Super League shouldn’t be defined by a number, get the best and most ambitious clubs in – Mailbox

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Dear James

Re: recent Mailbox letters published in social media.

Some rugby league fans need a reality check, or have very very short and selective memories.

Look at the stadia and facilities, on field performances, academies, crowds, revenues and business functions of Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Hull FC and Warrington Wolves since the inception of Super League.

Then look at the progress, across those same areas, that Hull KR and Catalan Dragons are making.

Then look at the efforts of Leigh Leopards, York, Fev Rovers and Newcastle Thunder over the last couple of years.

I’ll bet anyone that if you could say to those owners – who pump millions into the sport collectively – ‘here’s 5 years guaranteed Sky money and SL status but we need a 5 year plan to see improvements in x, y and z’ they would absolutely deliver on it.

Licensing/ criteria/ franchising – call it whatever you want – works for those who want to make it work.

The sport needs to stop tying the aspirations of the elite division to what may one day miraculously happen to part time clubs if bought by a Dragon’s Den billionaire.

130 years of history tells you that is unlikely to happen and most of the club owners in the Championship, and especially League 1, absolutely have zero interest in running a Super League operation, nor will they ever be able to afford to.

Speak to Championship players too, those who make huge sacrifices for match money – like the brilliant Batley squad – and you’ll see they care about the Championship and that it’s not all about a stepping stone to SL. More so when history shows part-time players usually all get shunted to another club and a cohort of Australasian players is hastily imported when a club is promoted – where’s the reward there!!!

SL shouldn’t be defined by a number, let’s get the best and most ambitious clubs in there and let them grow their businesses……that, to me, is what IMG are trying to achieve.

I hope you are prepared to publish this letter to balance out the negativity currently swirling around many fan forums.

James S

Editor’s comment

Growing the top division with more full-time teams should have been the priority for all these years, yet nearly 30 years on from the inauguration of Super League, we still have the same number of teams as we did then.

The biggest obstacle to that has been the refusal of the incumbents to share their pie with more clubs, thus decreasing their slice, and this has held the game back. It’s caused a backlog at the top end of the Championship, where there have been a handful of full-time teams which skews that competition. Had Super League made efforts to increase in number, then perhaps the argument for promotion and relegation wouldn’t be as strong as it is.

Attempts to expand the game have been counter productive – because instead of expanding, it has simply been a case of replacing one full-time club with another. A better approach would surely have been to grow the number of teams in the competition to accommodate an expansion strategy. So when Catalans joined, it could have increased to 13 or 14 clubs. When Toulouse joined, it could have increased to 15 or 16.

Unfortunately, until decisions are made outside of the self interest of those who currently have the golden ticket, much will remain the same.

MORE: Gloomy predictions of top tier stalemate and dead rubbers in IMG new era – Mailbox

Mailbox gives you the chance to get your voice heard and start the debate with the rugby league audience. Get your views in now via email to: james@loverugbyleague.com