Middle 8s

[jim_57]

Catalans have nobody to blame but themselves. Not many finals appearances in their 11 years and facing relegation to the Championship on the back of a horrible, horrible season. Maybe it's a kick to the guts that they deserve to start developing a team properly.

Pretty sure they've made more finals than they've missed.


Said this elsewhere but I think it's relevant. I won't be taking much of an interest in SL next year if Catalans go down. That's not bitterness, that is apathy because I really couldn't care that much honestly. The English can keep their system designed to please small village clubs, from an outsider's point of view it just seems absolute lunacy but each to their own.

I'm probably not considered a 'real fan' but have put money in to shirts etc and always had high hopes that 1 French club would lead to 2/3 etc.. now we're looking down the barrel of 0. Bravo.

 

[adamkungl]

Hoping for a miracle here.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Pretty sure they've made more finals than they've missed.


Said this elsewhere but I think it's relevant. I won't be taking much of an interest in SL next year if Catalans go down. That's not bitterness, that is apathy because I really couldn't care that much honestly. The English can keep their system designed to please small village clubs, from an outsider's point of view it just seems absolute lunacy but each to their own.

I'm probably not considered a 'real fan' but have put money in to shirts etc and always had high hopes that 1 French club would lead to 2/3 etc.. now we're looking down the barrel of 0. Bravo.

"Small Village Clubs?"

Population stats

Leeds: 715,404
Wigan: 317,800
Hull: 256,406
Warrington: 206,400
St Helens: 176,843
Perpignan: 117,419
Castleford: 40,210

Why aren't there any PNG, Fijian or any other pacific island teams in the NRL? Pathetic (rolls eyes)

 

[East Coast Tiger]

There's a PNG in the Qld cup that gets bigger crowds than most of SL.

A town smaller than Tamworth is currently dominating the league.

 

[jim_57]

"Small Village Clubs?"

Population stats

Leeds: 715,404
Wigan: 317,800
Hull: 256,406
Warrington: 206,400
St Helens: 176,843
Perpignan: 117,419
Castleford: 40,210

Why aren't there any PNG, Fijian or any other pacific island teams in the NRL? Pathetic (rolls eyes)

I noticed you stopped pretty quick there with your list.. What comes after those?

Not sure what your point is with the NRL reference. Is the RFL's excuse that NRL is just as incompetent at handling expansion so it's ok?

 

[LeedsStorm]

I noticed you stopped pretty quick there with your list.. What comes after those?

Not sure what your point is with the NRL reference. Is the RFL's excuse that NRL is just as incompetent at handling expansion so it's ok?

Wakefield 325,800
Salford 233,933
Huddersfield 146,234
Leigh 46,003
Widnes 60,211

Catalans have had plenty of help from the RFL. Expansion is one thing, lowering the standard of the league just for the sake of it is another. The system is pretty fair. If you can't beat the other teams you don't deserve a spot. Regroup and have another crack

 

[East Coast Tiger]

They finished ahead of two of those clubs over the home and away season. Flatcaps want to point to other sports to defend relegation but if it was soccer it wouldn't be Catalans going down. It would be Widnes.

Their absence will lower the standard of the league, it will lower the average crowd, it will reduce the tv coverage, it will reduce media coverage, it will reduce the player pool, it will reduce the geographical spread, it will make the game look exactly as the knockers say it is - regional and small. Catalans offer more than half those northern clubs combined.

 

[LeedsStorm]

They finished ahead of two of those clubs over the home and away season. Flatcaps want to point to other sports to defend relegation but if it was soccer it wouldn't be Catalans going down. It would be Widnes.

Their absence will lower the standard of the league, it will lower the average crowd, it will reduce the tv coverage, it will reduce media coverage, it will reduce the player pool, it will reduce the geographical spread, it will make the game look exactly as the knockers say it is - regional and small. Catalans offer more than half those northern clubs combined.

Well if they are that good you haven't got anything to worry about then. If they lose the MP game their massive crowds, player pool and media coverage will get them promoted again next year. Saying they weren't bottom before the end of the year so don't deserve to go down is basically saying Cas and ultimately Storm in the NRL should already be champions.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Well if they are that good you haven't got anything to worry about then. If they lose the MP game their massive crowds, player pool and media coverage will get them promoted again next year. Saying they weren't bottom before the end of the year so don't deserve to go down is basically saying Cas and ultimately Storm in the NRL should already be champions.

