A new broadcaster for starters.There will be plenty queueing up.Including the BBC. More coverage,more schedule normality and better promotion of the game.

Nice to see you what you think of the kids down south who aspire to play rugby league.

Let's take Mike McMeeken as an example. Without skolars and broncos please tell me how he would have played this game professionally?



You do realise BBC will not pay anywhere near what sky pay for super league right?

How about premier sports and BBC share the coverage. We get lot less money but hey as long as Murdoch isn't near the sport who cares.





People who mention BBC as a viable TV broadcaster are truly living in a fantasy land. Let's actually entertain this idea of BBC holding super league rights for a minute. So at the moment we get three live games per week with the Catalan games. Love to hear how BBC would give us more live TV coverage.

You tell me where in BBC schedule we get more than 3 live games per week?

Oh and my god. You actually mentioned better promotion of the game. I mean it's not like the BBC have a proven track record of great promotion of the game right. Let us know about this great promotion they do for the challenge cup year in year out.

How about the super league show? BBC give that major exposure right, given a great TV time slot for maximum coverage.

Hell let's talk about the world cup. What did BBC do to promote that competition? BBC were so bothered about it that they chose themselves to only get the live TV rights for England games. That sure does sound like a TV broadcaster that has an interest in promoting the game.

By the way they have done exactly the same thing for the world cup in a few months. You still gonna claim BBC will give super league the promotion it deserves?

The BBC? Is this some sort of wind up, or a parody account?

Do you honestly think we would get enough from the BBC to sustain any sort of professionalism in Super League, never mind growth? Do you honestly see the BBC devoting prime broadcast slots to a regional sport?

There's currently no evidence that other broadcasters are interested in Super League, other than Premier Sports.

It's pretty clear that some of the posters on here are more than happy to see RL as a professional sport remain on life support, just as long as there club is in the top league when it flat-lines.

I'm sure the BBC would take it on but, how much will they pay ?
Or, has cash become irrelevant in your Leigh centric universe.

Indeed. I'm sure we're talking about the same BBC that still doesn't show our highlights programme nationally at a sociable hour, and that offered practically nothing to broadcast the England vs Samoa game earlier this year, resulting in it being broadcast on a PPV online stream - such was the interest from broadcasters.

I've voted Leigh - yes, because I have supported them for many years, but also because I believe they will have deserved to have an extended chance in SL. In this 'new' version of P&R, teams no longer enjoy a protected period in SL, like Catalans did, for instance. Leigh are moving towards an academy and reserve set up, have superb facilities and have been competitive on the pitch. Catalans appear to have been in a steady decline, both on and (apparently) off the pitch. They need to get that sorted out, get more Frenchmen in their team - or what is the point of a french team in SL - and come back stronger for it. HKR appear to have done just that, during their year in the Championship, and so could Catalans. (or Leigh)

Catalans are well supported at home. How many fans do they bring to 'unattractive venues' such as Leigh? (or Castleford, or Leeds, or Wigan!

) Ask the owners of those clubs, how much Leigh have contributed to their coffers this season - and how much Catalans have!

SL is supposed to be a 'competition', is it not? Remove the jeopardy factor of 'P&R' and I fail to see the point of the competition. Teams will surely revert to 'drifting along' without any incentive to better themselves.

Finally, a genuine question - has the French competition improved, during Catalans' time in SL?

Is the NRL, NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, IPL, Super Rugby pointless competitions?

All the above do not have P&R

Catalans are worth to a club however much a club wants to exploit it. Leeds probably made more from their games against Catalans than they did against Leigh (and most other lower league opponents) by flying a 737 full of local businessmen to Perpignan at £500 + Vat per seat. That's marketing at work.

Leigh brought probably little more than 1-1.5k fans who are worth, at best, £20 a year to the club.

And I take issue with the lack of incentive to better themselves line. Putting professional pride aside, surely the chance to win things, achieve international honours and experience the sport at the highest level is an incentive in itself - much more of an incentive than being "the 11th best team"?

Apart from the "away fans" issue, your argument doesn't hold water.

Since Catalan's inclusion in SL, there are certainly more French players in SL than ever before, albeit, some are now playing for British clubs.

The French competition must be a little stronger as, Toulouse are now challenging for a SL spot and IF there were 2 French clubs in the top flight (probably your worst nightmare), this would lift the profile of RL in France further. still

Although the current structure has allowed Leigh their shot at the big time, the current format will not allow any promoted club the chance to build as without doubt, any they will be back in the Middle 8's the following season, "investing" their cash in journeyman pro players, instead of bringing youngsters through.

This was the one major plus of the "franchise" system and for a while we were seeing increased numbers of young British players getting some game time and we have certainly gone backwards in this key area.

The middle 8's has become quite a draw with the armchair spectators but, its difficult to see how any club at the lower end of the comp, can avoid the perpetual struggle in The Qualifiers and be able to properly build for the future

And how about the leagues in other competitions that do have P&R - are they all unsuccessful? It's all down to opinion, isn't it?

There are a number of french players in SL, both at Catalans and other clubs. One of the reasons for including Catalans, was to improve the standard of French international rugby, but there hasn't been any noticeable improvement at that level - or indeed in English international rugby, in comparison with Australia.

I am not against the inclusion of Catalans, or Toulouse, or any French team in SL. (I still haven't got my head around the logistics of a Canadian/North American team being included) And I agree that the current 'Middle 8' system is flawed. My opinion still is that a team should earn the right to a place in SL, and the right to stay there. If Catalans (or Leigh) lose that right tomorrow, so be it. I would like to think that either of them will be able to demonstrate the strength/will to regain a place next season.