We had a much heralded Super League Leader appointed last year, Mr Elstone, we heard a bit from him re-organising the league structure for the first month or so but that's about it.
I'm certain he's working away behind the scenes on deciding where the next Magic Weekend is going to be.
Gray 77 I think you have highlighted the deficiencies well, but we still do not have solutions.
On the Walmsley podcast Wilko mentions 3, 10 team leagues and franchising/licencing, have a word with your fellow Mod Div on that one I am on his same page. Jon is an astute man but the first thing clubs say is a minimum of 14 home games per year.
We all seem to agree that youth development is critical, I have posted numerous times have a look at the GAA business model. Dublin has 1.25 million people with soccer and rugby camps, yet Ballyboden GAA put out no less than 100 teams every week with junior, senior vets and girls/ladies games, put simply bigger than Barcelona. Less than 500m from this club house is another GAA club and less than a mile away in radius from this club is another two clubs. We can operate this model in the North West.
We need money and sponsorship, I left my morals at the door, I am not bothered if we get money from Pablo Escabor`s violent brother as long as it goes into grass root funding. My two grandsons can go to a summer camp at their clubs and for less than €70 get two weeks coaching , a kit , carrybag and even when they bring their own lunch the local shops donate sandwiches so they do not even need that. It is sponsored by Kelloggs an American co.
The RFL need to get money in, if they cannot, resign their positions get someone in who can.
FWIW Faz, Scully and Kez are once in a generation players and would succeed in spite of any coaching.
We have a unique gladitorial sport we have to highlight this, allow two willing players to have a go, punish thuggery but if two consenting adults want a straightener let them at it.
The following of the southern hemisphere rules and structures baffles me, it is their national sport.
The Sky deal runs through the 2021 season. I would expect something to happen early next season regarding the new rights deal. It's secure until the end of 2021 at least, then we'll see what happens.
As for overseas imports, I agree that we don't need more, we just used to have some really good ones. I'd take quality over quantity. The move to summer Rugby didn't help of course as when I was a kid Kenny, Sterling, Meninga and (cough) O'Connor came over for 3-4 months in their off season. I'm not expecting SOO players to pack their bags and head for England, but a select few of some of the tier below them were playing here not too long ago.
Some good posts here, with regards to attendances, we've probably plateaued, and on the whole attendances are better now, found an article which had some averages:
1995 - Leeds 11500, Wigan 12k, Saints 7k, Wire 5k, Cas 4k, London 2.3k
It didn't have all the teams from that year but for example Hull had 5.6k in 1998, Salford 5k in 1997, Wakefield 4k in 1999
The average across the league was 5.5k in 1995, rising to 6.2k in 1999 peaking just short of 7k in 97/98
This season (according to Wikipedia) has Saints, Hull, Leeds and Wigan all above 11k, with warrington just shy of 11k. Catalans (helped by Barcelona) 10.5k, Hull KR 8k, Cas 7k, the others all under 5.5k over their 14 home games. With an average attendance of 8300. (It's unclear where Magic fits into this)
Whichever way you look at it there's more people watching league games nowadays, however cup competitions and Internationals where clearly better attended back then, that however seems to be the theme across all sport nowadays
Which would all be well on tge face of it but for one key point: the majority of SL teams are flogging tickets for little more than a few Tesco vouchers and a pound of tripe.
In fact the sport can’t even come close to selling out Wembley and it struggles to drum up impressive attendances for many other ‘showpiece’ fixtures without resorting to selling off tickets for bargain basement prices.
And people wonder why the sport has a something for nothing culture with a commercial profile in the toilet.
I'm not sure free tickets has always been a thing, I remember getting them at school in 1996. Following saints seems more expensive than ever, particularly finals..
I've found a GF ticket on eBay from 99, it's £15, the same area is now £30, I'm not certain but I reckon that's ahead of inflation..
Not everything is Rosey, clearly not, but on the whole attendances have improved
Widnes relegation and Bradford promotion account for the increase?
Two teams entering the league who have decent attendances will have a positive affect, without more detailed analysis it's hard to know how much of the growth is due to that. Widnes have a solid historic following but not great numbers for the SL, Bradford have a good following and likely to have more attending when playing a league above.
But the fact remains regardless, attendances are up for the championship and that's a good thing, we should celebrate this not look for reasons to dismiss this good news
Yes agreed it is a good thing for the championship. For the game as a whole, inconclusive.
League 1 is down which is connected to the Bradford move. Toronto helped to keep numbers up but you wonder about the sustainability.
Yes I'm pro expansion but I'm cautious about Toronto in its current format, a case of wait and see
Sad to hear league one is down, I suspect aBradford had an impact, I'm not sure of that league, tombig a gap between top and bottom. I wanted the reserves to play in that league including some of the bottom half teams
The worry about Toronto is the number of actual home games they have played this year. That surely wont work in super league. Bradford I do not think will get promoted in a very long time. Outside bet for next year? York. new stadium, dynamic owners, affluent City with RL history especially in the Clarence Street era. Worth a few bob.
Oh, but for RL to be as popular and wealthy as football, or even rugby union!
The thing with football is that they don't need any particular team to be in the top tier, as there are a multitude of teams able to fill their stadiums and contribute to generating a £multi-billion TV revenue.
Even in RU, their international game and the perpetual promotion by the right-wing media in this country has given them the financial stability to not need to manufacture scenarios that help create the notion of it being a countrywide sport. They have wealthy benefactors and the public school link to the game means that, in our 'old school tie, jobs for the boys' corporate executive culture, there's friendly sponsors a-plenty.
RL doesn't have that advantage. From the outset, we've had to battle for every last quid, for every last fan, for every last bit of media exposure. Yes, we've had a succession of small-time pillocks at the helm of our sport, but the fact is that we've been perma-skint for decades. I know many fans like the whole, parochial 'northern throwback' sh*t and want to see the game focus on the heartlands but that way, especially in this age of media will lead only to a return to RL being a part-time sport, and a steady decline.
I find this bizarre. Whatever the arguments for or against Toronto they surely must have been led to believe long ago that if they won the Championship they would get into Super League so for Super League to start questioning this now seems strange. I’ve never been to their ground (if that’s the issue) but on TV it looks better than London, Cas and Wakey. For what it’s worth I’ve not been too impressed with Elstone so far.