Time now for Super League to make the grade

In the second part of our series looking at the state of Super League, Dave Craven speaks to the Rugby Football League chief executive Nigel Wood to see what he believes the sport can achieve in the next 10 years and hear how a flourishing youth system has breathed new life into the game’s promise

It may seen idealistic now but the Rugby Football League firmly believes where they can be in 10 years time – proudly looking over 14 thriving clubs each boasting a Grade A licence.

Firstly, that means the licence process will still be in existence; while many outsiders are dubious about the maligned awarding of Super League places, based on a range of strict criteria, the clubs themselves are united in the belief it is prosperous for all.

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Secondly, it also looks like the 14 club format is here to stay as well despite some calls for a reduction to 12 or even 10.

Whether the competition can see each member attain the highest grade remains to be seen but it is a sign of the positive mindset of those at Red Hall, keen to continue developing the game at every level regardless of the difficult economic conditions facing all.

Currently, only four clubs have earned that gold mark for the 2012-14 period – Leeds Rhinos, Hull FC, Warrington Wolves and, newly-promoted from Grade B, Wigan Warriors.

It will be a significant feat to lead all the remainder to the upper echelon too but RFL chief executive Nigel Wood remains upbeat about the sport’s chances of continued development.

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“The clubs met only two weeks ago to re-affirm their commitment to 14 teams in the competition and there is an absolute desire both from us at the RFL and themselves to increase the standards,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“There’s still a real strong commitment from them all that the licence process is absolutely driving up those standards.

“They have increased, particularly in facilities where there are now fewer old, decrepit venues, and we’re producing more young players.

“They are two of our barometers the sport is working well.

“There are still clearly challenges financially with far too many areas of the game where financial pressure is all-consuming.

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“We’ve got to continue to work with the clubs in that area but in 10 years time, wouldn’t it be fantastic if we had 14 clubs all of which were Grade A, producing quality players to support the national side, producing thrilling contests week in, week out, all playing in front of five figure crowds in high-quality facilities while turning over at least £4million per year?

“Then, the league itself would have a good look to it.”

For all its detractors, the RFL is currently in good financial state recording a pre-tax profit for the ninth successive year in 2010 when it also produced a record turnover of £22.8m

When Wood arrived at headquarters 10 years ago, it was in a far different state, lurching towards financial meltdown after a disastrous hosting of the 2000 World Cup.

Turnover then was barely £7.5m and there was a genuine fear the governing body may have to ask their member clubs to help bail them out such was the depths of their problems.

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It is unrecognisable now – around £1.5m was paid to each Super League club this season – but Wood admits the challenges are intensifying at both club and central level as the sport strives to increase its visibility and profile.

The main way he envisages meeting those challenges is through international football; the RFL will host the World Cup again in 2013, and its reputation is on the line both on and off the field.

“The thing that achieves the biggest breakthrough in terms of media visibility and profile is the international game,” says Wood.

“It touches everyone from the south coast to Hadrian’s Wall. There’s some ownership of the national team which, with the best will in the world, the club brand just doesn’t have.

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“For too long our international side in whatever guise – Great Britain or England – has not achieved sustained success.

“It’s managed to win the occasional game, one out of three or make the odd Four Nations final.

“But it’s massive achieving international success on a consistent basis; it would do more virtually than anything else to strengthen the belief in and credibility of our sport.”

Overcoming the might of both Australia and New Zealand will not be easy but Wood insists the groundwork has been set, namely with the increased production of more young, talented English players.

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The likes of Hull FC’s Tom Briscoe, Leeds Rhinos exciting duo Ben Jones-Bishop and Kallum Watkins, Castleford Tigers’ Daryl Clark and Hull KR forward Liam Watts are just a few of the fresh emerging tyros and that is without mentioning any of St Helens’ seemingly endless current production line.

There have been calls to increase the salary cap and also – given many do not – make each club actually spend the full £1.7m amount to help generate a more competitive Super League.

But Wood insists that cannot be enforced – “it’s for the club’s owners and directors to run their clubs not the RFL; they also decide the cap amount” – and it is not the root of any problem.

“I think the issue is not just how much spend on the cap but talent production,” he said.

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“First and foremost, the quality of the competition is down to that.

“If there’s more young players produced, the quality of teams and contests will increase.

“Some clubs fulfil those responsibilities really, really well and have got excellent player production models with excellent youth systems.

“You can see which clubs those are because their players break through to the first team with terrific regularity.

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“If every club achieved the same level of productivity of young players as those clubs did then the depth of the competition would be increased and as a consequence we’d have a better quality competition.

“What then happens to the salary cap happens for the right reasons – not just to pay players more money.”

It is fair to say a player currently earning £40,000 per year would not improve overnight just because he earned an extra £20,000; throwing more money at players does not make them any better and there arguably is not enough current quality to justify an increase in the cap.

However, where it is required is retaining the finest quality which does justify the price.

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With one eye on NRL clubs circling and the ever-present rugby union threat, Wood says: “There is a strong case to examine whether the right people get the right share of that spend.

“The clubs themselves agree and discussions now involve how the cap can be manoeuvred over the next three to five years to provide the best chance to retain the cream of the talent – for the long-term good of the industry – and also reward those clubs that produce the most junior players,” he said.

He is undisturbed by some of the one-sided play-off affairs and hopes they will recapture the imagination this weekend.

“The scores have been wider than one would hope but they weren’t last year,” he says,

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“It’s important to look over the medium-term rather than a knee-jerk reaction to just one season; last year I thought the play-offs were thrilling.

“Don’t forget one of those clubs nilled (Huddersfield) is fourth in the league so at what point do you draw a line in terms of who competes? The play-offs still going through and a team that finished fifth is still in the semis.”

Wood concluded: “The main challenges are to deliver, if possible win, the best Rugby League World Cup the sport’s ever presented.

“Then, winning international regularly, playing the game nationally – the bulk of the community game is being moved into a nine month season beneath Super League so we will align all those – and, finally, creating the best elite playing competition as strong as possible.”

Only time will tell now if such goals can be fully realised.