IMG Proposals

Rugby League in the UK recently entered into a 12 year strategic partnership with IMG to improve the overall management of the code. Some of their just released proposals are as below.

1) Pro clubs to be assessed and ranked. 'A' grade clubs guaranteed elite status provided they meet certain criteria. This would include both on and off field standards. 'B' clubs would be subject to promotion and relegation. Gradings would be monitored and could change.

The rationale being investors will be assured that putting money into the club will not be a risky venture provided they follow the guidelines to gain and retain 'A' grade status. Ranking: A qualified yes.

2) Continuation of second and third divisions, with promotion and relegation between them. Ranking: Yes.

3) The name Super League to be replaced. Seeing as it is used in many other sports, it's too generic. Ranking: Yes.

4) Spreading awareness of the game more evenly across the country, particularly aiming at London. Ranking: Yes but good luck with that one.

5) A reduction of club matches per season. The end of loop fixtures (some teams playing three times) and Magic Weekend. The first is a must, the second surprising. Ranking: A yes and a maybe.

6) A better intergration of domestic and international matches. Ranking: Yes.

7) Emphasis on the female part of the game. Ranking: Yes.

8) The number of overseas clubs to be capped. Understandable if the priority is growing the sport in the UK. However, surely an overseas quota would expand depending on what the objectives would be in any time. Ranking: A qualified yes.

9) A better planned calendar with more centralised systems to improve efficiency and revenue. Ranking: Yes.

10) The existing fan base being an essential part of the growth strategy. Ranking: Yes.

Summary: I think the ideas are good. Executing some of them will be plain sailing, others plenty of work. This is a world of constant - and at times hard to justify - change. I don't see this as change for the sake of it. RL in the UK needs to do better in so many ways. 

It's a start and like any initiative to take an organisation forward, the journey cannot be in a straight line. Flexibility will be needed and IMG knows that. Overall Ranking: Yes.

Queensland RL : 2022 Season

The 2022 season is done and the 14 team competition table is below. Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast were the top side with fourteen wins from their nineteen games. The Sunshine Coast Falcons, the Redcliffe Dolphins and the Norths Devils followed, the latter two from the Brisbane area. 

Looking at the points differential. Norths seemed to overachieve with a mere +10 points, not much for a team making the fourth spot. On the other hand, Wynnum-Manly was the opposite, with a +72 but not even making the playoffs.

The finals series: The top eight were immediately into action with the top four having a second life if they lost. Both lower finishing sides upset those above them. The lower four entered into sudden death fixtures and in both cases, the higher finishing sides won.

Redcliffe and Norths earned a bye for the second weekend. The two losers from the top four taking on the lower ranked winners who had survived their sudden death encounters. In both cases the higher ranked sides of Sunshine Coast and Burleigh Bears won through to the semi finals.

The top four were reunited but this time playing a different opponent. The outcome was the same with 3rd placed Redcliffe and fourth placed Norths winning and through to the grand final. 

The game itself was a tight affair with Norths taking the title with a 16-10 victory. Redcliffe had home ground advantage but couldn't make that count. That makes it two in a row for Norths, whose coach left midseason to take the reins at the Leeds Rhinos in the UK. 

UK SL Finals Series : 2022

The top sides from the Super League regular season are rewarded with places in the finals series. Six of the twelve originals joined this new competition. No points are carried over and any side can go on to win the grand final. The only carry over from the league table is where you finished on the ladder decides the pathway then assigned. The higher the finish, the easier the route. All matches are sudden death affairs.

Quarter Finals: 

St Helens and Wigan got a bye as they took the top two league places. Third to sixth were then pared off. Fourth side Catalan Dragons hosted fifth placed Leeds Rhinos with a home ground advantage. The in form visitors upset the out of sorts French side 20-10.

Third placed Huddersfield Giants welcomed the sixth side Salford Red Devils. Again the in form lower ranked side comfortably overcame a somewhat flat local team 28-0. Peaking going into the finals is vital and in both cases here the traveling team overcame higher placed opponents.

Semi Finals: Wigan came off a week's rest to take on Leeds at their home ground. Any advantage that offered evaporated when they were stunned 8-20 by a Leeds side firing on all cylinders. Wigan has some exciting players but was nullified by a resolute Leeds team.

Saints hosted Salford and while the latter was up for the challenge, they just fell short 12-19. Most neutrals would have liked to see the fairytale run of Salford continue but it was not to be.

