Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:26 pm  

Same here. The last non-Champs' game I bothered with was the Exiles game which was DULLLLLL!

Speaking of 'exiles', that's exactly what we are, along with Sheff, Leigh and Fev. I used to HATE how Leeds and Bulls fans have no idea who Fax are anymore - and for Hudds fans to have the same opinion naturally makes my blood boil (for obvious reasons).

They have to go with the reforms and hopefully us top Champs' clubs can claw our way slowly back to the top table.

The RFL goons are an utter disgrace.

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:28 pm  

I meant to add, NOW I just get on with it, listening to SL fans talking about THEIR big games. Now I am numb to it.

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:29 pm  

5 years ago when they introdued licencing was the time to start to take control of our own destiny, the time was prime to start working together on building our own income streams that could ultimatley have put us in a real position of power

But would anybody listen?

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:53 pm  

Fax Machine wrote:

Well, as I posted on the VT, this is my view:

I used to be a RL supporter, now I am a Halifax RLFC supporter. I used to go to all the internationals, Challenge Cup finals, Premiership Finals and, if Fax didn't have a game, I would choose what looked like the best game available to attend for my RL fix. Now, if Fax aren't involved, I'm simply not interested. When Sky dropped Championship RL I cancelled not only Sky Sports but my entire Sky package and subscribed to Premier Sports. This may seem pathetic to some, for that I make no apology, but I no longer feel a part of a RL "Family".

I now feel that crunch time has come. The SL clubs are holding the game to ransom as they have had plenty of time to voice their concerns without leaving their rebellion until the last minute. The top-end Championship teams have already invested heavily in next season's squad as the death of licensing and the return of P&R was already supposedly agreed. The only issue was 2x12 or 2x12 going to 3x8. If we are now back to "as you were" it could have a serious financial effect as the climbdown is bound to further reduce attendances.

I believe that the time has come for SL to break away entirely. Let them run SL as a circus if they wish. I have asked the question on these forums several times: "If SLE is a separate company run by it's members and responsible for sharing out the Sky money why is it left to the RFL to bail out their member clubs when they are in financial trouble?" The question has been met with a deathly silence. If they wish to break away then so be it but they can then do their own bailing out although I suspect that if a club gets into difficulties they will not take a cut in their money to help one of their members but will rub their hands with glee as the club goes bust and then split their share of the Sky money between the remaining members. So it begins until the next one and the next and so on.....

I am the same I am only a Halifax RLFC fan now not RL any more and won't be going to any World Cup games other than the one at The Shay. I don't agree that SL should break away as that would spell the end for Fax and all the clubs below SL come on where would we get the money from and what would be the point as there will never be any chance to play in the top league of 'our' sport

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:37 pm  

I might not even follow professional RL much longer, I admire people like Mr.Steele for the enthusiasm & eandeavour and their passion for the game generally. It sickens me that genuine RL people such as Mr.Steele are been treat in this way by their fellow chairmen and the game's hierachy.


I hate the history of the SL era.

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:49 pm  

marillion man wrote:

I might not even follow professional RL much longer, I admire people like Mr.Steele for the enthusiasm & eandeavour and their passion for the game generally. It sickens me that genuine RL people such as Mr.Steele are been treat in this way by their fellow chairmen and the game's hierachy.


I hate the history of the SL era.

Same here,really exhausted with it all now.

I'll Probably take in a few of the WC games then sit back and watch the mess unfold from the the Lenaghan/Macmannus vs RFL fight,then i'll just slink away from the pro game and hope i dont have to work to many saturdays so i can take in a few leigh miners games

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:00 am  

Super league clubs running Super league???

Which clubs would run it.

All of them or just some, if it's all of them that would include the ones that have proved they can't even run themselves.

Would anyone want them involved in handling their finances when there is a shortage of dosh anyway

If it's just a select few it would include the big four, how would it sit with the rest if the big boys were involved in making decisions for the little fry?

