Re: Looking back on the SL era : Thu Feb 16, 2023 12:23 am  

TheWarringtonWolve69 wrote:

Nothing to do with away fans. Last year, Leeds took 2 eight seater mini buses to St Helens. Didn’t do St Helens any harm did it as they won SL with ease. On the flip side, st Helen’s took 3k to Leeds

It is when you need the income from gate money. Something that Leeds nor Saints need to worry about. Comparing two of the most supported clubs in the country to new clubs with no fanbase doesn't really work.

If the so called 'Totally Wicked' Stadium had any atmosphere at all, there may have been more Leeds fans travelling. More atmosphere watching it at home with your grandma.

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:58 am  

TheWarringtonWolve69 wrote:

Nothing to do with away fans. Last year, Leeds took 2 eight seater mini buses to St Helens. Didn’t do St Helens any harm did it as they won SL with ease. On the flip side, st Helen’s took 3k to Leeds

Saints can’t even get 3K to attend Grand Finals.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Thu Feb 16, 2023 2:31 pm  

UllFC wrote:

Too much tinkering would be my biggest criticism.

At the start we had mergers proposed then the game chickened out due to a backlash and a first past the post league table with a focus on Paris, Sheffield and London.

Quite quickly Paris and Sheffield fell by the way side and we switched to a playoffs and Grand Final format. I suposse the 00s were relatively stable then we switched the Franchising. The game then got bored of that and went back to promotion and relegation and teams based overseas were the focus. We then had the disaster that was Middle8s, now back to franchising again.

So a change in approach every few years or so, and expansion teams are the big new thing then quickly die out, rinse and repeat.

2 teams in hull as well.

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:01 pm  

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Re: Looking back on the SL era : Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:03 pm  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

2 teams in hull as well.

There has been two teams in Hull since before the birth of Rugby League. It will be a sad day for the sport if they didn't both exist. The Hull Derby dates back over 120 years.

There was pressure to merge them for the Super League in 1996 and play under the name 'Humberside', but there was too much backlash so Hull FC were rebranded as Hull Sharks for a few years before reverting back to their true name.

[Mild Rover]

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Thu Feb 16, 2023 7:59 pm  

Leeds_Luke wrote:

There has been two teams in Hull since before the birth of Rugby League. It will be a sad day for the sport if they didn't both exist. The Hull Derby dates back over 120 years.

There was pressure to merge them for the Super League in 1996 and play under the name 'Humberside', but there was too much backlash so Hull FC were rebranded as Hull Sharks for a few years before reverting back to their true name.

38 years since either club were champions, by far the longest gap in the trophy being held in the city. Mind, still the 4th and 5th most recent champions among current SL clubs.

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Fri Feb 17, 2023 2:47 pm  

Leeds_Luke wrote:

There has been two teams in Hull since before the birth of Rugby League. It will be a sad day for the sport if they didn't both exist. The Hull Derby dates back over 120 years.

There was pressure to merge them for the Super League in 1996 and play under the name 'Humberside', but there was too much backlash so Hull FC were rebranded as Hull Sharks for a few years before reverting back to their true name.

The idea that you could just merge the two Hull teams and suddenly have a club with a 15-20k average crowd is a myth, far too much history and bad feeling for that ever to happen.

The derbys themselves also generate big gates and SL has used the derby many times at the Magic Weekend as they know it draws a crowd.

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:26 pm  

Lol. Hull didn’t “merge” with Gateshead. They took them over so they could retain their super league status and were also paid £1.25m in handouts

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Sat Feb 18, 2023 12:14 am  

UllFC wrote:

The idea that you could just merge the two Hull teams and suddenly have a club with a 15-20k average crowd is a myth, far too much history and bad feeling for that ever to happen.

The derbys themselves also generate big gates and SL has used the derby many times at the Magic Weekend as they know it draws a crowd.

That's my point. It was on the cards for the 1996 season, but never formed as no-one, in the whole of the Rugby League fraternity, wanted it to happen.

This was well before Magic Weekend was ever dreamt up.

Re: Looking back on the SL era : Sat Feb 18, 2023 12:15 am  

TheWarringtonWolve69 wrote:

Lol. Hull didn’t “merge” with Gateshead.

Who said they did? Are you making false narratives up in your head again?