. When you have say three clubs in very very close areas it's always going to be hard for them to build a good fan base. Furthermore those in areas not in an RL hotbed will suffer as they don't get the crowds. However they are at least creating a small interest in those areas especially at a grassroots level.

And I thought now the clubs are looking after themselves it would be better how wrong was I

Clubs are allowed to market themselves and recruit talent from beyond their own postcode.

Agree with you here. And I have no idea of the re-election system but I hope it doesn't work like that. The SL chairman will just vote who they want in (their mates) and opens up a possibility of bribery etc. For that sort of system to work at all we need a strong, transparent governing body which unfortunately we do not have.

That didn't stop leeds from advertising in Tong, Bradford a couple of years ago

For example, yes.




Because there's no risk of chicanery in using 'independently assessed criteria' to divide SL clubs into first- and second-class citizens? They're not going to be deeply trusted after last time. Also the unprotected teams won't accept it - because it is degrading and that. There's a reason the Washington Generals didn't have many fans.

If we have a route into SL achievable by on-field performances, then there obviously has to be another team going the other way (unless the numbers in SL do change that season). I'm confused why that shouldn't be Catalans (or indeed any other SL team) if their on-field performances that season puts them in the relegation spot?

I seem to remember quite a few years back Warrington and St Helens promoted the game outside the heartlands by way of South wales and Scotland, correct me if I,m wrong but didn't the 2 clubs go into the schools around Glasgow only for the RFL to set up the big game in Edinburgh.

That's a new story for me!

I seem to remember Huddersfield and Halifax fans getting in a tizz about Bradford Bulls billboards in their area during the Bradford glory years, and the usual suspects have kicked up a stink on here occasionally about Leeds ads popping up on the outskirts of Wakefield.

Think it was around 2002, Glasgow City Council were interested in the game at Junior Level and put money into the venture, Warrington and St Helens sent some of there high profile players there to promote the game through the schools. As already mentioned, the RFL instead of playing the big game at Glasgow opted to go away from the promoted area and play at Murrayfield, Edinburgh instead , they also stopped some of the funding they had with Glasgow City Council.