WiganWarriorsFans.com

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/63650965

Good piece by Dave Woods. A bit too long to cut and paste, but well worth reading. Here's a sample:

There's . . a question of how willing some NRL clubs are to support the potential of international growth if it's at a perceived cost to their own parochial ambitions.

Until the ARLC and RLPA have reached an agreement, and until a domestic civil war that's rumbling on down under between the clubs and the central administrators is avoided, then international rugby league hangs in the balance.

Truth is he's right jess Australia play ball and release these players then the international game will stay where it is,IMG can insist on a mid season international but truth is it'll be against France so if we are being honest with our selves a side the knights could beat so it become pointless.

The power is down under like it or not and sadly I don't think anything will change.

We need to start with a War of the Roses Origin style game, played on a blank Sunday when there are no other games being played, best of 3, one in each county then maybe one on the road.

Not on a wintery Wednesday, or a day when other games are on. Promote it well, not too expensive and fans will go.

And none of these overseas teams, we don't need beating by second rate Aussies to get better. We need full on Origin games where players want to be involved.

I don't have a problem with the Origin idea, but, for me, one of the biggest differences between us and the Aussies is our inabilty to match their intensity over 80 minutes. The level we saw in Tonga v Samoa and Aus v NZ seems beyond us.

A serious Origin game, or series, would only scratch the surface of this. Wigan's best shot at it this year was probably the home derby. But iirc, our build-up to that involved a couple of lower teams, and Peet was able to build our lads up for the big one. We have no experience of week-in week-out intense games, and it's apparently not something you learn in the gym or from a blackboard.

The biggest step SL could make towards improving intensity would be a 10-team league. Concentrate the decent players we have in less teams, increasing the salary cap by 20% as a result. Then play 19 or so games a season, plus a 3-match Origin series.

Oh, there is another way we can reach the goal: let morec players go to the NRL, and we'll have more Youngs, Farnworths, Whiteheads, Burgesses . . . but SL will be part-time, still playing 30+ games a year including CC, and maybe even bring back the John Player Trophy? Back to the Future?

I do more and more tend to the idea that reducing the size of SL would be the best thing to do. But I don't see it happening anytime soon.

moto748 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 12:18 am I do more and more tend to the idea that reducing the size of SL would be the best thing to do. But I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Gut feeling mate is it'll go to 14 teams before the next TV deal we shall see.

Wouldn't be surprised.

The only reason it’s getting better is because of the nrl. Aus nz Tonga samoa are literally just all of the nrl best players. We need to start looking at ourselves instead of blaming others. While those nations are getting better we are standing still and it’s only gonna get worse

And yet, saying all that, there wasn't even enough interest here for a thread on the Final?

Imo there are 2 ways RL could, or rather should, go in the UK.

The first one is that you accept it will never be a game played beyond it's "traditional" boundaries. The game goes semi-professional and the best players go to the NRL. International RL is dominated by Aus/NZ/Samoa/Tonga with England (or GB if you like) becoming the whipping boys.


You scrap the Salary Cap. Teams with the best funding will attract the best players, as, if there is one truism, money talks. Essentially you get 4 or so teams dominating. The difference is that you could genuinely get a wild card with strong financial backing upsetting the apple cart (think Salford with no restrictions tempting half a dozen NRL stars).


At the moment RL is treading water between the two, getting slowly pulled towards the first option as the business model is terrible.