Super League 2025


What’s everyone’s thoughts on this proposed NRL take over of super league? Sounds very interesting to say the least. Going to an 8 league competition with

Wigan
Warrington
Leeds
Catalans
Hull FC
Hull KR
London
Toulouse

It’s going to be very interesting to see if they get clubs to merge. Rumours that Huddersfield and Halifax potentially merging and Huddersfield moving to the shay.
 

widnesblue said:
What’s everyone’s thoughts on this proposed NRL take over of super league? Sounds very interesting to say the least. Going to an 8 league competition with

Wigan
Warrington
Leeds
Catalans
Hull FC
Hull KR
London
Toulouse

It’s going to be very interesting to see if they get clubs to merge. Rumours that Huddersfield and Halifax potentially merging and Huddersfield moving to the shay.
Click to expand...
8 teams is a bit rubbish. What happens to castleford, Wakefield, St Helens etc?
 
cronullasharks said:
8 teams is a bit rubbish. What happens to castleford, Wakefield, St Helens etc?
Click to expand...
God knows. Very surprised St. Helens haven’t been included in the teams rumoured to be joining. I think the plan is to try and merge certain clubs like Castleford, Wakefield and Featherstone. 3 clubs in the same city basically. They’ll become one big super club, although they tried to do that in the past, to much tribalism in this country. Rivalries run deep between those 3 clubs, I’m sure Cas and Wakefield wouldn’t want featherstone fans turning up, they cause a lot of trouble.

Heard rumours that they want to build the French league up by including clubs from Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and a few other territories.

I’m pretty sure the sky deal is up at the end of next season, with DAZN buying NRL rights, they’ll likely get British rugby league tv rights.
 
widnesblue said:
God knows. Very surprised St. Helens haven’t been included in the teams rumoured to be joining. I think the plan is to try and merge certain clubs like Castleford, Wakefield and Featherstone. 3 clubs in the same city basically. They’ll become one big super club, although they tried to do that in the past, to much tribalism in this country. Rivalries run deep between those 3 clubs, I’m sure Cas and Wakefield wouldn’t want featherstone fans turning up, they cause a lot of trouble.

Heard rumours that they want to build the French league up by including clubs from Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and a few other territories.

I’m pretty sure the sky deal is up at the end of next season, with DAZN buying NRL rights, they’ll likely get British rugby league tv rights.
Click to expand...
Merging teams does not work. 1 team either swallows the weaker team (St George - Illawarra) or the 2 entities have decades long feuds and never truly become united (Wests Tigers). And you lose a lot of lifelong fans.
 
cronullasharks said:
Merging teams does not work. 1 team either swallows the weaker team (St George - Illawarra) or the 2 entities have decades long feuds and never truly become united (Wests Tigers). And you lose a lot of lifelong fans.
Click to expand...
So true. One of the reasons the game is dying in this country because super league was pretty much a closed shop. Clubs like Widnes, Oldham, Featherstone and the likes wasn’t wanted in super league. The game pretty much died in those towns but what they didn’t realise was, how much them towns produce talent and have huge amateur teams playing and supporting them clubs. It drove fans away in thousands and it’s hard to get them back. It’s why they struggle selling out Wembley and old Trafford because they killed the fan bases off in those towns.

I’m not saying those clubs are gonna grow the sport, but you don’t kill them off and bring in clubs like Catalans and London instead of them who have brought absolutely nothing into the competition.
 
widnesblue said:
God knows. Very surprised St. Helens haven’t been included in the teams rumoured to be joining. I think the plan is to try and merge certain clubs like Castleford, Wakefield and Featherstone. 3 clubs in the same city basically. They’ll become one big super club, although they tried to do that in the past, to much tribalism in this country. Rivalries run deep between those 3 clubs, I’m sure Cas and Wakefield wouldn’t want featherstone fans turning up, they cause a lot of trouble.

Heard rumours that they want to build the French league up by including clubs from Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and a few other territories.

I’m pretty sure the sky deal is up at the end of next season, with DAZN buying NRL rights, they’ll likely get British rugby league tv rights.
Click to expand...
I would like to see the French league built up from the existing competition. Hull KR's foray into Amsterdam was intriguing. Could there be a market there? I disagree with merging clubs, it has failed in the past and there are no indicators that it would succeed this time.
 

9LeagueTitles5FACups said:
I would like to see the French league built up from the existing competition. Hull KR's foray into Amsterdam was intriguing. Could there be a market there? I disagree with merging clubs, it has failed in the past and there are no indicators that it would succeed this time.
Click to expand...

