Quote: TF and the wire ""after winning the Championship Final that followed a playoff system, which has been the most common method of finding the champions" Why didn't our Prem win at Elland Rd in the late 80s count then?'" Because that year the champions were decided using the league table. The top 8 played off for a seperate trophy called the Premiership. That ran from 1975 to 1997. The Championship Playoffs ran from 1907 to 1974. SL Playoffs started in 1998. RL started in 1895. So I make that 113 Championships in all, with 32 decided using the league table and 81 using playoffs and final. So playoffs and a final is a very traditional method in RL. Quite a bit of history at: www.rugbyleagueproject.org/

Quote: TF and the wire ""after winning the Championship Final that followed a playoff system, which has been the most common method of finding the champions" Why didn't our Prem win at Elland Rd in the late 80s count then?'" Because that year the champions were decided using the league table. The top 8 played off for a seperate trophy called the Premiership. That ran from 1975 to 1997. The Championship Playoffs ran from 1907 to 1974. SL Playoffs started in 1998. RL started in 1895. So I make that 113 Championships in all, with 32 decided using the league table and 81 using playoffs and final. So playoffs and a final is a very traditional method in RL. Quite a bit of history at: www.rugbyleagueproject.org/

I share this view. RL is a reasonably sized sport in the UK behind Footy, RU, Cricket, Golf, athletics and F1. It probably sits ahead of Snooker and Darts. We need to give over on the World domination ideas.

Remember more people tonight will be watching Man U at home than watch an entire SL round fixtures of a typical weekend.

As for Sky viewing figures - The big opening weekend game of Wigan vs Leeds this season attracted 220,000 Sky viewers*. Meanwhile I hear today Time Team on Channel 4 is being axed for falling to the 1M level. Sort of puts things into perspective.


*www.code13rugbyleague.com/2012/02/21/super-league-viewing-figures-hit-top-10/

It should have been axed for being plain dull.

Our other 'problem' is a comparison with the 15 a side game and their TV deal. Like it or not, they have a product that appeals to a broader spectrum geographically in European terms, with top teams in Paris, London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin, and all points in between as well as the ABC1's that advertisers are after unless it's Tetleys Bitter and Hollands pies youre trying to flog. Sorry a bit off topic there but Wires 71 got me started

It's an unfair comparison putting up sky figures against a terrestrial channel. Premier League games on Sky average 1.2 million; not far from Time Team's audience.