It is certainly true that as it stands atm the SL brings in Sky money, but it absorbs it as well rather than allowing it to trickle down to help lower leagues and the amateur game. There has to be a question regarding the ability to sustain clubs whose expenses can never be met by a shrinking public support.
Try as we might our income overall will never match the NRL with its competing tv companies but if SL continues to swallow all the cash the game will die from the roots up.
So where can the cash to continue the second tier and the amateur game come from? We have put something of a marker down in desperate times but can we sustain it as a club, only time will tell. Businesses will be stretched to and beyond their limit over the next few months/years, as will suppporters who might want to support so we need creative management at all levels to get us through this mess. Consistent support through things like VIQI can sustain clubs but player contracts have to be realistic too or they will price themselves out of existence.
Can't see any easy answers but maybe Carvel and the Union should spare a few minutes to look into their future?
Fair comment Spike Island. Looking at our part time exploits the rugby was still good to watch, if you were a fan. The only thing that changed was Sky SL. Sadly once you’ve had your nose in the trough its hard to walk away. Sky have SL clubs over a barrel and they know it. Can’t see us going back atm. Those at the top, Elstone and Rimmer, are well trough-tied and will fight it at the game’s expense.
The game is too reliant on a sky deal that is tentative. If Sky pulled out tomorrow, half the clubs in SL would be bankrupt in a week. There are too many people involved in Rugby League now who are only interested in Financial reward.
What a game RL could be if towns played against each for local proud, not for financial reward.
Sky is certainly a major factor. Another one is that most SL clubs have benefactors who plough cash in to supplement the sky cash, as do some Championship clubs. We balance that with VIQI, thankfully, but there are some who don't have either, and we must be approaching a point where being there in 1895 doesn't guarantee you a place for life. Tough I know but the game can't afford it.
The trouble is that sponsoring RL doesn't give a big enough return unless you are a fan and do it for love of the game.
Unless the game drags more cash in somehow it will go back to being a semi- pro status minority sport.
Is it just me who finds it odd that SL Chairman are going on about their financial woes but then we see the likes of Graham, Bateman etc signed up?
I noticed watching the NRL they had limited crowds in: if we could get 2500-3000 in socially distanced that would be the only way IMO to save this season, but time is running out and I can't see that being allowed for weeks if not months, plus you would need a 3 or 4 week mini-pre season too and there is absolutely no reason to cram in a meaningless season this side of Christmas.
Sky is certainly a major factor. Another one is that most SL clubs have benefactors who plough cash in to supplement the sky cash, as do some Championship clubs. We balance that with VIQI, thankfully, but there are some who don’t have either, and we must be approaching a point where being there in 1895 doesn’t guarantee you a place for life. Tough I know but the game can’t afford it. The trouble is that sponsoring RL doesn’t give a big enough return unless you are a fan and do it for love of the game. Unless the game drags more cash in somehow it will go back to being a semi- pro status minority sport.
And there lies the answer. The SL clubs do not see beyond the SL and want to share Sky monies mainly amongst themselves, with little or no interest in the game below that level, even though about 8 of them will eventually see themselves in those very same lower leagues because they do not fit the international big city profile.
Perhaps the answer should be to maximise central income through tv and sponsorship and distribute that fairly within the game at all levels. This may mean that clubs will need to cut there clothes accordingly, with no six figure salaries for administrators or players. It may well mean a return to part-time or a mix of part-time and full-time players at clubs.
If the leagues were more of a level playing field and the ability of clubs to buy success/promotion reduced, this would widen the scope for teams to compete. If the likes of Widnes, Swinton, Oldham or Barrow and other teams were regularly seen to be competing for and were in with a chance in games, this may well encourage fans to return to the game.
If we continue on the current path, there may well be an international big city league - controlled from North America or Australia - bringing in income for a few clubs, but it will be at the expense of the game at grass roots level and once that venture fails, there will be nothing to fall back on.
The RFL needs to decide what future it sees for RL in the UK and plan accordingly, in conjunction with clubs and fans.
Seems like we are on the same wavelength! The big limiting factor is that we only hve Sky as our public outlet. The CC with the Beeb is so far behind these days it is out if the reckoning and with cuts will be even moreso. I feel that the US/ Canada element will court the NRL when it looks at their package, much more on American lines. If we retain a lookin it will be minor and based on city name, as you say.
Based simply on support even the big boys would struggle to pay fulltime wages at the present rate.
Its a different world from the old semi-pro era. I remember a Widnes player who worked with my dad whe we got to Wembley. The lads were to get £1500 for the game, big money then. His comment was that' it isn't the money! iI would be playing for somebody, West Bank maybe, for nothing if I wasn't playing for Widnes!' How times have changed!
