It is very strange and as Koukash says in that linked-to article, did they tout the business around, did they go to a tendering process, no apparently not, they had a gun held to their heads and backed down.

Its a sign of how deep in bed the sport is with the Murdoch empire that they can enforce terms like that in a "negotiation".

More likely a sign of how badly run and how skint the majority of clubs are that made them immediately cave in for the prospect of a £300k boost to cash flow next week.

Apart from one Chairman that is, who was so pressurised by these skint clubs that he threw the towel in.

The linked BBC report is lifted from a piece that Lenegan wrote for this week's league express. There's no suggestion whatsoever that the clubs were only given 24 hours to evaluate the deal. What Lenegan actually whines is that [ithe meeting[/i was called at 24 hours notice. He goes on to complain that the clubs were only given "limited time" to examine the deal but that's very different to only being given 24 hours in total. Unsurprisingly, his remarks are now being misinterpreted, as indeed they were meant to be in my opinion. Having had more than 24 hours to consider the content and potential impact of his piece, I find it hard to believe it wasn't constructed as anything other as another attack on the RFL.

The man simply has his own agenda, I don't trust a word that comes out of his gob. I admire Koukash's passion but he still has a lot to learn about Rugby League.

Having been offerred the deal, with its short expiry-date, should the RFL have told Sky to do one? Or should they, as they did, have presented it to the clubs for consideration?

I can just imagine what Lenegan's reaction would be had the RFL unilaterally rejected Sky's £200m It would have been a lot more than a few foolish-looking comments in League Express that's for sure.

As ever, he criticises but offers no realistic alternatives and simply drags his credibility down further.

But he's Ian Lenegan. He's a massively successful businessman in his own right. He's exactly the sort of rational business orientated person we should be attracting to run rugby league clubs.

Right, Wigan fans...? *s*

With all due respect Lenegan is an highly successful businessman, so not anything to s about. Even Caddick would struggle to match the guy in business success.

However, of course sporting management is completely different. He makes very valid points in his complaining. But has MJM alludes to in his last sentence, you just can't help but think his complaints are more to do with an agenda against someone, rather than the decision.

Koukash and IL agenda? everybody knows it they have told the press them selves, they want the super league chairmans to be in charge of all commercial dealings. Now you could say Brian Barwick and Nigel Wood had there own agenda by pushing through this TV Deal at such short notice. Main sponsorship tied down for a couple of years and now an eight year Tv Deal. Looks as if they wanted to put a stop to it and keep complete power.

As Koukash hinted yesterday they may have been aided by your very own chairmen.

If some people seriously think that sky offered that deal out of the blue and a 48 hour deadline was with it they are the ones who are deluded.

i don't know what the measure of 'business success' is other than wealth, and in that measure Caddick is ahead of Lenegan. Koukash, Moran and Caddick are in the hundreds of millions, lenegan the tens of millions.

If Lenegan is getting out politicked by Nigel Wood he should be nowhere near any SL leadership.

The only people less suited to run this great game to a bright new future than Nigel Wood are the people he outsmarted.

what should he do offer the struggling clubs 400k to say no? Stop being stupid.

A statement from RFL Chairman Brian Barwick
For immediate publication: Wednesday February 5
I have been disappointed by the public response of a small minority of Super League clubs to the securing of a new broadcast agreement with our long-term partners, Sky Sports.
Without question, Sky have provided an outstanding service to the game in producing both live and associated programming that has been the envy of many other sports. And they have done it for two decades.
Therefore to retain this long-standing broadcast partnership, and at significantly increased financial terms, is indeed a great win for Rugby League.
Also, the terms of the new contract which starts in 2017 are so beneficial that they give Super League clubs, Championships clubs and the community game a fantastic, secure and long-sighted platform from which to build their futures and develop our great sport.
As to the Super League clubs meeting last week, I won’t go into detail, but suffice to say, after hearing a comprehensive presentation on all aspects of the new deal, the clubs themselves voted to vote on the proposal.
Most of the clubs recognised that the best result for the immediate future of the game was in front of them, as indeed the significant majority that voted in favour of the offer from Sky Sports underlined. The other clubs were able to vote against it as they saw fit, which is appropriate.
What I feel isn't appropriate, though, is the tone and content of the criticism by some of the Super League clubs who have their own reservations about the deal.
This broadcast contract is the biggest in Rugby League history and actually offers Super League clubs an uplift of 63 per cent in annual distributions. It is also the latest in a number of upbeat initiatives we have enjoyed in recent months: with such a strong wind in our sails, I will not stand by and allow the sport to be blown off-course.

What is stupid is voting for it (Koukash wasn't pressured in to doing so, why was Lenegan? Is he just a bit of a wimp?) then whining about it in Public. Either stand up for what you think is right or don't but not standing up for yourself and then whinging and bad mouthing in the press is just pathetic.

Whatever the validity of Lenegans concerns, they lose a whole lot credibility when it is pointed out that this is a deal he voted for, in a process he consented to.

Lenegan needs to either man up or shut up.

Leneghan's just playing the game.

I don't really care how he voted, i for one welcome his regular public outcrys if it brings the spotlight onto the cretins running this ailing game.

The SL clubs have the final say on the television deal.

The SL clubs have the final say on the commercial rights of SL.

And yet, the clubs appear to be whining like little b*tches about a deal that they had the final say over, and their acolyte fans are falling over themselves to laud them for it.

You couldn't make it up. Lenegan and Koukash are perfect examples that you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time.