Quote: Marsdengiant "Perhaps these are RL fans who know that Championship clubs DO get some Sky money. Perhaps these are RL fans who know about the mandatory friendlies with SL clubs where the lower club gets 100% of revenue. Perhaps these are RL fans who know that a greater proportion of players coming through SL academies end up at championship clubs. Perhaps these are RL fans who understand how dual registration will help the finances of championship sides.
The Oldham players in the England team came through the Leeds and Saints youth structures. Previously 2 top players in Scully and Harris came through Warrington (when Oldham was a SL club!). There are are some very good Oldham kids on the books of several SL teams.
I hope Oldham survive and thrive. Attributing their problems to Sky / SL is nonsense. An understanding of the earlier Quin ownership may be a better starting point.'"
They dont get sky money though, not in the same way that sl clubs do they are given money to spend on certain things but not money to spend however they want (on playing sqaud or youth structures), even then it is a pitifully small amount compared to the money sl clubs are given, without which most sl clubs would struggle, more still would struggle without a sugar daddy(something alot easier to attract in sl, take huddersfield for example without a rich benefactor and help from the rfl they would be languishing in the lower leagues now instead of having one of the brightest futures of any british rl club), how many rl clubs in britain are actually self sufficient ?
If rl is actually going to move forward we are going to need more clubs, whilst we seem to be heading towards less, if rl cant support the teams in the heartlands enough for them to survive then we might as well forget expansion altogether, if we support expansion clubs over the heartlands or vice versa we will be doomed to failure.
Yes many players from lower league clubs areas will come through sl academies mainly because the sl academies can offer far more money as they are given over a million a year by sky, have far greater sponsership opportunities, find it easier to attract sugar daddies, and get better travelling support. sl clubs will then let go all but the best of these youngsters, who end up playing in the nl's, maybe even for there local club who would have loved to have the chance to develop these youngsters but were outbid by sl rivals.
As for dual registration well we will have to see how it affects rl because no one on here can claim they know the effects of something that hasnt happened yet.