Those three clubs provide rugby league in the community via participation its not always about finances. Toronto will probably not contribute to the player pool for decades and we will probably see more clubs disappearing in the meantime.

The RFL is responsible for the image profile of the game through marketing and "big time sponsors" the clubs are providing the playing product and are struggling with the supporter base because the game is spiralled down to a "third world" sport.

The erosion of British Rugby League has well and truly set in. In ten years time there might be hardly any clubs existing outside SL, which is clearly what Eric Pollard and McAnus (and quite a few posters on here) want.

When the clubs take any major decisions in the game then surely they are at least equally responsible?
They are also responsible for their own finances and their own marketing and attendances.
It is the clubs that have taken more and more of the money in the game and yet their performance both on and off the pitch has not improved.

The RFL makes mistakes and isn’t how I would like it to be, however the blame for the current state of RL should be laid firmly at the door of the clubs past and present management in my opinion.

You are correct but its the RFL marketing model thats atrocious that doesn't give clubs a chance to increase finances. If the RFL are only good for Mushy Peas, Dacia, Foxy Bingo then we can't expect clubs in context to get the likes of Guiness, Landrover and Betwin.
Losing Barrow, Whitehaven, Keighley will eventually filter down to losing more Sport England Funding...... Lenegan is right in a way that at the moment the RFL are trying to do everything and are making a bad job of it, Superleague does't want to be dragged down to lower standards, so the game needs to be remodelled at both lower and higher levels otherwise we are going to get fragmentation on a big scale.

Why should it be laid firmly with clubs? If the only option available is central funding with restrictions.

If you want progression, then leave SL to their own devices. But for the sake of the game stop involving CH/L1 with pitiful pay offs.

The future without SL, is a start for the lower tiers.

Not sure how the RFL getting “inferior” sponsors affects Leeds/Wigan/Salford etc from getting their own sponsors. It is the clubs who are primarily responsible for getting their own sponsors and for increasing their own attendances. They take by far the biggest slice of income into RL and yet, for the most part, that is squandered.

I agree RFL marketing isn’t great and when it is good it’s not sustained or directed well. However if the clubs want the RFL marketing to be better then more money needs to go to the RFL and not the clubs.

Again, the clubs call the shots. They agree any major changes. They can’t then try and lay the majority of the blame at the RFL’s door.

What I’d blame the RFL for is allowing the clubs to have so much power. They’ve proven themselves totally inadequate at running the sport and indeed nearly killed it 20-30 years ago.

Congratulations Coventry Bears who got their record attendance of 1465 today

Congratulations to Bradford Bulls for taking a 1000 fans !