UTC for Superleague??????

[Warriors_ace_17]

What does everyone think about UTC potentially coming into superleague? Do you think we should allow a French team into our league??
Also i am i right in saying that if they do enter superleague then, we will expand to 13 teams????

[robjoenz]

Warriors_ace_17 posted:
What does everyone think about UTC potentially coming into superleague? Do you think we should allow a French team into our league??
Also i am i right in saying that if they do enter superleague then, we will expand to 13 teams????

From what I've read the RFL and all chairmen from SL clubs have to decide whether they want a French side in the league. So they have the choice of relegating two in 2005 or just add another fixture to the list. However, judging by the complaints coaches have made about having too many fixtures, unless they drop the play-offs I can't see them adding another 2/3 games to the season, but this would be unfair on the second team relegated.

Some argue as well that if the French want to submit a club then they should start in NL2 or NL3. The idea makes sense to me, but it wouldn't work financially. It sounds quite a big gamble getting another French side in the league as French RL is underfunded because of the governments love for Union.

A few clubs, including ourselves, have said that we'd do player swaps with them (before they joined the league I think) so their players can get some action in SL and I assume our young lads could get some first team action over there. Might be good for our forwards to go there for a bit to improve their physical game with their rougher style!

I think it's a nice idea in principle, and anything that looks to help RL grow is always a good thing. I just have concerns that it will go tits up if the ball gets rolling.

[wolftown warrior]

don`t have a problem with expansion... it is good for the game, don`t know whether it is fesible ( spelling) to bring in utc... & if they do.. there would be 13 teams.. uneven amount?
why not bring up the top 2 from nl1?? i dunno.. this is something that will be settled on financial issues alone..

[robjoenz]

wolftown warrior posted:
don`t have a problem with expansion... it is good for the game, don`t know whether it is fesible ( spelling) to bring in utc... & if they do.. there would be 13 teams.. uneven amount?
why not bring up the top 2 from nl1?? i dunno.. this is something that will be settled on financial issues alone..

There are an odd number of teams in the NRL aren't there? One team gets a bye each round. It does make things more complicated though.

That doesn't sound bad bringing teams in from NL1, perhaps even 1 from NL1 and then Perpignon (spelling) as UTC would be known. But then the league would need rejigging, probably just get rid of the third set of matches!

[mario]

GETTING RID OF THE THIRD SET OF MATCHES WOULD BE LONG OVERDUE!

[wolftown warrior]

oh yeah.. they do have an odd number of team in nrl.. thanx for the heads up rob..

the only thing i don`t like bout that system is the 2 points u get for free!! don`t understand why u would get 2 points for not playing!! LOL
it is also a fair poit bout the third round getting dropped, but all the clubs would lose money.. i`m not sure how many of the 12 would be up for that.. ANd the point bout if utc got relegated . could they afford to play nl1??

decisions, decisions!! lol

[Plymouthpieeater]

Why a French team? A team in Wales or Cumbria (Even the republic of Ireland) would make more sense. We should build up our home nations before we strike out further. What would the French public care about a single team in (I imagine) the lower half of a British comp? I'm all for expanding the game but this could only go the same way as PNG.

[Mike]

There are way more RL supporters in the South of France than there were in Paris. Also this club would be run properly. The players for PSG were being asked to play for their French club sides and PSG each week, and as such they were travelling several hundred miles for home matches, having no time to train or recover. Its no wonder they won their first match then never competed.

If we don't support RL in the heartlands of France it may die out. Its a risk, but certainly worth it. Plus an excuse to go on a weekend in the South of France every summer

The options for team number are increase to 13 or 14 clubs, or relegate 2 at the end of 2005. I'd prefer 14 clubs and no repeat fixtures ideally. HOwever, I know that the quality of the sides would have to be up to it. Its only this year that the league genuinely doesn't include an easy-beat team.

[Alex the Warrior]

I like the idea, partly because I didn't go to the cup tie there a couple of years ago. (Lucky omen? we won the cup that year and we played away to a French side this year too).

Expand the SL to 14 clubs and scrap those extra games. This coul dbe done by bringing in another club new to the top flight of RL in this country or by promoting an extra club from the NFP.

[Warriors_ace_17]

I think that it would be good if we expanded superleague to 14 teams. Scrap the extra 6 games we play at the moment and we would have 26 games with a 14-team league. That’s only two games less, and Wigan v Saints and Leeds v Bradford games would be more special as there is only one home and one away game, and the attendances for these would get even bigger!!!!!!!!!!