Most people want SL and the RFL to merge. I’m worried that the SL might want a takeover!
Sounds as if the drop in Sky money was wrong, according to Leneghan. So our share-out might stay as it was.
Can't honestly see SL wanting to drop down from their perch or seeing their payout drop, but it is something like that that the game needs.
SL on its own will shrink and die without feeder clubs below them. Even the NRL sees that! Just how the two extremes can be brought closer together is the key. Persuading people to start going to the game again has got to be priority for the lower clubs and the wealthy clubs have to help somehow, sharing marketing expertise and stuff might help.
Even Widnes somehow lost our way with the 'Barbie's on the pitch after the game'going missing. Could still work in the summer game. Great for kids and families and mixing with players.
My choice would be the Championship pot!
Reading that Elstone given notice under his contract to leave his post, but nobody on the Board has any idea of the terms of his contract, which may well be 12 months' notice. They have set up a working group to investigate his contract.
What a farce and no way to run a game of tiddly winks, never mind a professional sport. No wonder the game is a laughing stock.
Can we really trust these people to look after the future of the game of rugby league? Answers on a post card. They really need to get the next appointment right and give whoever is appointed the responsibility to make decisions without having to get agreement from all club owners.
Sorry Frank, I haven’t got a postcard but the answer to your question is NO.
I sincerely hope they don’t need to select a replacement as, God willing, they will scrap SL and rejoin the rest of us.
Reading that Elstone given notice under his contract to leave his post, but nobody on the Board has any idea of the terms of his contract, which may well be 12 months’ notice. They have set up a working group to investigate his contract. What a farce and no way to run a game of tiddly winks, never mind a professional sport. No wonder the game is a laughing stock. Can we really trust these people to look after the future of the game of rugby league? Answers on a post card. They really need to get the next appointment right and give whoever is appointed the responsibility to make decisions without having to get agreement from all club owners.
Allegedly Nigel Wood wrote his own contract/leaving terms & is (Or was until recently) still getting paid. Therefore it doesn't seem a surprise that something as badly run as the RFL at the top, that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.
What they (The board) are doing is on a par with what Rule did to Widnes. It is so out of kilter with the money in the game, but seemingly the only way to do anything about it is being on said board & they're not going to (deliberately) kill their golden goose.
If there is a salary cap for clubs there should be a salary cap for an executive board, especially one performing so badly,
I have always consistently made this point. The most significant issue plaguing the sport, is the snakes who believe they can Monitise RL to their benefit. That is what expansion is all about.
I have always argued that the sport should be mainly fan/community ran, there is not the capacity nor the financial flexibility for directors, CEOs etc taking a wage at clubs.
I will be repeating mhself but the board is autonomous they are self managing, hence Nige could take a years salary as a going away present. I reckon Elstone will follow suite, as would Rimmer. This really xoes explain why our game is as it is. Self interest rules the game, and has drifted down to the SL clubs too.
If ever a breakaway was needed it is anytime soon. Sadly there seems to be nobody with the confidence or character to grasp the nettle.
I will be repeating mhself but the board is autonomous they are self managing, hence Nige could take a years salary as a going away present. I reckon Elstone will follow suite, as would Rimmer. This really xoes explain why our game is as it is. Self interest rules the game, and has drifted down to the SL clubs too. If ever a breakaway was needed it is anytime soon. Sadly there seems to be nobody with the confidence or character to grasp the nettle.
What type of breakaway are you proposing? The game is ran by 3 clubs hence why the game struggles for coherent strategical.
Tbh I can't say ! The game overall is in such a ridiculous situation. The breakaway could become the championship clubs becoming a separate entity, back to where we came from. As it is the money is totally ruled by the RFL/SLE and we just trail along hoping for crumbs.
What beggars belief is that the big money clubs have allowed this situation to develop where even they have no real authority, though only they know what goes on behind the scenes. How could Elstone have, in effect, no contract with conditions etc?
It would seem that only a full scale revolt by clubs prepared to go it alone, with no cash from above, would change things.Some might but many will be dependent on external funds to survive.
On top of that Sky won't like being attached to something so schonky and they could pull the plug.
Tbh I can’t say ! The game overall is in such a ridiculous situation. The breakaway could become the championship clubs becoming a separate entity, back to where we came from. As it is the money is totally ruled by the RFL/SLE and we just trail along hoping for crumbs. What beggars belief is that the big money clubs have allowed this situation to develop where even they have no real authority, though only they know what goes on behind the scenes. How could Elstone have, in effect, no contract with conditions etc? It would seem that only a full scale revolt by clubs prepared to go it alone, with no cash from above, would change things.Some might but many will be dependent on external funds to survive. On top of that Sky won’t like being attached to something so schonky and they could pull the plug.
I think it has been mentioned on here before but I disagree inherently with the proponents who support a championship breakaway. I am not adverse to the championship but unless we are mixing it with the big boys, then what is the point
So we just sit tight and wait.
That is quite probably what will happen, and possibly go down with the ship, loyal to the RFL to the last!
And then teams would reform and have semi-pro like they used to and rely on crowds.
Anyone who thinks a Championship breakaway will succeed is living in cloud cuckoo land. It would just be bringing forward the above scenario a few years.
If there isn't the interest/money/fan base to watch it now either in person or on the tele then who do you think will after a breakaway? Not sure what the figures were for the Blackpool bash but will be low.
Only way a breakaway would work is if they do it as a whole, away from the RFL to get rid of the useless board, but as mentioned you would only get it taken over by some self serving chairmen from particular clubs. The game is dying due to the greed of the few and not seeing the whole picture. Better to have different voices and teams winning now, and the game still being around than loads of clubs going to the wall and there not being a game in 10 years time.
When we played Leigh in Blackpool two years ago, the viewing figures were 87k.
Not sure how that compared to say a big RU Championship Match on Sky.....
I think it is the case that we may be reverting back to the approach of maybe only having the Grand Final on TV in the Championship (were we not on Granada when we won it in 2001?)
That should at least maximise the crowd which would help us, though many other Championship clubs play before crowds which wouldn't finance even a semi professional side. That, in the end, may decide the wider game in the future. Clubs were 'saved' via SL in the past largely because they were founders of RL. Perhaps that won't be enough now and either support on the terraces or a handout from a wealthy supporter will be a neccesity.
Such a major change could reduce club numbers and require a league reorganisation.