Originally Posted by
Ralph Fridge
I am not basing what I think from rants on forums & if it comes across that way, then I can only apologise.
I emailed the RFL enquiries address the other week (before the stuff came out about them requesting that Cats, Tolouse, Toronto cough up a fairly chunky sum of cash to play in the CC).
I made the point that the final would be better at Cardiff, due to the stadium being better, the fact that it's about 16k less in terms of capacity & that there's much more around the stadium due to its location. The response I got was along the lines of: 'The Challenge Cup & Wembley have a great tradition.' Brilliant, that'll get the seats sold. The old Wembley maybe. Most people, including me, couldn't care less about the place. It's rubbish, been there twice with Saints, twice with England RL & numerous times with Utd. A half-baked response & then they came out with the gem of charging those non-heartland clubs to compete (one of the clubs who won it last season). It's farcical.
Not even trying to fill the ground that they've decided to play the showpiece event at for however long. Penalising the non-heartland clubs because they won't bring many if they get to a final. It's absurd & penalises success on the pitch in getting to a final. I can't get my head around why people don't see this for the absurd idea it is. It's ridiculous. A cop-out.
As they are the governing body, I would expect them to have a fair amount of clout. Mind you, Moran, McManus, Lenegan (pretty successful people from what I see) weren't happy with things & got a chief exec in for SL. Koukash expressed his frustration with the RFL & I think he's done alright as well. No help from the RFL to try to make Salford work though.
Day to day, I don't really know. They never communicate with the fans. They don't provide updates on anything. Never see any adverts for recruitment, notably marketing roles. I think there's a development coach's job going at the moment, that's it.
The game needs to generate some money. You generate money by having a good marketing strategy. The product on the pitch is there. They had an international at Anfield in November on a Sunday afternoon & sold 26k. It's embarrasing. people in Liverpool didn't even know the game was being played. why didn't they put an offer on for Liverpool season ticket holders, I would have had no problem with someone paying around £900.00 for a season of football & then getting a ticket for the England game for a tenner.
You can't just throw your hands up & say 'aw that's it.' I can't see the drive, desire & ambition to drag this game off it's backside by it's own governing body. They aren't doing enough.
When you throw into the mix the other horlicks' they've made...
Stadiums... Cas & Wakefield don't have a new stadium. Leeds' half done. Hull KR half done. Yet we all thought that was compoulsory.
Sally Bolton...did a brilliant job for the World Cup in 2013 (why didn't the RFL give her a permanent role)? She did more for the game in this country than the RFL have done for 20 years.
Challenge Cup: no sponsor.
The failed expansion clubs.
I could go on & on.
They are not up to it.