Think you hit on a fundamental issue there with modern-day rugby league (Super League in particular).

The endless tinkering with formats, the constant alterations to the calendar, the absence of traditional kits and colours, have all led to a sport which no longer has a recognizable identity. Union have managed to move with the times (eventually!) and expand their international game whilst maintaining links with their heritage to give a certain sense of continuity.

Even football, despite all the seismic changes which have happened in the sport over the past thirty years, have maintain links with their past. Man City were crowned champions last season by the same method and format that every other champions of England have done since league football commenced. We, on the other hand, seem to alter the play-off format every two or three years, creating little in the way of historical continuity.

Your point about traditional kits is highly pertinent in my opinion. The colours a club plays in are part of their image, identity and history, so why on earth don't all RL clubs celebrate that fact.
We should always, wherever possible, play in black & white irregular hoops. That kit, in those colours and design, are a part of what we are and who we are and we should celebrate it loud and proud, as should all other rugby league clubs.
In this age of corporate branding, I'm amazed that IMG didn't pick up on this in their attempt to reimagine the game for the 21st-Century.

There are so many issues with how the game is run and presented in the present-day, but the way we have burnt the bridges to our past in the name of chasing short-term gimmicks and fads is one of the biggest mistakes the sport as a whole has made. We've ended up (over the past thirty years) in losing a great deal of history, tradition and identity whilst gaining very little new in the so-called name of progress.

Maybe I'm just another old-timer with his head stuck in the past, but these days I increasingly struggle to see exactly what the sport is aiming to be, who it is aiming itself at and how it projects itself as an exciting vibrant sport, which it still can be despite all of the endless going round in circles that we have witnessed throughout the summer Super League era.

(And that's my rant over for tonight! I went off on one as usual! ).

That’s not what BBC Sport is saying. Apparently the clubs have agreed to the advance of £500,000.

Also, Castleford (IMG Grade A) are now reporting that their new stand will not be built until September 2026 at the earliest.

Not the clubs they've washed their hands of it and chickened out and it's the RFL that agreed (straight away I would add) to advancing them £500,000 of the money. I wonder if that's because the clubs feel that they should have instigated more vigorous and in depth scrutiny of the IMG club submissions this year in any case. But Why are we not surprised eh? I read Cas's news about the earliest they can even start work on their stand with interest and noted the timing of the announcement, you can't help but be sceptical can you.

Have to agree Pete the timing of both Salford coming out asking for an early advance and now Cas with their ground development I would say isn't just coincidental. We lose points due to having another team in the same City and the pixel size is not good enough on the 2 UEFA approved screens yet Cas are given a Grade A then announce not long after their stand won't be going ahead just yet. As you say you can't help but be sceptical and with genuine reason.

The whole game from top to bottom is a mess and the RFL with such a quick decision on handing over the money so easily to Salford you have to question if they have actually done any due diligence in to the financial risks and also any penalties that should be imposed on Salford.
The IMG situation seems to be just another in the long list on money loosing ideas that the game can ill afford and any real value that the grading system had for me has been blown out the water with this latest news.

You have to ask who has been doing the auditing of the clubs...... Stevie Wonder perhaps

I think the recent posts on here regarding the Salford situation do sum up why our game is struggling and it's not just one particular thing. The clubs were concerned about Salford's long term stability and yet the RFL jump straight in and grant them the cash they were seeking. Time will tell whether it's the right or wrong decision but it shows that the clubs and the RFL aren't in alignment. Not just on this but pretty much on everything.

We can all criticise the RFL over their decision making and incompetence through the years but a lot of the time it seems to me that it's the clubs themselves causing issues, that they have too much power over the sport hence all the constant chopping and changing of formats. Case in point, Batley's proposal to reinstate promotion and relegation again after only just changing the format to a grading system. It would not surprise me if it passes and then next year another motion is put forward scraping it that also gets passed.

Whatever people's thoughts are on IMG, it doesn't matter whether it is them or another marketing company or someone like an Eddie Hearn as rumoured a few years back, unless the governing body and the clubs learn to unite under a common goal of betterment of the sport as opposed to what increasingly looks like self interest, we will continue to struggle.

The whole situation smacks of short-termism, the kind of which is rife throughout the sport. The game seems to exist on a day to day, hand to mouth policy.
I suspect the reason why Salford have been bailed out is due to the governing bodies being fearful of the wider consequences for the game if a club were to go under, without an obvious replacement, especially at this late stage in the year.
Whether they have simply kicked the can down the road for a short period only time will tell, but reading between the lines it sounds like this advanced loan will only get Salford over a short-term bump in the road. It doesn't indicate that this is going to solve their underlying longer term issues. Who's to say Salford won't be back in 6/9 months time with the same predicament?

You get the feeling the RFL are afraid we could end up with a 6-8 team competition, hence why Salford and Castleford are being given leeway which would, on the surface, seem to go against the current (IMG) philosophy of long-term sustainability. It's certainly difficult to escape the feeling that some clubs have been keeping aspects of their operation under wraps, away from scrutiny, until such time they feel their place in the structure is safe.
Either way, the news stories surrounding Salford and Castleford once more give an impression of a sport bumbling along, temporarily fixing the holes in the dam, hoping that eventually all will magically fall into place.
It certainly makes our problems with over-large pixel screens seem fairly inconsequential, that's for sure!

