The franchise system is now totally discredited. How can the RFL argue otherwise when The Crusaders were to be given a frachise when the RFL knew full well that they were bust. How can Bradford get a grade B licence when they were in financial trouble. As part of the franchise criteria the fianacial stability of the clubs are reviewed by a top 6 company. I do not believe that the financial issues with these two clubs were not brought to the attention of the RFL. It is now the fans that are footing the bill for these 2 clubs financial mismanagement. How can a side finishing 5th then get a franchise. The SL is now having a joke fixture nearly every week when Widnes come into town. Widnes did not start from a solid base as the players they had were average Championship players not the best team that the league could provide.
My point to the RFL would be what is the point of having a ground with 10,000 when your average gate is 2,000 going up to 5,000 when 4 or 5 team come to town. It saddles the club with overheads that are unsustainable for all but 4/5 games a season. See Darlington's precedent in football.
The recent televised game between London Broncos v Wakefield was an embarrassment as all you saw were rows of empty seats when the camera's panned through the stadium.
What Mike's article does not highlight is that the impact of the franchise system on the lower clubs in SL is dead fixtures. London v Widnes is just a dead rubber even this early in the season! Who's going to turn up!
The reason for the franchise system being brought in was to promote youth in the team and stop knee jerk sacking of coaches. The top teams still only promote youth in an injury crisis, see St Helens and Wigan. St Helens still sacked their coach early in the season even though there was no threat of relegation. So in the two main criteria that the Franchise system was brought in to achieve it has glaringly failed.

Come on RFL. Admit the franchise system has failed and do what is best for the game as a whole and go back to promotion and relegation.

Great article,I agree with every word Mike says,could you imagine football getting rid of relegation and promotion,it would kill there game as it has killed ours,it just would not happen.

Its time for all fans of all clubs to unite and mount an organised campaign to take back our game from the bunch of self serving fools that currently run our game.We need a figure head some one who knows the game and knows what the ordinary fans want,somebody who will pull us all in the same direction,for me it has to be Mike Smith,I am sure there will be other people similar to Mike with the knowledge and the tools who are just waiting for the call to arms.

Note to RFL,eventually all dictators end up the same way.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN !

PS;Note to Dreamer,we need a Tag Line for this Campaign,check out that dictionary of yours and lets get the ball rolling.

Before you can do any of this.
You will need to find out who is running the game.

The RFL?
The clubs?
The chairman of the clubs?

Or how about SKY. If any new plans to not fit in with them then the game is finished.

Can't get hold of the league express in this neck of the woods


Unless there's a link somewhere i'll be left wondering .....

wanders off to scour the t'interweb to try to find the said article

The RFL run the game on behalf of the clubs.
I would speculate that most of the chairman of SL clubs are against the franchise system other than Bradford, Widnes and London. Hethrington and Mc Manus have publicly called for a review.
What will convince everyone is that more money can be generated by the promotion and relegation system. Then the cause wil be won.

Re promotion & relegation being essential to the health of the game - Just ask JD what the occasion was like a few years back when the winner of Wakefield v Castleford match stayed in Super League and the loser was relegated! Fantastic. Promotion and Relegation keeps the game alive - don't need to look further than soccer! Nearly every league match to the end of their season means something and their play-offs are for a real prize: promotion. The Rugby League game doesn't need any more souless new stadia that are too big. Look how much Warrington fans liked coming to a traditional ground at Cougar Park. OK, the traditional grounds still need to be safe and upgraded bit by bit - but they are great. Look at Batley - great little traditional ground where all sides have been improved greatly over the years - and still big enough for any of their likely attendances even if they were in Super League. A tightly packed crowd in a traditional ground creates a great TV atmosphere. With summer(!) rugby, it's not at all essential for all 4 sides of a ground to be covered. Mike Smith for RFL Executive Chairman if he'd do it. You can buy league express online ==> www.pocketmags.com/viewmagazine. ... ue+Express

