Correct but Richard Lewis did and he should be thanked for saving club chairmen from themselves. Unfortunately there were legions of fans who blamed him for all the game's woes and plenty enough chairmen that allowed the situation to continue.

I seriously fear for the future of our sport because I don't think Barwick is anywhere near as strong a character as Lewis

I agree Mrs B that there aren't enough games and I think a 5 month break between seasons is too much. I am not entirely sure how to fix it and create an acceptable structure either though.

I would like to see another cup competition brought back. Lets face it, only 3 or 4 teams are winning the GF and a tough away draw in the CC could mean the season is effectively over for most teams by end of April!!

An end of season knock out competition akin to what the premiership trophy used to be maybe or even the reintroduction of the Yorkshire and Lancashire cups??.......

There isn't enough quality for a 14 team comp , Some results this season have proved that .

The solution is not to reduce the number of teams playing at the elite level but to work to produce the number of quality players required.

We're only mid-way through the 2nd round of licensing and already we have people wanting to rip it up and try something different. That's not a solution, it's a bloody cop-out.

Money needs to be found for grass-roots player development. The RFL and Superleague clubs should be working even closer with amateur teams to develop a pathway that can identify talent at any level and then nurture it towards a greater number of elite players to choose from. It's not too many years ago we couldn't cobble together a 3/4 line capable of contesting on the international stage. Now we have competition for places.

It needs investment and it needs time. the licensing system was supposed to move away from short-termism, looks like the clubs and speccies want to go back to the old days

I broadly agree.



Licensing as it was sold was, with hindsight, the cop-out IMO. It was a Blairite 'solution' from which everybody thought they got most of what the wanted. 'Stability' for the SL clubs, while still providing the prospect of 'mobility' for the rest - a mechanism for those outside to replace SL clubs that failed to take advantage of that stability.
However, events exposed the natural tension between 'stability' and 'mobility'. We have to choose, now, we can't have both. I'm fine with franchising, as long as it admits what it is and we don't have to keep messing about with the pretence of assessments.



I think the issue is more that it is spread unevenly. There mightn't be enough money at all 14 teams, but that is slightly different.
Also, we do have a pretty restrictive non-fed rule, brought in to give kids and talent in the championships their chance. If we decide the 'untapped potential' isn't there after all, I'd let in a couple of extra overseas players per team rather than shrinking SL, for shrinkings sake.

Clubs are going to have to start investing in youth now because of the talent drain to and from the NRL. At the invention of SL , All SL clubs should have been made to spend a certain % on their academy's instead of topping up there teams with average Antipodeans .
SL now could have been hell of a lot better with an even bigger player pool which could easily support a 14 team comp.

I'm fully in favour of the current 3-year franchise system too.

After just 4.5 seasons, were already seeing teams crammed with homegrown youngsters & a lower reliance on Aussie imports.

I also don't understand the apparent need from some supporters for Superleague to be ultra-competitive, that all 14 clubs should be in with a shout of winning the title and blowout scores make SL a joke. We as a group of fans need to be realistic.

If, a team is constantly underperforming, both on the pitch and off it, then they should lose their license at the end of the franchise period should there be a club in the Championship that could do better & bring more to the competition. At the moment, I'm not sure there is.

The fact there are less aussies is more to do with to do with the respective salary caps and the exchange rate than any positive move by clubs.

The only thing wrong with the franchise system has been the lack of balls from the RFL in dealing with the clubs who have gone into administration IMO

Don't think there's been many better overseaers in the SL era than Pat Richards.
An all-round class act.
Big boots to fill.

*Meant to be on the Briscoe thread.

RFL should concentrate on youth more and developing more talent rather than worrying about people ing off to yawnion or NRL. A rule where at least 3 under 21 players should be in the 17 would be encourage that. Other sports do similar rules and it forces clubs to focus on young kids.

richard lewis did a lot for our sport. he was a big loss. i look at the large numbers of young players being blooded in superleague now and the relative lack of overpaid oversea players and wonder how strong our international team(s) could be in 4 or 5 years. a return to promotion and relegation might threaten this development as clubs go for the safe but expensive option of imports and dodgy claims to british ancestry to save them from the drop. how the english football game could use a set up like we have in superleague at the moment

and who knows? we might even unearth a couple of young halfbacks

richard lewis did a lot for our sport. he was a big loss. i look at the large numbers of young players being blooded in superleague now and the relative lack of overpaid oversea players and wonder how strong our international team(s) could be in 4 or 5 years. a return to promotion and relegation might threaten this development as clubs go for the safe but expensive option of imports and dodgy claims to british ancestry to save them from the drop. how the english football game could use a set up like we have in superleague at the moment

and who knows? we might even unearth a couple of young halfbacks

www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... -RFL-plans It seems the SL players have voted overwhelmingly against the possible introduction of 3x8 leagues and more infavour of a 12 team SL with promotion & relegation .

www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... -RFL-plans It seems the SL players have voted overwhelmingly against the possible introduction of 3x8 leagues and more infavour of a 12 team SL with promotion & relegation .

12 teams.
Top 6 play offs.
Bottom 2 in SL at the end of the season play each other in relegation playoff. Loser down.
Simple really.

If you're going to have a relegation playoff, it should also include the potential promotion candidates too. What's the point in dropping one team for another team that could prove to be worse?

P&R should not be given any serious consideration is Superleague. The licensing system MUST be given time to work, 4.5 years is nowhere near long enough. We should give the current system another ten years and if in that time we're not seeing any real, tangible benefits, then we should look for an alternative