why would they though? as primary broadcaster of the game they have an interest in ensuring that the best players play it to the highest standard, to keep viewing figures high.

if they reduce their investment, the standards will fall, the game will be less attractive to viewers and SKY will lose money.

Print media is on its backside and there is no way it will ever return to past glories, unless the internet stops working. I heard an interview with a print journalist on Radio 2 a while back, he mentioned that a lot of people are getting their news, view and opinions from Blogs. Blogs that are written by amateur writers who now have access to website and blogging services like WordPress, Blogger etc. These days pretty much anyone can build an decent looking optimised website in about 10 minutes.

As fans we should be using Social Media to market the game. Share all possible RL related news on Facebook, Twitter etc. We could get a article syndicated to a million people within 10 minutes if we all did this.

I still agree with Bill Hicks when it comes to marketing.

I think what we need to be doing is grooming the rulers of the future to have interest in our game. For example Polo will forever be financed thanks to royalty all over the world introduced to the game from birth.

We are the marketeers, we have technology at our finger tips that will allow us to market anything we want.

A friend of mine makes a living from selling pc world and tesco products through his website. He does not spend a penny on marketing, he uses social media, facebook twitter etc to get customer.

Hey...you hark back to the good old days all you like when RL was an honest sport in your opinion, but if you have a point to make, it sometimes gets lost if you throw in a personal insult.
Kind of like another of your anti expanionist rants on another thread....



So, I see from this that you take your lead from your chairman/ceo who spat his dummy out when his team didn't get a place at the top table last time around....BITTER is an understatement

As for me being a gobe.........maybe, but your post regarding the good old days points to you being someone who can't deal with change. If you think British Rugby League was in a better state in 1995 to the current situation, please tell us why you think this is.

its up to the clubs and the RFL to generate news worthy content that people would be interested in reading. If the clubs cant even get newsworthy and original content onto their own websites, what are bloggers and tweeters supposed to pick up on, never mind the national media.

Take your Lobby specs off for just a second and stand back. This is a problem for rugby league not just the horrible, nasty Super League.

To be honest if its just The Times that are dropping the use of a dedicated RL reporter then I wouldn't worry too much, there are some weird things going on at that opinion paper, their conviction that people will actually WANT to queue up to PAY for online opinions is probably being severely tested at the moment and will be for some time to come until some fekkwit at the organisation realises that its probably the worst decision that they ever made - shedding reporters like falling autumn leaves is only a result of their marvellous management decision.

Is there a sport that isn't?

That describes football as well, is that a dying sport?

The problem is that the stories that the clubs / the RFL want to generate aren't the stories that print press are interested in.

The national press aren't interested in "xxx signs one year contract" or "Fringe player opens village fete". They are however interested when a player is arrested following a nightclub brawl, caught drink-driving or in some other scandal - something that no club is going to try and promote. That's not a rugby league problem, that's a problem for any sport. Just today, for example, Joe Cole is on the BBC News front page because of a driving offence - it's probably the first and last time that he'll be found anywhere other than the sports pages. Likewise with John Terry / Peter Crouch.

It's very easy to say that the clubs should be producing the PR (and some, undoubtedly, could do more) but the what the clubs want to say and what the press wants to hear are two very different things.

In order to get the coverage that the sport craves, it has to be mass appeal. That means attracting a greater demographic of fan, establishing a strong international scene and getting the sport on the national conscience. When enough people, who don't have access to the YEP, HDM or Wigan Evening Post, want to hear about rugby league, the advertisers and the press will meet that demand. Unfortunately, there is huge fan opposition along the M62 to expanding the game to do just that. The RFL is dammed if it does and dammed if it doesn't.

agreed to all of that - and to a certain extent its no fault of the clubs, who are trying to appeal to their own market with 'XXX signs new contract' and 'YYY opens village fete' type stories.

however, the RFL needs to take a lead in identifying and producing the stories that might have a mass appeal. if they send out well written PR stories that sports editors can just rip off, it wont matter that they dont have specific RL journalists trying to dig things up.

Look at the RFL website latest news - its all either negative (players being banned) or pointless (Eorl Crabtree's testimonial dinner). Not one thing that would be of interest to a national sports editor.

couple of examples of stories that might have a wider appeal off the top of my head - Jonny Lomax battling back from a life threatening injury as a kid to Saints superstar, or Ryan Bailey's redemption from jailbird to Leeds Cup Final hero. i.e. personal stories, heartwarming tales of triumph and battling through adversity.

Force the clubs to make the players available to the media more. Get some players in London every week doing the media rounds.

How much national press does the Steve Prescott story get? The fact that he is guest of honour at the cup final doesn't even warrant a mention on the RFL site. Has anyone from the RFL attempted to highlight his charitable efforts, his fight against cancer, and his OBE. Blitzing the media with that story the week before the Cup Final would be fantastic for the game - and for Steve's charity.

The game cant sit back and do nothign, then complain that the media and sponsors are not battling the way to Red Hall.

SL clubs wanted to "go it alone"

They created their own "business" and sod the hindmost!

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