This 'partnership' is easy to sneer at - it was definitely my first reaction, but now a few hours has passed I can see a positive hope. Only a hope, but hope nonetheless...
For years all we've really done is bang on about our 'superior product' and lets be honest, if a Union fan is dead against it, its hard to change minds. If you've made your mind up that you're hostile to a sport, you see what you want to see (or rather what you don't want to see). An example from years ago when I was a student, I took this posh kid from Surrey - nice bloke, but Ra-Ra thru and thru - watching Wigan vs. Australia ( I don't recall the exact year, I'm guessing 95ish) and all he could focus on was the 'farcical scrums'. He wasn't just being a a**ehole, it genuinely ruined it for him. He'd turned up with 'League scrums are a joke' in his head and he could virtually see nothing else on the pitch. It was bizarre.
Maybe I was the same when I went to watch Saracens vs Sale last New Year (a relative from down south was up and he follows them). I was bored witless. Maybe I turned up determined to be bored, I don't know.
Anyhow...I can actually see a benefit in Union and League sitting side-by-side as 'friends'. I don't see it as being a 'feeder' relationship, but more like Test cricket and One-day cricket. The latter is more important to some people (particularly Indians and others from the subcotinent), the former more important to others. It's not the route to a 'merger' either - one day cricket and test cricket will never 'merge' - completely different way to play the bat and ball game, just like League and Union are a different way to play the Oval Ball game. People have their preference, but most Test fans would watch a One dayer, and vice versa. There's not really an outright hostility.
If Union and League were more like that, perhaps more Union fans,less hostile, would watch League with an open mind and start to see what they've been missing all these years. Done well, League could be the winner.
Love to see a couple of coach loads of Saracens fans bussed up to Wigan for some games next year. I'd love to volunteer to do the return trip but I sat thru Saracens-Sale once, so I've done my time
Obvious comeback to this post is Harlequins - RaRa's didn't turn up to watch them. But they don't have the marquee pulling power of the top clubs. I'm sure you could fill a few coaches worth of Saracens fans to come and watch Wigan ( even if they do so only because they *think* its their feeder club - I don't care - just get the b*ggers watching and the spectacle can do the rest )
