There were a lot of interesting results in that player survey that was done by Rugby League World magazine recently. There’s a few threads on the Virtual Terrace about it.

Some interesting findings that would, if implemented, have an impact on championship clubs: Almost all players surveyed want relegation and promotion set in stone);

Every Super League club has a reserve team (95% want one); dual-registration scrapped (more than half).

Who cares what the players think. Its all about the 12 pencil pushers like Leneghan, Elstone, Hudgell, Carter etc who are sadly becoming the "stars" stars of the game over the players. I include Chalmers in that. But of course the Chairman know how to make the game better. That's why we've no reserves league and loop fixtures. The Chairman would rather have 5 local derbies at 10k each, rather than having just 2 selling both out at 20k each.

I think the game is probably struggling more financially now than it was in 1995 when the first SL deal was signed. That’s causing a lot of short term fire-fighting hence the loop games.

It’s good point you make about the club owners. It’s maddening that they seem to be great at making their own publicity having a go at each other yet are so poor at talking up the positives about their own players and clubs. Twas ever thus I suppose. I remember Caisley being a real loudmouth in the press at times – albeit tempered by the fact that he hired Peter Deakin.

The game really does need another Peter Deakin who can really market the game and bring in new audiences. We had the benefit of a big pile of cash for such purposes in 1996 that isn’t there now but I look at York and see how they market themselves very positively. I don’t recall their owner making a big noise at other owners either. So it can be done on a budget. I remember our game at York last year was packed. Can we manage the same at Odsal this year for our game vs Fev? We should be aiming at 5k at least for that game. I wonder if both clubs can work together to market it?

Time for Elstone to start earning his money then I suppose.
He has the time between now and when the current Sky contract expires to raise the profile of Super League and prove its worth to the broadcasters.

Make no mistake, if he fails to deliver the only people to suffer will be those in the lower leagues.