The TV revenue is purely based around how club perform. Huddersfield have the majority of England internationals. Wigan won the league. Who do you think will appear more times on TV next year? Wigan or Huddersfield? Who has been the most televised club over the last 3 years? Leeds by a long chalk. Sky aren't going to put Leeds on TV more because we chose to promote Ambler instead of signing Cross (theoretically, not specifically).

I know what you're saying, and totally get the point, you're saying that without anybody at all paying any attention to the international game, the whole game (including domestic) will eventually suffer. But the key word there is EVENTUALLY. As I mentioned before, short term profit, short term bums on seats.

Nobody really cares about where things go after they're dead. Some people might say they do, but nobody does really. Would the country be in the state it's in now if the people in charge had made any attempt whatsoever to plan for "eventually"?

This attitude is the reason why England / GB will be just as far behind the Aussies / NZ in another 40 years as they are now. It smacks of "I can see the problem, but I just don't care enough to do something about it".

Shame really, as when you take away the International game, we will fail to attract new teams to the game as they won't be able to attract players from other predominantly RU towns and thus when you take this argument to it's end, we finish up with the small parochial sport that all the media currently claim we are.

For the record, I'm firmly in the Country over Club category, along with GH and precious few others it seems...

On Ambler, I watched him play for Ireland last Sunday. He played about 70 minutes in the back row and didn't look out of place, albeit in a poor quality game.

FWIW Andy Kelly thinks he's !

That same small parochial sport that I love to go watch week in, week out and that I can afford to go watch week in, week out.

That same small parochial sport where you can share a beer with your favourite player, or approach them in the White Rose and get them to sign your kids top.

That same small parochial sport where the players aren't plastered all over the front page taking Birthday trips to Dubai, complaining that £150k per week "isn't enough", or sleeping with X-Factor judges and page 3 models (at the same time! ), or crashing their £1m Ferrari's into bridges, or falling over if another play breathes on them.

That same small parochial sport where the players actually care more about putting in a decent performance than they do waiting for the wage packet.

That same small parochial sport where the fans manage to go to France to watch a game and come home without stabbing anybody.

The ONLY thing wrong with RL (in my opinion) is that sometimes the Aussies hammer us. You know what... I can deal with that just fine thank you.

I think its just the two of you actually.

In fact I suspect that when it comes to the crunch you might be on your own.

Look at the most successful enterprises you know and they will be the ones who have sacrificed short term gain over long term prosperity - that's why you should always think long term. Investment is the key - it takes years to get returns back on strategic investments but when they start coming in they follow the Boston Matrix.

Taking a left-field perspective, I wonder in the current era of globalisation whether contests between nation-states are actually a bit outmoded. The domestic game is clearly healthier in both hemispheres so why not just replace internationals completely with an expanded and meaningful WCC competition? There would certainly be more popular support for this at a grassroots level, and would encourage the quality of RL to increase in the UK by removing barriers for the best players to be employed regardless of nationality. I'd argue that the current fixation with nationality in RL is unhelpful - clubs should be able to employ the best players regardless of the passport they hold or where they trained. When has international RL ever been a big money spinner in the way it has for football? Why should this ever change? I'd argue that the current international set-up with only two decent teams does more harm to RL in this country than it does to help it, so why not abolish it in the current form and play to our strengths?

FWIW I think a radical step is needed to change the situation - so if the RFL are not capable of implementing change by tinkering with quota rules etc then why not abandon international RL completely?

RR, I'm not sure why you started talking about a comparison with Football, but it's clear you have no interest in the International game whatsoever. If we can bumble on with 3 or 4 games a year, always beating the French then that's enough or you. Nice to see you are so easily satisfied.

Carry on with the One Club view, I'm glad you enjoy it.

Totally agree. Champions League style. It's the one everybody wants to win.



Because the conversation is discussing the growth & popularity of International RL, and Football is the most fully grown & popular international sport. If we're discussing the pros and cons of having a well established & popular international sport, it seems only logical to compare it to a sport that is already fully grown and established. It's not like I compared it to fish finger sandwiches is it?!

Rugby League is the way it is because it's the size it is. Football is the way it is because it's the size it is. All I'm saying is be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.



I am, I will, and I do! Thanks for your message of encouragement.

I support the RFL's genuine attempts to reduce the quantity of overseas trained players and increase the quantity/quality (hopefully) of home produced players to improve the pool available to the national team coach.

It's a pity IMO that the moves are constantly undermined by the majority of club CEO's (including our own unfortunately) whose actions often speak louder than words.

It's the RFL's job to attempt to reduce the quantity of overseas trained players and increase the quantity of home produced players.

Just like it's those CEO's job to get bums on seats, and keep the crowds as high as possible by winning games.

Neither is going to do the others job for them.

Not back to this again
Our CEO has ensured our club more than contributes to having home-grown talent within it's squad and whatever way you dress it up he's undermined nothing whatsoever where over-seas recruitment is concerned.
Just check how many players are around the SL and below that came through our acadamy i think that more than counts towards "doing our bit".
This undermining you keep mentioning that clearly grates doesn't exsist when no rules are broken it's straight forward and if it can't be legally applied it doesn't exsist.

I think Bats has realised, that apart from David he's ploughing a lonely furrow. Most fans pay their money to watch their team being successful, and can generally take or leave internationals.

I'm firmly in the Club camp, as it matters not a jot to me what the colour, nationality or political views are of the guys out there on the pitch. It's simply about how the play when they've pulled on the jersey.

Congrats by the way to Exeter rhino, who has posted an excellent and thought provoking post, which offers up the prospect of an exciting competiton for the future.

I'd be all for that. Would increase anticipation and the number of teams 'competing' I emphasise competing because lets face facts,in reality at the elite international level there are only 3 teams 'competing' England,New Zealand and Australia and we're not exactly doing a great job of that apart from the odd win here and there.

Whilst some will argue with some merit that international RL is played by many more countries ie Wales,France,Scotland,Ireland,PNG,Samoa,Fiji,Russia etc they are not and nor are they likely to be 'competing' for a long long long time,if ever. I mean we are still light years behind the Aussies when it comes to beating them more than the once in a flood so all those other countries with the exception of New Zealand are not even in the same universe.

Whilst the southern hemisphere teams in an expanded champions league style World Club challenge may still dominate (depending on venue) you'd have much more interest and competition and our club sides with their overseas players may end up winning more than just once in a flood. Either way it would be better and surely create more interest than what the current international programme brings at the elite level?

I mean our first game this 4 nations was essentially seen/viewed by most as a winner takes all game to decide who plays Australia in the Final and thats just the first game of our tournement FFS