@prisoner 100%
The board (Which isn't a huge 1) takes up as much cost as a mid-level SL club.
It's insane in a poor sport that some are paid hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Unfortunately teams looking to survive on a few hundred supporters aren't ever going to last too much longer. *Need to cut their cloth accordingly.*
*Never was a truer word spoken mate* but........................
How many times has that (and will be in future) been ignored by the respective powers-that-be? Spending money you've not got is suicide, but I'm not gonna hold my breath that Cru will be the last episode of this sorry tale!
Sugar daddies are few and far betwen, and non-existent outside the elite fourteen!
I say again, the Championship as a whole, is a millstone around the neck of the RFL!
Would investment from the NRL benefit clubs like (say) Hunslet, 'Fax, your mob, and mine? Answers on a postcard to M11 3FF.
Spelly.
What happens now ?
crusaders call off cup game ( apparently with agreement from midlands - suits them mind , no travelling expense for a start)
so are they in trouble with the competition organisers or do midlands go straight through to next round ?
sad thing for Widnes is that they were a team we beat !
Ex-Chemic, ex-Lion, ex-shed load of other teams, Ant Walker has joined Hunslet on loan from Cru.
He only ever had one good game for us, and that was at Sheff, the week after noosegate.
Spelly.
Too many people are quick to blame the RFL for every negative in the sport. If a club can’t operate sustainably, that responsibility ultimately lies with the club itself. Take the signing of Danny Addy—it’s unlikely his wages came cheap.
In my view, clubs need to return to a more sustainable pay structure: a modest base salary supplemented by performance-based incentives such as win and appearance bonuses. There’s a clear issue with overpaying in both the Championship and Super League at the moment.”
As a Sheffield resident the issue about the suitability of ownership runs deep through one half of the city. Whilst I have no issue with the second paragraph of your excellent post, whether the body making the suitability of further owner test is the FA or RFL, where actually does the accountability for a) the decision and b) the outcome rest?
@steelviking I understand your point, you could argue that 75% of RL clubs in this country would fail a sustainability test. The RFL need to be stronger on ownership.
I remember the Featherstone situation, for years players were going without pay and yet they were still allowed to keep spending money.
So crusaders forfeited the tie against midlands, will have to wait and see if they have played their last game
@steelviking I understand your point, you could argue that 75% of RL clubs in this country would fail a sustainability test. The RFL need to be stronger on ownership.
I remember the Featherstone situation, for years players were going without pay and yet they were still allowed to keep spending money.
Would they fail it at present, or at the takeover stage? If someone buys a club and has the funds the RFL (Who I could bash all day!) have to take it at face value after checks.
If after that they don't I'm not sure what they can do. Save having a team of accountants on retainer to check (Which would be a big cost the RFL/the sport just doesn't have) then it's not on the RFL.
What would be interesting is to see what % of the sports overall costs are related to the RFL compared to others.
It's been reduced, and company names changed but historically over the last 10 years the numbers will be staggering, ironically from a sport that is staggering it's way along through terrible leadership & self interest only!