URBAN MYTH #365.
Twickenham capacity was 72,000 in 2002. They filled it 2 times that year and 3 times the following year before heading to Australia for the RUWC.

Decades of FTA coverage on the BBC for games like Ireland v Wales, or Scotland v France built a "must see" attitude to the 5 and then 6 nations. Italy v France in Union on BBC2 now gets a comparable TV audience to England v Australia in League.

REGULAR GAMES.....in FTA TV, with buy-in from the broadcaster over decades is what we will never get, so stop hanging your hat on internationals as the saviour. With only three viable teams, it's a non starter.

Well the top SL bosses have championed 2x10 so I assume they will organise who is to be "dropped".

Obvious way they may do this is, is to repeat how they chose the clubs for licensing. Work out criteria that gives them the result they want, stuff like "being an English club" is a required criteria,

I also have an idea that whatever criteria they choose Leigh may somehow fit it.....Or maybe even Bradford? They could bring in Nigel Wood to help with the process as he did this before? Do Salford have any money?

Is it the Super League club owners organising the restructure - or is it Sky demanding changes?
Which ' independent ' panel has the jurisdiction?
Will a video and a report have to be furnished?

Criteria lol. They make it up as they go along

Remember the criteria regarding stadiums and what a joke that become when they just ignored it and 10 years later still no stadiums for certain clubs.

I dare say they wouldn't know where Wigan, Warrington or St Helens were either. Is that not the issue with image too when the top clubs come from small towns?

Doubt it's sky when the deal is only for 2 years.

A competition where teams are playing each other multiple times I don't think is good for any broadcaster.

The eleven-side league was known as National Division One and in 2009 changed from semi-professional clubs to fully professional.

So the established international game, that was exactly my point. They may have filled Twickenham on a regular basis but casual and TV viewers most certainly increased following the World Cup win.

So does the 2 year deal indicate that it is the last one Sky are offering?

Will the sport now have to find another willing,paying, broadcaster?

Will any restructure in rugby league last beyond 2 years?

Seem to be in a difficult situation with a World Cup fast approaching.

I hope plans are in place to welcome any new enthusiasts that may be found this year...

Don't know why people think going to 10 will be the savior of rl? Surely getting rid of clubs lowers attendances. Do people want to see the same match 3 times a season? People will maybe only pick 1. The quality argument doesn't stand either. Less teams equals less players equals less quality. If its money then the clubs need to look at how they can make themselves more money.

You just stated remembering how licensing failed. Those actions costs clubs, and still those clubs haven’t fulfilled their obligations. Yet as you say get away scot free, whilst others feed them.

Good points....

But 10 years ago the license application for Wakey was greeted by the RFL with the words [i"the stadium position is uncertain"[/i and for Cas [i"growth is reliant on a new stadium"[/i

Before that the RFL stupidly indicated that if Cas and Wakey wanted to be in Superleague they needed to find new stadiums, however they could not do this and the RFL suddenly realised they had nobody better to replace these clubs, to carry out the threat, and that was the real joke.

The RFL thought that somehow there were new clubs with money facilities and ambition ready to take these two clubs places....

There wasn't.