I think your argument hinges on things weakening rather than strengthening. I see where you are going but i think those arguments are a little 'glass half empty' The talent pool being spread thinner means clubs would have to start using their academy players more as opposed to bringing in overseas players. Thats a plus for me. The championship weakens, yes it does but it also allows clubs like Barrow, Newcastle, London Skolars, West Wales Raiders and Coventry the opportunity to get there and start building for the future. Newcastle are already making great strides in that area.

Play offs - yeah it's a tricky one. I'm not too keen on a play off system full stop if i am honest but it adds excitement and drama at the end of the season and is a money spinner. I wouldn't want to extend them but it works in the NRL having a half way split, although they have a much more competitive league but then again i am so dead against rewarding a team finishing in 8th a good 20 points behind the leaders. It's up to the clubs in the middle of the pack to improve and challenge. The salary cap was brought in for this but hasn't stopped the same teams being dominant, all it did was make Wigan weaker in comparison. These sides have a lot to answer for in terms of promoting players from their youth ranks. Some sides have completely neglected them. Warrington make me really angry in that regard. Every year they just go for big signings and ignore what they already have. I saw some very promising lads during the course of the season for Wire but i have seen them before when they have had injuries and they never get a look in again. Apart from ourselves i think Hull look well equipped on that front, I think Cator is going to be a star and i like quite a lot of the lads at Huddersfield who have been brought through in the last few years.

Somehow the clubs have to try and encourage the young lads through the system and develop them otherwise with the salary cap in place it will always be the same sides at the top. If the clubs don't want to expand themselves then the sponsors will continue to stay away and the tv money will never improve. The RFL and SL have to start putting things in place sooner rather than later. The clubs are there for expansion, the clubs are there to make it more of a nationwide sport but there has to be some encouragement from the authorities to help them grow. Rouges has some ideas on things like this, i have seen him speak sparingly about it in the past. I would be very interested on your views Brian, you have a wealth of experience and know the game and academies inside out.

Also just to add. I know there is an element of hypocrisy in my post as we sign young players from other sides not even in our region, Smithies, Pearce-Paul etc but that is the network we have in place. It's not just a case of nabbing all the best youngsters it's hard work and due diligence on the clubs part to sniff these lads out. Rugby League is played all over the country. London Broncos have found a good number of local lads and have made strides as a club as a result. They made it back in Super League and were very unlucky to go down. Every side that comes up is always going to have the cards stacked against them but that experience of playing at that higher level is all good for the future of the club. They won a lot of friends the season before last because they were a well coached and well drilled unit. Pretty much all the lower league clubs need to have a look at London's business model and follow their lead.

Oh for sure it's pessimistic. I think there are benefits to going to 14 teams eventually but we can't just pretend there aren't hurdles. History tells us that the promoted teams tend to bring in experienced journeymen at the expense of youngsters because they need to stay up. Already I, and others, are saying we should be touting Clark and Hankinson to Leigh, for example. Players who weren't good enough for SL last year, but may be starters next year even with one team coming up. What standard of player ends up on the pitch when you add in a further two teams and one of them picks up a few injuries?

More youngsters would inevitably get opportunities at some point as well (e.g Clark goes to Leigh so Kilner gets the odd game here). That's OK at Wigan because we have the best academy. Are the clubs further down the pecking order ready to cope with that demand, or do we end up with players on the pitch who should really be playing at a lower level, or more NRL has-beens over for one last payday? That's the biggest hitch IMO. Same number of players available, 60 or so more required to play Super League regularly.


Not sure how familiar you are with League 1 so apologies if this sounds patronising. The quality is bloody awful, worse than amateur level in many cases (hence NCL sides regularly beating League 1 sides in the CC). The sides with a shout of coming up aren't the exciting expansion teams. It would likely be two of Barrow/Keighley/Rochdale. They aren't building for the future, they are in a permanent state of trying to keep their heads above water. In fact I've long argued that they should just merge the NCL and League 1. West Wales wouldn't even be in the top two divisions if they did that.

Forget that bit though, what about the remaining Championship teams? They were all reliant on some loan/Dual Reg players every week to fulfil fixtures. The players they would have loaned will now be playing SL for whoever. What quality of player can they loan now? The problem trickles down.


Agree with all this. The reserves league needs to be in place for three years before we can consider 14 teams IMO. That way you may have enough players ready to step up.

[quote="Grimmy"

Not sure how familiar you are with League 1 so apologies if this sounds patronising. The quality is bloody awful, worse than amateur level in many cases (hence NCL sides regularly beating League 1 sides in the CC).[/quote]

Oh yeah league 1 is way off. The season before Coventry became a League 1 club a few years ago the played St. Judes and got stuffed but there a teams there to be able to expand upon in different areas of the country. It's a funny one, Rugby Union gets all this hype and media coverage on the strength of it's international game and hardly anybody watches the club sides on tv whereas Rugby League's biggest strength is it's club game and less emphasis on the international side. There has to be a medium there somewhere. Rugby Union in terms of clubs is pretty much a closed shop but they have sides dotted about all over the place and the game is also strong in Scotland and Ireland. I honestly believe all the pieces are there for Rugby League to grow but it needs the people at the top, the decision makers to put all those pieces together but they have systematically failed in that regard for the last 20 years or so. Most of the fans of all the clubs can see what needs to happen but the people at the top would rather pretend no problems exist.

If the league to be expanded to 14 nominate the 2 clubs to be come into SL 12 months beforehand so the said clubs could accrue personnel to at least compete in SL and give them financial help to do so.