Originally Posted by
geordie_saint
The Broncos are almost dead and buried but they are absolutely no different from the likes of Bradford, Wakefield and Oldham as you mentioned in the same post. The underlying fact is that every single one of those clubs and more before them have been incredibly badly managed hence their failure.
However, the loss of the Broncos has been greeted with much jubilation in some quarters, which is frankly pathetic in my opinion. London are treated with disdain my certain elements within our game because they are relative newcomers and are located outside of the RL bubble along the M62. However, the likes of Bradford and Wakefield are even bigger failures as after a 100 years, infrastructure and access to the wider RL community, they have still failed catastrophically. They've had far more support and goodwill than the Broncos have ever had but are not treated with anywhere near as much disdain as the Broncos.
I am going to deny the Broncos deserve to be relegated as they certainly do and they are a complete shadow of what was a good little RL club in the capital. However, we only have ourselves as a game to blame for the travesty that has unfolded, the vast majority, which lies at the feet of the RFL. We bitch and whine that RL doesn't get the exposure both in terms of media or commercial profile compared to other sports but it is the insular attitude of the sport, which has caused this when the rest of the country and world have changed. We are seen as the paupers of the UK sporting community and it is no surprise our biggest stars are leaving for pastures new in Australia or RU. It is no surprise that real money and commercial interest other than SKY are not interested in the UK game. What we think is our strongest asset is our biggest handicap and will continue to be so until we get serious about developing ourselves properly.
This brings me back to the Broncos. We think giving them SKY money each and telling a 'benefactor' to crack on and break the market is how it should be achieved. I'd state that is fundamentally the wrong approach, especially in the size of a city like London. Therefore I'd state that the RFL's business model is fundamentally flawed and has resulted in the failure at the Broncos but also at Bradford and Wakefield, even at Halifax, Castleford and Featherstone where the Probiz bloke promised and failed to deliver on at 3 different clubs. How can we let that happen? It is a catastrophe of epic proportions and the game is significantly weaker.
I'd agree that Skolars are a far more organic development opportunity but even they aren't being supported as they should be. We'd rather reinforce failure through an insular attitude that the game can only survive in the heartlands. This is where I think we disagree (other than it isn't just the a Broncos' fault). London is a special case. It needs to be given special treatment as it is strategically the most important city in the UK. Without a successful RL club in London, we'll continue to be the paupers of the UK sporting community and continue to lose our stars to Australia and RU. I am not suggesting we reinforce failure at the Broncos who I hope continue past this season but we must invest in the game in the capital in order to build a successful professional side in SL. It is fundamentally vital for the sport in this country to do so as the world has changed and we need to adapt with it.
I am sure people will slate me for this post but having lived, played, developed and supported the game outside of the M62 corridor for years now, I can see the game gradually contracting in both terms of quality, size and exposure not because we have wasted money in London but because we as a sport aren't changing as the rest of the UK are and it is having a detrimental effect. If we want to continue as a local sport for local people which is of a sub-standard of what it used to be, we are going down the right path. There needs to be a fundamental shift in the game's attitude to development both in traditional areas but outside of those areas too; we need to break this insular attitude that is prevalent within the game.