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.

Apart from in Aus, RU has both a stronger club and stronger international game throughout the rest of the world.

The SC not rising is indeed a bad sign, and I do feel that RL players deserve more money than they get. However, the cold hard reality of the matter is that if Warrington barely made a profit at all in a cup winning year, while spending to the full cap allowance, then it says one of two things to me

1) The SC level originally was too high for clubs at the time to sustainably afford (this works on the assumption that turnover is higher now than it was 10years ago)
2) The RFL and clubs have done little, or nothing, to increase revenues and turnover in a decade.

Neither case is a palatable one.

If you make a good Curry open an Curry house, you make a good steak open a Steak house.

The future of the game? It has lasted 100+ years with "small northern towns" and did it without full time players. Not saying I do not want to see the game grow I certainly would love to travel to Devon, Nottingham, Edinburgh...etc to watch a good competative game against HKR. I would love to watch Australia take on England at a packed out Wembley.

I just can not see where or how you expect these things to happen when the general public do not see the game as an entertaining sport. And the majority of people that do go to games as I say are not prepared to travel so the international game relies on where the games are hosted.

It certainly isn't hard for me to hear your opinions but it seems you would rather pin your hopes and dreams for the game on something that just isn't going to happen or certainly not for a fair few decades.

Just a slight edit for accuracy.

No-one has suggested we dont play rugby league.



But thats all the game did for 100+ years, survived, Do you want to go back to a semi-pro game played in front of 2 men and his dog in tiny dilapidated stadia between parishes in small northern towns? Because those are our options, we cant keep the status quo, the world doesnt work like that, you cant stay the same. We either try and expand or we retract.

I would rather try and fail than accept a slow lingering death while the game regresses.

But as you say people in Devon, Nottingham, Edinburgh dont seem to want to watch our game. Why would they? almost all of them couldnt pick Jamie Peacock out of a line up, couldnt point out Castleford or Wakefield on a map. Why would they affiliate themselves with a game played in places they dont know by people they havent heard of? Especially when there is a game which is pretty similar with players they have heard of who seem to get the pick of our players anyway.

The AVIVA Premiership has a salary cap of £4m for every player at the club, with most clubs having around 40 senior players. The Super League is £1.65m for the named 25 man squad.

There are many senior pro's who just play in the A League which is their reserve league, along with youth team players also looking to break into the first team. Basically the cap is bigger, but spread over more players, but it is undeniable that the top players do earn alot more, and a fringe player may only earn a fraction more than this colleague in the quicker game.