: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:11 am  

Shooze wrote:

they've been trying for 25 years or more, in various guises, how long does it take to realize it aint gonna happen?

When they were at Fulham they didn't do to badly.

To many name changes and location changes leads to loss of identity. If Leeds were suddenly bought by a Union side, and the name changed to suit I'd have a serious think about whether I'd attend.

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:49 am  

If crowds continue to fall like this next time frranchise comes around and they dont get kicked out and my side does or Wake it will be show how corrupt the RL are.

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:01 am  

Birstalltiger wrote:

If crowds continue to fall like this next time frranchise comes around and they dont get kicked out and my side does or Wake it will be show how corrupt the RL are.

FFS You make me embarrassed to be a Cas fan

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:19 am  

Time to call it a day IMO unfortunately.

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:24 am  

Pathetic attendence, never going to work unfortunately.

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:27 am  

I think the Quins should keep going until there is a viable London replacement coming through the ranks. All are dependent on Quins existing, but in the next 10-15 years it's possible that either the Skolars or the South London Storm could be the genuine RL article within the capital.

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:30 am  

i live in barnet north london
it takes me 2hours to get to the stoop by car in west london

Working for Transport for london i have to say that west london is the worst part by far for traffic congestion and being so close to Heathrow doesn't help either.

part of the reason i think the crowds are low is it just doesn't seem to connect with Londoners and gets little or no exposure

Greater London is about 40 miles N/S
and 50 miles E/W
think how many pro teams in the north west there are in the same radius?

It has no identity, no ground and it's trading off a union name which in itself is detrimental.
Any one that might have been slightly interested in RL but supports say Saracens or London Irish isn't going to support what they now see as a rival team. When they were the broncos they had their own identity.

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:35 am  

Wire_Yed_79 wrote:

i live in barnet north london
it takes me 2hours to get to the stoop by car in west london

Working for Transport for london i have to say that west london is the worst part by far for traffic congestion and being so close to Heathrow doesn't help either.

part of the reason i think the crowds are low is it just doesn't seem to connect with Londoners and gets little or no exposure

Greater London is about 40 miles N/S
and 50 miles E/W
think how many pro teams in the north west there are in the same radius?

It has no identity, no ground and it's trading off a union name which in itself is detrimental.
Any one that might have been slightly interested in RL but supports say Saracens or London Irish isn't going to support what they now see as a rival team. When they were the broncos they had their own identity.

Fair points (remember the Broncos getting fairly good crowds in the mid-90's in SL), but why did they change to Quins then if they already had a good formula?

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:11 am  

Roofs wrote:

Fair points (remember the Broncos getting fairly good crowds in the mid-90's in SL), but why did they change to Quins then if they already had a good formula? :?

Because it wasn't a good formula

That is why it failed

The ' Quins ' formula was going to work

But it isn't

So what next ?

: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:27 am  

Maximus Decimus wrote:

Union fans are the wrong fans to target and I doubt more than a couple of hundred switch between either game.

From my experience in the same way we find Union dull, slow and too messy, they find league dull, predictable and too easy. If your brought up on lineouts and scrums then you appreciate them.

I was brought up on Union and I find the absence of scrums and line-outs a glorious relief. Total waste of time as a spectator.

I can't understand the frustrating lack of traction. I think the Quins brand is a good idea, as they are the runaway success in Union in London. I don't think the name is going to put off fans of other clubs if the Quins fans themselves aren't much interested. I have brought the parents of some of the kids I coach in mini-Union, many of whom are regular Quins Union fans, to the RL. They all claim to enjoy it, both the game and the livelier atmosphere despite the much smaller crowd, but they don't go back.

Not only do I feel it is a much more entertaining spectacle than Union, but I find the lighter spirits in the crowd a great relief after the bile and histrionics of football. I think there is a great deal of disaffection among football fans at the direction and expense of their game which could also be tapped (or is it just QPR?!) and newbie football fans would certainly find RL more accessible than Union.

Don't despair (yet). If the connection with Union gives us nothing else (apart from a superb ground of course) it is the model of a recognised name suddenly exploding in popularity and support. As has been pointed out, the RL side is so skint that the marketing spend has been slashed and the results are with us. One last push, please?