Grand Final: St Helens went to the Theatre of Dreams aiming for a fourth consecutive grand final victory, eclipsing the three Leeds secured from 2007-09. Ironic then that Leeds was here to try and stop that. Despite a fine effort from languishing well down the table to making the top six and then battling to the final, Leed's run ended here.  

The truth of the matter was Saints had the class to always look like they had the measure of their opponents. Big match experience is useful when in a game like this and so it proved in this instance. Leeds now have exposure to it and if given another chance soon, should be all the better for it. Saints will be aiming to make it five in a row. 

For the regular season, simply click here.                                                                    Picture: loverugbyleague. 

UK Women's 2022 Season : Group 2

The second tier of UK women's RL in the UK was made up of seven teams. That amounted to twelve sides in total. There were ten in 2021, with Barrow Raiders and Leigh Miners joining. 

Warrington, Barrow and Featherstone were the stand out sides with Castleford and Wakefield well off the pace. Castleford was a top side but they have had so many defections, they are now struggling. 

The playoffs had the rampant Warrington side steamrolling into the grand final. In the other semifinal, the closely matched sides played out a close one, Featherstone making it to the grand final. There, Warrington again showed it was a step above the rest with a comfortable win. 

Picture: Warrington Wolves. 

UK Women's 2022 Season : Group 1

The 2022 season has concluded so here we reflect on Group 1, comprised of five sides. The reason for so few teams is to lift the competitiveness for the top players heading into the World Cup later in the year. That would only be beneficial to the full degree if all sides in the top flight were competitive. 

In 2021 there were ten teams in one division with three tiers of quality. In 2022, there were two divisions, the distribution was five and seven. it was supposed to be six in each but Castleford asked to be placed in the lower division, results later vindicating the request. 

A few clubs have cornered the market with regard to quality. Even among just five squads, only three were evenly matched, the other two out of their depth. So the gap between top and bottom seems to have widened so it was a good idea to create two divisions. As to why the talent is not more widely spread is something that surely needs addressing. 

York City Knights came in first, ahead of the much vaunted St Helens team. Leeds came third so the expected top three delivered. York's performance was especially meritorious. 

Picture: Leeds Rhinos.

On to the playoffs and as you can see the higher finishing sides (green) had mixed fortunes. Saints were upset by Leeds while Wigan gave a good account of themselves but York prevailed. In the final, Leeds was successful in nullifying York's attack and came off victorious. 

For the 2022 Women's Challenge Cup final, simply click here.

USA RL : 1998-2022

RL in the USA has been mainly based along the eastern seaboard. The AMNRL was the competition's initial name and from 1998 to 2010 was without a rival. It was reasonably well run and by 2010 there were eleven sides involved.

In 2011 the USARL was set up and challenged the AMNRL that it could do things in a better way. So how did that pan out? For three years two competitions ran alongside each other, both of a similar size but then the AMNRL folded.

For the 2014 season, the USARL was now the sole competition and things looked rosy. However, 2015 was the season with a peak number of teams and thereafter the numbers started to decline.

The sport would either stay as it was and risk gradual decline or try and go to another level. In 2021 the North American Rugby League was established to do just that.

It took many teams from the USARL but unfortunately, they have been unable to get anything going. All that has been achieved is to disrupt what was in place. It's all very well having grand plans but the first rule of change is to do no harm. 

There are other initiatives underway in North America but they are yet to prove they are sustainable. With the US being such a large country, it's difficult to establish a sport successfully unless there is substantial financial backing. 

Any competition needs to be solidly based, with age group setups established to raise the standard and integrated into the community. A sport for a few adults willing to give the game a go isn't the best foundation for long-term success.

Please note: The chart shows the number of teams involved each year. Green shows an increase on the previous year, brown no change and yellow decrease. 

USARL : 2022

I've been following the USA RL scene for some years now and it's safe to say it's at a low point. Only four sides competed in organised competition and one of those forfeited more games than they played.  

The North American Rugby League competition was set up to take place in 2021 but issues postponed that for a year. Then the 2022 competition simply hasn't materialised. What it did do was take several teams away from the USARL. Something supposed to lift the game in the USA has done the opposite. 

As for the 2022 season played in Florida, the Jacksonville Axeman and Tampa Mayhem were the teams to beat. The SW Florida Copperheads were competitive but the South Florida Speed wasn't and sped off into the sunset. 

At the end of six rounds, Jacksonville was top and went into the grand final with Tampa. These were the same teams in the final from last year, Tampa winning a tight one 18-14 in 2021. This year the Axemen made sure their season form carried over into that match, winning 36-12 in slippery conditions. 

