You make some strong points. Good post!

Have you ever been to NZ? RU may ebb and flow there but it'll always, ALWAYS be the number 1 sport.

excellent post

give the nrl time when it gets more money it will be taking over in places like fiji, samoa and tonga

i agree on a PNG NRL team and a 2nd NZ NRL side would puts RU in a lot of pressure

"Most RL Supporters are thick" also translated to "Most RL supporters have a different opinion to mine and they are all wrong".

With a strong club game the RFL and ARL probably thought by then taking the best players and putting them in international jerseys the fans of ALL clubs would come out and support them.

You might travel to watch England (or GB) on a regular basis I don't know but at a guess the general RL supporter is from the North, they have an average salary of somewhere in the region of 20k per year. They probably have families to keep, mortgage or rent to pay, bills...etc you know the things that allow you to survive. Out of whatever they have spare and sometimes what they have to beg for they spend on a season pass for their club. Is this because they are "Thick"? No it is because RL is a hobby for most people, a pastime, something they can release from their daily worries and think about something else for 80 or so minutes. They do not however feel a connection with our national team, the most clubs out of the top 3 get are usually 1 player at the most so they don't even have much to go and watch from the club they love so dearly. Would I pay to go and watch EVERY Hull KR game? Yes I would. Would I go and watch England if they played at the KC stadium? Yes I would. Would I go to Wigan to watch them? No I wouldn't. I can hardly afford to go and watch all the Rovers games but then having to shell out about £20 for a ticket and £40 fuel for an international game that I can watch on TV would be taking it too far.

I am not trying to be small minded or one of the status quo I am trying to be realistic. The ship has sailed from when international RL was a big thing, watching Hanley running through a gap and Offiah going the length used to be something to go and watch because it was rare to see it, now you will see a 95kg stand off go 90mtrs with a two wingers and a centre chasing him down. Int RL used to be about seeing the best of the best, I can do that by watching the SL or NRL on the TV every week.

As for Union's international game doing so well, that is because they have diluted their leagues with so many teams that the average fan in the south wants to see all those best players come together and watch what is usually not a bad specatacle of a game compared to the rubbish they are served up on a weekly basis, just like RL used to be pre-1995.

That is why i used the word COMPETIVELY] if you creamed off the top 20 or 30 NZRU players you would tun them from being in the top 3 in the world to maybe the top 10.

There would be a market because you just need to look at all the top NZRU players who are plying their trade in Europe because money talks

People have been predicting a mass exodus of players to Union ever since Union went pro. I remember Steve Ryder, ahead of a challenge cup final, sneeringly remarking could the game withstand the Union scouts being present in the crowd with the cheque book in hand.

The reality is that so far we have seen nothing of the sorts, with some players making a success of their move and some coming back. No player is bigger than the sport itself and while the players certainly deserve to be on higher wages, the game and/or clubs should not be bankrupting themselves in an effort to keep them. Also, if you give in to players demands for more money or they go to Union, at what point do you say no? and who do you say it to? I've said it all over the place over the past few days, the issue of the salary cap is merely the symptom of the problem, the real problem is that RL does not bring in enough £ - if you fix that problem, then the salary cap level can be fixed as a result of an increased revenue.

Ultimately, if a RL player can earn more money from a RU club, then I say good luck to them and I hope they make a success of it, no job is worth more than your next pay cheque.

Well, I agree with a lot of that, two of Bradford's best players of the last 10 years was the wing/centre partnership of Vainikolo and Hape. However, both struggled with knee injuries and fitness, they both got offered England RU shirts and went to get a pension in a game that was easier on the knees.

To those of you who think the clubs are holding out on the players' salaries. Read this: www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liv ... -26944440/ In a season where Warrington won it's first major trophy in 35 years, took in huge amounts of money through the resulting merchandise sales and boost in interest and awareness, they only made a profit of £28k on a turnover of £5.74m. In short, and I keep saying this like a stuck record, Rugby League as a whole needs to increase it's revenue streams, preferably through sponsorship and TV contract deals, if it doesn't, the logical conclusion is that inflation will force all clubs to start putting up matchday ticket prices substantially.

To those of you who think the clubs are holding out on the players' salaries. Read this: www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liv ... -26944440/ In a season where Warrington won it's first major trophy in 35 years, took in huge amounts of money through the resulting merchandise sales and boost in interest and awareness, they only made a profit of £28k on a turnover of £5.74m. In short, and I keep saying this like a stuck record, Rugby League as a whole needs to increase it's revenue streams, preferably through sponsorship and TV contract deals, if it doesn't, the logical conclusion is that inflation will force all clubs to start putting up matchday ticket prices substantially.

I think Offiah makes some pretty decent points. If we really want to promote International RL and thus finally get the media attention we deserve a la union and cricket then we need to promote the players. People in my office who have no really idea about rugby can name sculthorpe and farrell as the most recent 'semi-famous' players!

I'm not saying that players should start haggling for better wages but help get them agents, get them out in the media and promote the game via other methods such as selling products etc. Good players (ones that don't look like a shoe & sound distinctly northern, sorry peacock) who will be on the International scene for a while, Tony Clubb, Sam Tomkins, Jamie Foster, Lloyd White, Elliot Kear etc...

If in business you 'stick to your strengths' you die. A company which is more adaptable, more innovative and more dynamic will come and take all your customers.

If we dont have a worldwide interest in the game, we build one. Its where the rewards are.

It may be hard for you to hear, but the strength and future of the game doesnt lie in small northern towns.