Is An Expanded World Club Challenge Good For Our Sport?

In light of the tremendous World Club Challenge game we saw on Friday night, the idea of expanding the competition has come to the fore. Despite his side’s loss, Leeds Rhino’s Chief Executive Gary Hetherington is pushing for an expansion, which could see the top three teams in England take on the top three in Australia and the possibility of playing in different venue’s.

Mr Hetherington said: “There is no doubt that the Probiz World Club Challenge generated a great deal of interest and there’s a big appetite for it from sports fans in England.”

There is no denying his point. The tickets for the game sold out a couple of days before and it was claimed that there had been lots of interest from people outside what is considered the normal rugby league region. To know that the interest was there is exactly what rugby league needs. Its profile needs to be raised outside of the North and for some money to be brought in. It was a cracking game and hopefully, anyone who did watch it may be keen to watch rugby league again sometime in the near future.

Also, let’s face it; it would be good practice for us. When it comes to international games we always struggle against Australia. We can never quite match up to them but if our players were to get some experience against the top teams from Australia, who’s players will more than likely also be playing in the international squad, it might give us a better idea of what we are facing. We might even be able to beat them one day.

However, as with everything, not everyone is seeing this expansion as a positive thing. If it is only open to the top 3 teams then will it just be played by the same 3 teams every year?  Let’s be honest, there are some clubs who will never make it into the top 3 so how will it ever benefit them? All the profit and profile raised will only be received by the top teams who get plenty of it anyway.

It may also be that player’s from those teams are picked first for international duty because they have experience playing against the Aussie’s. This could mean any talent form the lower placed teams will be ignored because they haven’t had the chance to get that experience.

All in all, I think an expansion would be a good idea. The game on Friday was fantastic and a whole tournament like that would be great viewing for the spectators. Besides, anything that raises the profile of rugby league nationally and maybe even internationally can only be a positive thing. However, it needs to be thought through and executed carefully. Gary Hetherington needs to make sure that the whole rugby league community benefits, not just his own Leeds Rhinos.

 http://www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-league/2013/02/27/is-an-expanded-world-club-challenge-good-for-our-sport.html

Is Being Put 'On Report' A Suitable Punishment?

In light of four more Super League players being charged with offences from round three, the question has once again been raised about the issue of players being put ‘on report’ during games and whether or not this is sufficient punishment.

For me, it simply is not. Yes, the player who has been put ‘on report’ has their incident reviewed by the RFL Match Review Panel and they are often subject to a punishment such as a match ban or fine but the problem is, this is done days after the incident first occurred.

So, if a player gets say a one match ban, who is this benefiting? The team they play in the next round of course. And the opposition they were playing at the time of the incident? Well they get nothing. If the particular incident meant one of their players had to leave the field which consequently weakened their team and led to them losing, then that’s it, they have lost. Where is the fairness in that?

If a player has committed an offence significant enough for them to be put ‘on report’ by a referee, then surely 10 minutes in the sin bin or even a red card for the more serious circumstances would benefit the team it was committed against much more than the accused getting a one match ban the week after.

It’s a cop out, plain and simple. The accused player gets away with it. Yes, he may face a punishment later on in the week but in that moment, he can continue on and help his side to a victory. It’s worth taking the chance that they may not receive punishment for it anyway, even after it has been reviewed.

If players knew that if they committed an offence, the consequences were immediate, they would be much less likely to do it in the first place. If the player is instantly removed from the field, they are not just letting themselves down but the whole team.

It’s about time this issue was reviewed and it was noted just how much players are getting away with bad behaviour, highlighted recently with some of the incidents we have seen in the first couple of rounds. Yes, this is a physical game and I myself like to see a bit of spirit but there is a line and if a player crosses it then they should face punishment immediately, not wait until a week later when the damage has already been done.

http://www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-league/2013/02/20/is-being-put-on-report-a-suitable-punishment.html

Why Does Union Take Precedence Over League?

Despite the fact that the Rugby League season has just kicked off, once again it is Rugby Union that is stealing the limelight with England’s so far successful campaign in the Six Nations tournament. Although I have been watching and enjoying the Six Nations and wish the England team all the luck in the world, why is it that Union always take precedence over League? Yes, I’m about to reignite the whole debate over which is the better code.

First of all there are the obvious differences, the number of players in a team, the lineouts, scrums and points obtained from tries, etc. However there are many other things that differ and for me personally, League wins every time.

One thing that is vitally important, especially in this current economic climate, is the cost. It is more expensive to watch Union; it’s as simple as that. For instance, England v Wales tickets in the Six Nations this year are selling on the internet for around the astonishing £275 mark. For tickets to watch England v Australia, including the Opening Ceremony, in the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, you would pay at the most £99 for the best seats, you could pay as little as £20. For a rugby loving family, that would make an enormous difference.

