Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:11 pm  

Brodie123 wrote:

With Salford getting a crowd of less than 2,500 I think saying super league is really struggling is an understatement, in reality its dying, its becoming a minority sport in the UK and it hurts to say this. In fact women's netball (no disrespect to women) have crowds nearly as high as what Salford, Huddersfield and London achieve. To try and defend this once great game becoming harder and harder to do. You look at the egoistic chairman of these clubs, knowingly surviving on the Sky money of £2M per club and you now know why this sport isn't getting any better. It will not be long before Sky pull the plug on sponsorship, and how many clubs will go to the wall. If Salford are getting crowds of less than 2500 why should Sky pay them £2m when their own supporters cannot even support them. Its time Super League and the farts who work there took the finger from their backsides and started to spend money in the UK and try to market this game. If that means teams like Salford, Huddersfield, and some others are removed and replaced with teams with some supporters, have a go at me if you wish, but simply to try and defend crowds of less than 2500 when its indefensible, you don't deserve a super league team. The league needs to be expanded to 14 teams so everyone plays each other home and away, and if you want promotion and relegation the scrap the cap on salaries, if you want the cap then franchise the sport. Candidly the sport is in a right mess and all the clubs with no money are making all the decisions. no wonder we are going downhill.

There seems a lot of tactical self-interest between the clubs and too little strategic planning for the overall health and development of the game.

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:15 pm  

There is more League on TV in the UK now than ever before whether it be NRL or SL. I don't know if Sky release their veiwing figures, in which case only they know how well supported it is from the armchair. This will have the biggest bearing on the next TV deal and supporters at the game really have little bearing on it

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 2:00 pm  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

How can Salford sustain a Super League club?

I could see Salford going into free fall and they are overpriced at 33/1 to finish bottom (London are 4/5 favourites at present).
Salford have to play Wolves home and away as well London, Rhinos and Hull away. Their homes are Catalans, Shuddersfield and HKR.

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 6:29 pm  

Whilst I agree on the poor crowds at Salford and that there is far too much egotism, self interest and short termism in RL, let’s not pretend this is a new thing. This has been going on for as long as I can remember.
There’s no reason to suggest RL is going to “die” anytime soon. Nor is it suddenly becoming a minority sport. It’s been this way for decades.

Unfortunately the sport sacrificed any strength it had in the 70’s-90’s. When the sport had good crowds it decided not to invest in infrastructure or an international game or sowing the seeds of expansion either in the rest of the UK or elsewhere.
Then it just limped on through the 80’s and 90’s pretending to have a relevance it didn’t deserve simply because we could fill Wembley once a yeah because there was sod all else to do.

The sport has never once in the last 50 years even attempted to make itself relevant to people who don’t already watch it. It is the legacy of that we are struggling with now, on top of the same self-interest and short termism that was prevalent then.

Leeds shouldn’t have to be spending £40m+ now. It should have been done a long time ago.
Salford wouldn’t be getting crowds of 2,000 if they hadn’t sold their soul.
Wakefield wouldn’t be struggling with a millstone of a stadium if they’d upgraded it consistently.
Wigan wouldn’t be worrying about income from a football ground they don’t own. Etc etc.

But instead all the clubs chased on-field glory and bought players they couldn’t afford instead of investing.
It’s a bit better now, but nowhere near good enough, and there’s no stadiums left to sell anymore.

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 9:01 pm  

Gotcha wrote:

Too much is made is Smith to be honest. Last two weeks he has been there and they have looked poop. For me, depends on London results, because I think Hull KR are the worst of the teams down there. But do see exactly what you are saying in the Huddersfield point.

I did say after last week, Hull KR for me the worst side down there.

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 9:45 pm  

Well they got battered tonight. Maybe KR are saving themselves for next week.

If we win next week, hull KR would need to win 3 more games than us in the remaining 7 fixtures.

The game is vital. I'm sure they'll be up for it

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 9:50 pm  

I still fancy London for the drop but KR really didn’t need that towelling for their points diff.

We just need to keep the pedal down regardless - once we look clear it’s going to make coach and player recruitment much easier.

[Frosties.]

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:03 pm  

Looking at the remaining games, Salford could be pulled into this relegation battle.

RD 21 - LON v WAR
RD 22 - HUD v CAT, HFC v LON, LEE v HKR, WAR v SAL
RD 23 - HKR v HUD, LON v STH, LEE v HFC, SAL v CAT
RD 24 - HUD v LEE, LON v SAL, HKR v CAS
RD 25 - SAL v HUD, CAS v LON, LEE v CAT, WIG v HKR
RD 26 - HUD v CAS, CAT v LON, LEE v STH, WAK v HKR, HFC v SAL
RD 27 - HFC v HUD, LON v LEE, CAT v HKR, SAL v WAR
RD 28 - STH v HUD, HKR v LON, LEE v SAL
RD 29 - HUD v CAT, WAK v LON, LEE v WAR, SAL v HKR

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:06 pm  

Gotcha wrote:

I did say after last week, Hull KR for me the worst side down there.

They beat Hull and Wire in recent weeks. Wigan away was not one of the games they would have ear marked for wins in the run in. I still they will be fine but you are entitled to your view.

Re: Relegation : Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:08 pm  

Biff Tannen wrote:

They beat Hull and Wire in recent weeks. Wigan away was not one of the games they would have ear marked for wins in the run in. I still they will be fine but you are entitled to your view.

Theres not enough games left to be ear marking any of them, every game should be targeted