If Super League started from scratch, which teams would you have in?
This question is certainly going to spark debate among the rugby league anoraks out there.
Since Toronto Wolfpack entered the Rugby Football League pyramid in 2017, there seems to have been a divide created between rugby league aficionados in a battle of the expansionists against the heartlanders.
A lot of supporters have taken to the Canadian franchise like a duck to water, while others bemoan the fact a foreign team has entered the “European” competitions.
Earlier this week, former Great Britain international Bobbie Goulding revealed his blue print to take Super League global and to a wider audience.
Goulding’s 13-team Super League would look like this: Newcastle, Cumbria, one Hull team, West Yorkshire, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, London, Catalans, Toulouse, Toronto and one of Ottawa, New York, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh or UAE.
That means Goulding would see teams like Wigan, Salford, Leigh and Warrington merge to become Manchester, with St Helens and Widnes essentially rebranding to Liverpool.
Castleford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Featherstone would merge and Hull FC and Hull KR would become one.
Goulding’s bold plan certainly got fans debating the future of the game on social media – plenty disagreed with him and instead want to hold on to the heritage of the heartland clubs.
We want to know what you think…
If Super League started from scratch, what teams would you have in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Hull fc
Wigan
Saints
Wire
Castleford
London
Newcastle
Toronto
Catalan
Wakefield
Bradford
Sheffield
Huddersfield Bradford Halifax would be the right merger. thet can stay away from the 5 towns teams. but to make this work every team that makes up a merged team would need to disappear forever. because all that would happen is Fev Cas and wakey fans would support there own team but in a lower class of league or stop watching altogether. and it is that simple.
14 team competition
Newcastle
St Helens
Wigan
Leeds
Hull
London
Catalans
Toronto
Toulouse
Ottawa
New York
West Yorkshire
Manchester
Dublin/Belfast
Saints
Widnes
Leigh
Oldham
Cas
Huddersfield
Trinity
Leeds
Hull
Hull KR
Workington
Newcastle
Catalans
Toronto
Catalans
Castleford
Huddersfield
Hull
Hull KR
Leeds
London
Salford
ST Helens
Toulouse
Toronto
Wakefield
Warrington
Wigan
A 14 team competition. No loop fixtures, everyone plays each other home and away incl Magic (sacrifice home game on a rota)
Leeds,
Wigan,
St Helens,
Bradford,
Hull,
Catalans, Toulouse (must have a least 2 French teams)
London,
Warrington (benefactor)
Toronto, Ottawa, New York, (must have a least 2 NA teams)
Hull KR, (the Hull derby is a saleable asset)
Newcastle (Magic in Newcastle every other year, on the road other years)
For me it’s a variation on Goulding’s proposal that would be best, so we don’t just throw away thriving clubs at the top of the game to mergers or lose the history of the smaller traditional clubs.
Goulding’s vision would take years to achieve what can be done a lot more simply with a divisional restructure and agreed rebrands from the top clubs as conditions of entry.
The following is very easily achievable (were almost there).
Taking current top clubs still playing in current locations but with ability to open to huge new markets in addition to traditional fan bases
1. Leeds
2. London
3. Lancashire Warriors (Wigan)
4. Liverpool Saints (St Helens)
5. Cheshire Wire (Warrington)
6. Hull East Yorkshire
7. Manchester (Salford rebrand)
8. Catalans
9. Toronto
10. Toulouse
11. Cumbria NEW
12. West Yorkshire NEW
13. Welsh team NEW
Basically achievable by creating only 3 new teams and rebranding other traditional top teams.
Everyone else forms a vibrant British championship. Can you imagine how great and competitive that would be for the traditionalists in the heartlands- effectively the smaller SL and top championship clubs.
Under this proposal everyone wins imo. We create two great leagues, meet our strategic vision and grow the game, but preserve heritage, history and tradition
This is a variation on what I’ve suggested for years, but I’d achieve it through some re-brands of existing clubs….the following is very easily achievable. Traditional clubs still playing in current locations but with ability to open to huge new markets in addition to traditional fan bases
1. Leeds
2. London
3. Lancashire Warriors (Wigan)
4. Liverpool Saints (St Helens)
5. Cheshire Wire (Warrington)
6. Hull East Yorkshire
7. Manchester (Salford rebrand)
8. Catalans
9. Toronto
10. Toulouse
11. Cumbria NEW
12. West Yorkshire NEW
13. Welsh team NEW
Basically achievable by creating only 3 new teams and rebranding other traditional top teams. Everyone else forms a vibrant British championship. The game wins and progresses on two levels- expansion and a credible top level league to drive the game forward and a strong British championship for the traditionalists.
Bradford, Castleford, Catalan, Hull FC, Huddersfield, Saints, Leeds, Warrington, Wigan, London, Salford, widnes
Sorry for my english,
A 12 team competition (the last two with ? if TV contract allows team to share the financial fund with 2 more team without many loss). So 22 or 26 round max including magic weekend.
