2015 - a new era

[Evil Homer]

This may be a topic for a diffent thread... But

Why is there such a large gap between union and leagues caps ?

Is union really that much more popular?

Does ESL have trouble keeping its best talent from going over to union ?

I remember when NRL players would get paid more going to England , how is that possible on a 1.65 m cap.

Not trolling, genuine questions.

It's not really very popular, they just have a lot more money. Corporations think Union is a big deal for some reason, the amount of dick sucking the sport gets from the media is embarrassing, meanwhile RL has an absolutely terrible mainstream profile and probably always will.

 

[roughyedspud]

don't forget too that its only really the last 5-6 years where NRL salaries have sky rocketed..


for much of the 2000's £1 got you best part of $2.50.....so a £100k a year contract,which is/was affordable for most ESL clubs, and was'nt far off a top dollar contract in australia back then,$250,000 a year was very good money...

its only really been since the last 2 NRL tv deals when players have been getting $400,500,600k a year deals..and we can't complete with that.....though matt king was rumoured to have had a massive deal at warrington,nigh on £200,000 a year if the whispers are to be believed...


i would'nt like to guess who the highest paid player in ESL is now?? probably someone at salford? rangi chase?

 

[Bovrick]

This may be a topic for a diffent thread... But

Why is there such a large gap between union and leagues caps ?

Is union really that much more popular?

Does ESL have trouble keeping its best talent from going over to union ?

I remember when NRL players would get paid more going to England , how is that possible on a 1.65 m cap.

Not trolling, genuine questions.

Union has a strong international scene, a wealthier background of customer, so it can translate weaker crowd/viewer numbers at the domestic level to far more money.

The main thing staving professionals from switching is the specialisation of many RU positions, rather than money.

Oh, and the admin over here has been a bit looked-down upon by those with money despote being well intentioned, and reigned in by a dumb insular fan base at other times; stumping growth.

Roughy has it spot on as to why SL used to be able to compete.

 

[madunit]

The Super 8 stages are unnecessary. Just have an 8 team finals system.

If a ESL side makes the GF, that will be
23 Regular Season games
7 Super 8 games
1 semi
1 grand final

if a SL Grand FInal team makes the Challenge Cup Final as well, that will be
5 more games

The SL Grand Finalist will also have to play in the World Club Challenge bringing the maximum games one team could play to 38 games.

Chuck in rep honours for players and you have one of the longest seasons for top line players they've seen in the modern era.

I bet we end up seeing a few of the English top line test players coming to the NRL to get themselves a shorter season (by 9 games, if they play the maximum club games an NRL team can play - including the WCC).

If that does happen, the ESL comp will deteriorate further and interest will drop further.

 

[Wilson1]

I agree with Madunit. It seems like all the games have been added on because the clubs are struggling. I think playing too many games just diminishes the quality of the product - especially in a 12 team league.

 

[roughyedspud]

ive been toying with trying to figure out a ideal schedule..but it involves drastically changing the challenge cup and binning the crap 8s


super league regular season would be 23 weeks long that includes a magic round

top 4 play offs is 3 weeks long

challenge cup revamped into a cup (SL), trophy (championship) and bowl/shield for league 1 with a finals day at wembley for all 3 comps..

so the challenge cup now consists of just 4 rounds with the top 4 getting a bye in rd 1,

chuck in a 1 mid season international

so the maximum games a player could feasible play is 31....not including WCC or end of season international

 

[madunit]

with 12 teams, I think 22 rounds is absolutely perfect. Have a top 5 finals system over 4 weeks
Wk1
2 v 3
4 v 5 - loser eliminated
Wk 2
loser (2v3) v winner (4v5) - loser eliminated
1 v winner (2v3) - winner to Grand Final
Wk 3
winner (game 1 wk2) v loser (game 2 wk2) - winner to Grand Final
Wk 4 - Grand Final
winner (game 2 wk2) v winner (game 1 wk3)

That's 26 games maximum (if a 5th placed side makes the GF)

Challenge Cup can stay as is, however a smarter idea would be to have Superleague clubs playing each other in the CC Round 4. Instead of playing an extra game, nominate a Superleague round, so that one game provides the results for 2 comps.

ie
Superleague Round 12 is also Challenge Cup Round 4 for the Superleague sides.

That would be a maximum of 4 extra games there for a side to make the final.

It would also mean more of a chance for lower clubs to get more exposure and go deeper into the Cup.

Perhaps have a lottery to see who plays who of the remaining sides in Round 5 of the CC.

WCC would bring the total to 31 games, just 3 more than the maximum in the NRL.

 

[deal.with.it]

Problem being SL teams not drawing champ teams.

 

[madunit]

Why should they? I don't understand why a challenge cup is bothered with if the last 2 or 3 weeks is just superleague clubs flogging six shades of shit out of championship sides.

My structure still allows those lesser sides to have a better run in the CC while also being realistic enough to ensure that the best sides play in the final (obviously two SL teams) While also reducing the number and size of the floggings.

 

[deal.with.it]

So how would the draw work out?

Round 3:

Champ teams playing against themselves and the best league 1 teams

Round 4:

Only SL teams

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Where's the transition? How can it work?