Re promotion & relegation being essential to the health of the game - Just ask JD what the occasion was like a few years back when the winner of Wakefield v Castleford match stayed in Super League and the loser was relegated! Fantastic. Promotion and Relegation keeps the game alive - don't need to look further than soccer! Nearly every league match to the end of their season means something and their play-offs are for a real prize: promotion. The Rugby League game doesn't need any more souless new stadia that are too big. Look how much Warrington fans liked coming to a traditional ground at Cougar Park. OK, the traditional grounds still need to be safe and upgraded bit by bit - but they are great. Look at Batley - great little traditional ground where all sides have been improved greatly over the years - and still big enough for any of their likely attendances even if they were in Super League. A tightly packed crowd in a traditional ground creates a great TV atmosphere. With summer(!) rugby, it's not at all essential for all 4 sides of a ground to be covered. Mike Smith for RFL Executive Chairman if he'd do it. You can buy league express online ==> www.pocketmags.com/viewmagazine. ... ue+Express

Boxweir I agree with every single word in your post, (other than I think there should be only 10 clubs in SL as bottom 4 are only making up the numbers, which is just wrong, look at London vs Warrington this weekend, crowd of 2,500)

Since the franchise system came in, it has just felt more and more as the seasons have gone by that the RFL have forgotten that there is rugby league outside of Super League.

Just so you know. That is the article that Mike Smith has in the League express his week.

What happened to boxweir's posts ?? I wanted to read that again this morning but its gone



Some very inspirational words of encouragement spoken and I for one agree not only is it time but long long overdue for an overhaul of the current system.

Promotion and relegation should definitely be on the cards lets give the championship something to play for other than pride. How are the clubs expected to
invest without receiving some potential for promotion. Not to mention retaining players as in the current system these guys are working extremely hard in
order to raise their game, but lets face it without moving clubs how can they raise it much further.

There are a couple of different ways to look at the word league 1League a group of sports clubs that play each other over a period for a championship.
2 In League conspiring with another or others.

I would suggest the current format creates a Super In League which is presently conspiring to keep others out rather than share the spoils.

I have checked with the admins of the site.
There was a problem with spamming sites and that the article was posted in full. With no link to it.
These two are not allowed.

No problem with boxweirs posts as such just the way this was done.

If boxweir is reading this then please send a email to support.rlfans.com and it can be all sorted out.

Jim.

Looks like the revolution been nipped in the bud,shame rules is rules though. lol
Looking round the other sites before the admin pulled the plugged looked like there were signs of a proper debate opening up,hope you can sort something out boxweir,and get the message out there,but got a feeling it wont be on this forum.
Oh well not to worry there another season ticket offer out there now,so the usual suspects will be declaring open season AGAIN on Mr Fawcett, READY,AIM FIRE,

Copyright law, is copyright law. If someone breaks it this site gets into trouble.

No one is trying to stop debate on this subject. people can discuss the topic all they want there cannot post the whole of the article.

So please carry on.

.

Trying to arrange for Yorkshire Radio to debate this issues on their Rugby League show on Thursday night 6pm to 7.20pm.
Fingers crossed that we can get this aired and a ground swell of support for promotion and relegation. Listen if you can before going to the game.

A quick message on behalf of boxweir to Guess Who , He has emailed the admins 3 times and had no joy

Any suggestions for him? cheers

Hiya.

I have just put a post in the admin/mod section about this.
As soon as i hear anything i will pass it on.

Jim.

Hi boxweir. Sorry for the delay. If you follow this link it will be sorted out. It may take a day or two seeing as its the weekend. support.rlfans.com/index.php

Hi boxweir. Sorry for the delay. If you follow this link it will be sorted out. It may take a day or two seeing as its the weekend. support.rlfans.com/index.php

Hi all it's boxweir, firstly thanks for trying to help guess who but the link you gave me was what I did on Tuesday and since then I have sent 4 e-mails explaining my side and asking for an explanation as to why they have blocked me and I still haven't heard anything. Mean while I have registered under the exact same name and contact details as my previous username the only difference been the username I am using now and they have activated me



I personally think we have rattled someone's cage because when I posted on all the clubs forums everybody was talking about it and what a great article it was and how everyone nearly agreed that the franchise system in place is a joke and clearly isn't working as it should especially the super league clubs. The points made about spamming sites is rubbish because the amount of forums that I went on and there were the same stuff posted through out such as charity stuff, well isn't that spamming. The point made about copyright is wrong as we have had full permission from mike smith and league express to use it and so on, this isn't a pop at you guess who so please don't think that but it just seems someone doesn't want this debate starting because if it built momentum and clubs started to get on board with it then where would it take us, probably to a place someone doesn't want it to go.

