Quote: Jukesays "Whilst agreeing with the sentiment about looking closer to home the club's are all part of a wider picture (and I get the irony about the SL club's breaking away).
However
A lot of the issues surrounding attendances don't necessarily just come from marketing and or lack or quality of it.
The structure of the game, the rules, the refs, stagnant salary cap, reserves structure and I could go o n all impact on a club's ability to market themselves (and in some instances their desire to do so).
I feel like some clubs are just happy taking the sky money and working at that level, but the fascination to make competition Even has gone too far imo. I want it to better, not stagnate.
I admire Leeds for their commercial success, not withstanding that a bit like Man Utd it was always a matter of time before someone got it right so I don't think Gary is the miracle worker some portray, right place right time etc.
They also benefit from their location (big city), and other such factors that others don't.
I wrote a post a number of years ago about why shouldn't they benefit from.their own success, what would happen if they got a lot of injuries and then got relegated.
How would that benefit Leeds and rugby league.
A club with 10m plus operation turnover being relegated due to a some bad luck?
Why shouldn't they be allowed to spend that money to help themselves?
I didn't think a couple of years later it could have happened.
I know its moving into different areas of discussion but I do believe our top club's of which Leeds and Wigan are possibly the top 2 (awaits Saints fans) should be allowed to push their business and playing quality and in turn other club's such as Warrington/Saints/Hull/Catalans aren't a million miles away from. We need all club's to want to aspire to those levels and Cas/Hull is seem to be on board with that, we need all club's to want to push themselves whilst recognising that we need to be careful.
My feeling is that we have become too over officious on and off the field.
Changing the game to speed it up imo is working
Off the field we need to do the same, and last of that for me is incentivise club's to nakenthwir businesses bigger and more profitable.
I always liked the idea of the 50% rule I.e salary cap the club's so they can spend up to 50% of their income )or whatever % the club's agree on maybe up to an agreed higher limit (say 5million).
Push the club's to Increase their income, attract bigger sponsors, investors etc.
Anyway, let's hope more of us get behind the game and as best we can put club allegiances to one side not on the pitch, but for the growth of the game.'"
Good post.
I've criticised the quality of play in recent years but I think the recent change in rules albeit early days is having a positive impact plus most teams seem to trying to play a more expansive style of play.
Elstone has only just really started so Im quite hopeful that we will start to see other changes that will benefit the game.