Now back to what happens on the pitch. Rugby League is a faster, more exciting game to watch. People say that the six tackle rule in League is what makes it boring but to me that just adds to the adrenaline, the pressure of knowing you have to make as much ground as possible and you only have six tackles in which to do it. It also means that the ball is always moving, in Union, it often appears to be lost for a good few seconds under a pile of sweaty bodies. Besides, there are too many rules in Union, the whistle is constantly being blown and the game stopped as everyone looks round in bewilderment claiming it wasn’t them.

Another bug-bear I have is that in League, points generally come from tries whereas in Union, they come from penalties. Teams can and often win games without even going over the line. This was evident in the dull game against Ireland at the weekend. Where is the excitement if tries are not being scored, surely that is the whole point of this beautiful game.

I can’t deny however that Union is more popular and gets far more coverage. I think this has a lot to do with the history of the sport.  Union was developed by the middle classes in the South after the great rugby split of 1895 and remained amateur until 1995. Rugby League was embraced by the working classes and is played mainly in the North. With these crucial factors in mind, ask yourself, did League ever really stand a chance of winning the popularity contest?

So, there you have it, although I think that Rugby League is the better code, unfortunately a lot of people don’t agree and sadly I don’t think it will ever become equal to Union. Let’s just hope we can have a fantastic season and an even better World Cup and show those Union fans just what they are missing out on.

 

http://www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-league/2013/02/15/why-does-union-take-precedence-over-league.html

 

Bring Back Promotion And Relegation

So the question was asked on the Super League fans Twitter page, if you could change anything in rugby league, what would it be? This got me thinking and a number of things came to mind but one suggestion made on there really stuck out to me, the licensing system.

Like many rugby league fans, I was quite happy with the old promotion and relegation system. One of the best games I have ever been to was the Wakefield v Castleford relegation battle in 2006. The passion, tension, jubilation and despair were something that I will never forget but I fear the magic that was created that night will never be seen again.

There is a divide in Super League, the teams who will always finish in the top 8 and the ones who will not. The top teams, they have the League Leaders Shield and Grand Final to fight for but what about the teams at the bottom. Yes, no one wants their team to be relegated but surely it would heighten the stakes. You get a sense that towards the end of the season, the teams that are at the bottom of the table give up because at the end of the day, what’s the worst that can happen?

Then there are the teams at the top of the Championship, teams like Featherstone who have finished at the top time and time again, what’s in it for them? Yes, the fans say it’s nice to win all the time but what do they have to show for it? Surely they deserve the place of the teams who have finished bottom of the league above; it’s how it works in most other sports.

Only the other week it was claimed that Super League has massive debts. Maybe that’s down to teams being forced into building stadiums that they cannot afford to, in order to retain a Super League franchise. I personally don’t see what’s wrong with the old stadiums, where the fans can mix and you are so close to the action. Most teams with the big stadiums can’t even fill them and the atmosphere is lost.

To me promotion and relegation makes the game into a competition, something to fight towards. For those teams who never make it into the play offs or past the first stage, it’s hardly been worth the 27 rounds but knowing you have survived relegation would be a bonus.

The licensing system means that rugby league has lost some of its spark. Promotion and relegation is a fair way of deciding who deserves to be in the top flight. The matches are just not the same knowing that no matter what, everyone is safe. Just because you can’t afford to build a big, pointless stadium doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to play at the highest level, it should be the performance on the pitch that seals your fate.

 

http://www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-league/2013/02/13/bring-back-promotion-and-relegation.html

 

One Round Down...

 
The first round of the new season got off to an interesting start this weekend with some shocking results and some cracking performances and I’m sure nobody failed to notice the curious choice of ‘outfits’ for the referee’s.

It all kicked off on Friday night with Leeds v Hull FC and although predictably the champions won, Hull put up a strong fight in the first half, despite star signing Gareth Ellis limping off early, proving they are here to fight for the top 8 this season. Unfortunately the same could not be said for Salford who were thrashed by league leaders Wigan, who look set to have another good season.

The first round continued with the most shocking result of the weekend, when Huddersfield came back from a dissapointing season to trample all over St Helens, who had been tipped for the top. It looks as though the Giants have put last season’s poor performance firmly behind them. Elsewhere, Warrington beat Castleford and in a battle of the bottom of the table from last year, Widnes were victorious over the London Broncos.

It was a close fought slog between Hull KR and Catalans on Sunday but it was the Dragons who came out triumphant and Wakefield seemed to lose the spark that inspired a winning streak at the end of last season and saw them sneak into the play-offs, by getting comfortably beaten by Bradford who also seemed to have put their troubles behind them.

So with Wigan now firmly at the top of the table, the season has well and truly begun. Although still no news of a sponsor for Super League, the season will continue with some tasty fixtures lined up this weekend, particularly interesting will be Wigan v Warrington on Friday night.

With some fairly bad injuries hitting some teams after a tough first round, it’s hard to predict whether or not the weekend’s results are a sign of things to come. Certainly, some teams will be desperately looking for improvements.  Personally, I’m desperately hoping someone gets the official’s some new kits before my eyesight is damaged anymore.

 

http://www.superleaguefans.com/rugby-league/2013/02/06/one-round-down.html