posted May 10, 2008

I think it's ok as it is. You can't increase the size of the Premiership because the players already play too many games. Definitely shouldn't make it like super 14, I could think of nothing worse.

I do however think that all the clubs in National One should be helped to turn professional. I've always seen it as a bit unfair with half semi pro half pro teams, not at all a level playing field. The RFU gives way too much money to help the GP clubs, but never enough to help the League One clubs.

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posted May 14, 2008

The GP is ready for 14 teams. The geographic spread needs to be looked at a little bit.
The idea could be 2 conferences of 7, playing home and away (12 matches) plus inter-conference matches (7) and a 'ranking' match against team of similar ranking from last season (1 match). This would give a total of 20 league matches (2 less) this would the international dates to be kept clear.

The Anglo-Welsh Cup could then be played during the 6N without internationals, (good for developing players).

Using this seasons results the conferences would look like this

North South
Gloucester Wasps
Leicester Bath
Sale Harlequins
Worcester London Irish
Newcastle Saracens
Leeds Bristol
Northampton Exeter

an example fixture list for wasps would be
1) Bath H
2) Bath A
3) Harlequins H
4) Harlequins A
5) London Irish H
6) London Irish A
7) Saracens H
8) Saracens A
9) Bristol H
10) Bristol A
11) Exeter H
12) Exeter A
13) Gloucester H
14) Gloucester A (Ranking match)
15) Leeds H
16) Newcastle A
17) Worcester H
18) Sale A
19) Leicester H
20) Northampton A

Play-offs would be for top 2 in each conference with 3rds & 4ths playing off for the final HEC place in similar fashion.
The bottom team in each conference would play off with the top 2 from NL1 for promotion/relegation only one off matches.

This would mean everyone bar 5th and 6th being involved in post season, so perhaps the play-offs could be played at Twickenham w/e.
Sat - Prom/Rel play-offs
Sun - Wildcard play-off & Grand Final

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posted Nov 11, 2008

This is mad!
finish 8th in the league and get promoted

nuts.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Higgie 3 - exactly how is Glouster in the North? And do you really want to do away with two west country derbies a season? I really can't express my thoughts on this plan without being kicked off by the mods...

As EaWCB says finishing eighth and being in with a shot at the final is crazy - it devalues the league. If we got shot of the golden parachute and funded the Championship properly, it would allow teams like Exeter and Nottingham to compete properly. I like the proposed structures, just not the plans for the play offs. How about just having the same final system as the GP with the Championship and ameteur finals at Twickenham same day as the GP final, kinda like they do with the national cup, trophy and the EDF?

The new national 1 (prev. nat 2) would be a league for the remaining professional clubs outside the 12 selected, with a promotion play off with the bottom team in the championship.

Something needs to be done as the gulf in class in Nat1 at the moment just puts the players at risk

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posted Nov 11, 2008

"finish 8th in the league and get promoted" I agree what a joke if the really want to make it 'exciting' how about the same system as operates to determine the premiership champions??or a top two sudden death match or something. Not the top eight into a pool played over how ever long with.........whatever its boring me now

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posted Nov 12, 2008

the finishing 8th bit sounds barmy - keep the GP system - atleast 4 teams are usually in or around the hunt for the title.

have to agree that it is possibly time to increase the GP to 14 teams with 2 up and down - OR at least one up/down and a second in a play off as mention (altho i think the GP team will win 80-90% of the time). to accomodate this we can get rid/revamp the Anglo-Welsh cup (again - revamp that is!) and as mentioned make it an under-23 comp that is played in the AI's and the 6N - with possibly 3 over aged players, or something similar.

However the amount of games is a worry for the modern player - so im not sure how this increase would work, possibly with an increase in the salary gap or possible - and here's a new idea - allow all under 23 player's salary's not to count to the gap - thus encouraging clubs to promote young players into the squad.....! thoughts?

the regional concept? mmmm i'm not sold on the idea - i understand how it is an 'attractive' idea but in reality it means missing out on some classic grudge matches - a west country derby plus others such as wasps vs tigers!

scrap the A-W cup and that saves minimum of 3 games straight away. on the other hand a domestic cup comp has thrived for a long time...

either way - it will be great for the rfu to pump more of its vast resources into ND1 - it is about time. we have the playing capacity to support a second league and i also believe we have the infrastructure and the fan base to support a second tier, so let's go for it. Plus it will hopefully provide a place for players missed by the academies (shaun perry and Ward-Smith spring to mind) and also gives young players int he GP academies a better grounding if they head out on loan.

cheers.

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posted Nov 13, 2008

<<This is mad!
finish 8th in the league and get promoted

nuts. >>

I agree it's utter madness. What's more, finish 9th and you could get relegated. If every team in the league is going to be involved in a playoff for either promotion or relegation, why bother having the league?

Organisers nowadays seem so determined to have an 'exciting' end to the season they seem quite happy to undermine the whole point of having a league in the first place.

They seem to be trying to copy the American post-season sports model, but look at the NFL playoffs by contrast. 12 teams out of 32 qualify for the playoffs. That's a much smaller ratio than 8 out of 12!

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posted Nov 14, 2008

What a joke, Don`t forget the minimun ground criteia as well, long standing clubs such as Rotherham could go to wall over this and have already suffered enough having been denied promotion due to "ground critria" already. There`s not enough money in Nat 1 as it is and the RFU have only talked of the next 2 years then what?. The whole of the RFU are a set of crooks, they know exactly what there doing, after 2 years the money will dry up and Nat 1 will collapse therefore preserving/ringfencing the prem which is what they`ve been after all along. Time to join the french or Celtic leagues me thinks.

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posted Nov 15, 2008

I hate to have to take something from the Soccer boys but I would leave the Prem at 12 clus but introduce a 2 up 2 down promotion/relegation with the bottom 2 teams from prem automatically relegated, and the top team from championship gaining automatic promotion with the teams in 2nd thru 4th playing off for the other promotion place.

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posted Nov 15, 2008

These are all very good point! It's madness to have such a large section of the league playing for promotion. A 2 up, 2 down system would work the best with the second team going up coming from a four team playoff (like in the Championship in football). I think there shouldn't be a playoff for relegation. What if a team finishes bottom with 5 points (for example) and end up winning their playoff games and staying up. You shouldn't have a cup mentality to decide who stays up.

What is more promising is what they have devised for the lower divisions and regionalising them. This is following the French structure which works very well. By cutting down on travelling for these teams it saves money and the standard at this level is so similar with all teams capable of beating each other.

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