Are they playing league regularly beside the cup at school? If the game doesn't expand very soon we shall become a nursery for union, already despite Eastmond signing a two year contracy he is talking of going to union where the money is bigger. Because there game is wider spread they automatically get larger tv rights than league. Never forget their international game rakes in the money.
Unfortunately our World Cup last year was a flee bite in revenue compared to union. Also to rub salt into wounds we had a lousy performance which I am sure affected our own super league attendances. One light on the horizon is that even the bosses of union are realising their game is becoming very boring, and with tries also drying up.

Fair Enough.

It is looking very now that there will be a National League side based in Neath, and coached by Harris. This will take care of the expanding youth development in S Wales, and keep the game expanding. I hope now for no overseas imports, and in two or three years we will have a steady stream of players good enough for SL. This will also solve the problem of not being able to attract northern players to S Wales, which has ben another major problem. Certainly an all Welsh side will attract the locals, and give the young players a target to aim for.

Good post, but seeing as a few posters seem to see Gateshead as little short of disastrous, I'll throw in my opinion on this. To my mind, Gateshead was the biggest missed opportunity. The club was working; if you lived in the area you could see that. They were regularly featured in local press and on news, they had a growing fanbase, people were wearing the shirt, you could start an rl conversation with strangers and there was interest from neutrals. School kids were playing the game. If they'd received a fraction of the support that quins have received, I'm pretty sure they'd be in SL now.

Gateshead was sacrificed to save Hull (Sharks) FC. The thought of losing a heartland of RL from SL was just too much for the powers that be to stomach so, after failing to get the Hull/KR merger, the RFL sanctioned the Gateshead/Hull (Sharks) FC merger.