A good interview. The only question not answered that I saw raised somewhere was about the first game attendance of 4,000 then all following games around 2,200 but little visible evidence of that much difference.
Good interview, I thought Matt came across very well, knowledgeable, thoughtful and a good communicator. Improved my confidence that the board have the right approach and are following a sound business plan alongside trying to improve the on field results. Making this level of communication a regular (3mths/6mths) basis would help keep the fanbase engaged I think.
Article on LRL today talks about "affiliate" clubs for SL teams in the championship, which is already unofficially happening. I would imagine that we are one of the clubs uncomfortable with this.
The idea is to have the juniors playing for championship clubs, and although the article stresses these won't be feeder clubs, I think for all intents and purposes they will be. The concept is designed to address the reducing player pool, but it doesn't as to address that you would need to do something that increased the player pool.
We wouldn't have to become an affiliate, but we already have to compete with Newcastle having a less demanding season and access to York's players. Having to compete with additional clubs operating the same way would be very difficult to say the least.
I wonder what the hell the RFL do all day, they just seem to pay salaries and otherwise just curl up into a ball. Whilst by their own admission the Widnes board aren't perfect, I wouldn't like to have to operate within the RL structure.
I’ll never watch a game of rugby league again if we become a Super League teams feeder club. Got no interest in it whatsoever.
If we become a feeder club I am finished with Rugby League. I rather Widnes sell the stadium and not exist than to see Warrington U18s. 200K cap basically so the Rochdale and Batleys can afford a competive teams with 400 fans. All our fan base would leave, and what is the point if no promotion or relegation? There is no incentive or ambition for Championship clubs because the RFL have killed the game further in this country. Rugby League can sod off for good I wont watch another club in Super League.
If I wanted to watch Warrington players, I'd go and watch them in the SL at the Geri Halliwell, it's only 11 miles away.
Why would I pay to watch their u-18s/B-Team just because they're wearing Widnes shirts?
Hopefully this never comes to pass, it would be worse than if we'd merged with them back in the day.
@halfback-ragnarsson I predicted this last week. The Championship clubs are skint and want to take the deal.
Whats this 200-300k salary cap, I thought it was £500k?? If we end up playing half a team of Warrington under 21's its finished. I dont think we will, but if the other clubs do it wont be much fun watching Widnes vs Leeds under 21's re-branded as Hunslet 🙁
@dan1 hen SM mentioned the 500k he said the RFL still had t confirmed a number to clubs.
i thought it was based on turnover? If they drop it to 200/300k the comp is fucked
The RFL have no interest in the game below SL, albeit Clubs cannot really expect to continue in a professional game with crowds of 200/400 and little or no central funding.
Any Club that becomes a feeder Club for SL team is basically agreeing to go out of existence. A Warrington feeder Club is a Warrington team, no matter how you dress is up. I thought that SL Clubs were having to run an A team, where the young players can be developed?
I also thought that the basis of the IMG gradings was that teams needed a Grade A or Grade B for promotion to SL. There are currently 9 Grade A teams and 5 Grade B teams in SL, with 9 Grade B teams (including Halifax and Salford) and 9 Grade C teams in the Championship (including NW Crusaders). Keighley and Newcastle were ungraded due to incomplete data).
My guess is that with Nigel having secured Bradford's promotion and London guaranteed promotion this year, the RFL will decide to abandon promotion and relegation, leaving the Championship with no future, other than merging with a SL Club ie going out of existence.
If they had any interest outside SL, the RFL would increase SL to 16 Clubs and a Championship with 18 Clubs (with teams playing each other home and away). There should be promotion and relegation (2 up and 2 down), with teams only promoted from the Championship if they meet minimum standards. Will this happen? I very much doubt it.
I am at a loss to understand the proposed Championship salary cap and its impact on Widnes.
My understanding is that Widnes is a well run club and only spends within its means and is not operating at a loss. In that case, I cannot understand why they have to reduce spending in 2026, or am I missing something? I think a figure of £100,000 was mentioned somewhere, in which case will the Club be saving that much in future years, assuming crowds and sponsorship deals do not reduce; or is this a ploy by the RFL to remove even the current minimum central funding to Championship Clubs?
Why didn't RFL introduce the salary cap this year? Oh I know, it would impact on London.
In some ways, I am glad that my days of travelling to watch my team are coming to an end, but it is a pity that those running the game have more interest in promoting one-off games in Las Vegas, than even trying to save the game in the traditional RL heartlands.
Pretty sure in a podcast it was mentioned the cap was going down to £500k and we were spending £575k this season.
Well after 30 years it looks like the powers that be have eventually got their way sadly.We fought tooth and nail with the likes of Maurice Lindsey to keep our Club and Identity from mergers….To be a feeder team for Warrington??? No way I’d give the game away in a heartbeat
For the game to have a future the RFL needs to work hard at a large number of localised issues, helping clubs build up sponsorship, attendance and the player pool. This doesn't grab headlines, but it is how you grow businesses. Instead they become obsessed with initiatives that they believe will fix everything, the time and money wasted is just criminal.
Investment from the NRL may be welcome, what it would mean for those outside of SL, who knows? We have been here before though, with the SKY money. It will only be a matter of time before SL clubs are in financial trouble again. We can't stay as we are, but throwing money at the game will only provide a temporary situation without real change.
To try and implement something that operates in Australia, in this case affiliate clubs, without understanding the wants of supporters and sponsors in the UK is a classic "we know best" approach that buyers of organisations often quickly regret. For this point and others in the article to be in the press is a sign that the RFL are not negotiating, they are having terms dictated to them.
The truth is that Rugby league is struggling.moneywise sponsers crowds interest TV viewers..everything really.So is union outside of the international game.......
Why? well the product?
Compare with football......York is a good example ...York City are in the National League 5 th tier average gate 6657......York SL new in SL a big crowd 1st game but now ?...loodked 2000 at best last TV game.
The rugby game is just not as exciting as it used to be. Not the entertainment value that is needed.
I see the game as an effort game now as opposed to football which is now a skills game.
Rugby the emphasis is on fitness ,effort ,strength,patterns.tactics variations are very limited ,skill is coached out of players....fear of errors is great.
Contrast football skill is what counts,formations variations are much more possible.In rugby we change a player and replace with another prop for prop hooker for hooker.........does the game really change ?...nope just enables the effort level to be maintained.
Football is effort that important?...in the eyes of the crowd maybe and it was in the past but now the coaches are saying something different. You back off.....don`t press until options are covered...you don`t chase lost causes ........... shape , close space,transistion are what counts so a defence is set....then to overcome this your skills are needed. The higher the level the better the skills. Too much effort in the wrung places and wrong time just increases tiredness and skills decrease.
As I see it in these times Rugby is an effort sport Football a skills sport........
Which is more entertaining?
Solutions?
12 a side.....only two people in a tackle...anything else?
Football Cricket have moved on in trems of entertainment
Rugby has regressed