I don't think Saddened is being confrontational here FB. I think what he is saying is that by DEFINITION, the team that wins SL is the best team. He is saying that the cup is all that matters.

Wire clearly played the best rugby last year and beat everybody out of sight, even Rob Burrows said Wire were the best team when interviewed on the SL show early in the season. But because of the structure of the playoffs, we didn't win the cup. We are all ed off about that, but can't do anything about it.

I think your analysis is probably pretty close Saddened. I think the only way the current problems can be resolved, is if the RFL's push to get strong youth development going at all clubs gets results. There is plenty of amateur RL being played now, particularly in the South, so there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to get more quality players coming through.

Just as an aside. Saints have always had a very strong youth / academy set up. Why are you currently struggling to get quality youngsters through to the 1st team ?

WO I didnt take the Saddened's response as being confrontational
either and agreed with a lot of its content.

However, for accuracy, I didn't say we were the best team last season in my post, but, said something along the lines of to be fair a few of our opponents recognised the fact that we were. Perhaps my use of the word 'fact' set this semantic trail off?

I understand that just because I thought we were the best team last year, which I did, doesnt make it a fact.

I'm proud to admit that I am a Warrington supporter without fear of ridicule............. therefore I'm happy. Simple!

You are right, we will all blame you !

On a more serious note, I don't think there are any quick fixes for the current problems.

League system; Would result in massive scores as Saddened said. Plus low attendances for clubs that had no chance of winning league and no longer qualify for play offs.

Current play off system; results in better teams resting players and low intensity
matches.

Smaller league; Probably not acceptable to Sky as not enough matches.

Could the sky money not be divided by the clubs as much with big incentive prize money, the higher up the league the more money you make?

That is a clever idea. Some sort of money incentive could work and would help the club to buy better players or push more money into their youth development.

surely the higher up the league you finish is relative to the % prize money you get already??

Although I've not thought it through, does the culture of a win bonus exist anymore and could this be applied in some way? Everyone gets a basic cut to cover operating costs and there is some performance related element.

As far as enjoyment on a match by match basis goes, I enjoyed most games last season, particularly the second half, more so than the first half of this. However, the novelty of walloping teams would soon wear off (with some notable exceptions) and I would suggest that one sided games aren't good in the long term, or for the league as a whole.

Best regular game for me this year at home, Catalans. If I could watch that level most weeks I would be happy

Yes, best game for me too. Even if we had lost, it stood head and shoulders above most of the games we played. I have been thinking about going to the Cas match, and at the moment I am still dithering. I suspect there will be about 5 changes after listening to the TS interview and if we lose our play makers and field players that are not yet match fit, it could be a less than rewarding game.
What may swing it for me is the chance to watch the U20's beforehand.

Would Sky pay for, would there be an appetite for, an RL version of the Champions League? Top four from ours and the Aussie League, played alernative year's about northern and southern hemisphere?

If there was enough money/prestiege our antipodean friends would be tempted wouldn't they? Mind you, we can't agree a format for our own play off's so perhaps not a great idea.

A knockout cup played with the NRL and spread over a single 4 week period ?

Reduce to 10 teams, play each other home and away plus a third fixture at 9 'on the road' grounds chosen strategically where potential new clubs may be developed, to give a total of 27 games with plenty of exposure across non league areas.

Rock n roll

rlshould we adopt the system our less interesting, less of a gene pool cousins play?rl