Re: New Players : Sun Aug 25, 2024 9:26 pm  

BigTime wrote:

I think so too Victor and expect to hear confirmation from the club about mid November. I think that could be that especially if only 4 players take up the pay for play offer (I’d be surprised if many more did) but think it’s a fair bet we get L1 ready by moving to RP. Ebbsfleet isn’t in London that would be taking the pxxx a bit too much. Hopefully Mr Hughes will put in a couple of quid to have the main stand fixed and possibly a small upgrade to the plank of wood style seating opposite. Im. not precious about it but RPs main/only stand is well below the standard. As for hospitality, that I think has had its day.

I assume that David Hughes contributed to the new stand at Trailfinders. So he may do so at RP to help raise the standards.

Re: New Players : Sun Aug 25, 2024 9:41 pm  

Victor wrote:

I assume that David Hughes contributed to the new stand at Trailfinders. So he may do so at RP to help raise the standards.

Yes went up really quickly if I recall correctly. Ealing would be the obvious choice to return and spruce up a bit for a middling Championship side but I suspect that would all be a bit easy for us. I suppose RP benefits from being real rugby heartland and it’s clear that quite a few did come when we played there last season. On the downside few we have accrued from Wimbledon will travel and we seemed to lose a few regulars as well. Basically we’re in strife.

Re: New Players : Mon Aug 26, 2024 6:08 am  

Maybe it just needs a kindly vet to put a much loved horse in such ill health down & end the suffering for all of us.

Re: New Players : Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:18 am  

Deadcowboys1 wrote:

Maybe it just needs a kindly vet to put a much loved horse in such ill health down & end the suffering for all of us.

That may well be one of the options.
Or perhaps the RFL may adopt it.

Re: New Players : Mon Aug 26, 2024 10:00 am  

Victor wrote:

That may well be one of the options.
Or perhaps the RFL may adopt it.

A sort of RFL Donkey Sanctuary?

Not sure they have the vision, wisdom or the money.

Re: New Players : Mon Aug 26, 2024 10:14 am  

If Hughes had a clue he would follow Cas lead and hook up with an NRL club or even better with an arrangement with NRL to get fringe players over here for experience and go all out to blitz the Championship over the next couple of years with a plan that he could sell to potential UK based players. Many things to like about this year - albeit I now watch from afar - and with off field and on field upward trajectory IMG boxes are getting ticked, and who knows.

Re: New Players : Mon Aug 26, 2024 4:39 pm  

Reboot wrote:

If Hughes had a clue he would follow Cas lead and hook up with an NRL club or even better with an arrangement with NRL to get fringe players over here for experience and go all out to blitz the Championship over the next couple of years with a plan that he could sell to potential UK based players. Many things to like about this year - albeit I now watch from afar - and with off field and on field upward trajectory IMG boxes are getting ticked, and who knows.

Sadly time and time again he’s proved he hasn’t. Got a clue that is.
I’ve quite enjoyed being at Plough Lane, (or perhaps it’s just the pizzas) and 20:20 hindsight is a wonderful thing but I can’t help feeling we shouldn’t have left Trailfinders.
RP is in a shocking state. Frankly it was in a shocking state when I saw a London Hospitals cup final there in the early 80s. Terrible to think that it could be where we’ll end up.

Re: New Players : Mon Aug 26, 2024 6:28 pm  

If only a few old whiners on the internet had whine louder and longer.....even more often.
sigh
Huges is 100% responsible for the mess we are in and whilst I will be sad when the club folds, none of us can say it hasnt been coming since 2013.

Re: New Players : Thu Aug 29, 2024 8:32 am  

I wouldn’t class myself as a Broncos fan, more of a rugby league supporter due to living in exile of my club, but I have thoroughly enjoyed this season from a Broncos point of view, to the point where a well priced season ticket for 2025 would probably sway me to get one after going to Wimbledon and Twickenham four times, thanks to email offers regularly from the club. I appreciate that for season ticket holders that probably annoys them a bit, mind.

Is there a genuine fear that the club will be no more? No recruitment taking place, no parachute payments, it doesn’t look good.

Re: New Players : Thu Aug 29, 2024 2:08 pm  

Moe Lester wrote:

I wouldn’t class myself as a Broncos fan, more of a rugby league supporter due to living in exile of my club, but I have thoroughly enjoyed this season from a Broncos point of view, to the point where a well priced season ticket for 2025 would probably sway me to get one after going to Wimbledon and Twickenham four times, thanks to email offers regularly from the club. I appreciate that for season ticket holders that probably annoys them a bit, mind.

Is there a genuine fear that the club will be no more? No recruitment taking place, no parachute payments, it doesn’t look good.

Hi Moe,

It's hard to say with Hughes involved. As you say it doesn't look encouraging. It's also hard to see how IMG & RFL can raise the profile of the sport if all the teams are stuck in the North + Cats. Even Morrisons headed south to make more money.

Hughes seems to thrive on brinkmanship, but this time.......