One mid season test for England (with NRL players) in Pacific, or two against Exile with only SL players)
One mid season test between England Knight and France in short run, and after 5years so a mid season test against England
Leeds
Bradford
StHelens
Wigan
Warrington
Toulouse
Catalan
Toronto or Ottawa (wiht the obligation to create at least a under18 team!)
Manchester(Salford)
London
Hull (KR+FC)
Castelford-Wakefield together
Cumbria?
Newcastle?
Hi would have 10 teams play home /away magicweek/end played at Wembley challenge cup at old Trafford top 4 play off at Newcastle football ground
Initially a 14 team competition a la Graz but growing to a 16/20 team
2 conference / 4 division based league.
No relegation. Like NHL/NBA/NFL systems. If North American division fails just go with 3 divisions and no conferences.
HEARTLAND WEST
Salford
St Helens
Warrington Wolves
Wigan Warriors
(Cumbrian team)
HEARTLAND EAST
Leeds Rhinos
Castleford Tigers
Hull FC
Hull KR
(Bradford Bulls)
EXPANSION EUROPE
London Broncos
Toulouse Olympique
Catalans Dragons
Newcastle Thunder
(Valencia / Red Star Belgrade)
EXPANSION NORTH (AMERICA)
Toronto Wolfpack
Ottawa Aces
New York RL
Calfornia / A.N.Other
(A.N.Other More)
16 teams – 27 games (H&A v others divs in conf, H&A v a div in other conf + H or A v other div in other conf on bi-yearly rotation plus a random – drawn – Magic), then conference based 6 team play offs. 3 rounds.
20 teams – 26 games (H&A v division, H or A v out of division with teams and venues on rotation plus one of these as Magic), then conference based 8 team (total) play offs. 4 rounds.
By this point Challenge Cup becomes difficult. Might need to become UK only comp. Maybe most of it as pre-season and final around May.
League season no longer than start of March to mid-October (32/33 weeks).
14 teams: Wigan, St Helens, Leeds, Wakefield, Castleford, Huddersfield, Workington, Barrow, Whitehaven, Salford, Widnes, Warrington, Hull KR and Hull FC
Wigan
St. Helens
LEEDS
Warrington
After all these are all the teams that have most money, most support, and usually win everything!
St helens
Wigan
Hull fc
Hull kr
Leeds
Bradford
Castleford
Wakefield
Warrington
Leigh
London
Catalan
Tolouse
Toronto
Keeping 4 big derbies they can sell and use to attract tv deals also france derby. Get rid of huddersfield who offer no fans to the league and almost no home grown players. Accept london toronto catalan as 3 home games with no away support
Wigan
St Helens
Hull or Hull KR
Leeds
Catalans
Toulouse
Newcastle
London
Toronto
Cumbria Franchise (name determined by super league)
Castleford or Wakefield
Huddersfield
Irish/Scottish/Welsh Franchise
Midlands Franchise
American Franchise
Warrington or Widnes
Leeds
St Helens
Timbuktu
Tokyo
Hong Kong
Sao Paulo
Heckmondwike (look it up)
Budapest
Rekyavik
Lisbon
Coventry
Stockholm
It’s all nonsense.
North America is very exciting, but it isn’t sustainable unless you are going to completely re-invent the game, the financing, the TV coverage, the rules.
Be realistic. Only three of the current Super League teams show any profit. Even pre Covid-19 none of them could afford to be jetting backwards and forwards across the atlantic so unless we are going to sell the game to the USA (I mean that literally) so they can restructure it to suit them because they will be footing most of the bills, it won’t happen.
Its not necessarily all nonsense.
If RL wants to secure its future then it must adapt to the changing economics of sport. Live sport is one of the few of events that can deliver a large audience in the otherwise fragmented digital media landscape. As such we should be in a strong position to sell our TV friendly product to the streaming giants.
In North America there are more billionaires looking to invest than there are sporting franchises for sale. Perez articulates the point well that the social and cultural reasons why RL expansion has failed in UK simply do not apply to North America. If Ottawa and NY are viable bids then RL must grab the opportunity with both hands. The teams should be brought into SL as soon as possible.
Michael Carter’s bleatings about Catalan not adding anything to RL have to be seen to be believed.
If the salary cap was removed for a period of time, natural selection would purge SL of the teams that are not viable. In such a scenario Wakefield might not survive but Catalan most certainly would.
Robert Elstone wrecked the TV deal for Catalan Dragons by asking for more money. It is clear that a second French team in SL is a needed in order to make a decent offering to broadcasters. Toulouse must be backed (roster and salary cap compensations) and brought into SL.
A team in London is also essential, they must be brought in and backed (e.g. London weighting to the salary cap)
14 team league but from the uk. New teams would be made to ensure that all the uk had teams. The competition will be home and away games only and 1 loop game being magic weekend which will travel around each year
Wigan
St Helen’s
Leeds
Warrington
Bradford
London
Hull fc
Hull kr
Castleford
Cornish rebels (cornwall)
Glasgow
Belfast
Cardiff
Liverpool
Initially a 14 team competition a la Graz but growing to a 16/20 team
2 conference / 4 division based league.
No relegation. Like NHL/NBA/NFL systems. If North American division fails just go with 3 divisions and no conferences.
