Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:14 am  

Willzay wrote:

I picked Norwich and Bristol as just a couple of examples of places that would be oblivious who stays and who gets relegated in SL. We have an obsession to grow the game anywhere but in Britain.

There's also some implication of blame of the sport (not by you btw) that Catalans are in the position they're in, when in fact it's down to (Robinson aside) succession of poor coaches, poor recruitment and apparently a poor club culture off the pitch.

ATEOTD, if Catalans stay up, great. If not, well theyve got some interesting matches to look forward to against Toulouse and Toronto.

I'm struggling to find anyone who is blaming anyone else other than the Dragons.

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:18 am  

Durham Giant wrote:

Look at Rugby Union always had a problem with crowds for Club games ( and sponsorship)

Then hey presto the Heineken cup playing johhny foreigner where you don't get huge amounts of away fans and then the game moves on to new levels. Financially publicity wise and attendance wise.

The pro 12 lets in south af'rican teams who bring no fans to away games and guess what it attracts more money and publicity.

In RL we still have numpties who think that the game can survive based onM62 clubs serving about 4 million people.

Look at cricket the county game is slowly dying
so what do they do change the format more 20 20 and sell it around the world. IPL now gets more money ( outside of India)than the whole of RL in the world put together to watch Indians and the best players play a mini league.
As the game contracts it will get poorer and harder to market. Everyone will go to alternative sports we will be left to a smaller pool of players. Kids do not play RL like they used to.

Losing London was bad ( much of sky's money came from London). Losing Catalans will be worse.

It is just another example of the death knell of RL. In 10 years it will be a semi pro SL if indeed some of the top clubs have not gone to the dark side.

I tend to think that anyone over the age of 30 before the age of digital technology should be banned from posting on threads like this as they are so far in the past they are just waiting to become extinct like the dinosaurs.

Agree with all of this. Several points have been made on this thread arguing the reasons why Catalans are important to super league. I'm still waiting for a differing opinion without resorting to insults and paranoia over there own club.

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:19 am  

Maybe the relegation of Catalans might be good for the sport if it somehow leads to more exposure for the Championship. I'm not sure how any game can truly flourish when all of the focus seems to be on one division.

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:30 am  

Dr Chim Richalds wrote:

Maybe the relegation of Catalans might be good for the sport if it somehow leads to more exposure for the Championship. I'm not sure how any game can truly flourish when all of the focus seems to be on one division.

Might be for the best if they go down. I understand people wanting Catalans to stay up but it's based more on what Catalans were several years ago or could potentially be. At this moment they're a poor club that's gone backwards.

We could do with a strong Catalans in SL
We don't need this current version of them though

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:39 am  

Losing Catalans will be catastrophic to the game

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:48 am  

serge le forge wrote:

Losing Catalans will be catastrophic to the game

In what way

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:49 am  

How will RL in this country grow? Success of the international game which means strong England international players.

How are Catalans/London/Toronto/Pyongyang? Contributing to that?

Widnes and Leigh are hot beds of RL talent in this country. Widnes run an academy graded as Outstanding by the RFL and Leigh have plans to run one once they are safe in SL. Those academies will produce England internationals. Walker and Brand at Widnes are two players with massive international potential.

Some times people need to see the bigger picture rather than think what a great away day the South of France is.

Come on Leigh next week!

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:06 am  

Rugby league will not exist in this country without Catalan's and their NRL journeymen I'll disciplined side. In what way has London's relegation been negative ? You just crack on with it without them. Catalan's are not a new side. Relegation could well revitalise their whole club as opposed to them just regressing and stagnating in a franchised based environment.

If relegated, they need to crack on with it like the likes of Cas, Leigh , Widnes And Hull KR have done in the last decade. Whilst their gone it will have zero impact on SL imo.

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:10 am  

fun time frankie wrote:

In what way

In no way, it's just expansionist bullcrap

Re: Catalan Dragons v Widnes Vikings : Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:14 am  

Please excuse this view from a fossil ( I'm over 30 !!!)
The second tier of rugby league is looking very cosmopolitan next year with the possibility for 2 French, a Canadian and a team from that there London place.
All are full time, with good home support bases (London accepted) and their games against each other should be a marketing man's dream.
2 French local derby's, Toronto playing in the Capital broadcast all over Canada and beyond. With good advertising, the Summer Bash becomes an International Rugby League Weekend.
Blackpool landladies will be scrubbing their door steps already.
This offers so much if professionally handled (what would a Barry Hearn do with it) it could be the birth of a proper 2 league system with 20+ full time clubs with good TV money from international providers not just Sky and a platform for negotiations of the TV rights next time around.

Anyway, time for my elevenses, a think that was the tea trolley ?