2023/24 season

[andermt]

Was surprised there was no season thread but as none of us are really interested it probably makes sense.

I happened to look on the BBC site this morning and there was the report on Falcons losing again, so wondered what the table was, and the league is 8 matches in, so almost at the halfway point of the season already, whilst everyone understands there are 3 missing clubs and what it meant for a reduced league this year it was definitely interesting to realise just how reduced.
In 2021/22 we were 10 rounds in at this point out of 26.


As for Falcons, 8 matches played, 8 losses, and only 4 bonus points, it's almost like the London Welsh year. Looking on Wiki it mentions a Prem vs Championship playoff (depending on Champ club eligibility) is this right, that had passed me by if it is?
But assume anyone winning the Champ will be rejected anyway, as usual.

[RogerE]

Yes the Premiership are keeping to their 10K ground capacity rule - which is a joke as the far more popular Premier League only require a 5.5K capacity ground.

[Rossm]

This thread prompted me to look at the table for the first time this season. Already looking grim for Falcons. Glos not a lot better. Poll on Shedweb (600+ votes), a coin toss whether Skivington should go or stay. Is relegation still on hold this season?

[DGP Wasp]

Just had a look at the table, and spotted a remarkable stat. Only 3 out of 10 teams with negative points difference: the bottom 2 and, bizarrely the league leaders.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

As for Falcons, 8 matches played, 8 losses, and only 4 bonus points, it's almost like the London Welsh year. Looking on Wiki it mentions a Prem vs Championship playoff (depending on Champ club eligibility) is this right, that had passed me by if it is?

Grim reading for Falcons, and not much better for Glaws. There was a rumour last season that Falcons had asked to voluntarily be allowed to be relegated, but were refused. It was officially denied at the time.

At the end of this season, let's assume that they remain at the bottom, and let's assume (still far from a certainty) that Ealing top the Championship, and in the playoffs Ealing win, will the PRL waive its rules, or force Falcons to stay in the Premiership? At some point, the wheels will come off that bus, leaving only one club in the Premiership in the 'North'. What then of the 'national' game?

[WonkyWasp]

If the present Premier lot lose any more  Clubs  maybe  we could form The Rejects League.  At the present rate off ''progress'' there will eventually more 'Rejects'  than anything else.

[Neils]

Alex Codling questions Newcastle?s future after demolition by Leicester

With the Falcons remaining rooted to the bottom of the Premiership table, the coach expressed worries about the club?s short-term strategy
Charles Richardson, Rugby Reporter, at Mattioli Woods Welford Road 3 December 2023 ? 9:36pm


Alex Codling questioned the strategic future of Newcastle after the club slumped to their eighth successive league loss.

Newcastle have played eight, lost eight in the Premiership so far this season, with the most recent defeat a 47-3 drubbing at the hands of Leicester on Sunday keeping them glued to the bottom of the table.

While Newcastle head coach Codling insisted after the loss at Welford Road that the spirit and work ethic of his players could not be questioned, he expressed concerns about the composition of the squad he has inherited.

?At no point will I ever criticise the players around their spirit and togetherness,? said Codling, 50, who is in his first season in the North East. ?It?s a tough watch and after 25 minutes we?re in a pretty difficult position. It?s tough. I?ve never been in this position before. I detest losing. I take it more personally than anyone.

?Newcastle have got decisions to make going forward around the strategy, because there are some really talented youngsters ? but in the short term it makes life difficult. That?s the bare facts of it. I can?t dress it up any other way ? but I can?t criticise the players.

?I just work week to week at the moment; I work 100 hours a week. This is a huge challenge, my job is to now try and lift the spirits up again. As painful as it is in the short term, for the long term of the club there are some really talented youngsters. The challenge we have is that we don?t have the experience around them to drop them in.

?You dust yourself down and go again. It?s like a boxer, there are only so many punches you can take, but you keep taking them and hopefully at some point you land a blow.?


Asked whether he was in discussions with Newcastle?s executives about the future strategy, Codling said that he was ?paid to coach?.

?I respect the club massively, they?ve had to make tough decisions around finances but, ultimately, it becomes really tough when every week you?re coming up against fully stacked teams,? he added. ?The difference this year is that the chance to come up against teams during international periods when they rotate has now gone and, while that?s good for rugby, we?re now going against fully stacked teams every week and it makes life harder. In the short term it?s painful, in the long term hopefully it will be good for the club.?

