The Virtual Terrace • Re: Magic weekend and the Relegation Question.
Call Me God wrote:
Firstly, Widnes being replaced by London was done in a open and fair fashion. There was no need for a "conspiracy" theory debate because the rues were in place......what asked was this time around, with SL in charge of their own comp and not the RFL, would they consider not relegating Leeds. FWIW, London currently attract 2,306 fewer fans to home games than Widnes did last year.......losing leeds would add another digit to the front of that number!
Leeds are responsible for 11% of the total attendance of Super League. When they visit London, they are the 3rd biggest draw (after Wigan and Saints) and are one of only 3 current SL sides who average in excess of 4k in the capital based on the years 1996-2014.
The average attendance for a London v Leeds game in that period is 4,130. Widnes attendances in the Capital are somewhat smaller, with an average gate of 3,034.....or 27% fewer fans and below the total London Broncos average figure for that period, which is 3,538.
Now, whilst it's just my opinion that away fans shouldn't be a key in deciding if teams are good or bad for the competition, if we are to remain in the public consciousness, an 11% drop in attendances is neither going to boost our awareness ratings or please TV executives......if Leeds finish bottom of the pile and are replaced by Toronto, do you believe that it won't impact on the SKY's (or any other domestic broadcaster who is interested) offer?
I don't honestly believe that Leeds will finish bottom, but the longer their plight remains in doubt, the more twitchy the SL chairmen will be getting and a period of "certainty" for both clubs and TV execs may be the order of the day.
Perversely, Widnes were one of the real success stories of the last licencing era.......I'd have them in a 16 side SL, along with Toulouse, Toronto and Bradford......
I also believe that should Leeds finish bottom, they will be replaced in an open and fair fashion. I don't see the RFL or SL (whoever makes the rules in respect of league structure) changing one up and one down for this season. I do believe that the RFL will be disappointed if Leeds were relegated, but I cannot see SL being expanded in 2020 just to save them. It's difficult enough for the 12 SL clubs to balance the books as it is, with the Sky money. Having to share tv revenue by a further two clubs, is the reason I believe it won't happen.
Whether Leeds finishing bottom would cause Sky any loss of sleep, I don't honestly know. The bottom line for Sky, I agree, is viewing figures, but I'm not sure whether no Leeds fixtures would have such a bearing on viewing figures. I for one tend to watch as many games as I can, regardless of who is playing, to get the best out of my subscription. Happen there will be others who do similar, and those who pick and choose. I can't see Sky being too bothered who plays as long as their schedules are filled. Regardless of all this, if the viewing figures for RL are already seen to be falling with Sky, then negotiations for our next deal are going to be really tough. This, ultimately, is what I see SL chairmen getting twitchy about, whether Leeds stay in SL, or not.
I don't believe that Leeds will finish bottom, either, and I would prefer a 15 team SL. Playing home and away = 28 games, plus magic weekend for 29. A bye would have to be used, but the NRL have shown it's doable. Many have stated the repeating of fixtures between the same teams isn't ideal, and I'm one of them. Expanding SL would help, but I cannot see it happening.
On franchising, I'm not a fan. I've always been an advocate of P&R, although the days of four teams being relegated were just nuts. One up one down seems fair to give Championship clubs with ambition the opportunity to give it go in SL. With my team, I cannot say that more talent came through our academy to first team during franchising than in P&R, and clubs still had cash flow issues under both systems. Our thoughts are only conjecture, and who knows how SL will evolve (who would have imagined two leagues breaking up into three?) in the future.
Statistics: Posted by MorePlaymakersNeeded — Mon Apr 08, 2019 7:16 pm