This article is posted in full on Totalrl.com. There are several threads on there about p and r and franchises. There is definitely a debate going on throughout the game re the ring fencing of SL. One fact that has emerged is, asMike Smith has pointed out in his article, that when Sky first came along, The RFL was bypassed and the SL organisation signed the contract with Sky and has exclusive rights to dish out the money as they see fit. The original SL crew was a backroom meeting of the big clubs and the whole game was highjacked by them.

My opinion is that the SL is too small. They need to increase the number of teams in it and the top championship teams need to be allowed in if they meet the necessary criteria. The RFL need to speak to Sky before the next contract about getting a bigger deal for an extended SL. SL has been ringfenced and expansion or P and r to it has been denied because of the present teams being in charge of the cash from Sky and refusing to share it out with more teams.

If they will not expand SL then more cash needs to be flowing downwards to the Championships. With more TV sports channels out there than previously, Sky, ESPn, BBC, al Jazheera more TV money should be available if a concerted, coherent strategy is adopted by the game to negotiate with the TV companys.

When the CC1 is expanded next year, in theory the lower leagues should have enough votes to outvote the SL clubs at the RFL but the money will still be controlled by SL. No one wants the full story to be re hashed as to what went on at the start of SL because it was all so underhand and no real chance to consider the whole implications of the deal was given to the clubs. They were co erced into voting for the deal with the threat that if it wasnt agreed to right away the offer would be withdrawn. I am not so sure that Sky had demanded that or if the SL backroom cabal pushed it through.

Cant comment on this as i dont know anything about it. Apart from trying to help.



You did spam sites. You put a post with the full article. Which had just appeared in League Express.

You say you had the, "full permission from mike smith and league express".

You did not say that in the post you put on here. The admins/mods are not mind readers, so how would we know that?

We have to protect this site. If that means taking posts down or banning someone. Then sorting it all out later. To stop this site getting into trouble, then i have no problem with that.

You also say, "I personally think we have rattled someone's cage".

Try started a topic on the issue whilst staying within the AUP and see if it gets taken down again. I bet you it wont.

Let's face it - the governing body are all in it together, looking after themselves and not doing anything to promote any club outside Super League. After all, they're handsomely paid for doing what? They answer to no-one - especially the inneffective, so-called 'Controller of Referees' - Sturat Cummings.

The BBC (and let us all remember who pays for their employees - including Gobby Paul) couldn't give a damn. It's about time (as I have said before) that the Championship Clubs got together and formed a meaningful alliance, instead of looking after their own - never to be obtained - goals.

If the Clubs won't do it then the supporters and fans MUST!

Andy Burnham MP is writing an open letter to the new chairman of the RFL on this very subject, he too is dismayed at the way the game has gone and is going, and would like all Rugby League supporters to back him by signing said letter. Please follow this link and add you name to the list..... andyburnhammp.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... rugby.html

Andy Burnham MP is writing an open letter to the new chairman of the RFL on this very subject, he too is dismayed at the way the game has gone and is going, and would like all Rugby League supporters to back him by signing said letter. Please follow this link and add you name to the list..... andyburnhammp.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... rugby.html

Quote ="forwardpass1"Andy Burnham MP is writing an open letter to the new chairman of the RFL on this very subject, he too is dismayed at the way the game has gone and is going, and would like all Rugby League supporters to back him by signing said letter. Please follow this link and add you name to the list..... andyburnhammp.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... rugby.html'" He is not the only one speaking out against it. Sam Tomkins has his say menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... mfort-zone Also Eamon McManus, chairman of St Helens has spoken out against it.

Quote ="forwardpass1"Andy Burnham MP is writing an open letter to the new chairman of the RFL on this very subject, he too is dismayed at the way the game has gone and is going, and would like all Rugby League supporters to back him by signing said letter. Please follow this link and add you name to the list..... andyburnhammp.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... rugby.html'" He is not the only one speaking out against it. Sam Tomkins has his say menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... mfort-zone Also Eamon McManus, chairman of St Helens has spoken out against it.

Here is the link to the full Andy Burnham MP Article, I didn't have it when I put my original post on.... www.andyburnham.net/ Sorry it's exactly the same......

Here is the link to the full Andy Burnham MP Article, I didn't have it when I put my original post on.... www.andyburnham.net/ Sorry it's exactly the same......