In the UK, the rugby league administrators and chairmen are trying to find how best to maximise their funding opportunities in the next TV deal.
Get it right and it may revolutionise the sport in the Northern Hemisphere. Get it wrong and it may be the demise of professional rugby league in the UK.
If I were RFL chief Ralph Rimmer or Super League boss Robert Elstone, I would sit down together and determine what is the best structure and mix of teams that brings in the biggest TV dollar.
New clubs in America and Europe bring significant opportunity. This opportunity needs to be seized, which can only be done through offering these clubs licences for the Super League.
This should be done for two reasons. Firstly, to unlock new funding streams and growth abroad. Secondly, the international clubs bring much needed cachet and marketing back home in the UK.
However, English support have pushed against licensing due to the traditional and romantic idea of promotion and relegation. This model ensures that clubs at the top earn their spot and keeps lower clubs at the bottom fighting all season long.
International franchises like the Toronto Wolfpack are the future of rugby league in the Northern Hemisphere. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
If I were Ralph and Robert, I would sell the TV channels this proposition.
The 14 clubs in Super League play 26 rounds of home and away.
The five exciting international clubs are given a five-year licence for the top league. These clubs must become central to the repositioning of Super League, not a side distraction.
The four UK clubs that have won the Super League grand final should also be offered a five-year licence for the top league. These clubs are powerhouses, who bring tradition and brand recognition across the UK and the rugby league world.
Two from Yorkshire (Leeds and Bradford) and two from Lancashire (St Helens and Wigan) keep healthy rivalries. I still can’t believe only four clubs have won the grand final in the Super League era.
The remaining five places come through a promotion/relegation system from a pool of 15 professional UK clubs. These 15 clubs are provided five-year licences to be in the top two tiers, with central funding being distributed to these clubs proportionally to their table standings.
Before awarding licences to these UK clubs, I would open an expression of interest to new UK clubs or new club owners who wish to invest. These may include the Newcastle Thunder or Marwan Koukash’s Liverpool side.
The top five UK clubs of each year would play in the Super League and remaining ten play in the lower Super League Two.
At the end of each season, the bottom club of these five play in the million pound game against the top club of SL2 to remain in Super League.
SL2 would have ten UK professional/semi-professional clubs, playing each other three times in 27 rounds. The league leader plays off in the million pound game for the chance of promotion to Super League.
UK clubs outside of this Super League structure would play in a revamped amateur Championship league funded by the RFL.
Based on the current table table standings, my suggested two leagues would be a very strong and exciting comp.
Super League
1. St Helens (UK licence)
2. Wigan (UK licence)
3. Leeds (UK licence)
4. Bradford (UK licence)
5. Catalans (international licence)
6. Tolouse (international licence)
7. Toronto (international licence)
8. Ottawa (international licence)
9. New York (international licence)
10. Warrington (promotion/relegation)
11. Hull FC (promotion/relegation)
12. Castleford (promotion/relegation)
13. Wakefield (promotion/relegation)
14. Salford (promotion/relegation)
Super League Two
1. Huddersfield (promotion/relegation)
2. Hull KR (promotion/relegation)
3. London (promotion/relegation)
4. York (promotion/relegation)
5. Featherstone (promotion/relegation)
6. Leigh (promotion/relegation)
7. Sheffield (promotion/relegation)
8. Halifax (promotion/relegation)
9. Widnes (promotion/relegation)
10. Newcastle (promotion/relegation)
mama
Guest
perhaps they are open-minded -During the amateur RU era, no Rugby coach would want to go pro however hundreds of Rugby players went to league for the money - I think there are 60 Aussie dual internationals
Mama
Guest
The soulless NRL stadiums - Homebush, SFS/SCG?
Kevin
Roar Rookie
How about having all 24 teams as franchises, in an NFL style competition. 4 groups of 6, Home and away in group and home or away v rest, 28 rounds. Group winners plus next best 4 teams into play offs.
Pete
Guest
Certainly know your northern rugby clubs Kick and Crap...go on get started on your love hate relationship with rugby
kick n clap
Guest
Just like having Sale & Newcastle Falcons above Leicester in the UK. Total waste of money and effort? Two Sugar Daddies setting fire to their Retirement's. Don't get me started on Super Ruggar. That is a joke and a Total waste of every bodies time. The Large, Soul less empty stadiums says it all.
kick n Clap
Guest
I can. Who did you think produced The THREE Burgess boys and Whitehead and Bateman? We are also feeding all the other big Super league clubs, whilst we re-build our brand base. Can name anybody else who has continually fed the NRL market with such quality players ? The answer is the "Phoenix is Rising "
Rebecka
Guest
The Celtic Crusaders entered National League 2 in 2007 and won it with only three losses to go up in their first season, as happened with Toronto. In 2008 they finished second behind Salford in NL1 but went on to beat them 36–18 in the grand final (having also beaten them 44–18 in the qualifying play-off) to be crowned champions. Licensing helped Salford return to a Super League, and for Castleford retain their place due to expansion. But the Crusaders had earned promotion under the previous rules you think are right, so would have gone up regardless.
westernred
You would understand that union has sought many league coaches whereas no league clubs want union coaches. This has seen union copy league attack and defence strategies to make it a better game. This shows that league has always been superior in skills and thinking otherwise the skills and thinking would be coming from union to league.
Jimmy
Roar Guru
I agree with the Piper, one of the best things League did was move to Summer, less direct competing with Union and Football, although there is still some crossover.
Peter Piper
Guest
You try playing league in the north of england in Winter. Pitches like concrete 2 months of the year, rain, snow, fog etc cancelling matches which then have to be "caught up" by playing twice a week. There is no way they will go back
Big Daddy
Guest
I really can't get excited about what happens in UK super league. I'm more interested in getting our game in order here. The only thing is I wish they would go back to their original winter comp as it makes international league more viable.
Loosehead
Guest
Well, they are still rucks and mauls regardless even though you say they no longer exist.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
ya call those rucks & mauls? They are up quicker than a play the ball these days & a quarter of the team used to plonk on the ground.
Loosehead
Guest
Geez Cathar, then all those rucks and mauls I saw In the Shute Shield game I was watching on the weekend must have been all in my imagination.
Fred
Guest
PS Virgy, by making all those comments on Canadian rugby league articles, you're telling the algorithms there's more interest in these articles. You are literally encouraging more press coverage of rugby league in Canada. Hahaha.
Tingo Tango
Guest
Well if you are really good we will let your clubs play in the number one club competition in the world being the NRL.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
And equating the same term as a woman terminating a baby to use in your rants was perfectly a great light on yourself?
Fred
Guest
Your loneliness is also symptomatic of a societal problem, Virgy. It's not fair.
Heritage 13
Guest
This comment has been removed for breaching The Roar's comments policy.
Fred
Guest
Thanks Virgy.