You may well be right, maybe that's why a number of key players contracts haven't been announced, everyone is waiting to see who can afford what.



Something tells me 10 teams = a merger.

Crazy to go down the merger route. So they’d merge Hull and Rovers, so that we could play away at York on Good Friday in front of a record 4,000 fans or 1,500 fans in London; or 1,000 in Wales.



If mergers are part of the future solution, let’s start by merging St Helens and Wigan, and see if everyone else thinks mergers are a good idea for the game?

I didn't say it was a good idea, but one team in SL means no derby games anyway.

I don’t think any one would think a merger was a good thing.



I’d never want just one Hull team in SL either. I love our rivalry and love the Derbies.

I actually think 10 teams would be OK if only it meant a bigger international calender



The sport needs to be on BBC more only hardcore RL people watch it on sky



And stop giving sponsor packages away for free it tells sponsors and the public we'll give it away no wonder there's no money when you give sponsor rights for free



Internationals are what get people talking look at cricket and union especially



Cricket crowds for domestic sides are terrible



I'd get Bradford and Toronto back aswell as they showed they had big potential Torontos crowds were bigger than most even in the championship



Us

Leeds

Wigan

Saints

Wire

Catalan

Bradford

Toronto

Rovers

Cas



All clubs above 5,000 average none of this 2k crap

Just to point out York has a 200k population according to the 2011 census.



Don't want Bradford, there's too much that has gone on that has negatively impacted the sport from what various Bradford owners have done, given that, I'd not be wanting to add them into a 14 team comp, but to have several seasons of proven financial stability and a rock solid sustainable financial footing.plan on basis of entry into SL further down the line

Agree on the sponsorship side of things, also agree Toronto in rinicple but absolutely not Bradford, they have a hell of a lot to prove.

But crucially, how many fixtures, if more than 18, how do to decide who gets whom home and away to meet your notional number of fixtures. Is that a straight top of table are champs, if not then a top xx play offs again means potential for 4/5 meetings (if you're playing more than just home and away)

This works against increasing attendance averages as I've already pointed out re fan tafigue for repeat fixtures and doesn't give any more rest for top players for internationals.



So from 10 teams what's your fixture proposal as to how to have a balanced fixture list and enough space for more internationals whilst having competitive home nation teams.

To be honest 10 or 12 teams doesn't make a massive difference



Even in the rugby union Premiership only have 13 teams



The biggest thing RL needs is more commercial and get that by a stronger international game in front of a few million people instead of 200,000 hardcore RL fans on sky

Sadly, the game in its present representation is doomed and I'd be very surprised if all the teams we see in SL right now are still viable next year and I'd include us in that, given the statements from AP.

I watch the NRL every week and the difference in standard , both in playing and media coverage, is stark.

The Aussie game is apparently quite precarious too, with salary cuts and reductions, due to the impact of covid, across the board being mooted if you believe certain commentators. We have failed to promote our game to the point whereby people don't want to watch it anymore. The use of inarticulate, parochial Wigan centric ex players as analysts sounds both amateurish and embarrassing. Are Barrie McDermott and his partner in crime Terry O'Connor the most articulate and informed presenters we could muster? Phil Clarke is so biased and blatantly so, that it turns off the fans who don't see Wigan as the flavour of the month. It was the same with the previous cast as Eddie Hemmings lauded all things Lancashire and, in particular, Saints.

I agree that the above has probably little impact in terms of clubs finances, but I would assume SKY would offer more money if the viewing figures had warranted this. Contrast this to the NRL and you'd think we were watching a different sport, such is the gulf in class.

I have no real idea what will help the game going forward, but I cannot see how it can survive in the current state in which we find it - perhaps the best idea which I heard was the NRL takeover the British game, although I have not heard if they have an appetite for this. Peter V'Landys certainly looks a proactive and somewhat fearless leader of the Aussie game and we certainly need change in ours, quickly or it will die.