A lot of assumptions here with 0 evidence. The clubs didn’t want Salford to go bust and Salford have obviously submitted a plan to the RFL. I’d be fairly confident there is some evidence that their revenue streams will open up imminently.

If we’re talking about people manipulating IMG pillars. I’d be considering Leigh. Rumours are an owner put money into a club and then after gradings withdrew it.

Clubs cash shoots up from 68k to £761k
Assets increase from 296k to 1.64 million

I can’t see how that’s the case unless he’s suddenly deposited a ton £££ and/or valuing players at ridiculous amounts (if they class as an asset).

I don’t blame Beaumont if he’s done it, seen a loop hole and middle 8’s shafted him so he’s seen a chance to secure his clubs future.

completely agree with this. As soon as the clubs "pulled out", it was clear to me that some clubs were already considering saying no, which explains the quick statement and RFL intervention. Bearing in mind that they had been making a 'presentation of investment and growth' to present and show what theyd achieve in the coming months but still yet need 500k? They could have claimed they were digging for gold in Salford Quays and were close to hitting the jackpot, and they’d still have received the money.

It just reeks of kicking the can down the road. This is also Salford’s second time asking for this, which makes it feel like they’re exploiting the RFL's goodwill. I’ll bet anyone who disagrees that we’ll see Salford try to exploit it again.

Funny how Castleford claimed they were "ready to build" the stadium and even pushed for grading based on it being imminent. Yet now, it looks like we won’t see a shovel in the ground until late 2026. It’s making an absolute mockery of the framework. Clubs should face consequences for this sort of behaviour, surely? There’s bound to be a Championship owner somewhere licking their lips, ready to pounce on this opportunity.

rlhttps://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/richie-myler-weighs-hull-fc-9745769rl

Great article

I have to admit to not being keen on the Myler appointment I couldn't understand it until things started to unfold and the reasoning behind it became clear. However now I have to eat my words because instead of an untried ex player of dubious character (my words I'm afraid) I find myself buoyed by his talking of connecting with the fans, building again and getting the soul back in the club. What's more, now he's been here a few months it's become obvious that he walks what he talks and his claims actually start to ring true. He'll make the tough decisions and doesn't seems to harbour the sentimental retentions and old pals act that has troubled our club in the past. We have hung onto 'nice guys' far too long.

It also appears that our new owner has craved the involvement and action he as never allowed in his position at Leeds (no doubt by Mr Etherington and co) and yet brings a massive business head and commercial nouse (and loads of money) right to the top of the club. I think he will now be considering the need for a Chief Executive and pondering whether using Adam or having a clean sweep with someone new who is experienced in that position being appointed, is the best way forward. to protect the new boards interest It would be the latter for me, despite the fact that I will ever remember Adam for what he has done for us and the great days he brought us. We need a fresh start with no baggage.

Its good too to see that with Dan back off his holidays there are three really insightful and interesting articles in the paper today he tells me that he finds the new regime coach, football manager etc. easy to talk to and accessible. This is again a step forward for me because as stakeholders in the club and with for most of us a lifelong love affair with them, all we really want is the passion and wanting of the terraces to be reflected on the pitch and an open and honest interaction between the club and ourselves. We understand that confidentiality is needed at times but don't want empty promises inflated rhetoric to suit season ticket sales and promises of jam tomorrow just honesty on and off the field.

I remember as many on here do the time we brought Brian Smith into a broken and busted club, he brought in three or four unknown Aussies and was realistic from day one. After 4 games it was played 4 lost four but he went out on Humberside the day after the last loss and said to the fans just hold the line with us we will get there. We backed him and the rest is history. The problem after three glorious seasons was that we didn't as a club have the finance in the boardroom to meet the requirements going forward but spent the money anyway and a period of slump followed. That in this case is not going to happen, we have the money and more important the business acumen right at the top but other similarities with the Smith era and today are for me quite striking.

It's going to be tough at times and we'll lose more than we win but I'm looking forward to next season when I never thought I ever would be! We could all club and fans be on a journey together and that's exciting.

PS Some really thought promoting and insightful posts on this thread of late but don't get me on clubs allegedly fiddling the IMG stuff there seems to be a new revelation every day reading about the Leigh stuff yesterday and the Cas stuff the day before is just appalling really, but our administration has no control.

OT I know but it’s off season - saw the following on FBook

Not a single rovers fan has ever texted anyone about a major trophy win as
Text was only launched in 1992

lol it’s 40 years this season for the filthy
scumbags

27-26 at OT in the mini GF v Oldham after being 26-0 up at HT
0-1 at home to Barrow
Million pound loss to Salford
0-50 CC lol lol
16-17 was just as good as the pain was hard lol
GF sucker punch
The list goes on

I hope the clubs have put conditions on that advance money, otherwise the Red Devils will sign another player they can't afford.

To be fair to Myler even without the investment connections I thought the reaction to his ‘inexperience’ in that type of role was a bit over the top anyways. I think we all expected a Brian Noble type character with decades of experience when the role was first mentioned but a lot of clubs have gone for not long retired players in similar roles. Fitzpatrick and Radlinski spring to mind there’s probably more. Myler comes across as a man who knows what makes a successful environment and that’s exactly what we needed.