Anyroad - what are you doing back on these forums? You're supposed to be keeping your nose clean

What is the problem?

The lower leagues are functioning, they are fairly sustainable and are providing a competition for clubs and players not ready for SL. I think we could improve the pathways players take throughout the game,of which the lower leagues are a part but I don’t really know what people are expecting the lower leagues to be, because most people who complain about the lower leagues lot are usually way out with their ideas on what can actually be achieved with them.

Ask Peter Hood

Yes I do, I agree that there are some clubs which arent set up right now to be successful.
That can and should be changed. But the answer to that question isnt P+R.

I would disagree. We arent a minority northern sport. We are a massive northern sport. If we could replicate the strength we have in the north, throughout the country we would be looking at an SL which was as big as championship football. I believe that would feed into a virtuous cycle which would get us even bigger (If Wigan play a club as big as Leeds every week then Wigan would grow, which in turn would contribute to Leeds growth which in turn would contribute to Wigans growth etc). And i wouldnt disagree, we do have a couple of clubs who are probably more suited to Semi-pro than pro. But similarly we can look at it that we are 3 or 4 clubs away from having a truely national sport which has the attendances and as would follow the visibility it deserves.

His answer would likely be to take Starbugs approach.

There is no problem as long as you give us more money and ask no questions.

Again, where have I said, just give the clubs money? , I havent suggested that for several years, so why do you keep suggesting I have, just because you dont understand what the lower leagues need, dont tell lies about me

OK, ask the last owners of Celtic Crusaders

You constantly seem to complain that money isnt spent on the lower leagues, then also complain when money is given to the lower leagues with restrictions to make sure it is spent wisely.

Im not sure what you would like us to infer from your complaining that Lower league clubs need RFL money and also complaining about that restrictions put on money given to them other than the RFL should give them money, without restriction.

The last owners of Celtic Crusaders never had involvement with a lower league club. Im not sure what they would have to add!

I'm talking about your question "What problem?".

OK, ask the previous owners of Wakefield.

I can't understand how people can continue to defend the franchise system when, in practice, it is demonstrably biased and unfair and has pushed poor clubs with poor business plans in to Super League for reasons that the RFL will never elaborate on.

If we want to keep franchising, then we should start selling tickets to events where we can watch our club officials grovel / beg / bribe / give sexual favours to / date / fool RFL officials for their place in SL. Then we would at least have seen the performances on which our clubs are being judged, because it certainly isn't being judged on sporting performances, nor having a solid business plan in place.

If Rugby League is blatantly going to determine the make up of its league structure with sahdowy deals done behind closed doors, before coming out and lying to the sports fans about it then they will push a lot of people away from the sport.

If the choice is between the flawed but fair 'Promotion and Relegation' system, or the clandestine and clearly unfair 'Franchise' system that has the benefit of giving new SL clubs time to build but rewards clubs for something reasons we can only speculate on.

I have to pick fair over anything else in sport — fair is the entire premise behind sport.

I am open to suggestions that are transparent and fair (despite the RFL's insistence franchising has never been either of these), promotes sport (lets not forget why we're fans, yet ensures financial stability.

Strange that, I thought Celtic Crusader played in the NL s? With loads of ileagal immigrants, whatever happened to the Inquiry the RFL promised us over that? , the must still be waiting for info from the Border agency