Back on subject. Now Yates is being chased by SL clubs, if he doesnt decide to return to Aus. I think it depends if any interest from the NRL.

When he only signed a one year deal I never expected Yates to be here next season, never in a million years. Even if we stayed in SL. Quality player and will have clubs after him. Is there a list of the rumours re our players ???

How can you state running the club into the ground when were promoted to Super League last season. Do you want to follow the Leigh and Widnes financial model spend big to stay in Super League get relegated and then go bust.

I would say we got promoted last season in spite of Hughes, not because of. The squad and Ward pulled it out of the bag. I say running into the ground as when i started watching the Broncos (Harlequins, being a Quins fan), we played in a purpose built rugby ground, we had a decent crowd. We now play in a "pimped up" park in front of about 800 odd (I dont count away fans, I am talking about LB fans). We make little to no effort to let people know we exist. We are slowly dying.

The marketing (lack of) is a shambles. I get random emails every now and then (not very often). The club puts the odd bit on Twitter. The problem is people do not know the club exist so are not following us on twitter, they dont see what the club puts up because they do not know the club exist!!!. The people following us already know about the club, you are preaching to the converted!!

People can say that Hughes is keeping the club afloat, yes he is, but if it was not for him we would not be on the Hughes life support. I applaud him for the money he has spent but lets not make him out as the saviour of RL in London.

Not once have I said "spend big". I said spend SENSIBLE. Leigh are the last club we should be copying. If Hughes was to spend sensible on and off the field we could well see a London club flourish, we have the youth coming through.

Apologies for spoiling another thread.

Back to transfers, There is a story that Sarginson will be leaving Wigan. He wants to come back south for Family reasons. Cannot imagine him coming to us but unless he is taking a dip at RU, where would he go??? (if true of course)

If we managed to stay up we'd be a more attractive prospect?
League to Union conversion has been a bit of a mixed bag of late. Some successful, some not so.

Good to hear 1 of ours wants to come back to civilisation.

He will listen to someone with pedigree in marketing who has not spent the last god knows how many years in various guises slagging him off on internet forums, he just won't listen to you Barney. When someone pops up with a better idea than leaflet dropping around Ealing, appealing to Aussies and Kiwis in London (I know, people actually still think that will work) and demanding hospitality for them and their family just to discuss something they want to be paid for then I am sure an audience will be granted. You didn't seriously think what you sent me was a decent idea did you?

Your Kiwi mate has also failed to tell you that the owner of Trailfinders stadium also has absolutely no interest in the Senior Rugby side and cares only for the Junior section for which he has a personal interest and is a very separate entity to the Senior section which is....let's be polite.....a little bit short of cash. He would be more than happy for it to be a wedding venue that has a junior rugby pitch for weekends.

If DH is so clued up on what does and doesn't work marketing wise then why isn't he doing it ?

What's the point? The club is in Super League, everyone has a seat who wants one and there is Pie on the menu from time to time.

Most importantly the bills are paid and Barnaby is getting all over excited about things on the internet again so all is good.

That second paragraph is demonstrably not true. Who is it that you think funds Trailfinders professional side? It's Mike Gooley, the same dude that owns the venue (through a charitable trust).

If that really is the attitude of DH then it is no surprise that we have seen the fan base drop so much. London have a bigger potential audience than any other SL club but while other sports (notably the US ones) have established large audiences over recent years our crowds have dwindled despite us offering an exciting game at a much more affordable price. Perhaps DH has no interest in the club surviving beyond his tenure but it needs to establish a bigger fan base to stand any chance of being sustainable.