We need to manage the things you can manage ,get 3k crowds you gain,get too finals win trophies etc they are things a rugby club can manage do we feel we aim for that ? We failed in our objective to get in playoffs we are further behind now than when img came out you need 14 points to secure super league we are miles away some are obviously bad management but if you only win 4 home games you can't expect the crowds to come if your successful the rest can be done but without a decent team your stuck in quicksand
I think the time has come for the Club to take 'respite' from dancing to IMG/RFLs tune. Concentrate on spending our money on the squad. Better players should, in theory, mean better results (not a given). What things that have been put in place for IMG points, will still be there when required (press seats etc). Why waste money streaming games to a few fans at a loss of money, do it when you have upped our crowds and it's then more affordable (sorry MckViking). At the moment we are neglecting what we are all about, and that's a Rugby League team. By all means snatch the low hanging fruit, but there's no point in chasing the squirrel that's jumping across the higher branches.
Paulie xx
With you there!! get a winning team that's good to watch and the crowd might follow.
If it doesn't then RL in Widnes is dead and no amount of moaning and finger pointing will change it.
I expected us to maybe be 16th/17th.
The whole system is rubbish and we haven't been very good at playing it either.
That being said, we finished 7th and we were 7 places out of the Top 12 on IMG.....
We have had 2 good seasons in 10 years. That is where we need to really start picking things up! We need to throw the kitchen sink at trying to win the Championship in the next few years and then take matters regarding SL as they come.
@7-vikingnomad judging by the fact the clubs statement on Kieran Taylor singing was helped by WVIPS and couldn’t get over the line last year
a current league 1 centre…
not sure where the money man(s) are
yes but part of our SL application indicated we had funds waiting - so was that just for SL ?
if there are any funds access them asap and get a winning team as a first step
and then build. But we are where we are and really need to move on from the SL farce
The club clearly knew that we'd made little or no progress - well in advance of the results being made public, they announced a viking voice meeting to address fans' concerns and questions about the score we were getting.
The questions, quite rightly, will be difficult to answer. Especially when you compare our score to clubs like Fev and Barrow for heaven's sake. We need to know what the hell they've been up to for the last two years, and what they're going to do about it.
In the light of the clubs who will be leaving our division for SL, if we're not TOP 2 next year then that board need to be taken to task.
@northstar I don't think we have a hope of top two Oldham and whoever out of London and Toulouse will still be around makes it difficult to get top 2 unless the French quit if they not in super league
To be honest, it was obvious the investment was going to be dependent on a SL place otherwise we'd have seen it before now.
This IMG is like 2 kicks in the pants; firstly, I flat out don't believe some of the other club's ratings; not for 1 second. They're fiddled. Secondly, why haven't we learned from last year? We just don't play the game like the others do.
We spend all season discussing things like this but the answer is always the same; unless one of us wins the EuroMillions, we've found our level.
We are standing too close to see what is happening tbh.
The longer this farce goes on the more convinced I am that we are being strung along, the aim being to re-invent Super League along the original line.
Look at the present situation.
1. What looks like the enlarged SL consists of clubs with wealthy backers, chosen by a cobbled up set of unconvincing criteria. The IMG evaluations can bent and twisted to qualify any club, and if they can’t a ‘special evaluation panel can be put together.
2. The likely situation that the revised Sky bid will be lower than the last with it being very doubtful that there will be funds of any real size to help finance any non SL clubs.
3. The likely reality will be the continued survival of SL and very little else.
4. The end game will be an organisation similar to the NRL apart from any real cash to support clubs other than SL clubs. Clubs will have to become self supporting as Sky pulls out. Maybe the NRL will press on with their bid to conquer the USA?
5. The game will be ‘sold’ as a ‘new Super League’ with what Championship supporters remain being encouraged to transfer their allegiance to whatever SL club takes their fancy. In truth the Championship crowds nowadays are small enough to be ignored if compared with the newly boosted SL gates.
So, we are back at the original SL concept, without the proportions of the original Sky deal. Amateur RL will continue with SL offering contacts as they do presently.
I can’t see where Widnes may find a financial saviour, unless we have one lurking in the wings!
@pauliewalnuts tell us more about the SL investment
The Club had a number of investors (substantial monies), but they were not willing to invest in Championship RL, probably as there would be no return for them. Being in SL would have given them weekly exposure on Sky. They wouldn't get exposure in a non-televised Championship. I, and my fellow Fan Ambassadors were not privy to who they are/where.
Paulie xx
We are standing too close to see what is happening tbh.
The longer this farce goes on the more convinced I am that we are being strung along, the aim being to re-invent Super League along the original line.
Look at the present situation.
1. What looks like the enlarged SL consists of clubs with wealthy backers, chosen by a cobbled up set of unconvincing criteria. The IMG evaluations can bent and twisted to qualify any club, and if they can’t a ‘special evaluation panel can be put together.
2. The likely situation that the revised Sky bid will be lower than the last with it being very doubtful that there will be funds of any real size to help finance any non SL clubs.
3. The likely reality will be the continued survival of SL and very little else.
4. The end game will be an organisation similar to the NRL apart from any real cash to support clubs other than SL clubs. Clubs will have to become self supporting as Sky pulls out. Maybe the NRL will press on with their bid to conquer the USA?
5. The game will be ‘sold’ as a ‘new Super League’ with what Championship supporters remain being encouraged to transfer their allegiance to whatever SL club takes their fancy. In truth the Championship crowds nowadays are small enough to be ignored if compared with the newly boosted SL gates.
So, we are back at the original SL concept, without the proportions of the original Sky deal. Amateur RL will continue with SL offering contacts as they do presently.
I can’t see where Widnes may find a financial saviour, unless we have one lurking in the wings!
Ironically, yesterday Wakefield announced their ST prices. Certain price ranges included a free ST for Dewsbury Rams. Which, as a 'dying' club, is good news for Dewsbury, if Wakey DR with them, as they may get some extra speccies, buying their Beer and Burgers. The future? Who knows?
Paulie x
The fact is RL is in a very sorry state and I think will get worse.
it is very short sighted to abandon the championship teams with what looks like an SL only future of maybe 16 teams and add on every year or 2 with out of area new teams(Dublin for instance) - same as the NFL (however I see they are bringing in PNG chiefs in 2028 so that makes a massive league, so will they consider 2 divisions which would be extremely ironic)
The ashes tests will be great, but only papering over the cracks
@pauliewalnuts tell us more about the SL investment
The Club had a number of investors (substantial monies), but they were not willing to invest in Championship RL, probably as there would be no return for them. Being in SL would have given them weekly exposure on Sky. They wouldn't get exposure in a non-televised Championship. I, and my fellow Fan Ambassadors were not privy to who they are/where.
Paulie xx
That just seems like a sponsorship deal to me, which is fair enough, but it wont be the saviour of the club