I remember 20+ years ago, when SL was still in it infancy, we had gone from 6,500 attendance to 7,500, but we had already seen a drop in annual TV revenue from SKY from the initial £17,000,000 a year to just £11,000,000......it would then drop to £9,000,000 a year not long after.
At the time, there were Hundreds of threads on various forums saying the game was being sold short and was heading for oblivion....but hey, 2 decades later, we have survived and we are now seeing threads downplaying a deal that is apparently worth between £25 and £30 million a year........

in 2001 the average cost of a Pint of Lager was £2.00, it's now £3.90
in 2001 the average cost of a house was £164,000, it's now £260,000
In 2001 I paid £14.00 to watch the London Broncos....that figure is now £22.50.........

Is the game in need of some changes? Quite possibly, but not at the expense of the grass roots. The Likes of London (Skolars and Broncos) Sheffield, Coventry and the welsh sides are looking down the barrel of obscurity or worse if the SL chairmen get their way and pull up the drawbridge.
They've become too used to the "free money" from SKY, but in reality, they are all a whisker away from being the next Bradford or Widnes.

The game Needs SKY, but to what extent? If the owners had concentrated on their match day offerings, then the reality is that 8,000 extra fans per home game would cover the ENTIRE bounty they get from the trough each year.

What they need to do is stop being "addicts". If Sky saw a 20% hike in attendances in 2022, they'd be hard pressed to come back with another "insulting" deal.

This "fan engagement' lip service the RFL are engaging in is to be of any use, they need to understand that SKY aren't the lifeblood of the game...we are, the Fans. So let's stop fiddling with structures and concentrate on the real issue......filling stadiums and making RL a must do event in 2022.

For 2022 I'd like to see a clear focus on the RLWC with a plan for an International schedule clearly drawn up (to avoid the farcical situations we've had previously, when the country gets re-enthused about the game, but there's no follow up plan to capitalise).

So I'd cut domestic fixtures to just a H&A schedule, pause the Magic/Bash weekenders and have a 1st v 2nd GF - with a push on International warm up for RLWC - sending a clear message that in 2022 the 'event games' are the RLWC .

Maybe even tie up with clubs so that supporters / ST holders get a coupon on entry to domestic games, and 5/10 coupons gives you 10/25% off a RLWC ticket.

20 years ago there were people on here lamenting at the death of the game, and I thought they were a bit boring and a lot bonkers. In retrospect perhaps they will have been disenfranchised fans of clubs below SL who were denied a proper pathway to the top flight.

I used to be someone who loved the game first and loved Bradford 2nd. Even throughout our fall from grace the whole sport was very dear to me because the whole parochial thing of hating fax, Keighley, Leeds and Huddersfield wasn't really my cup of tea. But now I find myself being one of the doom and gloom brigade. I don't watch SL, I couldn't really tell you many players or who is where in the table. I am out of love with the game and bored of the product. It shocks me that when England play there will be the odd player I've never heard of. If that sounds weird to you reading it, I assure you it feels weird to me too.

I am a level-headed man that is now switched-off and sadly thinks we are in a death-spiral. I've become the very loon I used to mock. Sadly I think there are many thousands like me. I don't need Bradford in SL to make me love the sport again, but I need the game to have vision, strategic direction and growth.

I think much of the "doom and gloom" actually cam about because of SL, which instantly alienated many fans.
First of all there were the fans of "relegated" clubs, many of whom have never come back and this was followed by franchising, which again hacked of fans from clubs who didn't make the cut.
Your club (and mine) have suffered financial "situations" and then we have "the covid years", which have been and will continue to be damaging to the sport.
And, finally, we have the spectre of yet another major change to the league structure, which aside from the reduced Sky monies, is needed like a hole in the head.

FWIW, if Bradford were to make it back into SL and start inning some games, I'm sure that you may be tempted to have another peek at the "product" but, the game is not in great shape and whoever does the thinking and planning for the game, really needs to step up and have a plan as to how to use the delayed World Cup to re energise the sport.

The game has been dying since 1895

Anyone who thinks rugby league in this country isn’t dying is deluded

Amateur participation is the lowest in history.

Players are earning less than they were 20 years ago when you factor in inflation. A massive amount less

No one outside of rugby league towns or cities could name a player who plays for England like they could 20 years ago

It’s on life support on this country

Rugby League is seeing record numbers of viewers on SKY TV
Rugby League in the 2nd tier just witnessed a covid impacted season where teams like Batley, Halifax and Bradford were challenging for honours
Rugby League has just agreed a FTA TV deal which will showcase the sport to a wider audience
Rugby League has professional sides in London, Coventry, Wales, Newcastle....3 sides from Cumbria in the 2nd tier and now 2 French sides in the top flight.

Is it as fit a butchers dog? Nope....nowhere near, but it is far from dying.

20 years ago we had a 7,500 average an 9 million a year from SKY and were locked away in the SKY locker

Now we have 30 million, 8,500 average and exposure on FTA TV......hardly on its deathbed!

There's a FTA TV deal ???

Are you referring to the BBC showing the men's & women's England international next weekend, or is there something for the domestic game too ?

Stick to rugby Union then you nonce.

As I understand it, the "new' SKY deal includes games shown on FTA platforms. Given the days of "rabbit ear' Ariels are gone, I'd suggest that this means on a digital platform, but FTA all the same. The viewing figures SKY get for these FTA games will hopefully encourage the likes of C4 or C5 to at least enquire as to future partnerships.

Then there's the challenge Cup on the BBC, England internationals and the Challenge Cup...not forgetting the RLWC later in the year.

2022 might see the most live Rugby League on FTA TV that we've ever had.

Bundle this up with a wide open second tier comp as well as 2 French sides in the top tier and 2022 could be a fantastic year for the sport in the Northern Hemisphere!

I seem to recall there being 1 or 2 games on BBC Grandstand most weekends with Regal Trophy games, proper International tours and then the Challenge Cup. Days like that again would be great.

Poor attempt at getting a few bites here, by suggesting RL in London and Wales is somehow viable and people in those places want to play it in numbers and watch it in even bigger numbers, and have investors in those areas ready to put ££Millions in. Then add to the usual bait of an an attack on a Superleague club this time wigan.

For others who may bite, RL in London first surfaced in the early 1900's in London with major RL internatiionals, and as club sides with rich owners in the 1930's so it was tried and failed big time. London is used to Soccer as the biggest game and vastly prefer to invest in that, they also prefer Rugby union to the near total exclusion of league.

But of course we must take all the SKY money off Mr. Lenegan and give it to Mr. Hughes. If you haven't got a sensible idea for a discussion then please don't bother, and please don't start on me because I ain't interested in this garbage : .

That desperate for bites!!!!!! I've never seen real fans of the top rich sides coming up with stuff like this that would be stale bait from anyone. It's the old "one two" again tell RL fans their game is stuffed and they are suffering mental illness

Pack it in will you.......Do the mods a favour......