Well, I hear on the grapevine that P&R is coming back in some form.



I just hope that it doesn't mean a repeat of the old scenario where a relegated SL team lose all their players who promptly sign for the promoted side who then get relegated the following year and the cycle continues.



IMO P&R at least provides something to aspire to. I can understand fans feeling cut off from the top flight game. Whether it's going to lead to a sustainable future for those clubs trying to get into SL is another matter.









John

Being a Wigan fan I have no interest in lower league RL so cannot really question your assertion that there is a lack of interest. I am not sure whether crowds are worse now than they have been in recent history. But if open P&R was introduced I have no doubt Leigh et al would be blowing their budgets annually trying to gain promotion. Similarly would their crowds hold up in SL if they were trounced on a weekly basis, with more consequent financial problems, which would affect SL. The claim that there is no P&R is not accurate, there is opportunity for all to put a case forward. As the chairman? of Fev said recently they have a 3 year plan for a SL place, which is much more sustainable than an annual panic. Now I wouldn't expect them to be successful & am not sure what will be the result to them as a club if they are unsuccessful.

The rest of RL is in my opinion just as important as SL clubs.

On the question of TV monies for champ clubs , it would appear that it was on a par with the Stobart sponsorship, ie they get jack.

This thread has descended into what is wrong with a lot of theings in RL. the "I'm alright Jack" attitude. fortunately the support the bulls had from some of its rivals shows that not all RL people think this way. There has to be a sustainable way forward for our sport at all levels. Amateur clubs, semi pro clubs and pro clubs.



I though the ideas of the salary cap and licensing was to bring stability? it is not working. simple as that!



I dont think that our sport can continue to prop up expansion teams, or have full time squads of players earning full time wages. Take the sky money away, and the money from wealthy owners and we are in bother, big time!



time to look at sustainable futures not pie in the sky modern stadia etc... we are a northern working class sport and should not be ashamed of our roots!



is it time to prune the bushes so new growth can come through?

Hs it? When did that happen?









Absolutely. There is just no way the likes of Wigan, Hull, Widnes, Salford, Saints or Warrington will ever be playing in modern stadia, when SL came in how could any fool ever have thought that sort of thing could ever happen/









When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea

Actually it might be that there isn't.







It isn't simple though. Simple as that!







Do you not see the contradiction there?







I am a talented athlete from Leeds. Should I aspire to play football for United at Elland Road, yawnion for Carnegie at Headingley, possibly athletics? No, I'm going to put on my clogs & flat cap & play wugerby for t'Parkside at 3s6d a game on t'rec. Your plan is faultless.

But if you took my wages away and the welfare state, I would be in trouble big time!



Wealth backers have always been in sport, even when it was semi pro. The only difference is the size of the wallet of the backers. The Sky money, why would it stop? They have a schedule to fill, unless football is going 24/7 52 weeks a year they need something else to sell their advertising space on.



Should the Bulls stay up, well it depends on what value you measure on. Financially yes,

Morally well maybe not.

Fair play Yes - as they did not finish bottom of the pile.

etc etc



As for P&R should it come back, well either we are a sport or we are not. For me sport is about the onfield. If that holds no weight anymore about the progress of a club, then are we a sport anymore????

bewareshadows "As for P&R should it come back, well either we are a sport or we are not. For me sport is about the onfield. If that holds no weight anymore about the progress of a club, then are we a sport anymore????"---bewareshadows



Are American Football, Baseball, Ice Hockey, Basketball or more relevantly NRL ,sports/sporting leagues or merely businesses?

Personally I would like to see some form of promotion/relegation but have yet to be convinced that any model proposed in our sport would have more advantages than disadvantages. And some of the models proposed would , in my opinion be disastrous to the sport and to the affected clubs whether the promoted side or the relegated team. Essentially the problem is the change between semi professional and full time professional.

In the long term (certainly not in the current economic climate) I'd like to see some analysis of whether a "Conference" style top league (similar to NFL, and the main American sports ) is a possible solution. That would allow expansion as well as giving our traditionally based clubs a way to top league.

Just having a conference system wouldnt address the principle problem, a lack of money both in the lower end of SL and the tiers below it



For licencing to work requires the clubs outside SL to be closing the gap between them and the bottom of SL, that would then put pressure on the lower SL clubs to retain their licence , basically to find the type of rich investors that other sports attracts, those that dont lose out

don't be a pillock !