if HMV get on board will it be a record year?

(really sorry about that, i'll get coat)

This might be a daft question but there is a commercial department at the RFL ?

I assume there is, maybe that's where they're going wrong!

I couldn't find anything on the RFL site that actually points towards a Commercial Department (useless I'm going blind!)!

Quote: MP "I assume there is, maybe that's where they're going wrong! I couldn't find anything on the RFL site that actually points towards a Commercial Department (useless I'm going blind!)!'" If you ask them, I'm sure they'll say there is, but the whole thing just comes across as not-very-professional. Random example, look at the photo of the Directors www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_t ... _directors. Granted, you'd need a bit of work to make that lot look dynamic, but even so...ill-fitting crumpled suits and a cardigan, guy at the back resembling a used-car dealer from the 70's. Stood outside an old red-brick building. Does a commercial partner think "these guys will get value for my brand"? Not to mention the dreadful image quality. We have a massive uphill battle marketing this sport at the best of times, but we don't help ourselves by not getting the details of presentation right. This stuff seems trivial, but it matters.

Quote: MP "I assume there is, maybe that's where they're going wrong! I couldn't find anything on the RFL site that actually points towards a Commercial Department (useless I'm going blind!)!'" If you ask them, I'm sure they'll say there is, but the whole thing just comes across as not-very-professional. Random example, look at the photo of the Directors www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_t ... _directors. Granted, you'd need a bit of work to make that lot look dynamic, but even so...ill-fitting crumpled suits and a cardigan, guy at the back resembling a used-car dealer from the 70's. Stood outside an old red-brick building. Does a commercial partner think "these guys will get value for my brand"? Not to mention the dreadful image quality. We have a massive uphill battle marketing this sport at the best of times, but we don't help ourselves by not getting the details of presentation right. This stuff seems trivial, but it matters.

Oh, and whilst I'm ranting, look at this defintion of 'Vision, Mission, and Strategic Aims': www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_t ... na__values Most of you have probably heard of S.M.A.R.T. when writing this sort of stuff. It's not management-waffle ( though it can be in wrong hands) but common-sense. Make EVERY goal: SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE RELEVANT TIME-BOUND Almost all the RFL's goals fail to match almost all of those criteria. The result is that the 'strategy' is itself just a load of waffle, against which its almost impossible to decide if they're delivering or not. Which is probably just how they like it.

Oh, and whilst I'm ranting, look at this defintion of 'Vision, Mission, and Strategic Aims': www.therfl.co.uk/the-rfl/about_t ... na__values Most of you have probably heard of S.M.A.R.T. when writing this sort of stuff. It's not management-waffle ( though it can be in wrong hands) but common-sense. Make EVERY goal: SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE RELEVANT TIME-BOUND Almost all the RFL's goals fail to match almost all of those criteria. The result is that the 'strategy' is itself just a load of waffle, against which its almost impossible to decide if they're delivering or not. Which is probably just how they like it.

alas, it seems to be the culture in RL to reward failure. I have seen nothing to point towards the guy recruited from Man City (who claimed he single handedly propelled them towhere they are now) that makesme think this was a good appointment, but as this is the RFL, we'll wait until Gillette bail the out with RLWC 2013 sponsorship, we get less than Saracens for SL and the CC is given away before realising that he was all and wind, but had "man city"on his CV.

It's not just the RFL either.London Broncos are being run (into the ground) by another who talks the talk but is in reality is out of his depth. Salford had a massive opportunitylast year to attract new fans, but as is the way with RL, they stuck posts in the ground and expected people to just turn up.....it doesn't work that way.

There are pro-active clubs out there and I for one (I am no fan of Wigan or their egotistical fanbase) would appoint Ian Lenagan to the position of CEO of the RFL. He took over with Wigan averaging 14k and has added another 21% to that in 5 years...his aim is to fill the DW stadium for every game....that's the sort of ambition needed to lead the sport IMHO!

A few journos on twitter, including Pete Smith and Martyn Sadler, are suggesting that a sponsor will be announced on Tuesday (for the CC), and that further announcements are expected within a couple of weeks.

the RFL has tweeted that there will be a series of exciting announcements over the next 2 weeks.

not sure a sponsorship announcement could ever be described as exciting, but at least they have something lined up.

Let's hope its a mass resignation. The rest is detail, sport won't move on in any significant way without fresh leadership.

Any managerial position should be about hitting targets and it doesn't seem that our sport has publicised targets of where the bame should be in 12 months, 5 years, 10 years.
Without a structured plan, the game can only drift along.
Good oportunities may come along and some may still be taken but, this is different to someone or a collection of people moving the sport forward.

Agree with wrencat. I suppose we don't know for CERTAIN that they don't have some structured, measurable targets but reading the bilge (and it really is as awful as I've seen anywhere) that they put on the site concerning strategy, one has to suspect that such rubbish is a fair indicator of their grasp of leadership. If it's not, then it begs the question "why print such waffle?" I often find that where there's a resistance to setting clear measurable goals, its because there's a fear of being held to them. But, setting measurable targets and delivering (most of) them is called leadership. It's hard but its what you get paid for. At the VERY LEAST there's no excuse for publishing such rubbish, but unfortunately its probably much worse than that - they probably don't even realise its a load of rubbish. That's much scarier.

Adam Pearson alluded to a move within SL for the clubs to run the game themselves, he didn't go into great detail (I am getting this 3rd hand, so forgive me) but it seems Wigan are leading the way to try and reform the RFL somehow.

Quite how it would work I know not, but I know Red Hall have done nothing good for the game in years, any developments or improvements (and not all the changes have been improvements imho) have been driven by SKY.

The fact Stobart trucks still have RL players on the side indicates how lax the RFL are.

Just had a thought, if everyone who posts on RLFANS gives £20, we could have the RLFANS Super League 2013, and we could force them to replace Eddie and Stevo!

Quite right, the RFL should stop this lunacy at once. This free publicity during a period when we don't have another sponsor is ridiculous, and is needlessly promoting our game at a time when we should be mourning how bad our game it at promoting itself.