No it isn't. There's always been finals and grand finals to decide winners. This middle 8s bollocks is a recent gimmick. SL will look like the second rate regional pub league it is next year with no geographical spread, lower crowds and even less TV games. But if poms are happy with that kind of mediocrity they'll get what they deserve. Don't whinge when no one takes any notice and dismisses the sport as a joke. Like I said before, the SL is currently being dominated by a town the size of Dubbo. Imagine that in the NRL.

 

[Tigers1986]

It's nobody's fault other than their own. They've suffered the same fate that KR suffered last year in making a meal of the 8's format - beat Widnes and they were secure. Relegation could reinvigorate them, especially with a 'derby' against Toulouse.

 

[adamkungl]

I have no issue with P&R in general.
In terms of how SL executes it I'd make some changes though.

1 - a looser salary cap. A successful P&R system to me is one where the cream floats to the top and stays at the top but hard working smaller clubs can still give them a solid crack. Controversial statement though, a wealthy and well supported club should be able to beat their opponents in buying power to stay in the top league. The wealthiest clubs being able to better attract NRL talent would improve the competition.

2 - a full pyramid. Remove the glass floor on League 1 and implement minimum financial and stadium standards at each tier. Link other European competitions (Wales, France) at appropriate tiers.

3 - smaller 'relegation zone'. 9th place out of 12th being potentially up for relegation if they hit a few injuries at the pointy end of a long season is pretty unfair. Bottom 2 ideal.

4 - To compensate for point 1, fairer competition grants across tiers. Tier 2/Championship should be a full time professional league.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

It's nobody's fault other than their own. They've suffered the same fate that KR suffered last year in making a meal of the 8's format - beat Widnes and they were secure. Relegation could reinvigorate them, especially with a 'derby' against Toulouse.

Or kill them altogether. But you know, a bit or Russian roulette with the game's future can't hurt hey?

 

[Tigers1986]

If Catalans were better at what they were doing, they wouldn't be in the situation they find themselvs in.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

If the rfl were better at what they're supposed to do the whole game there wouldn't be a regional joke. But never mind, just flush 11 years of work down the drain because the ever-changing rules happen to be unfavourable at this precise moment. If the game in England is going to be nothing more than a regional oddity the game in France can be reduced to something even less.

 

[The Daddy3]

Tony Smith was pretty much spot on with his assessment.The game in the UK has gone stale with not much interest for the sport outside of the areas listed. SL has gradually been evolving into a regional competition in the past few years and this pretty much seals it.
This wonderful 'exciting' new system has relegated London, Bradford and now Cats. Well done!!

 

[East Coast Tiger]

But the worst thing about it is Catalans aren't even struggling in any way other than temporarily on the field. And even then they finished ahead of two others. London and Bradford had some pretty significant off-field troubles that caused their downfall - financial, crowds and ground issues for example. Catalans have no such problems. They probably will now.

 

[Tigers1986]

Hull KR finished ahead of Huddersfield last year and bounced back from their relegation. Catalans awful recruitment of sub-standard players offcast from other clubs has contributed to their plight. No point blaming the RFL for this happening. They could have beaten Widnes this past weekend to be out of the zone entirely yet failed and are faced with the threat of the drop.

They all agreed to the changes in structure. The Super 8's have had no issues and the flawed franchise system is no better.

 

[jim_57]

The big difference between Hull KR & Catalans is 15ish times travelling to another country every year. Doing that at 2nd tier isn't going to be sustainable for long IMO. In 5 years I would imagine Catalans and Toulouse will either be in Super League or back in Elite 1/Created their own league/Folded. Toronto is pretty much a case of Super League or bust.

These aren't countries like PNG or Fiji where a 2nd tier team would be the biggest thing in the country and attract good backing & support. These are countries with countless Pro sports teams to compete with for fans and sponsorship money. Plugging away at the 2nd tier in England playing against clubs like Batley & Featherstone (no disrespect) isn't going to entice many of either.

 

[jim_57]

They all agreed to the changes in structure. The Super 8's have had no issues and the flawed franchise system is no better.

Would you say the NRL system is flawed because it shuts out Dubbo, Newtown and Central Coast? Just think of the possibilities over the years we could have been rid of those pesky Cowboys, Panthers, Knights, Eels even the Storm. But just think how great those unpredictable relegation battles would have been for the game!

 

[Tigers1986]

Yes the NRL is flawed because the doomed Gold Coast franchise is failing again, when Perth, Central Coast and Wellington were all more feasible.