European U19 Championship : 2022

France v England. Pic European Rugby League.

In what seems like a great scheme, nations in Europe with under 19 players were invited to compete in a tournament in Italy. Eight became seven when Scotland pulled out. A unique feature was to start with shorter games, extending as it progressed. This enabled many matches in a short timeframe and avoided blow out scores. Countries such as England didn't send their absolute best players either.

A tragedy during the tournament was when one of the England support staff passed away during the event. Condolences to family and friends. 

The first round: The first day's play had the following results as seen below. Holders France went through undefeated with England, Wales, and perhaps surprise package the Ukraine progressing to the semi finals. The others went to the shield round.

League Table: 

Semi Finals: France overcame the Ukraine and England likewise over Wales. The finalists from the previous tournament were again the finalists. This time the tables were turned and England were the victors 14-12 the final score. Wales defeated the Ukraine 32-7.

Shield: The three sides played each other twice with Ireland winning both of its matches as expected. Serbia lost all its first round games but a draw and victory over the host nation Italy had them finishing one place above them.

UK League 1 Table : 2022

Cornwall v Midlands. Pic: Cornwall RLFC.

I wonder if this division has a future in its present structure? The sport may feel the expense of running it is not worth it. We will have to wait and see. For now, I'll make my assessment on the assumption the retention of the status quo is the outcome of any deliberations regarding the future setup. 

The gap between the top sides and the bottom ones is huge. Keighley was head and shoulders above the rest with Swinton also looking strong. North Wales had a good season but its end of season form wasn't great. Losing access to its home ground late on and the head coach announcing he was leaving may have affected the team's performance.

Swinton and Oldham came down from the Championship and Swinton looks likely to be going straight back up along with Keighley. No relegation takes place from this division although a club can leave or a new one can seek admittance. Cornwall joined the competition in 2022 and has had excellent support from the area. The way it is run is to be commended.

UK Championship Table : 2022

Widnes v Halifax. Pic source: Widnes Vikings.

The second division of UK Rugby League concluded with Leigh top of the table. It came down from Super League and is no doubt expecting to make an immediate return to the top flight. Few if any would argue against that. 

Featherstone is the only other side that had a likely chance to secure the one promotion spot available but it doesn't appear to have the squad capable of achieving that. Halifax equaled its third placing which showed consistency but also the fact that it isn't ready for promotion.

Barrow came up from League 1 and did very well to get as high as fourth place. The other newly promoted side, Workington, is going straight back down so contrasting fortunes there. Dewsbury ended a run of thirteen years in this division in its demotion to League 1. Otherwise, there wasn't too much change. 

Super League Attendances : 2022

The last full season of attendance figures goes back to 2019 so that is the year that will be referenced against 2022. So how did they fare?

Expected: Most clubs weren't that far off 2019 figures as expected. The game has loyal fans who are consistent but it's hard to attract newbies along as the sport does tend to fly below the radar. 

Warrington imploded on the field so a 20% fall was no surprise. Wakefield is refurbishing its ground but I'm not sure that had much impact on its 14% drop in attendees. The Catalan Dragons had a bumper crowd in Barcelona in 2019 and that wasn't repeated. Fewer fans traveled down from England too due to Covid and cost. Some UK fans decided to go to Toulouse instead. 

Unexpected: Salford was exceeding a 5,000 average not so long back but it's been going down recently. 2019 was a low point so a sudden upswing of 30% was a welcome improvement. 

No one really knew what Toulouse would have as an average crowd as this was its only season ever in SL. I thought it may have been higher than the 5,000 it did finally achieve. Maybe the games being played in summer and some locals heading for the coast wasn't in their favour.

NRL Attendances : 2022

The last comparable year for 2022 was 2019, pre-Covid days if you can recall those halcyon days. Attendance figures are up 3% for the Australasian professional competition. There are some expected results and others not so.

Expected: Brisbane would top the chart. With a second club next year in that city, I wonder what impact that will have on the Broncos? Paramatta's nice new stadium has encouraged more to venture out and had some good results in the terraces. The Penrith Panther's even better form got the folks out west getting along to cheer on the boys. North Queensland is another that seemed to benefit from on field exploits. 

It was no surprise the NZ Warriors would be adversely affected, having to take most of their 'home' games on the road. Likewise, the West Tigers annus horribilis would invariably dent their numbers. The Newcastle Knight's disappointing season was reflected with fewer derrieres on seats too. 

