That would be good news if so. Top automatic and play off for a second slot. Wouldnt be a bad idea either.
Thats a ridiculous idea from the RL though, surely the bottom team must be relegated. Otherwise whats the point ?.
Rugby league has been trying to find the right fit for donkeys yrs to popularise the game. Bringing in the likes of london (many yrs ago) . Then Tolouse and Toronto. (now disbanded) Crusaders 3rd tier. The Ballsing up the combined Huddersfield/Sheffield teams. It's been a failed experiment after failed experiment. Although there will be coughing and spluttering if catalans win the league. No automatic promotion (again) From 2025
Slow but sure they are killing the game, how most teams below SL survive is beyond me. A city size of Sheffield and they get just over a 1000 including away fans. Let Saints,Wigan,Leeds and Warrington play each other because that's all they are bothered about.
Yeah and I remember a bad time when we/Hull Fc were in that 2nd league, and we briefly got merged (if you can call it that) with Gateshead. They collapsed though after just a few years unfortunately, and we got our club and our own identity back again. It was disgraceful how much they tried to force London into the SL, and eventually they gave it up as a bad job. I see Newcastle are bottom of the 2nd league, do fans up there really care about RL, because like I say, Gateshead didn't survive.
problem with Campbell is he Collects players like football cards. Just because they are available he signs them. We had pickersgil who was playing great, but killer came available so we signed him. We then end up with too many players who can play same position on good money so we shoe horn them in somewhere else and it disrupts the whole balance of the team. we started this season with pickersgil and Killer injured but still signed Aetkins, knowing full well when fit killer would be first choice. We could have just started season with pickersgil. Aetkins money could have been spent on a proper half back to go with Ford. daft thing is start of last season we were offered Ferguson, but Campbell said it was too much for a winger, then signed laziest most useless centre ever. Leigh signed Ferguson and never looked back
The biggest shock for me is actually the demise of Bradford Northern. Thought they'd have bounced back by now.
Strange considering the success he had at Leeds but I suppose that fantastic Leeds side of Sinfield, Peacock, Burrow, McGuire, Hall, Jones Bucanan and Bailey ran itself.
Not enough quality for a 14 team SL in my opinion. Cas and Wakey really struggling at the moment. Surprised at how well Leigh have done this season and good luck to them.
SL was founded to be able to compete with the Aussies and Kiwi's, we are further away then ever. Too many Aussies and Kiwi's in our teams,they aren't good enough for Australia NRL though. Leigh have been excellent and shook SL up a bit.
Not read Burrow's autobiography but McDermott does seem a bit of a miserable sod! I suppose he was as always going to come across like that when following on from the ultra positive Brian McClennan!