HEARTLAND WEST
Salford
St Helens
Warrington Wolves
Wigan Warriors
(Cumbrian team)
HEARTLAND EAST
Leeds Rhinos
Castleford Tigers
Hull FC
Hull KR
(Bradford Bulls)
EXPANSION EUROPE
London Broncos
Toulouse Olympique
Catalans Dragons
Newcastle Thunder
(Valencia / Red Star Belgrade)
EXPANSION NORTH (AMERICA)
Toronto Wolfpack
Ottawa Aces
New York RL
Calfornia / A.N.Other
(A.N.Other More)
16 teams – 27 games (H&A v others divs in conf, H&A v a div in other conf + H or A v other div in other conf on bi-yearly rotation plus a random – drawn – Magic), then conference based 8 team play offs. 4 rounds.
20 teams – 28 games (H&A v conf, H or A v out of conf with teams and venues on rotation plus one of these as Magic), then conference based 8 team (total) play offs. 4 rounds.
By this point Challenge Cup becomes difficult. Might need to become UK only comp. Maybe most of it as pre-season and final around May.
League season no longer than start of March to mid-October (32/33 weeks).
Wigan
Leeds
St Helens
1 Hull team
Catalans/Barcelona
London
Toronto
Newcastle
Paris
New York
Toulouse
Berlin
Dublin
Move some franchises to the “new” places and sell the game by TV/streaming. It’s the future and every other sport is going to think globally. Salford v Castleford will not set the global audience alight.
Radical, yes but it’s the future.
1. St. Helens
2. Wigan
3. Leeds
4. Bradford
5. Warrington
6. Catalans
7. Toulouse
8. Toronto
9. New York
10. Castleford
11. Hull FC
12. Hull KR
But as always I think teams have to earn their place. So until then it stays as it is. I wish the RFL had supported PSG more in their bid to play Rugby League though…
Initially a 14 team competition a la Graz but growing to a 16/20 team
2 conference / 4 division based league.
No relegation. Like NHL/NBA/NFL systems. If North American division fails just go with 3 divisions and no conferences.
HEARTLAND WEST
Salford
St Helens
Warrington Wolves
Wigan Warriors
(Cumbrian team)
HEARTLAND EAST
Leeds Rhinos
Castleford Tigers
Hull FC
Hull KR
(Bradford Bulls)
EXPANSION EUROPE
London Broncos
Toulouse Olympique
Catalans Dragons
Newcastle Thunder
(Valencia / Red Star Belgrade)
EXPANSION NORTH (AMERICA)
Toronto Wolfpack
Ottawa Aces
New York RL
Calfornia / A.N.Other
(A.N.Other More)
16 teams – 27 games (H&A v others divs in conf, H&A v a div in other conf + H or A v other div in other conf on bi-yearly rotation plus a random – drawn – Magic), then conference based 8 team play offs. 4 rounds.
20 teams – 28 games (H&A v conf, H or A v out of conf with teams and venues on rotation plus one of these as Magic), then conference based 8 team (total) play offs. 4 rounds.
By this point Challenge Cup becomes difficult. Might need to become UK only comp. Maybe most of it as pre-season and final around May.
League season no longer than start of March to mid-October (32/33 weeks).
If anyone thinks that teams representing World capital cities and expansion into territories that have no solid amateur game underpinning the sport then I’m afraid you have a road map to disaster at the expense of the heartlands of RL communities. Just look at how football has struggled to get a foot hold in USA. I just don’t see how a sport that is essentially only played professionally around Sydney and the M62 corridor can have the same impression and impetus on such massive audiences without massive investment of time, money and targeting. Holding the 2021 World cup in USA could be the start of something along these lines but would be a money pit for the sport and resulting losses of income in the established arena. Better we concentrate on the heartlands making the sport the best we can and hope to attract new interest organically by attracting new fans from tasters and free marketing of the game to a wider geographical audience.
What is the continual fascination within RL journalism and from the fans to change the structure more times than their underpants? Clubs voted for this structure less than two years ago, why change now?
Pie in the sky
South Lancashire,Greater Manchester,West Yorkshire,East Yorkshire,South Yorkshire,Cumbria,Toronto,Ottawa,New York,Northumbria,South England,Ireland,South of France/Catalan,Frankfurt/Colone
Fourteen teams to play each other Home & Away with a top 5 Play off
1 Wigan
2 Saints
3 Leeds
4 Wire
5 Bradford
6 Castleford
7 Hull
8 Wakefield
9 Hull KR
10 Toronto
11 Salford
12 Catalans
13 Leigh
14 London
With 1 team relegated to see the likes of Widnes, Halifax, Tolouse & Featherstone, York etc hope.
Why would we have Newcastle, Paris, New York Toulouse, Berlin & Dublin rather than a well established team like Warrington.
I don’t support them. I support rugby League.
Your proposal will not fill RL grounds with supporters.
Salford
Swinton
Toulouse
Toronto
NY
Catalan
Bradford
Leeds
Wigan
St Helens
Hull
Newcastle
Huddersfield
Castleford
Any 12 you like
Except Wigan