Hello again my very good friend



History shows us that in the early years of Superleague the Championship got SKY funding, and then it was cut altogether. For years the second tier worked on a £300,000 salary cap and clubs did get relegated and other clubs did get promoted and did stay up. Look it up mate, or I can list the club movements up and down for you?

What counted for the Championship club was not SKY money but the philanthropy of a rich owner. Superleague want rich owners (but not in Canada) and so any P & R system that favours rich owners will suit Superleague. The door is wide open for such as Semore Kurdi at Newcastle, the door is wide open and inviting anyone rich to pick up Widnes or Bradford and take these clubs to Superleague.

Thank you for kindly replying.

I'm not sure what [i"deal passed"[/i what I was referring to was when 37 clubs were asked over a year ago to consider changing the overall league structure from the current 12 clubs in the Superleague and 25 clubs in the RFL Championship.....to 20 clubs under Superleague administration in two divisions of 10, and 17 clubs staying under the control of the RFL.

Lenegan & co. felt that most SL clubs and ambitious Championship clubs would win the vote, this meaning that Superleague could reject clubs like TWP, Ottawa, New York, West Wales, Hunslet, Rochdale whoever, but it appeared that a number of top Championship clubs stayed loyal to the rest and the vote was lost and the status quo remained (not the rock band).....but only for the time being. At that time clubs like Dewsbury and Batley feared for their existence as they stood 22nd. and 24th, in the league structure, Halifax, York and Fev probably feared "there but for the grace of god go we...."

I would love the championship to secure its own TV deal. Whist the actual product on show is no where near the level of SL, some of the games last season were far more exciting.

For a change you have been sensible and I agree with you

Please do provide your list, it will make interesting reading for everyone.
I still maintain that IF the parachute payment for relegated clubs were to disappear and without ANY Sky monies, any relegated club would be in serious peril.

THE most important aspect here is that, calling the second tier of the comp Super League 2, just means that is The Championship by another name and it merely hides the fact that the top flight and funding would have been cut, which under any measure is contracting the professional game.

IIRC, last time the 2 x 10 was muted, there was to be decent funding for all 20 clubs, which probably isn't the case this time around but, we live in hope.
Maybe it will be Elstone's finest hour

Yes of course the SL2 would be a rebrand of the Championship, but it would show that that SL2 is the second division of Superleague. What you miss is that Superleague would be 20 clubs and not 12 clubs. That's quite a leap forward (or backward if you view it that way) you can't dismiss this with such a throwaway comment. It's major news and worrying for some long established clubs.

You also miss the effect of SL1 & SL2 on the 17 other clubs. None of them would be members of Superleague. There would be no third division, there would be no relegation or promotion into or out of Superleage. The RFL would be left with 17 clubs to do with as they please.

As for funding the 2 x 10 was proposed not for last year but for the years going forward. The 2 x 10 was the proposed set up for Superleague under the new TV deal. SKY and Superleague want promotion and relegation battles but they don't want Toronto or Ottawa or New York stuffing the party. It doesn't matter if there is little money for SL2 that can easily stay a part time league. You were about years ago when Superleague was the only league getting the money, yet P & R worked and clubs like HKR, Widnes etc were promoted and went from part time to full time?

The proposal was about CONTROL it was about stopping the RFL meddling in Superleague business, it was to stop the phoney expansion clubs SL do not want and SKY do not want.

Wave it away as nothing all you want but as it stands if the top 20 English clubs became Superleague then TWP, Catalans, Toulouse, Sheffield, York, Newcastle could all be left out...But I guess SL will want York and Newcastle which could put Dewsbury and Batley at risk. Funnily enough the chairmen of those two clubs led the rebellion against these seismic changes.

Don't you remember that? It's NOT just a rebranding excersise??

Which is probably why Superleague want to become 20 clubs so some of that "excitement" will be under the control of Superleague. Both SL and SKY want such excitement so SL will take clubs away from the RFL to provide it.

The 2 x 10 idea is exactly to create the excitement you highlight. But sadly for you Superleague will be controlling the membership of the 20 and there will be no place for the phoney clubs you keep championing .......

That would mean the Championship clubs going out and doing something rather than moaning about anything and everything. Far too many clubs in RL are happy to just take the money from Sky and do nothing else. Those with ambition to grow themselves and the sport (and I don't include the likes of Toronto in that) will be rewarded for it, others won't.

FWIW - I do enjoy watching the Championship and miss the Premier Sports days

Very nice. How many SL clubs would suffer without their big chunk of Sly money?
FWIW, The Championship is a very competitive league despite the the cut in central funding. What's your problem?

I enjoy watching the Championship yes, but as with some clubs in SL there are clubs in the Championship not interested in trying to improve or grow attendances and are just happy to take the sky money and move on.

Interesting views in this post? But are we all missing the elephant in the room? Everyone is assuming that SKY or some other broadcaster is willing to pay. I hope I am wrong but apart from the few thousand devotees of the game is there an interest out there? Union is struggling to make ends meet & they have a much bigger profile nationally/world wide. Even soccer below the premiership is in dire strights.
With the game being now fully professional only teams in large catchment ( big cities) areas can carry on. Even the Hull area is struggling with the local league even having a meeting to see if it is possible to run a competition this year. I am very worried that with a change at the top of SKY (Americans) that there is no appetite for league, add to that murmurings in politics against the involvement of gambling sponsorship in sports An interesting couple of years are in store for all sports not just league.

Ask Mr Lenagan if he would part with Wigan's Sky money? It's also noted that Wigan's crowds have dwindled lately. Where is the growth there?