Paper Talk: Championship clubs stick together, uncertainty harming club futures and coaches on the brink
It’s the start of the week, so let’s have a look at the big talking points hitting the newsagents this morning.
Championship clubs stick together
Following the meeting of Championship and League One clubs last Thursday, there is confirmation that the clubs voted to stick together and repel any attempts for Super League to breakaway and take their TV money with them. With the current deal tied up until 2021, the Super League big boys are either going to have to wait and be patient, or take things down the legal route to try and break the current deal or even try to overthrow the RFL. While it’s good to see a united front, turkeys are unlikely to vote for Christmas are they?
Uncertainty harming club futures
On the subject of both the Championship and the structure, League Express includes a piece on Rochdale, who say that the ongoing uncertainty over what’s happening next season and beyond is harming the club’s future. They aren’t the only ones. Whatever way you dress it up, it’s absolutely farcical that we still don’t know what Championship teams are playing for this season and it needs sorting fast.
Who will be the first coaching casualty of the season?
Leigh’s defeat against Toulouse on Sunday, their third in four games at the start of the Championship season, has the Leigh Journal speculating about the future of Centurions coach Neil Jukes. Another man probably having a rough Monday is Catalans boss Steve McNamara, after seeing his side lose their fourth successive game on Saturday. McNamara has won just once in his last 16 games as a Super League coach.
Structure speculation
Back on the structure front, last week The Sun speculated that one option might be two Super Leagues of 10 teams. But this line caught the eye – “Could this provide a more solid platform for the game to grow from than clubs not attracting 1,000 fans to games and living hand to mouth?” – there is certainly increased frustration from those at the top that they’re propping up clubs that wouldn’t be able to survive without the central handouts.
Ormsby’s Super League chance
Former Warrington and Huddersfield winger Gene Ormsby is training with Salford, it was revealed following the Red Devils’ win over Hull KR on Friday. The 25-year-old struggled to establish himself with the Giants after initially impressing on a loan spell at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Support rugby league in the media and subscribe to League Express or League Weekly, as well as checking out the regular coverage of the sport in The Mirror, Daily Star, The Sun, The Guardian and other national newspapers; the more you read, the more there’ll be.
