WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, claim

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josie andrews
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WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, claim

Post by josie andrews »

Hull KR coach Tony Smith knows his club will secure their Super League future with victory against London Broncos tonight but says they and all involved in this absorbing relegation battle will still pay a long-term price.

If Rovers, in 11th, can prosper at KCOM Craven Park, they will move four points clear of their bottom-placed opponents with just one round remaining.

They are desperate to achieve safety this evening so they do not need to worry about gaining a result at in-form Salford Red Devils next week.

“We’d just like to perform well so we can move on and start actually developing and planning for the future,” said Smith, the former Leeds Rhinos and England coach who signed a new deal last weekend.

“It is key to be able to do that as soon as possible. That’s the down part of it (relegation); it just keeps so many in limbo, unable to make decisions and secure positions on peoples’ employment.

“It is tough. I hate it (relegation) and I’ve seen the devastation of it.”

Smith, 52, was relegated with Huddersfield Giants in 2001 – his first season as a Super League coach. Currently, any one of four could still go down with KR – relegated in 2016 – Huddersfield and Wakefield Trinity all just two points above Broncos.

Leeds, meanwhile, only secured their safety with victory at London on Sunday and were one of the clubs that made a raft of signings before the transfer deadline on August 9 to bolster their hopes of survival.

That is where Smith believes damage will be caused to the sport as a whole.

“I’ve seen how it affects development,” he continued.

“Because of this system, there is going to be a real hole in development of young rugby league players as there’s been half-a-dozen teams this year that have been in and around this relegation area.

“If you look at them, they have all pretty much had to go and strengthen themselves in the immediate – so they’re not planning towards the future.

“It’s bonkers. We’ve had to do it. We’ve had to go get players on loan to field a team and that’s money that we could have been using to resource our juniors and development.

"There will be a knock-on (effect), a knock-on of lack of development because of the system that we’ve either just been in or what’s happening now.”

Before reverting to one-up, one-down this term, the bottom four Super League clubs all came under threat in the previous Qualifiers format.

“At least we supposedly cut it down to one team with this although as it happens there’s even more in the (relegation) mix,” said Smith.

“It will have an impact on where we are spending our money and if we’re ever going to catch the Australians we need to come up with a system where we are developing our own players.”

Defeat will all but relegate London and ease so much pressure on Trinity and Giants.

Smith said: “Everybody knows the importance of a good performance and what it can secure for us and others. But we’re not thinking about the others at the moment

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... -1-9978849
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
josie andrews
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by josie andrews »

I agree with him. We need to stop this yoyo-ing up & down for the clubs being promoted to SL.

I preferred the 3 year licensing ruling. At least it gave clubs a chance to recruit players & improve their standing. It helped Catalans, & Widnes, up to a point. It would also help other clubs in the Championship Instead of them overspending in one season on players, Aussie or otherwise, past their sell by date to try sustain their position.

Just think Castleford & Wakefield would have been out of SL years ago if we had still applied this to clubs in regards to their stadiums!

I wonder if the RFL were forced into scrapping it because that would have meant two less teams in Yorkshire? The Yorkshire Mafia must have threatened The Fat Controller, Nigel Wood, that there would be no more freebie lunches etc if those two clubs went!

I feel sorry for London Broncos because they have been a revelation this year. Their coach, Danny Ward has got them playing some good rugby & they have surprised several teams this season & not always with home advantage.

It's ironic that the three of the clubs facing relegation this year, HKR, London & Huddersfield, have superior stadiums &/or facilities than Wakefield who are also in the relegation zone & Castleford who are safe!
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
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wigtop
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by wigtop »

Good post Josie Andrews. I am not a Tony Smith fan but a lot of what he says makes sense.
DaveO
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by DaveO »

I agree with what Josie has posted 100%. The yo yo thing and effect relegation has on how clubs spend is bad news bit it’s not like it’s old news. This was well known the last time we had straightforward p&r.

Tonight’s results have given London a chance. They could send Wakey down though a big ask away from home.

I hope they do. I have nothing against Wakey as such but they have avoided relegation more than once when they should have gone down under previous systems due to clubs not being deemed fit for promotion or not wanting it.

How they survived under franchising I will never know. They were convinced themselves they were for the chop but got let off despite repeated promises of a better ground never coming to anything.

Their survival brought franchising into disrepute along with Bradford going bust despite being given a good rating. Like Josie I prefer franchising with the three year guaranteed stay in SL. The only thing wrong with the system was those running it.
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Mike
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by Mike »

London don't have facilities better than other clubs. I stood on a grass verge with some posh dog owners at their place and ran behind a brick building when the ball moved down the field! Not really the DW was it?

Fun though.

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DaveO
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by DaveO »

Mike wrote:London don't have facilities better than other clubs. I stood on a grass verge with some posh dog owners at their place and ran behind a brick building when the ball moved down the field! Not really the DW was it?

Fun though.

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I know London play on a paddock but that doesn’t alter the fact that when we had franchising rules Wakey didn’t meet them. They were also very fortunate when they finished bottom pre franchising they avoided the drop because the side finishing top either didn’t want promotion or didn’t have a ground deemed good enough (can’t remember which). Neither of those things apply now.
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by josie andrews »

DaveO wrote: Sat Sep 07, 2019 12:15 am
Mike wrote:London don't have facilities better than other clubs. I stood on a grass verge with some posh dog owners at their place and ran behind a brick building when the ball moved down the field! Not really the DW was it?

Fun though.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
I know London play on a paddock but that doesn’t alter the fact that when we had franchising rules Wakey didn’t meet them. They were also very fortunate when they finished bottom pre franchising they avoided the drop because the side finishing top either didn’t want promotion or didn’t have a ground deemed good enough (can’t remember which). Neither of those things apply now.
Wakefield's ground is a disgrace!
Last Sunday the ladies toilets hadn't any soap or running water!
Castleford aren't much better either 😡
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
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Mike
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by Mike »

josie andrews wrote:
DaveO wrote: Sat Sep 07, 2019 12:15 am
Mike wrote:London don't have facilities better than other clubs. I stood on a grass verge with some posh dog owners at their place and ran behind a brick building when the ball moved down the field! Not really the DW was it?

Fun though.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
I know London play on a paddock but that doesn’t alter the fact that when we had franchising rules Wakey didn’t meet them. They were also very fortunate when they finished bottom pre franchising they avoided the drop because the side finishing top either didn’t want promotion or didn’t have a ground deemed good enough (can’t remember which). Neither of those things apply now.
Wakefield's ground is a disgrace!
Last Sunday the ladies toilets hadn't any soap or running water!
Castleford aren't much better either [emoji35]
Ladies toilets! Luxury!

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

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josie andrews
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Re: WATCH - Hull KR v London Broncos: Battle to avoid relegation from Super League is damaging our sport in long-term, c

Post by josie andrews »

Mike wrote: Sat Sep 07, 2019 12:27 am
josie andrews wrote:
DaveO wrote: Sat Sep 07, 2019 12:15 am

I know London play on a paddock but that doesn’t alter the fact that when we had franchising rules Wakey didn’t meet them. They were also very fortunate when they finished bottom pre franchising they avoided the drop because the side finishing top either didn’t want promotion or didn’t have a ground deemed good enough (can’t remember which). Neither of those things apply now.
Wakefield's ground is a disgrace!
Last Sunday the ladies toilets hadn't any soap or running water!
Castleford aren't much better either [emoji35]
Ladies toilets! Luxury!

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Well it's a lean to 😂😂
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
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