Shame so few people were there, I would have gone but I’m on holiday in Cyprus. I prefer Sunday games to Friday/Saturday games. Wouldn’t have thought there were that many games that clashed, and I’m not sure how many Widnes fans go to watch their local football club, and if it was on tv, they could record it and watch it when they got home from the Widnes match.
I liked the Saturday night game last week, always do like a night game.
It certainly affects the attendance if Liverpool/United are playing on a Sunday at the same time.
I think we've done well to average 2,700ish (I'd guess?) this year with nothing to play for. The sooner these ludicrous IMG rules are ditched the better.
I liked the Saturday night game last week, always do like a night game.
It certainly affects the attendance if Liverpool/United are playing on a Sunday at the same time.
I think we've done well to average 2,700ish (I'd guess?) this year with nothing to play for. The sooner these ludicrous IMG rules are ditched the better.
Agree this IMG spoils automatic promotion on the pitch for excitement. Plus only favours Super league teams. If Salford swapped in our position and we jumped into their position, I am sure points would swap around.
I keep reading on here the term IMG rules, they're not. They were proposals put forward by IMG, which the clubs overwhelmingly voted in favour of, including our club.
They are a ridiculous set of proposals which will further weaken the lower league clubs, there is no doubt at all about that.
But the blames lies with the clubs who voted for them not the marketing company which suggested them.
I keep reading on here the term IMG rules, they're not. They were proposals put forward by IMG, which the clubs overwhelmingly voted in favour of, including our club.
They are a ridiculous set of proposals which will further weaken the lower league clubs, there is no doubt at all about that.
But the blames lies with the clubs who voted for them not the marketing company which suggested them.
It seems they just followed each other like sheep and not understanding the terms which amazes me. 🤣 🤠 The fans of clubs below Super league think it is ridiculous and favors the teams in Superl League already and could put many Championship clubs into debt.
@begg Barrow, Batley, Fev, Hunslet and Dewsbury voted against it. If they could see how bad it would be for lower league teams I'm surprised more couldn't.
@sandgroper I agree 100% with you mate. If we had attained a high enough rating to be granted a place in SL, everyone on here would be saying it was a good system.
I don't blame our owners for voting in favour of it as some sort of licensing system is our best chance of getting back in SL.
I'm not sure what the clubs voted for and I don't think the clubs themselves are even sure either.I very much doubt London voted in favour knowing full well they would be graded poorly and booted straight back down to the championship.They obviously took it for granted that they would be scored positively. Never assume anything.
SL clubs are desperate to hold on to the shrinking pot of money from Sky; and those running the game have no interest beyond SL.
What Hull were allowed to do this year in the knowledge that their SL place was secure no matter where they finished, was disgraceful. For SL then to ask for Salford to explain fielding a weakened team in one game, whilst ignoring the fact that Hull fielded a weakened team throughout the season to save money, makes no sense.
I am not really sure what IMG is supposed to be doing to promote the game beyond SL and what the long-term vision is for the game, but the way things are heading the game will continue to shrink and eventually disappear.
We can only hope that the smaller Clubs like Widnes, without the backing of a wealthy supporter, can manage to keep going with the backing of a small group of enthusiastic supporters and Board Members.
Maybe it is time for Clubs outside SL and those hanging on by a thread to solvency in the SL, put forward their views on the long-term vision for the game.
The SL clubs are determined to kept their overstaffing no matter what with no apparent desire from the RFL to moderate spending to care for the game as a whole.
If RL slides to a point where there are only 12 or 14 clubs it is dead and that should be plain to anyone. From Sky's point of view it wouldn't be attractive and that is what is encouraging them to reduce the contracts.
Even going back to PT wouldn't change Sky's aims - women's football backed by Premier clubs is a much more attractive proposition.
But this is where we started the Sky years - big clubs over blown and overspending needing a bag of gold. And even Wigan and Saints are overdrawn now!
One way out could be part timers forming their own league structure, based on supporters, and leaving SL with its shrinking funding.
Hope Sky pull the plug and you would see some of the clubs on there arses. They don't care about leagues below so sod them.
Hope Sky pull the plug and you would see some of the clubs on there arses. They don't care about leagues below so sod them.
I think sky will pull the plug, fringe sports from not so long ago are quite attractive to TV now. Potentially RL is still seen as a Northern M62 flat cap whippets & ferrets set up to the Sky decision makers?? (give or take Catalan etc)
And the flat caps image reality is in fact reality, save for three outrider foreigners. Don't forget, either, that we were demoted, out of hand, to allow them into the SL structure!!!
Simply, if we, through WVIPs etc, managed to get to the top of our competition, could we hope to stay there if it meant going into six figure debt as Wigan have done? I would guess 'NO'.
I am 'Widnes' through and through but I can only see a Degsy Beaumont having the guts to get a hold of things and leading the way. He may be a Leither but he loves the game as a sport rather than a pastime!
The game, as it stands, is being ruled by those with enough Board room cash to buy the poorer clubs out. That isn't the way the game will prosper. 'Sport' should mean fair competition and that is being undermined.
I wasn't aware just how bad the situation was until I read an article. In 2021 Superleague got £40 million for the season from Sky, that has now dropped to £21.5 million. A huge reduction especially when the cost of everything including wages is going up. The sport is literally going backwards at an alarming rate.
Saints have just posted a loss of £1.3 million for 2023 and admit it will be higher for 2024. RL wages are already poor compared to most other sports.
My worry is SL sides will be increasingly desperate to hang on to a decreasing pot of money and it will become a closed shop. After this season and a bit of leveling out with Wakefield and probably Toulouse going up, how does a team in the future get enough points to overtake a team already in SL? With such a small pot of money they are never going to vote to expand to 14 teams. The only thing I would say is without a money person, looking at Saints losses, would you actually want to be in SL?
IMG have to get other broadcasters interested and push up the TV rights, it's the only option but a very difficult task.