Re: What can we do? : Wed Aug 21, 2013 1:19 pm  

jaybs wrote:

Sadly the way the game is in the UK, I never can see either Skolars or The Stags reaching Super League level, unless a real multi multi millionaire is willing to write an open cheque! as poplar panther clearly states anything else is pie in the sky dreams!

All clubs need a back to get into SL.

Skolars and Hemel are a long way off SL but they are closer to it than they were 10 years ago.

I don't doubt that in ten years' time, they will be even closer.

Re: What can we do? : Wed Aug 21, 2013 1:31 pm  

Hedgehog King wrote:

All clubs need a back to get into SL.

Skolars and Hemel are a long way off SL but they are closer to it than they were 10 years ago.

I don't doubt that in ten years' time, they will be even closer.

The Skolars have made steady progress over the 10 years of their professional experience if they continue as they are doing, they , may be ready for SL in 5 years. The fact that they are going for promotion to the Championship this year speaks volumes.

Re: What can we do? : Wed Aug 21, 2013 2:05 pm  

poplar panther wrote:

The Skolars have made steady progress over the 10 years of their professional experience if they continue as they are doing, they , may be ready for SL in 5 years. The fact that they are going for promotion to the Championship this year speaks volumes.

I can't think that they will be ready for SL in five years but speculating about them as a mid-table Championship side would have seemed crazy a few years ago but not now.

The problem Skolars had was that the old NL2 was too high a standard for entry teams. It's hard to make much progress when you are getting flogged every week by some pretty strong teams.

I think the future of expansion lies in building a decent league pyramid, there has been progress in this of late, Hemel and Oxford have had a much easier ride than Skolars ever got.

Re: What can we do? : Wed Aug 21, 2013 2:59 pm  

poplar panther wrote:

The Skolars have made steady progress over the 10 years of their professional experience if they continue as they are doing, they , may be ready for SL in 5 years. The fact that they are going for promotion to the Championship this year speaks volumes.

I don't see that, this is the weakest pro-league they've played in yet by far and they've done okish. Crowds are the same and the stadium's still a dump.

Re: What can we do? : Wed Aug 21, 2013 9:14 pm  

Tre Cool wrote:

I don't see that, this is the weakest pro-league they've played in yet by far and they've done okish. Crowds are the same and the stadium's still a dump.

This!

The could win promotion this year and the Championship next year, but there's no way that SL games will ever be played at their stadium.

Re: What can we do? : Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:35 pm  

to be honest I dont think the ground is currently fit for the Championship. I'm pretty sure they'd need dispensation to be allowed to compete unless they upgraded the floodlights

Re: What can we do? : Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:46 pm  

Rascal Bongo Stork wrote:

to be honest I dont think the ground is currently fit for the Championship. I'm pretty sure they'd need dispensation to be allowed to compete unless they upgraded the floodlights

I am sure the ground could be upgraded for the Championship, it is a lot better than Oldham's for instance! The Skolars board would be prudent and will improve the ground where necessary.

Re: What can we do? : Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:40 pm  

Not really followed these threads but from my point of view -
Featherstone wish to take our place in SL, first up their ground is not up to SL standard so that rules them out straight away, end of.

All the talk about RL becoming a dying sport. It will happen. I am not saying the sport will disappear, no it wont. It will however become a minority sport that people have no interest in (not far from it now). The coming world cup is getting little or no advertisement, most people are not even aware is it happening. in a few years if the sport is not careful it will become a game played up north with no national coverage at all. The game is a shambles, those in the north that wish to see the end of London in the SL, that is fine but that is also very short sighted. I fear for the game and dread to think what I might see in 5-10 years time.

Re: What can we do? : Thu Aug 22, 2013 4:21 pm  

Honkytonk wrote:

Not really followed these threads but from my point of view -
Featherstone wish to take our place in SL, first up their ground is not up to SL standard so that rules them out straight away, end of.

All the talk about RL becoming a dying sport. It will happen. I am not saying the sport will disappear, no it wont. It will however become a minority sport that people have no interest in (not far from it now). The coming world cup is getting little or no advertisement, most people are not even aware is it happening. in a few years if the sport is not careful it will become a game played up north with no national coverage at all. The game is a shambles, those in the north that wish to see the end of London in the SL, that is fine but that is also very short sighted. I fear for the game and dread to think what I might see in 5-10 years time.

Complete drivel. How many other club sports can sell 75000 tickets for 2 club games a year in this country? RL will be just fine. It may not be as big as soccer or rah rah but it's still significant with or without the London Broncos.

Re: What can we do? : Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:06 pm  

Tre Cool wrote:

Complete drivel. How many other club sports can sell 75000 tickets for 2 club games a year in this country? RL will be just fine.

Not eaten again! how many tickets do you think the RFL have sold for this Saturday then? is that why they are pushing to every media that will take it, tickets available on the day at the turnstiles?