Re: Club Statement on Super League Mini-Licensing Proposal : Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:40 am  

westridingeagle wrote:

It's hardly surprising is it when the potential for the next round of super league clubs are three little villages in the grim north, at least one of which should have closed when the pit did. We (rugby league) have to look at development in major cities if it is to progress from it's cloth cap image.

If by 3 little village clubs you include Featherstone Rovers then you are being most unfair. When I lived in Knottingley (next town but one) most residents supported Rovers. I think quite a few Pomfretians did as well. I don't know about now but I suspect that they still have quite a large fan base and I feel that they could do OK in SuperLeague.

Also which major cities do you mean? As far as I can see, Ripon apart, most of the Yorkshire cities are well represented (Leeds, Bradford, Hull, Wakefield) with toeholds in York and Sheffield.

Manchester - I doubt it, there doesn't seem to be much impetus there (hardly suprising with 2 footballing giants in the city, which must affect Salford). I don't suppose Belle View Rangers went out of existence because it was massively supported.

Liverpool - after the travails of Liverpool City/Huyton/Runcorn Highfield or whatever I doubt if that's a starter either.

Which brings us to cities outside the heartland. Plenty of them to choose from but if you want to go down that road then clubs must be allowed to grow naturally and not foisted on the community like the late and unlamented (Celtic) Crusaders.- a lesson the RFL somehow seem to overlook time after time.

Re: Club Statement on Super League Mini-Licensing Proposal : Mon Sep 10, 2012 4:29 pm  

I was never a lover of the great welsh experiment but something has to been done if RL is to become a national sport. It won't happen if super league continues to be played in small towns along the M62 and not moved into larger cities across the country. I recognise it can't be done in a hurry - the money is not there but we seem to take one step forward and two back. Maybe Bradfords franchaise should be auctioned in Birmingham/edinburgh/dublin/leicester..... and move the team with it!!!?
I actually don't have a clue how to do it but if community that is RL in the UK wants it to be a bigger sport it has got to let it move on and face the fact the likes of Featherstone RL are not Premier League Venues.........IMO of course. ( No I will duck down behind the sofa while the scorn and abuse pures in!)

Re: Club Statement on Super League Mini-Licensing Proposal : Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:30 pm  

Splitting hairs here - I never said that Featherstone was an SL venue, I said that they could do OK at that level.

Personally I don't think that RL will ever be a national sport but who knows. I note that RU is also struggling in the North of England (Sale Sharks are the only northern based club at the top level of club RU in England). What this means I have no idea really except that football rules the waves.

Maybe the RFL should be looking at getting the BBC to show games like they used to - come back Eddie Waring, all is forgiven - rather than some pay as you view channel that few have heard of and I for one can't get anyway.

Also IMO nothing will change until SL reforms itself and introduces some method of getting new teams into it - maybe the bottom SL team should play off with the Championship leaders, winners to play in SL, losers to Championship. As it is now, there is nowhere for Championship clubs to go other than same again next season (unless you happen to be Widnes) so you really do wonder what keeps them going or even why they keep going.

Re: Club Statement on Super League Mini-Licensing Proposal : Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:14 pm  

Totally agree with much of what you said RFL need to do a complete overall or just decide - "this is as good as it gets!"

[Hillsborough Lad]

Re: Club Statement on Super League Mini-Licensing Proposal : Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:40 pm  

griff1998 wrote:

Very wise. Bradford will win through any process anyway.

Correct.

Re: Club Statement on Super League Mini-Licensing Proposal : Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:43 pm  

To the individual who quoted "potential for the next round of super league clubs are three little villages in the grim north at least one of which should have closed when the pit did" .....take Sheffield out and there are three, oh by the way Leigh is a town not a village. Who are you referring to about the Pits as Fev, Leigh and Halifax all had working class pits.

Re: Club Statement on Super League Mini-Licensing Proposal : Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:02 pm  

leyther26 wrote:

To the individual who quoted "potential for the next round of super league clubs are three little villages in the grim north at least one of which should have closed when the pit did" .....take Sheffield out and there are three, oh by the way Leigh is a town not a village. Who are you referring to about the Pits as Fev, Leigh and Halifax all had working class pits.

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