I can just picture it the little club gets into difficulty and is summoned before the king of the jungle, like a tethered goat it stands in the middle waiting for the hungry lion to say it's not hungry.

How would it work out when even within the big four there is a tangible dislike of each other, I mean the Lancashire clubs hate Leeds and GH and GH hates just about everybody not associated with Leeds.

At the same time as saying the RFL has failed to get sponsership for THEM and only them like the rest of us many of them can't even maintain there own fan base from within their own community yet alone get new interest.

They say that there are not enough quality players about to make up 14 teams yet alone 24, it's probably true.
Aren't they admitting that they can't produce enough players on their own to meet the grade at the same time as trying to be more isolated.

They say they don't need the RFL involved in the financial side of things yet who do they turn to when they need bailing out.

They say there is a threat to the game from the NRL and Union competing for players, well there is a threat when it comes to having sponsership and investment there is competition from every other sport as well and some sponsers like some players choose another sport.

Many potential sponser were approached concerning SL but decided not to come on board.
Some took one look at the product, the SL clubs not the RFL and said no thanks.

What has changed with the product since then, well a few selfish back stabbers have popped their heads up which i'm sure will tip the balance to get more investers involved.

Ironically in their quest to get more of the central funding, by voting to go to twelve clubs and wanting the new system to only include the twelve they are cutting the gates receits even more by having less number of games, who will pick up the shortfall for that or will they arrange a new lets play everybody 3 times a season scenario with the third game in the Outer Hebrides to see if the Islanders like it.

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:47 am  

Well if I was a Championship Chairman, I'd now be using this as an opportunity to lobby the rank and file SL club, and see if a future that is inclusive for the whole of RL cannot be sorted.

I'd also lobby Leeds weren't they reportedly happy to go along with the new changes? Regardless I'd be trying my utmost to isolate four or five clubs and more or less say ok go it alone.

The problem is to do this, to get the rank and file SL club onside it might be necessary to accept no change in the near future whilst the direction and format of the leagues is set out. A breakaway from the bottom down, could look to exploit the BT Sports opportunity, they badly need more content.

Rugby League needs to work out what it's niche/angle is and with RU hurtling towards the football model of big clubs dominating through huge european paychecks and never a change in the order, RL should be looking to set itself up as a genuine open competition with a genuine meritocracy.

RL's problem for a long time has been the obsession with catching Australia, the game has been run to achieve this, when the game should have been run to produce the best product it could. That isn't necessarily the SL style of rugby, 48-24 sort of scores turned me away from the game and I only returned through work.

Now they are panicking because they are going to lose players to Australia, there is no way they can compete, look at their TV contract it's huge. It's the natural order of things and they have to live with it, not destroy the game in a futile pursuit of the impossible.

Step back, review, start again and build a competition that places competition above all else.

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:55 am  

FoxyDread wrote:

Step back, review, start again and build a competition that places competition above all else.

Easy to say, but to make that work, you need to somehow even out the clubs finances so that clubs can compete when they're promoted and can copewhen they're relegated.

P+R isn't a panacea in itself. It has to be linked with the cash.

Re: Breaking: RFL call off vote on Super League restructure : Thu Oct 10, 2013 11:04 am  

griff1998 wrote:

Easy to say, but to make that work, you need to somehow even out the clubs finances so that clubs can compete when they're promoted and can copewhen they're relegated.

P+R isn't a panacea in itself. It has to be linked with the cash.

Absolutely Griff. But, do you not think, that the years "licencing" have made the gap far too wide - the Championship clubs need loads of cash and the SL clubs cant afford a reduction? What a mess has been made just to get Crusaders into SL.

As an aside, Smokey is suggesting on the VT that championship clubs run as a competition involving 18-20 year olds that cant get a game in SL and as clubs developing the youth until ready for SL. I'm sure we all agree, our crowds would rocket with people wanting to pay £16-18 to watch that. Only a massive, clueless d!!k would suggest that!

I only hope my interest in RL dies before I have to suffer the fate of my club being destroyed so Wigan can play Saints 6 times a year