Quote Mr Hicks="Mr Hicks"We have to understand that for some reason league attracts a rougher crowd than Union.
My son has played both codes at every age group from U7s to U16s.
I have never once heared any swearing from a crowd at a junior union game,
but the language from parents and kids at league junior games is unbelievable.
Now im league through and through but Union seems to attract a better following.
Ever since Wigan played Bath and hamered them in a cross code challange that code have gone from strength to strength.
Turned fully profesional, formed some fantastic competitions IE Heiniken cup, Magners League, Top French competition, The Premiership, The Play offs and The World Cup.
We now have Super League, Challange Cup, Play Offs and The four nations.
Super League is not so Super as the play offs this week proved, 3 games won by over 40 points, Challange cup has died a death. Low crowds all the way through and half empty Wembley with 2 of our top teams playing in the final. No promotion from Championship to Super League which does not invite welthy people to invest in our sport as they can not take a team any further than league champions.
The four nations dominated by 2 teams, even NZ have come from a Union dominated sport to have a league team that are world champions.
When will the powers that be address the problem instead of trying to mirror the Australians. There systems works for them but its not working here.
The Challange cup was something the Australians dreamed about playing in but now weve put all our marketing into the play offs the Challange Cup has been forgoten.
Bring back promotion, give the Challange cup a face lift and lets stop putting good money into bad IE Welsh Rugby, French Rugby, London Rugby and promoting teams that used to be big names (Widnes) who dont deserve to go up, as a mid table Championship finish and hamered twice by 50 points by the league leaders dont really make for promotion in my eyes.'"
Our game is fooked,my lad plays union its a easier sport and I agree about the parents at matches we have had lads leave the union club and come back as the parents were shocked at the abuse from the touch line.
Back to our game its a joke as long as a handful of clubs are bobbng along nicely sod the rest seem to be the policy.
My team leigh play sheffield in a meaningless game tonight to play in a pointless final next week? see I don't even know when the final is.The clubs outside the top flight are playing for nothing,please don't say its means your the champions,champions of what? the pointless league? widnes proved you don't need to win a grand final just win a cup match in blackpool and fudge your figures for 3 seasons,boy can't wait for the next couple of years watching a club that is just sitting around waiting for wakey to get chucked out,great eh?
Who is going to invest in a team in the lower flight for 3 years hoping you get the nod,trying o fund a team on ever smaller fixture list plus building a team only for it to be ripped apart by teams from the top flight as they cherry pick your players you can't blame the players for leaving as they only have a short shelf life.
So well done the rfl on your sterling job with teams beneath the top flight
