Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 9:56 am  

We struggle to get a sponsor because we aren't an attractive market for sponsors. It's got little to do with the RFL in that sense.
The same goes for internationals or events. They're organised "late" because we don't have our own stadium so we're working around other schedules.

1 It is the RFLs primary role to make the sport more attractive and bring on board sponsorship/TV rights/new players/coaches .... etc. It is a business and they are the executive decision makers of the business.

2. Aussies don't have dedicated stadiums but they manage to arrange a programme in advance. Look at the British Lions RU for example

You're making excuses for a poor management group who have, and continue to, under perform.

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 10:33 am  

Sadly if what has been put on twitter about this press conference is true the this is just another Koukash hissy fit. Lashing out at pretty much everyone with no real coherence.

It's disappointing that he has become almost the perfect shield for the RFL, conflating real and pressing issues with paranoid incoherent nonsense.

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 10:36 am  

SmokeyTA wrote:

Sadly if what has been put on twitter about this press conference is true the this is just another Koukash hissy fit. Lashing out at pretty much everyone with no real coherence.

For once I agree. He's like a kid throwing a tantrum.

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 10:50 am  

SmokeyTA wrote:

Sadly if what has been put on twitter about this press conference is true the this is just another Koukash hissy fit. Lashing out at pretty much everyone with no real coherence.

It's disappointing that he has become almost the perfect shield for the RFL, conflating real and pressing issues with paranoid incoherent nonsense.

I'm seeing the updates and I would agree; classic unfocused lashing out, having been on the wrong end of a decision. He would have been better served sticking to the idea that the RFL have failed the game in a commercial and marketing sense - it would at least then have been coherent.

Now he's just back to being perceived as a clown - which is pretty much how he should be perceived.

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 11:04 am  

bren2k wrote:

I'm seeing the updates and I would agree; classic unfocused lashing out, having been on the wrong end of a decision. He would have been better served sticking to the idea that the RFL have failed the game in a commercial and marketing sense - it would at least then have been coherent.

Now he's just back to being perceived as a clown - which is pretty much how he should be perceived.

It's not even that he just couldn't stick to one issue. If he had complained about the RFL fsking up the SC, fsking up the marketing and financials, the tv deal etc then people would listen to him but it can never be the rfl aren't good enough or are going the wrong way it's always a conspiracy. When it's not the RFL being out to get them it's hetherington, when it's not hetherington it's Les Catalans, when it's not Les Catalans it's toulouse. Then from somewhere for no discernable reason and with no discernable link it's Toronto.

His underlying idea of SL going it's own way isn't terrible. There is sense and a debate to be had about it because the game is failing in some important aspects, but it won't break away without Leeds and it won't break away to dump Les Catalans and pull up the draw bridge on Toulouse and Toronto so why surround the issue with all this froth and nonsense.

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 11:25 am  

Him wrote:

We struggle to get a sponsor because we aren't an attractive market for sponsors. It's got little to do with the RFL in that sense.

Well if we can manage to get Fly Emirates on board, there's certainly interest out there. We don't even have the biggest fan base in the league..

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 11:38 am  

He can make a good point in one breath and then come across as a complete tool the next.
If he can back up any of those claims with proof (the RFL using incorrect dates and figures during tribunal, RFL discussions with another club who broke cap but no action taken, Salford offered money by RFL to reschedule a fixture to help a bigger club), then fair enough.
But then why start having a go at Catalans, citing their lack of developing French talent as an issue? I'd say Catalan have brought through some French talent already, that burden doesn't lie solely with them anyway, and Salford aren't exactly running a top tier academy themselves right now. Quite the opposite, actually.

Curious as to who this other club breaking the cap in 2014 was though...

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 11:41 am  

Exiled down south wrote:

1 It is the RFLs primary role to make the sport more attractive and bring on board sponsorship/TV rights/new players/coaches .... etc. It is a business and they are the executive decision makers of the business.

Much of that responsibility falls on the clubs as well, and they're failing.

We have clubs giving tickets away like confetti, we have clubs that can't attract supporters to fill their premium seats, who haven't invested in corporate hospitality and who market themselves as a "budget family day out".

The sport is talking to supporters who believe that £20 to see a play-off semi-final is some kind of rip-off, who will only attend international games if they can find a discount code, and who mickey and moan about any attempt by clubs to improve their commercial revenue (just see the faux outrage whenever Leeds launch some form of special edition playing shirt).

That's not to say that it's wrong to market the sport in that that promotes "family value" - there is clearly a niche for that kind of market - but in in that context, it's no surprise that the sport's sponsorship profile includes payday loan companies, skip hire firms, budget car brands and canned mushy peas.

The RFL has actually done some good work since the Stobart disaster, but it needs to do more. However, the clubs (with the odd exception) need to be a lot stronger in this area as well. When we have clubs putting their prime shirt sponsorship up as a raffle prize, we've got some problems.

Sports sponsorship is about buying access to an audience and at the moment, the RL audience is not one that blue-chip companies want to invest in trying to attract. That's something that all of the game's stakeholders need to work on, not just Red Hall. There's a reason why Sky's Rugby Union coverage is sponsored by Land Rover and not Ladbrokes.

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 11:50 am  

so why do catalans get 9 overseas players?

Re: Dr Koukash seeks vote of no confidence in RFL : Wed May 18, 2016 12:34 pm  

TheButcher wrote:

For too long the RFL has been populated by self-interested and parochial individuals who are content with the status quo. While MK may offer no alternatives at the moment, it wouldn't be his job to do so either. It seems that quite a lot of SL chairmen agree with MK on this and it will be interesting to see where it leads. RL fans need to leave their dislike of MK to one side on this issue and judge it, when it's revealed, on whether what he suggests is viable, ridiculous, or the way forward.

Couldn't agree more.

MarwanK is right, most sane adults know he is right, the fact that he is a bit of a throbber & has 'as yet' not offered up alternatives is largely irrelevant.

The RFL are killing the game we love for so many Clubs & supporters of Clubs, how can anyone not back him ?
Only the 'protected' Clubs would stay away from this challenge.

I for one hope that he addresses the inequality of a system that allows different rules on salary cap, overseas quotas & P&R restrictions imposed on heatland Clubs for the benefit of development area Clubs based on geographical location.

While it was successful for Catalan it came at the price of 6 years direct entry to SL & exemption from relegation, thus it cost a British RL Club a place in SL.

We have seen it all before with various guises of the London Club & the Welsh & French too & we will see it again with Toulouse Olympique & Toronto Wolfpack.
I would guess that the Cumbrians & the Oldham, Swinton & Batleys of this RL Family would love the same amount of protection & investment by the RFL in their futures.

I firmly believe rhat the RFL are not only incompetent but are actively & negatively impacting on the futures of Clubs like Barrow, Sheffield, Oldham etc.

It really is time for the RFL to wake up & smell the coffee.

Substandard TV deals, substandard structures, substandard vision & substandard leadership creating a substandard RL competition *when compared to Oz*.

Expansion? YES ! But not at any cost.