the NRL is the #2 code in 'stralia.....the fumblers are the #1 game in town

National or localised I still can't believe people are criticising this.

If the RFL has the resources i'm sure they would make it national, but they don't have so they can't.

Putting my pedant hat on, ITVHD uses the Granada feed so technically, the ad will be screened nationally

Considering Wigan have run numerous adverts in similar slots on Granada, I'm disappointed that the RFL didn't try to expand just slightly to the Midlands or North East.

Yup, really great to see this.

Hopefully they're holding back some funds to advertise across the regions that are hosting WC matches later in the year.

Yep. But even in the North regions it will have a pretty large audience. This is a good step IMO, as someone elsewhere has said - there's a massive catchment area that Rugby League would do well to exploit better than it currently does.

Get better crowds in the existing fixtures and that will make the marketing/money men sit up and take more notice.

given that there is no team for anyone in the North East to go and support what would be the point? Would there be sufficient numbers of people in the North East who would be willing to travel long distances on a regular basis to justify the expense of advertising in that region. You would basically be entering a new market with a product that is not easily accessible - supported by 1 TV advert alone.

If the advertisement costs £thousands to broadcast in the North East, you would need a lot of people (thousands) to take up a new found interest in RL purely based on the advert alone - which isn't going to happen.

Even the best advert in the world isn't going to achieve that level of success.

Completely agree.

A previous poster used Harrogate as an example. This is a town with no RL presence and is (or should) be right in the battleground for the likes of Leeds, Bradford and York.

Thousands of people commute from Harrogate to Leeds every day. Most of those will have, at some point, been exposed to the Leeds Rhinos brand - be it a billboard in the rail station, a match report in the YEP or Metro, commentary on Radio Leeds or ad on Radio Aire. These people may have never been anywhere near Headingley (other than their train passing under the Western Terrace), but they will probably recognise the name 'Ryan Hall' or 'Kevin Sinfield' when they see it. These are the people who are there to be won - they have heard of the sport, they'll recognise some of the names and they're within easy reach of an SL stadium. You can't say the same of someone watching an FA Cup match in a pub in Portsmouth.

Spot on. But don't let common sense, facts and well articulated views get in the way of a good rant about Red Hall!

I can totally see why the RFL are putting their eggs into the two broadcast areas rather than national, as has been said above, their are no teams outside of them barring London.
Whilst I think the RFL haven't helped the London cause in any way shape or form it would be a waste of money (at this moment in time) investing to broadcast to the London regions purely on the basis that getting possibles to travel 1-2 hours to a 'home' game when the team itself is in flux/about to move and hasn't performed for a good many years isn't a good starting point.
Similarly the North East regions, too far away from a SL club for it to make any impact, even more so in these depressed times.

However, if the RFL were to get clubs to play 'on the road' games in marketed areas it might at least raise interest not just for watching SL on the box but getting more local interest in the amateur game, having two local teams play a warm up beforehand.
For instance London play Hull or Leeds at a football club in the Herts/North London area, then get Hemel to play Scholars. Maybe have Saints/Wigan at the Ricoh with Coventry Bears v?
Both Challenge cup semis on the same day at a strategic football ground away from the heartlands would be an idea. I wouldn't mind seeing the CC final at somewhere like the Emirates but parking is shocking .

I think we certainly need more brand awareness, but small steps before taking big ones is the way to go.

York is a battleground for York when it comes to Leeds Rhinos!

What a lame duck answer designed to appease the constantly self congratulating drones who populate these boards.

It was a good inquiry. I suspect the answer is cold hard cash but it's a point worth making.

Exactly, Midlands would be the first area I would have targeted. Also the Cardiff and Bristol regions for the advert as well, it would have been a feeder advert for the world cup matches being played down there. Maybe we should change the M5 signs to read the M62.