[NellyWellyWaspy]

No, it isn't good for the club or players. Yes, they have a young and/or relatively inexperienced squad, with very little depth. They are working to a very tight budget and cannot afford even the experience that Ealing have, let alone any Premiership club. They are trying to live within their means, and that is laudable, but playing in the Premiership (as I said before, I suspect that is not their choice).

The problem is physical attrition. They are on the defensive for 95% of the game, taking the hits, running the extra yards. They are going to be exhausted already, and injuries will start to mount. This is kids versus giants and it is grossly unfair on those players. Experience yes, but not good.

At some point the players will lose heart, and not chase the ball, and we will see cricket style triple digit scores. Is that a good advert for the much vaunted 8 team Premiership? Far from it. At some point, other teams will field their A teams against them, and still win.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I see RiL are saying that with Falcons, the RFU should intervene and financially help them. After, they are the only true Northern club and the league cannot drop below 10 teams , ....

Well, at least we know which team they support now.

[westwaleswasp]

And yet the usual SN suspects are saying the league is more competitive with 10 and the matches better after the 3 clubs went bust.
As long as their team is fine they don'tcare, and btw that is Tigers and Sarries, who provide a higher percentages of total arseholes than the rest combined.

But if you listen you can here the sound reality marching very quietly on the background. And it is coming for PRL.

[Robson9]

I have a lot of time for falcons and what they're doing tbf. They're the whipping boys, they're struggling massively, but they've cut their cloth to match their means and they exist. They haven't gone to the wall and they haven't lost their whole existence. Is it disheartening for the fans and will they always struggle to grow support like this? Sure. But it's better than the alternative.

As for a play off - only club that can feasibly go up according to the rfu rules is Doncaster. After scottish beat ealing this weekend (much to my delight) they're 2 points behind so will be interesting to see if they can keep the pressure on all season

[westwaleswasp]

There is inherent danger in the Falcon's approach. Depends how many fans they lose through the door. If they drop say 1000 of the more casual/selective fans, how does that hurt? If 500 season ticket holders drop to pay as you go, and next year is as bad, and they don't go, what then. They have already lost 3 home games and are in this position presumably due to cash, which they could end up losing. Plus NUFC are doing well, and people's wallets are empty.
People will support a losing team, of course. A Tigers team losing 1k fans in a bad season isn't the end of the world, but for smaller clubs. Ouch.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

There is inherent danger in the Falcon's approach. Depends how many fans they lose through the door. If they drop say 1000 of the more casual/selective fans, how does that hurt? If 500 season ticket holders drop to pay as you go, and next year is as bad, and they don't go, what then. They have already lost 3 home games and are in this position presumably due to cash, which they could end up losing. Plus NUFC are doing well, and people's wallets are empty.
People will support a losing team, of course. A Tigers team losing 1k fans in a bad season isn't the end of the world, but for smaller clubs. Ouch.

Indeed, a no win situation. They dropped ST prices massively this year in an attempt to pull the cash in up front, but they ended up with less, not more ST holders.

As you say, they are losing the pay as you go business. Times are very hard in Newcastle, and cash is short. I think this would have happened whether or not they cut prices, whether or not they cut the squad salary bill, and effectively reduced the quality of the team. I think it would have happened even if they were half way up the table. There simply isn't the spare money in the local economy on Tyneside. I cannot imagine that things are much better at Sale.

Their sugar daddies are committed to keep their respective clubs 'going' until the last match. That means paying bills and salaries only when they have to. At some point, the taps will be turned off. I expect the players will play their last game only to find they don't get paid for that. The same goes for ground staff and suppliers.

The only question is, which of the 10 sugar daddies will turn off those taps towards the end of this season? Not just one I suspect, but Falcons must be a sure bet right now.

I do not relish this prospect, other than to recognise that it might make a Wasps return a little easier, and might see all the fat cats at the PRL and RFU go.

[WonkyWasp]

Plus 1

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Why would anyone make an upfront commitment to buy an ST? Those promises may be well meaning but they?re meaningless if the tax authorities or DCMS suddenly have a change of heart and they are looking at the same data and wondering if they will get paid.