Re: Any News : Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:47 pm  

northernbloke wrote:

A consortium 3 or 4 years ago means nothing today though.

Not necessarily......the current owner is owed a considerable sum of money and any "sale" would have to involve DH walking away with nothing....at the time, we were borderline as to whether we'd fulfill our 2014 fixtures and we did still have our SL status, but if the same little birdie who told "Halfden" was the one communicating wih me, then there were a number of stumbling blocks, not least the level of debt a new owner would be prepared to take on.....but the same people are still around, based out of the Capital and still of the belief that the club can be a success if given the right backing by the RFL and other clubs.

Re: Any News : Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:54 pm  

The interesting words in there are backing by the RFL and other clubs!!!!!!

Re: Any News : Tue Oct 24, 2017 12:07 am  

northernbloke wrote:

The interesting words in there are backing by the RFL and other clubs!!!!!!

A number of things that were on the table included the ability to field NRL loanees, no "quota" although the academy and reserve grades would have continued, additional salary cap room to account for the increased cost of living and to tempt English players south.......the kind of things that smaller clubs and their fans would roll out as proof that London didn't deserve to be in SL.......like they did for 20 years anyway

The RFL would probably agree to it, but the likes of Leigh, Fev et al would be up in arms claiming unfairness.......so the game will applaud a Toronto outfit bankrolled independently and stacked with NRL/UK talent as "expansion" and simply ignore the number of Players at this years RLWC who either came from our ranks or who passed through our club when unwanted by the bigger teams. We have a good number of current players at the RLWC and even more past players there too.....London RL was starting to pay dividends but as the game insisted that DH foot the bill, it was never going to last.....

Re: Any News : Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:19 pm  

So why should we be allowed no quota?

Re: Any News : Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:03 pm  

northernbloke wrote:

So why should we be allowed no quota?

Developing a successful side of London grown players would take 2 generations.......we were getting there and have continued with the academy and yoof sides to DH's credit, but to attract crowds, which is the route to self sufficiency, we need success.....Melbourne Storm cheated their way to relative stabilization......stripped titles and fines only galvanised their audience into a "Millwall" menatality....nobody likes us we don't care.......crowds have nearly doubled in 10 years....

I am all for the quota system to ensure that the UK game develops a larger talent pool, but expansion sides should be allowed to import more talent SO LONG AS THEY RUN ACADEMY AND YOOF PROGRAMES.

Once Toronto hit SL they should be forced to run academy and youth set ups (as should all sl sides) or receive reduced central funding....said funding should go to clubs outside SL that are trying....like us and Halifax....
...we need more LMS and Clubbs on TV with their cockney accents.....we need a successful side winning things.....we need raz-a-amataz around the promotion.....all these things will attract players to the game in the south and fans to the sport.

Re: Any News : Tue Oct 24, 2017 10:20 pm  

So.
We have been around for 30 plus years. We should now be able and expected to stand on our own 2 feet and compete under the same rules as everyone else.
Yr suggesting that we should be exempt the quota rules every other team has to abide by? Not sure how that works?
No one has ever suggested we have a team of london born players, no club in the land can claim that.
So scenario, we are given free reign to sign who we want with no quota, we win super league!!! What does that achieve?

Re: Any News : Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:25 pm  

northernbloke wrote:

So.
We have been around for 30 plus years. We should now be able and expected to stand on our own 2 feet and compete under the same rules as everyone else.[quote/]
Nope.....I said 2 generations. LMS's kids would be the ones I'd expect to step up.....(his age group but you get my drift)

northernbloke wrote:

Yr suggesting that we should be exempt the quota rules every other team has to abide by? Not sure how that works?[quote/]
I thought I explained it pretty accurately........more quota and cap to make us ore competative until we deliver....the stuff we were accused of for 20 years but weren't actually given.

northernbloke wrote:

No one has ever suggested we have a team of london born players, no club in the land can claim that.[quote/]
Nope......but given the time we could be the first!

northernbloke wrote:

So scenario, we are given free reign to sign who we want with no quota, we win super league!!! What does that achieve?

That isn't what I said.....as well you know.
I said let us have free reign on the cap and quota for a few years so long as we get more Loui's and Tony's coming to the fore then reign us in....the faux outrage at the storms cheating shows that at least some aussie clubs get it.

[brian2]

Re: Any News : Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:15 am  

The key is - is there anyone/group out there who would invest in us? I bought a lottery ticket last night, but no success.............

if DH decides, and I would not criticise him, to either say no more/or reduce funding then it seems we will drift in the lower leagues. I am all for Toronto/NY/etc, but actually for credibility a London franchise is crucial I would have thought. The Melbourne example is really interesting and does show what can be achieved, but the RL management appears to have little vision, and the northern clubs (I am from Hull) resents any move to move from the northern heartland

Re: Any News : Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:23 am  

There has been no RFL support apart from the token effort in 2014 to get Barnet on board. There has never been any recognition of the extra costs of a club in the south. We either cheat our way to success as in Melbourne or settle for life as a piddling Championship side who is a feeder club for SL sides in the north.. The only other way out is someone with megabucks (as in Toronto) to buy our way to success.

Re: Any News : Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:06 pm  

There is a deep seated belief among the Northern fans that London receive massive amounts of financial support from the RFL. The belief is that for example the Cumbrian game is being starved of funds to support London. Whitehaven even stated this in the programme notes the last time we played them away.
The truth is Bradford, who themselves cheated the salary cap. Have had more money than From Red Hall than London.
Had the RFL had the vision to invest in London many years ago, things would have been markedly different. Not a few bob here and there, but proper investment.