Quote Mrs Barista="Mrs Barista"For all the mithering about too many games, I don't think there are enough. Most teams finish in early September, it's 5 months until the season starts in February. The season also includes weeks off for the exiles game, and if you're out of the cup early, a further 4 weeks without a game. 13 home games a year isn't enough, financially or in terms of opportunity for fans to engage with the club IMO. This was a side benefit of the Alliance competition, in addition to the primary ones you state.'"
I broadly agree.
Quote Mrs Barista="cod'ead"
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.
'"
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.
Quote Mrs Barista="B0NES"There isn't enough quality for a 14 team comp , Some results this season have proved that .'"
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.