I see your point.

What budget do the NL1 clubs work off?

that amount of contraction would ultimately kill off the game outside the M62 - who would you drop? London yes, the French (they'd throw their dummies about a lot, but..) probably. The other two? Regardless of Bradford's current woes (and I do believe that if the RFL don't throw them out at the end of the year then the licensing system's reputation has to be called into doubt), keeping them out on any other grounds would kill the game. Who else? One of the Hulls? Simply because there's not room for 2 clubs in a city that size (I don't subscribe to any of this BTW, before I get a load of abuse). Or Widnes, last in, first out?

P&R would be a retrograde step and ruin everything that's been created over the last 6 or 7 years. Stability and forward planning not influenced by the fear of the drop. Or perhaps we introduce a "transfer window" & ban clubs buying in anyone (including loans) after mid season.

I think they're looking at the wrong question, for me it's not whether to reinstate P&R or expand, split or contract the league, it's why the license criteria appear to have been bent and flouted to accommodate someone's "vision" of the future. Some of what's gone on smacks of Blatter's expansionist nonsense, and it wouldn't surprise me if there are brown envelopes involved somewhere in the last few years.

I have said before, in my view P&R is not the biggie, it’s getting people to pay the same or more for less games. Does anyone think that the clubs would be happy with less cash! Players yes would like to play fewer games, but would they be willing to have smaller less lucrative contracts, we can’t keep some of them NOW. Too many think the be all and end all is to beat Oz, and to do this we must do this, or do that, why? Put our game first, they do with their own game, get a better feeder structure in the youths for all SL clubs and for that you need cash, and put Oz on the back burner. P&R, maybe? But cutting the league down and thereby stopping expansion, for me is a bridge too far.

They'd get a bigger share of the TV money, though, and it would probably be the smallest crowds that were lost. I haven't done the maths, admittedly, but deduct expenses (staffing, rental, admin etc) and the gate profits might not be that much compared to a 1/12 share instead of 1/14.

I agree though that P&R is a non-starter.

Just because there's less teams doesn't mean you have to play less games, unorthodox i know but it was done in the past and could be scheduled to make things fairer.

I really don't like the systems where you play some teams twice and others 3 times. I don't think there's a fair way to do it. Fewer teams could free up other weekends for events such as mid season internationals, extended world club challenge etc, but they obviously need the NRL to be on board (v unlikely).

There's no easy solution really, like I said in an earlier post I don't think any drastic changes will be made for at least another 2 seasons when the current license period ends. It's up to the people who are currently reviewing the game in detail to come up with the best format possible for then.

It's all just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

The game is heading for a semi-pro future anyway. People need to realise that and either start preparing for it and get used to the idea of a competition similar in standard and profile to the French domestic league or address the really big issue facing the game which is the appalling financial management at club level and the totally ineffective regulation of the game by the RFL.

Promotion and relegation is a sideshow. In fact, I suspect it has been raised as an issue by the authorities to distract people from talking more about the Bulls failure and the serious financial problems at Salford. You've been had, I'm afraid.

That's a ridiculous, defeatist attitude IMO. 14 clubs in the current format isn't sustainable, that's obvious. But there are well run clubs with owners who are good businessmen who, under the correct format can provide a competitive, professional division. Some bad decisions have been made by both the RFL and the clubs. We need the RFL to have a team to closely scrutinise all aspects of the game and come up with a better league/season format ASAP. Sponsors and TV deals must be improved also.

We have teams with 15/16 k average gates, get 75k+ at Wembley for CC Finals and a full house at Old Trafford for the GF, plus high viewing figures on SKY every week. The game in this country is at a very important crossroads and some big, potentially difficult decisions need to be made. The sport will survive though, I have every confidence in that.

Defeatist? Possibly, but I think that I'm being realistic, rather than ridiculous.

Here is a fact that cannot be denied, which tells us a great deal about the health of RL: the salary cap has not been raised since it was brought in.

In real terms the value of the salary cap has been eroded by over a third. If this continues for another 10 or 20 years the irrestible force of inflation will ensure that the game becomes semi-professional. Many players will be able to earn more in other careers (not merely other sports) and will not play top level RL. As wages drop further players who want to play RL will have to get a job to get by.

Only radical change can avoid this future for the sport. I'd like to say I hope that will happen but I doubt the RFL and the clubs have the will or the capability to turn this around.

In essence what we need is a league in between what SL and NL currently are, the gulf is currently too big.

Where did I say I would drop the French? Catalans would be one of the first 5 teams on my list

We kind of already have it.

Wigan
Warrington
Saints
Leeds
Catalans
Hull FC
Huddersfield
Hull KR
Widnes
London (need to shape up quickly though).



Then:

Bradford
Salford
Wakefield
Cas
+
Leigh
Halifax
Fev
Sheffield
Barrow
Workington

Somehow from the above, I'd have two leagues of ten and I'd bring back the Lancashire / Yorkshire Cup's early on in the season (in a league format) to play on free weekends and midweek in the later stages, which would be seeded so to allow the bigger SL clubs to get around the Championship & Championship1 grounds giving them much needed revenue.