Since big Nige took over, what has he achieved for our sport? He's implemented a new league system that gives the best of the championship the chance to take on the worst of the super league, but unless you're Leigh with millions in the bank, chances are you still won't be going up.

He's also struck a new long term deal with Sky who don't really give two hoots about the sport. The introduction of Friday Night Football will probably reduce the amount of casual viewers that watch RL on a Fridnay night. Yes without Sky's money a lot of teams will be going down the toilet but that just sums up how small our sport has become. And despite Sky money's a lot of teams are still going to the wall. Then there's the shocking standard of officiating and disciplinary proceedings.

I have no confidence in that big turd turning around this sports fortunes, because it has been on the decline for several years now.

Agree with all that Avenger and just to back it up I've heard that Sheffield will go under if a new owner doesn't appear soon.

Sorry, I mean Willzey

It does feel like the quality is declining. The Middle and Super eights need tweaking. The Middle 8's are exciting, but the Championship clubs are at a disadvantage because 4 of their 7 games are against higher league opposition, whereas for the Super League teams more than half are against lower. However, the team who finishes fourth is effectively the bottom team in Super League and would ordinarily be relegated.

Go back to the top six format. Go back to the Championship Grand Final. If you want a MPG, have it against bottom and Grand Final winners, with no new recruitment allowed after mid-July.

The Sheffield problems are more to do with losing a backer and gambling on the top four.

The biggest problem is quality, and the salary cap needs to be examined. The league is certainly more competitive, but the NRL is too much of a draw now. The whole England pack will be playing in Aus now, as with many of the backs. We are losing too much quality.

Sheffield going full time and failing with money they haven't got, surely someone must have looked into their finances before a decision was made. I don't know but you'll have thought the RFL also kept an eye on these sort of decisions before it went tits up as it appears to have done.

Similar to the York situation (which seems to have steadied for now). Don't the RFL go through a "fit for purpose" process when there are offers to buy RL clubs?

Investment is probably the RFL's biggest failure. That year when Stobart were the main sponsors for free was criminal.

I think the Salary Cap is good for the game but think it needs a bit of a tweak.

There is no way SL could compete with the NRL on the cap ceiling.

Generally there is more money down under and this extends beyond sport. I looked into salaries and for what I do I could earn 20-30% more down under.

If it got increased too high there will be several clubs going under.

I also think the new concept for World Club Championship is wrong and should just revert back to the GF winners

I think the Salary Cap is good for the game but think it needs a bit of a tweak.

There is no way SL could compete with the NRL on the cap ceiling.

Generally there is more money down under and this extends beyond sport. I looked into salaries and for what I do I could earn 20-30% more down under.

If it got increased too high there will be several clubs going under.

I also think the new concept for World Club Championship is wrong and should just revert back to the GF winners

You could argue that, the introduction of the Middle 8's, has already pushed 2 clubs (Bradford and Sheffield and possibly York) right to the cliff edge.
It's ok having a pathway into the top flight but, if this means that clubs chasing the dream age going to go bust, it needs some serious thought.

Even though it's against the very ethos of "sport", maybe the top flight should be decided by the state of a clubs finances and then leave it up to the others to improve their financial health.
I know that this would see clubs like Trinity in the second tier and I dont want to see that but, the bigger picture, with clubs like Toulouse, Toronto and probably others destined to compete for SL, the smaller clubs like ourselves, Cas, KR and probably Widnes, just aren't going to be able to compete and it's only a matter of time before we fall from grace.

Equally, the RFL should take some responsibility for the state of the game.

Although there has been success with The GF and Magic Weekend, overall it feels like the sport is going backwards and something has to change.

Perhaps there was an assumption that Bradford would make the top four and it's on the field where it's gone wrong more than off it. I suppose the problem is that the sudden loss of income comes in the same season as financial obligations are acquired. It's one thing changing your expenditure if you get relegated, but how hard must it be to budget if the half a million pound drop in fortunes comes half way through the same season?

If you had one-up, one-down, once Leigh go up under that system, everyone can operate more evenly and budget for the year ahead in the close season. It's the timing of the drop that is the problem, with all the existing contracts in place.

And the Super 8's are a borefest. The old top-six format worked.

Why bring a team in from Toronto when York, Sheffield and Bradford are all struggling. Crazy!

Agreed but, the new structure means that more clubs are chasing the dream and realistically more clubs are in jeopardy and both of these scenarios are likely to cause clubs to over reach themselves.

Top 5 is probably best in a 12 team league and as I mentioned in another thread, if The RFL are so determined to have the MPG then, why not just have top of The Championship vs bottom of SL.

It's still crazy that a club finishing 9th in SL or 4th in the Championship should even contest promotion or relegation, especially in 12 team leagues.

Let's face it, the new system looked bonkers when it was introduced and apart from an increase in attendances for the Championship clubs who make it into the middle 8's, it's actually had a detrimental effect on attendances.

Mind you, Sky are probably happy as it gives them more games to screen at the end of the season but, after 1 1/2 seasons it's killing the game.