What people in rugby league have failed in realising is in order to have a strong international competition. You need strong league formats in countries that will produce better quality of players, they need strong league structures for clubs to grow. This whole format of introducing one clubs from each country into the English competition doesn’t work. If you do bring them in, use them as expansion teams and not to replace heartland clubs.

Catalans have been in super league for almost 20 years and brought absolutely nothing to the competition apart from been French. Bringing them in was at expense of Widnes and Leigh. It’s took Leigh almost two decades to bounce back, Widnes never recovered. The French national team haven’t improved, the hasn’t been an influx of French players. They don’t bring in any revenue to clubs, they might bring 5 fans over a season. It’s killing clubs financially without away fans.

Toronto was a farce, Paris was a farce, south wales was a disgrace how they got fast tracked into super league.

125 years to late on trying expansion in rugby league.
 
widnesblue said:
What’s everyone’s thoughts on this proposed NRL take over of super league? Sounds very interesting to say the least. Going to an 8 league competition with

Wigan
Warrington
Leeds
Catalans
Hull FC
Hull KR
London
Toulouse

It’s going to be very interesting to see if they get clubs to merge. Rumours that Huddersfield and Halifax potentially merging and Huddersfield moving to the shay.
Click to expand...
I hate it personally, but I get the logic
 
widnesblue said:
What people in rugby league have failed in realising is in order to have a strong international competition. You need strong league formats in countries that will produce better quality of players, they need strong league structures for clubs to grow. This whole format of introducing one clubs from each country into the English competition doesn’t work. If you do bring them in, use them as expansion teams and not to replace heartland clubs.

Catalans have been in super league for almost 20 years and brought absolutely nothing to the competition apart from been French. Bringing them in was at expense of Widnes and Leigh. It’s took Leigh almost two decades to bounce back, Widnes never recovered. The French national team haven’t improved, the hasn’t been an influx of French players. They don’t bring in any revenue to clubs, they might bring 5 fans over a season. It’s killing clubs financially without away fans.

Toronto was a farce, Paris was a farce, south wales was a disgrace how they got fast tracked into super league.

125 years to late on trying expansion in rugby league.
Click to expand...
One thing which I have felt is an issue for a while now is the relatively homogenous range of national teams - yes you have the Home Nations, France, Australia, New Zealand, a handful of Pacific Island nations and some less established sides (e.g. Lebanon). Yet, you don't see the same variety of teams as there is in union (Argentina, South Africa, Japan etc.), which is something that I feel legitimises union as a format (make no mistake, I prefer league to union). That issue stems from both the grassroots, but also a lack of targeted expansion. My preferred option would be to expand Super League to 14 teams and grow a competition in France, whilst also tapping into areas which union has not touched. I would also keep at least one relegation place in Super League.
 
widnesblue said:
What people in rugby league have failed in realising is in order to have a strong international competition. You need strong league formats in countries that will produce better quality of players, they need strong league structures for clubs to grow. This whole format of introducing one clubs from each country into the English competition doesn’t work. If you do bring them in, use them as expansion teams and not to replace heartland clubs.

Catalans have been in super league for almost 20 years and brought absolutely nothing to the competition apart from been French. Bringing them in was at expense of Widnes and Leigh. It’s took Leigh almost two decades to bounce back, Widnes never recovered. The French national team haven’t improved, the hasn’t been an influx of French players. They don’t bring in any revenue to clubs, they might bring 5 fans over a season. It’s killing clubs financially without away fans.

Toronto was a farce, Paris was a farce, south wales was a disgrace how they got fast tracked into super league.

125 years to late on trying expansion in rugby league.
Click to expand...
I have to throw a curve ball in here, both France and Italy are now producing enough rugby union bodies, and just by sheer numbers there must be capable or better RL players in that mix. If there was money in being a RL player there, then there'd be a path to making it as a pro.
Some gooseberry that runs twickenham was recently meowing on about there not being enough events to maximise earnings for the stadium and the national game for development and interest and blah blah. Maybe league needs bringing into the fold and utilising to keep interest there, after all, the SH sides and players can find a career and an audience.
The chop and change nature of the tv deal didn't help matters in league, and tampering with the classic and authentic roots of a sport doesn't always fit right. Cheapen a sport and see the fans leave, look at boxing and the exodus to the mma codes.
 

Welcome

Join Grand Old Team to get involved in the Everton discussion. Signing up is quick, easy, and completely free.

Register

Shop

Back
Top