Opportunity for who. The only blind person here is you Smokey. Wire and Leeds have stuck two fingers up to the system. They are now also stuck as to how they get their quota players match fit as the UKBA have quite rightly stepped in to put a stop to players breaching their vias conditions. Nigel (£300k) Wood thought he could get away with it. In fact I reckon this problem was only thought about in the last couple of weeks. Tony Smith alluded to it a few days ago, and the UKBA have for the time being anyway put a spoke in the wheels of greed. Pay the players less boys and you could afford to develop your youth and our game.

Well Bradford have now had clearance from UKBA for Adrian Purtell to play for Dewsbury, so I wouldn't expect any further problems for other clubs/players.

Opportunity for everyone.

Why does every dealing the clubs have to be confrontational? Why is it Leeds and Wire sticking two fingers up at the system and not simply using an imperfect system to get the best results they can? When you strip away the identity issue (Which I agree needs to be addressed) and the petty parochialism (which is, as it should ignored) then it is a good thing that this quality of player is playing in the lower leagues. It is better for them to have a better quality of player.

The UKBA were aware of the situation, they had been informed and are making a more permanent change to address that issue, and have infact already made allowances.

And it isn’t all about greed, look at what Leeds and Hunslet are doing, look at what they are doing in the schools around leeds and GH and BMs plans for amateur and schools coaching. It is absolutely outstanding. Leeds are a club which makes profits and turns over £13m, the roughly 10% of that they spend on wages doesn’t stop them investing in youth development.

Remove your victim mentality, ignore your parochialism, they aren’t out to get you, stop being bitter, there are many many benefits to this system, that a pathway from amateur, through lower leagues, to SL isn’t an attack on the lower leagues, it is the ideal, it is the best situation for amateur, lower league and SL clubs.

There is an issue with identity, I think everyone accepts that. I don’t think anyone sees a long term future with the championships as a reserve side or youth side. But when we solve that issue of how we stop championship clubs being identified as reserve sides or youth sides then we have a good structure for the game. My view that you are blinded by petty parochialism is based on the fact that rather than look for solutions to that issue, rather than look for a way to promote the character and identities of clubs under this or a similar system, you just complain that it is happening in the first place. Having the best youngsters, and mature players returning to form/fitness playing for lower league teams is a good thing for everyone involved.

Isn't that under the regular loan system (i.e. minimum 1 month) rather than dual registration?

Smokey,

I have a sow's ear and would like a purse.

Over to you

(although I do agree about youth development but maybe over an extended load period?)

SL1 = 8 teams. Top team straight to GF, 2nd & rd teams GF eliminator

SL2 = 12 or 14 teams

Give the championships their niche as something closer to college gridiron than a second division ala football.

Take away youth development from SL clubs completely, why are we aligning players with clubs at 15, shuffling them out again at 18/19 and bringing them in again at 20/21. Doesn’t seem to make much sense to me.

My preference, which I stated before The RFL takes control of all youth development up to the age of 17(end of season when they turn 17),

At 18 players join a championship or championship 1 club, who run a 1st team and a reserve team.

At the end of the season in which they turn 19, they can declare themselves eligible for an SL draft.

Players then join SL clubs, but stay affiliated to their championship/championship 1 club.

Take Zak Hardaker as an example, he goes through the RFL youth development, signs for Featherstone, Fev bring him through

He goes to Leeds at 19, When he plays for England he is listed as Zak Hardaker Leeds Rhinos/Featherstone Rovers. Fev are given a bonus for him becoming an international.

Should Hardaker be dual registered, he can only be dual registered to Fev.

I think that this would work out for everyone. The RFL can take a more rounded approach at the youngest levels, where basic skills are more important than victories. They can spread around the very best coaches to work with the kids that would be far too expensive for one club to afford. I.e pay £60k to Darren Lockyer and get him working with all the best half backs and fullbacks in the country between the ages of 13 and 17 for 6 months.

Lower league clubs have a clear and defined place within the RL structure, they have a competition to win and a better level of player playing for them. They would also act as a feeder league for SL but be completely independent of SL clubs. They can take DR players but those will be DR players with a personal link to that club and a history and affiliation completely separate to the SL club. It would also make it easier for the game to achieve its ‘strategic aims’ with regards to club location. It would mean an expansion club would simply need to concentrate on making itself a viable business, marketing itself, building links with the local community etc, and they are guaranteed a steady stream of good quality, credible players from the outset. I also think it would build great interest in the game at lower league level. People would talk about it, they would look it at, they would watch it. Can you imagine how much publicity someone like Tomkins would have built in the lower leagues. I can perfectly imagine a player like Stevie Ward being an attraction to fans of SL clubs this year having had a year in the championships already, probably playing most games, and standing out this year. SL fans would want to go to hunslet to watch him, or their local team when hunslet played them. To see who their team maybe getting next year. It removes this competition we seem to have between some clubs who are on massively different levels.

For SL clubs, they get a steady stream of distributed talent and they don’t really need to do much for it.

The elite competition reflects the number of teams a country can sustain. The standard of the games would be better, more intense and more productive in producing international players which allows the RFL to market the game based on international competition which as the RFU show is the most financially productive revenue stream and one currently non existent to RL. Odd that the RFL are desparate to market the game using the World Cup, cannot figure out why Less games for the elite, more rep/international fixtures ? and/or better results internationally? More academy teams / set up based on development rather than the financial capabilities of club who are not capable of being elite.

8 + 12/14 = more teams than the current SL competition and allows the 12 / 14 clubs to develop without overstretching themselves financially. Some clubs currently in the championship would benefit greatly.

If necessary, bring back a mid season cup competition, air on the BBC / ITV, bring back relegation / promotion. A more gradual extended climb to the elite eliminates (hopefully) too artificial promotion of development areas only for the clubs to go belly up.

What would you do Bear?

Yes 8 + 12/14 does = more than 14.

However 8 doesn’t. Your re-named championship doesn’t really achieve much.

You are still ignoring that less games = less income.

Im fairly sure its not because we don’t have enough time the marketing isn’t what it should be.

Im struggling to see in what way, what you have proposed is anything like the 12, and then 12 in RU

Interesting stuff. Not sure I can see it happening, and I've never really liked the odea of a draft but I don't think your proposal is a bad one.