More people live along the m62 corridor than nsw,Qland and NZ combined. Making it more popular in heartland would be at start! I do agree that until the game is on free to air to it is always going to struggle to build an audience either in heartland or further afield.

We definitely need to make it more popular in the heartland.

We need big Manchester and Newcastle teams in my opinion too. Keep swapping Magic Weekend between the two cities every other year. Etihad one year, Sid James' the year after... Sell it to the public of both cities; "can you beat last year's attendance figures from the other city" and say they can attend a game for free at Newcastle or Manchester Rangers/Salford RDs with their Magic Weekend ticket or something.

Dont know if its been mentioned on here, but our Nigel, signed a new contract at the RFL recently, think he's here another 3 years.

If the game won't scrap the Salary Cap, just scrap it in respect of any current or future club that is based "outside the heartlands", however you want to define that. Might, for example, the Bath RU owner establish an RL team to enter League 1 and aim to rise to Super League within two years if he could "guarantee" success by there being no salary cap imposed on him?

For heartland clubs, allow a 2nd marquee player allowance to be exempt from the Salary Cap to apply only to the signing of a current "6 Nations" international Union player. Not compulsory, just an option for clubs. See it as marketing spend.

I agree with the OP that getting games on Terrestrial TV is a must. International games have seen a big boost in exposure since they've been back on the BBC (even in early morning slots for the games in Aus/NZ) and surely there is an incentive for SKY in that improving the sports profile might tempt more people to subscribe to SKY Sports.

I also agree with another poster that focusing on Manchester and Newcastle for expansion is a good idea. Both have shown they are receptive to RL, and are big cities not small time towns that we generally have in SL currently.

Yep. And crucially both places already have an RL presence albeit only small. I'd love us to be Nigel Wood's waistline and expand on all fronts, but we haven't got the resources for that. Expansion cant just be a team plonked in an area. All the previous "expansion" teams have proved that doesn't work. The one where there was some existing groundwork and basis to start from, Catalans, proves that it can.

So we have to pick and choose. I'd take approx £300k from each SL clubs TV money giving us £3.6m a year to use on publicising/grassroots/whatever in these 2 areas. And I know it artificially benefits 2 clubs over others but I don't particularly care if it grows the game. If we could establish a foothold in both Newcastle & Manchester in, say, 15 years time, I think that'd be a huge step forward for the game. We'd then have a decent sporting presence in Leeds, Hull, Manchester and Newcastle.
That should give us some ammunition when negotiating with broadcasters and sponsors.

He's way past his sell by date, I get the impression he will never be challenged and will have one of those rare Jobs for Life. Has anybody any idea what Brian Barwick has brought to the table besides a handshake at the finals.

Unfortunately RFL may have talked about Manchester until it is too late! The RU under 20 World Cup is being held this year in AJ Bell and Man City Academy Ground. The RFU has said it's aim is to get as many school kids in the NW to see a completion involving over 30 countries, and to provide the resources for an extra 1000 schools in the NW to play and develop RU. I think it is June sometine, but is all ready being promoted heavily.

The RFU has planted it's tanks on RL's lawn and history has shown they have the resources to back it up ( and no doubt a few big names) I can only guess how much Sale Sharks will be all over it!. It may be the RFL has missed the Manchester ( as opposed to Gtr Manchester) boat.

There is zero chance of the RL profile being raised anywhere at this moment.
All the main broadcasters have embarked on a P.C. campaign, to raise the profiles of several other minority sports.

A credible International game would help.

Unfortunately, you have the RFL who have done nothing off the back of a successful world cup, and still no announcement on 4 Nations venues & dates, and watched our only relevant presence in the capital die.

Then you have the NRL, fiddling as Rome burns, content with their own competition and SOO, and no thought to the wider game. Semi Radradra potentially becoming a Kangaroo is the latest blinder they're playing for International RL.

Thinking exactly the same thing, radradra playing for Australia would just sum up our international game. If any team is going to have a go at challenging the big 3 then I would imagine it would be Fiji or Samoa. Samoa pushed the 3 close in their four nations game and Fiji probably have the best squad outside the 3 on paper but great players shunning these countries really doesn't help...