I noticed watching the NRL they had limited crowds in: if we could get 2500-3000 in socially distanced that would be the only way IMO to save this season, but time is running out and I can’t see that being allowed for weeks if not months, plus you would need a 3 or 4 week mini-pre season too and there is absolutely no reason to cram in a meaningless season this side of Christmas.
Think it's known there will be some fans in some stadia by at the latest late September/October.
A few sports: SPL, T20, Super League etc are backloading their 'better' fixtures to around then to hopefully get some fans into the stadium to watch them.
Sky Sports pay money to show Super League. That money does trickle its way down the leagues via central funding.
My thoughts on where we're at: https://widnesrugby.com/post/the-wait-for-widnes-to-return/
We tend to round in circles with these arguments but I suspect that many fans are just fed up with a poorly managed league structure and one where non-SL clubs are messed about simply to serve some 'wait and see' expansion of the game via the introduction of a variety of overseas teams with no real plan of where we are heading.
What makes it worse is that honest clubs like ours, trying to climb the league structure are thwarted by foreign clubs with questionable financial relaxation, enabling them to fish in a much bigger player pond.
At the same time SL clubs are happy to 'forget' that most of their player pool starts outside SL and if that wasn't seeking and introducing players their talent pool would be very adversely affected.
If the SL wish to introduce external teams surely they can devise a system to accommodate them, particularly as many players in those teams are already SL trained. They could be relegation-proof for three years for instance.
One thing that really gets my goat is that the Olympic Games rugby element seems to exclude our players totally, largely because the SL is seen as a Sky-owned game. That may be an argument, but RFL games aren't Sky owned, or at least the RFL should organise it so that our players/clubs can compete for Olympic representation.
Rant over!!
E James Posts: 86 Time to get a VIQI ☆☆☆☆ Sky Sports pay money to show Super League. That money does trickle its way down the leagues via central funding.
I don't think that the SL clubs have agreed to resume a hybrid version of the game, to ensure money trickles down to the lower leagues. SL has no interest beyond SL and are looking to keep a larger share of the Sky money. Having said that, I guess when we were in SL we were happy to take the Sky money too, with little thought for clubs in the lower league.
One day the money put in by McManus, Moran and Co will dry up and where will that leave those clubs, who are dependant on that financial support to keep them solvent?
I agree that it does not make any financial sense for a Championship/League 1 team to resume the league or play in the CC this side of the furlough scheme and with no crowd income. The club may arrange some friendlies in November/December, so that we have the chance to see some games. A game against Warrington with Greg Inglis making an appearance, would be good - and maybe those two forwards we have been looking for!!!
Regular season called off.
Invited to take part in an Autumn competition
Surely we’ve got to have a crack at that with £250k prize fund.
I’m not sure whether it’s worth it. Be interesting to see the finances on it. I think every club should get a share of that 250k and not give it all to the winner. Clubs won’t enter if it’s going to run at a loss to them.
The main priority now is to hit 2021 season running. Every year coaches say pre season isn’t long enough- there isn’t that excuse this year.
<p style="text-align: left;">If players aren't internationals, which is most in the Championship, then the season traditionally finishes in October, starting again in the February. After holidays a return to training in November gives the lads 3 months of pre season, to my mind a long time compared to other sports. However this year with the Autumn comp it would be significantly shorter.</p>
A lot will need sorting, most of our players are on 12 month deals, anyone know when the contract finishes? We have seen Premier league players sign 1 month extensions to finish the season. Would this be needed for an October/November competition? Or do the contracts run until the end of 2020?
Other issues would be if the testing came at a cost, causing a problem for some of the lesser supported teams. Would the additional cost justify playing in the comp, or will the RFL subsidise it? And also how would it work with seating arrangements. The stadium is more than big enough to have people spread out if all 4 stands opened, but it would take some organising!
I think potentially more players could become available next year with the reduction in Sky funding, I think its about £220k? Reserve team players could be available as well with teams looking to reduce costs.
So with no relegation I believe parachute payments are around £300k. A comp with a prize fund of £250k now appears to be saving SL money.
It sounds attractive at first glance but an all or nothing comp for £250k is potentially very damaging to some clubs with the cost it will bring to get teams back on the pitch. I would imagine, Toulouse, Leigh, London, Bradford, Featherstone, Widnes would all be interested - but even then there's 5 clubs missing out with a huge overhead of players and staff being back in work.
Will be interesting to see how this plays out. I'd agree there needs to be some scale to the prize money, otherwise it's probably not worth it.