Unexpected: Canterbury's poor run didn't stop a modest increase in attendees. The same applies to the Gold Coast with a 15% increase on some less than stellar performances. 

Canberra did start poorly but finished strongly to make the finals but they still recorded a 15% fall. Cronulla's similar percentage drop was a downer. Ground redevelopment meant that the gate was limited to 11,500 but for most games, they still didn't sell out. For a team that played so well, not a good return although weather may have played a part.

Australasian NRL Table : 2022

With no promotion or relegation, the teams here are the same as in 2021. Eight head into the playoff (blue) and eight (yellow) get off early. Let's look at the teams.

Penrith: Second in 2021, most people's favourite to win and they did it in style. Some injuries late in the season blunted their much vaunted attack but they were still too good. 

Cronulla: Ninth 12 months ago, few if any saw this rise in fortune but they were effective without too much fanfare. 

North Queensland: A lousy 15th to an impressive 3rd in one season? Yep. They had the attack and worked hard on their defence to become a successful team. 

Paramatta: It's hard to get a smile out of the coach but he was happy with fourth place. He should be too.

Melbourne: The most successful club for some years and they started the season strongly too. Injuries and some loss of form led them to an uncharacteristic fifth. 

Sydney Roosters: Finished strongly to take sixth place. 

Sydney Rabbitohs: Dropped from third to seventh in one year and while having a talented roster, it doesn't always translate into a positive result. 

Canberra: Same as the Roosters. Looked dead and buried but found a way into the playoffs. 

Brisbane: The club was cruising into the finals but suddenly lost their way and had some disastrous results. The joint Choker Club of the year winners.

St George: A bunch of battlers but you need more than that to avoid an early exit.

Manly: The same as Brisbane and deserved co-winners of the above mentioned award. 

Canterbury: A horror start but a better second half of the season got them to what is for this club a respectable placing. 

Gold Coast: They could look really good at times but kept finding ways to lose. They should have done better. 

Newcastle: A team of triers but well off the pace and did well to end up 14th.

New Zealand: A club that has spent three years in the road. How they have avoided the wooden spoon in that time is amazing. It's starting to take a toll on the squad, not that they will be getting any tangible help. 

Wests: The fact they couldn't even threaten a bedraggled Warriors outfit shows where this club is at the moment. Truly woeful. 

The chart below shows the teams in the playoffs (blue), those returning next year in the hope of doing better. Picture above the NZ Warriors.

European Super League Table : 2022

The regular season concluded, the competition table complete and the final rankings decided. How did the teams go? Time to look see.

St Helens: They were second in 2021 but went one better in 2022. The performance was similar to last year but managed to come out on top as others didn't go so well.

Wigan: Lost eight games but finished strongly. They improved their point differential from just +2 to +335 which says much about how this year went in comparison.

Huddersfield: Up from 9th to 3rd and a differential improvement of 172. Very much also rans in '21 but anything but this year.

Catalan: From first to fourth in one season isn't great but still a good performance for the team with a heavy travel schedule from the south of France. Not unexpected as 2021 was a hard act to follow. 

Leeds: Stayed in the same position (fifth) but their differential halved. A decent finish to the season made up for a feeble start. 

Salford: Down at 11th in 2021 and 6th in '22 was quite a turnaround. On their best day, they can match it with anyone. The problem is they need more best days.

Castleford: It was very much a repeat of last season. A rerun of mediocrity. 

Hull KR: A decent squad was assembled but a few things conspired to derail high hopes. 

Hull FC: The second most disappointing of all the teams here. Toward the end of the season, they were poor and looked like a newly promoted team, not one with years of playing at this level. 

Wakefield Trinity: They have a limited budget and for a while looked like potential relegation candidates. Some decent form toward the end of the season secured their safety. 

Warrington: They have been a club promising much for years, but not quite delivering. In 2022 they just about stopped delivering. From 3rd to 9th and a points differential swing of negative 330. Winners of the Nose Dive competition.

Toulouse: After years of trying, the French club finally cracked the big time, even if it only was for one season. A bitterly disappointing end but with little time to build a squad, some last minute defections, a heavy travel schedule and paying for everyone's travel to France all contributed to an immediate return to the Championship. Au revoir but not good bye. 

The chart below shows the teams in the playoffs (blue), those returning next year in the elite competition (yellow) and the side relegated (brown).

Picture: Warrington Wolves.

For the finals series, simply click here.