: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:46 pm
Johnoco wrote:
So why has it taken till now to try any real grassroots development? Why did these 'hundreds of teams' (all more or less within walking distance of each other) not spread the game?
Because they couldn't see past the end of their nose. RL is making progress and deride it as you like, it is down to Super League.
I think only time will tell on that one....
The real truth is that to expand you go outwards, not start out and work back in (which is what is happening).
Having a French team certainly has not strengthened the French national squad one iota, and I doubt that having a Welsh team in for a few years will strengthen the Welsh national team either.
I really cant see what Catalan bring to the table, ok they get good gates in Perpignon, but that is because all superleague teams are now prepared for the yearly trip to the south of France and save for it, but really how many do they (or can they realistically) bring to every away game... Not that many, and this was always going to be the same for the Celtic's beacause they were always going to loose more than they win for the first few years, which makes it difficult to get a strong following who are prepared to travel hundreds of miles every other weekend to see their team "have a good go".
I am a Halifax fan, who doesnt believe we should have obtained a franchise this time around (we were not ready), but we will be ready the next time, but could see ourselves pushed out because of Superleagues "master plan", it is obvious they are grooming Toulouse for a place, and maybe even Gateshead.
But that said I do think that Widnes would definately have brought more to the Superleague table than Celts have, and NOW its going to cost all clubs when they are "bailed out"
