Have to say that sport here is massively over valued in TV deals. NRL gets around 1million viewers on fta for prime time games. RL on fta in uk gets similar NBC featured games. NRL gets 117million pounds a year, RFL a fraction of that.

even tho superleague needs sky to survive they do under appreciate the product massively, all the messing around this year has been a joke first its friday saturday like normal then some sundays then mondays and now its thursday friday its about time they told them no we aren't playing any more games during the week other than friday night.

I'm sure Sky appreciates Super League more than the BBC, that's for sure.

no doubt about it but still generally unappreciated.

There is no quick fix to this really, people playing/watching RL generate a more attractive platform to advertise from, more advertisement appeal brings more money, more money brings better facilities which produces better players, which generates more interest... And so on.

The problem lies with people trying the game. The game needs 'foot soldiers' to take the game to people. Community Development Officers do this, but with the funding cuts from Sport England their is now a shortfall in funds to pay these roles. The clubs should now try and get sponsorship/funding to do this, and the RFL in turn needs to support the clubs by finding funds to get more people into schools to take the game to children.

If I was The RFL, I would approach the NRL with cap in hand, and ask for investment from them into the RFL, to grow the game on a global platform.

Isn't "growing the game on a global platform" the remit of the Rugby League International Federation ? www.rlif.com/about-rlif

Isn't "growing the game on a global platform" the remit of the Rugby League International Federation ? www.rlif.com/about-rlif

Now that Sir, is a hell of a bold statement.

That is the long and short of it. Also in Australia there are several strong, well established TV networks competing for sports broadcasting rights. Sky dominate things over here and anyone who has tried to rival them have quickly been crushed- I can only see BT Sport going the same way as ITV Sport/Setanta/ESPN etc. Finally in England we will always be competing with soccer in terms of getting kids into the sport from a young age. I reckon in the UK every young lad must own a football, yet a fraction will also throw a rugby ball about. The opposite is true in Australia.

Excellent post

One picture is all that's needed to perfectly reflect the state of the game. www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_t ... _directors Dynamic leadership?

One picture is all that's needed to perfectly reflect the state of the game. www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_t ... _directors Dynamic leadership?

Every young lad in England may well own a soccer ball......but I very much doubt every young kid in Australia owns a Steeden or a Gilbert or even a Sherrin for that matter.

All three codes outside of soccer in Aus have worked very hard to make their game "mummy friendly" in recent years due to the massive growth of wendyball......soccer is a massive growth area in sports down here.

The ‘so called’ bigger clubs like Wigan historically attract the best kids who generally develop well in a professional environment working alongside quality players and coaches. Those few young lads who slip through the net and sign for ‘lesser well off teams’ are then an easy catch if they develop and show real potential.

It’s easy to criticise other clubs youth systems and compare them to Wigan and Leeds etc but the fact is clubs can put years into developing lads who then end up leaving on a free. Stephen Ratchford and Jordan Turner are classic example of this. Salford invested 6 years in these players only for them to leave for nothing because their agents advise them not to sign contracts beyond 21 so they get a bigger contract with a big club because there is no transfer fee involved.

wtf is wendyball?

Edit: Nvm realise you're refering to 'soccer'. We can only ever dream of being as a successful sport as 'wendyball' is, as you call it.

BBC shows it commitment to the RLWC:

"There will be live television coverage of all England’s Group games, including the Opening Ceremony and game against Australia on October 26, as well as a quarter final match, a semi-final showdown at Wembley and the Rugby League World Cup Final at Old Trafford on November 30.

Tanya Arnold will present a regular highlights programme throughout the tournament, incorporating all the action from games not shown live.

Every game at RLWC2013 will be broadcast live on either BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Live Sports Extra, with expert commentary courtesy of Dave Woods, George Riley and Stuart Pyke."