www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... eadership/

www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... eadership/

I imagine the concern of many is the way the governing body is controlled at the highest levels by individuals, who did not inspire confidence at their respective clubs. Ralph Rimmer formerly Huddersfield is basically an enforcer for Nigel Wood ex Halifax. The framing for the future forced clubs to improve stadium facilities which would have been a good initiative if it was consistent, however it seems only to have been foisted upon the Lancashire clubs. Little improvement has been made to Yorkshire grounds and that strategy now seems to have fallen away. Influential owners with significant investment seem to be driven into a corner by the majority of clubs who still lurch from crisis to crisis but understand that safety is in numbers and do not want change. That is why some form of promotion and relegation is vital even if it does require defined criteria to be met. The top eight especially is reward for failure and does not and will not work. The Championship play-off cannot see Leigh play Halifax or Fev every season to win a cup and ten grand but then same as you are next year boys.

I've just stuck that on the VT as I thought it was worth discussing across the board although knowing the kind of comments that tend to arise on RL Fans I might be indulging in some wishful thinking!

Why I tend generally to stick to here!

TS is spot on though. I'm sure Saints feel the same way too.

The one thing about Tony is he understands how the game works or doesnt

There is merit in what TS says, however, in his questioning of the leadership, he comes back with not being sure about a leader that gives 3 options, rather than just telling people the way it should go.

I take a bit of an issue with this, because it's fine to say show leadership, but SL is set up to negate the leadership of the RFL.

The chairmen make the rules. The RFL would look very weak to come out with a plan, only for a majority of the SL clubs to eject the plan. The RFL is a strong advisory body to the SL chairmen, who in the end are the decision makers and the sole people responsible for the state of our game after many years of SL.

SL clubs harp on at the RFL as it's an easy target. They can direct fans fury at the RFL as the governing body, but fail to set up and take responsibility for voting in all these systems.

As for the comment about us needing a John Wilkin in charge. Please no! On that forum yesterday, he was talking about watching other sports and how tight the marketing was, and how RL needs more of that, then said, I've no idea about how that would be done.

That's basically what fans do. We need this, we need that, we've no idea how to fund it or what effect it will have,, but we can shout from the side lines and say we need it.
I need a million pounds, I've no idea how to get it, but I need it!!!

He said he didn't have any idea about marketing. However, he is very good at communications. He is a natural in front of the camera. Whenever the RFL wheel someone out, with the exception of Blake Solley, they look and sound like they work for accounts in the local council. Jon Wilkin would be a superb communications man for the RFL.

We have got to move away from the flat cap image those running the game are stuck in! I said in my response on the Warrington Guardian website last night, Jon may not be ready yet, the final product, but as he brings his playing days to an end he could be training ready!

Back in the late 80's early 90's I did an Australian postal sports marketing/admin correspondence course with the late Peter Deacon ex Bulls & then Union, the report I did was taken up by Wigan and though I had a great job in radio I went for an interview, but even Maurice at that time did not want to move so quickly and catch up with the Aussies who were light years ahead.

Something has to happen now to get rid of the old brigade, we need fresh blood with imaginative ideas who will be excited in what they are doing, staying like we are plodding along is No Longer an Option!

I've no problem with Wilkin as a front man, but I would not have him as an idea's man. He speaks very clearly, but it's a bit different being asked your opinion on something as a pundit and being questioned and asked to come up with idea's, that can be funded.

It's the difference between those politicitions who are out of power and promise the world and those in power, who have to fund promises, which means finding the money or taking the money away from someone to give to someone else.

That's what I mean about marketing, it's fine to say we need better marketing, but someone has to get paid for doing that, if better marketing costs say £1million, that has to come from somewhere either a new revenue stream or taking it away from someone else ie the clubs. If that marketing only adds a few thousand here or there, is it money well spent??

The money for increased and better marketing has to come from increased sponsorship! which Nigel Woods & his team have failed miserably in the past few seasons to understand how to sell. The only serious money coming in to the game currently is from Sky, we can't survive that way. The way we handle national media is a joke, every time we stage an event say the Super League season launch it is so amateur. Until we get real professionals this side will never improve and it the same people who are coming up with crazy ideas to restructure the game, it is no wonder the stick they have come in from in the weekly RL media today, but they seem like Teflon that it does not affect them in the least and the club let them continue to run the game of RFL??

Really good point but the art is to have the majority of clubs on your side. The Yorkshire clubs protect the Leeds powerbase. The governing body would be better based in Huddersfield the birthplace or even Manchester with no club link.

What we need is a man with vision like Dana White. He took a failing sport with no commercial TV worth, adjusted and turned MMA (UFC organisation) into one of the most exciting and highly sought after sports in the world.

There is only one way RL will stay relevant and that is to mirror the Aussies, somehow we need to convince the broadcasters that a vastly increased TV deal is needed. The game needs money to keep its best British players and it needs money to attract the best overseas players. The problem is do we have the ability to convince Sky, BT, Premier Sports, ESPN to see the benefit of SL being the Premier League of RL? It's never going to happen but that's the only option for our game if it is to survive as a competition of any quality. With all due respect, the top clubs can't possibly justify £25 a game to watch a team of Chamionship quality players, which is where we could end up inside 5 years.