National Leagues 2006

[terracesider]

Another major problem is emerging in NL3. For the second week running, Sheffield Hillsborough have failed to fulfill a fuxture, although their "second team" played in the Summer Conference.

 

[bartman]

That's strange... always seems to be problems with some club playing NL3 each year?

 

[terracesider]

Last year it was Carlisle. It's difficult enough to get a major sponsor without this nonsense.

I can see the problems with travel and the overlap with the RU season. The RFL is going to have to look very carefully at it.

 

[bowes]

Travel's not the major problem, the Hawks forfeited on Bradford Dudley Hill despite them being maybe 40 miles apart and both in Yorkshire. The league would fold if regioanlised, because there wouldn't be half enough teams for a southern league, and the northern league would struggle (the Hawks and Lions are both struggling this year).

Overlap with RU is double edged, as if the league was contracted into the off season the proper clubs with players playing for them as first choice (including both southern clubs) would soon be demoted to off season for RU/BARLA players, and would never be able to grow. The problem is the teams that don't play in the NRC have a leagues that overlaps by a few weeks each end, when it should either be a full season as players main comp or off season RU completely. The in between gives players needing more than the NL3 club can provide, which takes over the edges of the season.

 

[terracesider]

There doesn't seem to be any easy answer Bowes. Do you think it can survive?

 

[bowes]

It depends, there's 8 solid clubs in it and with the National Conference League rejecting Bradford Dudley Hill they want to stay. Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks won't finish the season and it's say 50-50 if Featherstone Lions will.

The clubs have said they'll play with as few as 8, and there may be more BARLA teams want to switch.

The biggest problem is the RFL don't like the league because they can't pretend they have tons of NL standard expansion teams anymore, although ironically the top two teams are the two southern teams (Bramley would be up there without having had to rearrange matches). They wanted to go for 7 northern and 7 southern teams with playing their region twice and the other once (plus one for even fixtures) but only had about 2 other southern clubs show any interest in that so shelved those plans.

Regionalisation totally was shelved when Hemel and St Albans asked to join the northern division, and several clubs said they run their first team in the senior academy before playing them in a regionalised comp.

The problem with regionalised divisions is not so much playing standard as there not being enough teams wanting a full season, so these extra teams might as well play in the RLC Premier (which would fold with regionalised NL3) with the short season rather than holding back NL3 teams. Most midlands teams wouldn't play in a NL3 South anyway, as they're happier in the midlands Premier so that's a whole region held back if it happened.

If the league folds the only solution is to put teams in either the senior academy (far from ideal) or the RLC Premier, up to the team.

 

[terracesider]

Thanks Bowes. I guess reality is catching up with the RFL.

Wahtever they decide, I hope they leave well alone in the RLC. The long term prospects look promising. It's beginning to make an impact down here in the Midlands in that people are slowly becoming aware of its existence and the local papers are carrying some match reports.

 

[terracesider]

NL1: Round 5
Doncaster 22v24 Batley
Halifax 18v12 Rochdale
Oldham 10v48 Whitehaven
Widnes 28v42 HKR
York 10v24 Leigh

NL2: Round 6
Sheffield 38v14 Gateshead
Barrow 12v16 Swinton
Blackpoool 12v30 London S.
Hunslet 14v14 Featherstone
Keighley 30v30 Celtic
Workington 15v22 Dewsbury

NL3: Round 5
Dudley Hill 18v6 Warrington
Dewsbury C 18v26 Bramley
Hemel 40v30 Gateshead
Featherstone L. 10v44 St Albans

 

[bowes]

Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks resign from NL3.

Bradford Dudley Hill are quitting at the end of the season to join the National Conference League, subject to their membership being ratified at the AGM (it will be).

Not sure how NL3 will keep going now, although Stanley Rangers might be interested after being rejected 4 straight seasons by the National Conference League. Hope it can keep going because lots of clubs will be ruined without it.

 

[terracesider]

I can see the argument to keep NL3 going and therefore keep some clubs going, but I agree with Bowes that it's hard to see how to do it.

 

[Padds]

hows david peachey going

Peachey has been sacked by Widnes. Apparently he took up 1/3rd of the salary cap.

 

[bowes]

I can see the argument to keep NL3 going and therefore keep some clubs going, but I agree with Bowes that it's hard to see how to do it.

They're starting to look at new teams for next season now allegedly. Needs to be doen as there's no viable alternative competition for a lot of the clubs in the league (the Rugby League Conference is not an option as it's got a very short season to fit in the RU/BARLA off season, meaning clubs who are players first choice wouldn't be able them a long enough season for them to justify that.

 

[terracesider]

No NL1: Challenge Cup

NL2 Round 7 (21 May)
Celtic 52v16 Blackpool
Featherstone 19 v 12 Workington
Gateshead 16v40 Barrow (Wed 31 May)
London S. 10v38 Sheffield
Hunslet 22v4 Keighley
Swinton 18v22 Dewsbury

NL3:Round 6
Dewsbury C. 34v24 St Albans
Gateshead 16v22 Dudley Hill
Bramley 20v24 Hemel
Underbank 22v16 Featherstone L.

 

[bartman]

Peachey has been sacked by Widnes. Apparently he took up 1/3rd of the salary cap.

Ouch. Came home to look after his ill step-father apparently. Too expensive not to be playing I guess?

 

[terracesider]

Peachey will still take up a fair bit of the salary cap if he gets a negotiated settlement or takes them to a tribunal.

 

[terracesider]

Sporting Life has Celtic's gate yesterday as 323. Even given the bad weather, that's very disappointing for a team that's made a such good start to life in NL2. ESL is looking a long way off.

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/results/

 

[bowes]

Sporting Life has Celtic's gate yesterday as 323. Even given the bad weather, that's very disappointing for a team that's made a such good start to life in NL2. ESL is looking a long way off.

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/results/

Bridgend get more than that in the Welsh league I think.

I knew they had NO chance of Super League.

They haven't had that good a start, and don't look remotely like going up now, they couldn't even win at Keighley who are awful. They'll stay a NL2 side I think.

 

[bartman]

Ouch. 323 isn't good, especially for a game where you would have picked them to win (Blackpool). Maybe they'd better start to aim for 2012 instead of 2009?

 

[terracesider]

NL1: Round 6
Batley 41v34 York
HKR 80v6 Oldham
Leigh 25v18 Doncaster
Rochdale 38v46 Widnes (now 15 Jul due to pitch maintenance )
Whitehaven 30v20 Halifax

NL 2: Round 8
Sheffield 34v20 Hunslet
Blackpool 8v44 Swinton
Barrow 46v16 London S.
Dewbury 42v4 Celtic
Keighley 20v24 Featherstone
Workington 24v33 Gateshead

NL 3L Round 7
Dudley Hill 20v22 Bramley
Dewsbury C 52v0 Underbank
Gateshead 10v54 Warrington
Hemel 20v12 St Albans

 

[terracesider]

This week:
NL 1:
Round 7
Batley 14v8 Leigh
Halifax 35v28 Oldham
Rochdale 32v6 Haven
York 18v40 Widnes
Doncaster 24v28 HKR (now 7 June)


NL2:
(Wed: Gateshead 16v40 Barrow from Round 7)

Round 9
Swinton 54v22 Hunslet (Fri)
London S. 32v32 Blackpool (Sat)
Barrow 34v32 Workington
Celtic 58v8 Keighley
Featherstone 34v14 Dewsbury
Gateshead 27v16 Sheffield

No NL3 except Bramley 76v 0Featherstone from Round 4