14 Team SL and Merged Championship?

[jolly boys outing]

Can anyone explain (simply please) what caused Bradford’s severe decline from where they were 2 decades ago?

Was it just as simple as the Bradford area’s demographics changing? and
They’re back because they have now recut their cloth to suit their new reality?

Bradford spent more money than they had coming in.

 

[England87]

The 21 team Championship is rumoured to have a skewed fixture list so the top clubs play each other more with some Clubs not even playing each other during the regular season.

Hope that is not the case, I would prefer every club played each once and I would change the 1895 Cup to a larger group stage so teams play about 24 - 26 fixtures exluding Challenge Cup and knock out game

 

[Perth Red]

The 21 team Championship is rumoured to have a skewed fixture list so the top clubs play each other more with some Clubs not even playing each other during the regular season.

Hope that is not the case, I would prefer every club played each once and I would change the 1895 Cup to a larger group stage so teams play about 24 - 26 fixtures exluding Challenge Cup and knock out game

problem with that is there is a massive gap in quality and revenue between the clubs at the top and bottom. itd mean half the games weren’t competitive.

 

[RL The greatest game]

Exactly that.

Well, that and the fact their ground is horrific.

Can you or any Brit posters explain to me as to why so little emphasis was put on ground criteria?

 

[RedVee]

Bradford spent more money than they had coming in.

Yeah but why?

Did the income go down?
Or did they just spend more on top of a steady income?

 

[Perth Red]

Can anyone explain (simply please) what caused Bradford’s severe decline from where they were 2 decades ago?

Was it just as simple as the Bradford area’s demographics changing? and
They’re back because they have now recut their cloth to suit their new reality?

Buoyed by the on and off field success in early SL days they started signing players on silly money. They then stopped paying the tax man and got into strife with a legal battle with Leeds over iestyn Harris that cost them a small fortune.

it was unbelievable at the time that a club drawing the crowds bulls had and success on the field could go pear shaped so quickly.

 

[jolly boys outing]

Can you or any Brit posters explain to me as to why so little emphasis was put on ground criteria?

Because big nige said so.

not that I can prove any of that.

 

[RedVee]

Buoyed by the on and off field success in early SL days they started signing players on silly money. They then stopped paying the tax man and got into strife with a legal battle with Leeds over iestyn Harris that cost them a small fortune.

it was unbelievable at the time that a club drawing the crowds bulls had and success on the field could go pear shaped so quickly.

Thanks PR.

It was shocking how quickly they crashed

 

[RL The greatest game]

Because big nige said so.

not that I can prove any of that.

I think a lot or people would agree with you.
In all honesty i don't think ground criteria will come into any gradings all the while Big Nige holds sway at the RFL, but it should do.
From the outside looking in it stinks.

 

[Perth Red]

Can you or any Brit posters explain to me as to why so little emphasis was put on ground criteria?

There is an emphasis on stadium facilities. 15% of the overall score.
they have to start somewhere and wanted to focus the clubs attention on improving the facilities that would create a more viable business, and had received feedback from sky that many grounds media facilities were inadequate and this was causing production problems.

You can see how the scoring breaks down here

https://www.rugby-league.com/uploads/docs/240326_FINAL_Rugby%20League%20Grading%20Handbook_26Mar2024_FINAL.pdf

 

[jolly boys outing]

Bradfordgate is up there with 9/11,JFK And Epstein unaliving.

 

[Perth Red]

Thanks PR.

It was shocking how quickly they crashed

Yeh I was at Bradford uni In mid 90’s and odsal with 20k in it on a summers night with all the razzmatazz was amazing. I thought RL had finally come of age!

 

[jolly boys outing]

Yeh I was at Bradford uni In mid 90’s and odsal with 20k in it on a summers night with all the razzmatazz was amazing. I thought RL had finally come of age!

Didn’t the bulls used to have a monster truck?

 

[Perth Red]

Didn’t the bulls used to have a monster truck?

they had all sorts. Custom cars going round the track at HT, monster trucks, cheerleader custom chopper Clubs, fireworks (proper ones) they took west keighley had started and took it to a whole new level.

 

[RL The greatest game]

Yeh I was at Bradford uni In mid 90’s and odsal with 20k in it on a summers night with all the razzmatazz was amazing. I thought RL had finally come of age!

Is it true that they gave out a lot of freebies at the time to pad out the crowds?

 

[Taking The Two]

We're eight days on from the Grand Final and two days on from the clubs announcement, I don't know why anyone would be expecting immediate confirmation of this stuff. Fixtures themselves won't be out until mid November at the earliest I'd expect.

I can't see them changing the top six format, and a top eight out of 14 would be silly anyway.

As for the Championship, thought it was confirmed that it's a 21-team comp back in August?

The big pros and cons of RFL Championship and League 1 merger

The RFL have confirmed that Championship and League 1 will merge in 2026 to make a 21-team league. Here's the pros and cons of that decision.

www.loverugbyleague.com

Because clubs have to recruit and retain players to play next year and how can you do that when you don’t know anything about the league you’re playing in?

In both Super League and the Championship next year how can you as a head coach say to a prospective player and/or his agent that you’re having a crack at the play-offs when you have no clue how many teams will be competing in the playoffs, for example? The jump between 6th to 8th is big, there’s no idea how many will be in the Championship, it could be 7 it could be 12, it may even be 5, who knows?

It’s the shortsighted way rugby league works here and it’s beyond crazy.

 

[Taking The Two]

Is it true that they gave out a lot of freebies at the time to pad out the crowds?

Yes, they did. It was built on sand and they didn’t have the resources to keep it up when fans were less interested in them and didn’t convert many into regular paying customers.

 

[jolly boys outing]

Hearing that any profits from the ashes tour will be diverted into funding newly promoted super league teams 13&14(Toulouse&york) central funding or whatever it called which is news to me.

absloutley shocking if true but totally believable when it comes to the RFL muppets.

 

[Taking The Two]

So that’s 2026 sorted then. It would seem that they’re relying on a larger TV deal to fund 13 and 14 for 2027 and beyond, then.

 

[jason taylor]

problem with that is there is a massive gap in quality and revenue between the clubs at the top and bottom. itd mean half the games weren’t competitive.

It’s the main problem with the combined competition. How are full professional outfits like Oldham/London putting 80+ on the Midland Hurricanes/Newcastle Thunder going to help grow the sport?