This is such a lazy way out. People said the exact same thing about rugby Union in Glasgow for many many years - they are now selling out most of their home games and just won their league by beating the famous Munster. Manchester is a HUGE city, of course there is room for rugby league - you just have to work at it

The local media themselves aren't the problem in Manchester because local media is tiny and relatively insignificant in most places these days, including Manchester. Unfortunately, the drive to nationally produced media over the last few decades has really hampered RL since we get no real national media exposure. Which what the vast majority of people see, hear or read.

As Huddersfield1895 says above, Salford need to spend big on their Foundation and pump millions into engaging with people in Manchester

I wouldn't say they were selling out their games. They got around 6,000 to most home games, which is about what Salford should get over the next couple of years.

You're right to say we can't just say "oh it's a football city so forget it" though. There's definitely space for an RL team in Manchester, it just needs doing right.

I played RL long before I watched a game at Saints.

Once I enjoyed the game, then picking a team to watch was simply a matter of location. I hate to say it, but if I had been born in Wigan, I'd probably have ended up following them once I had played the game.

In places were there is not that opportunity to play the game in schools, then is it really unexpected that it's harder to get people watching the game.

I have worked in school in the past just on the hinterland of RL central, places like Preston and East Lancashire.

You mention RL and it's like a unknown sport. I could walk into a school in Preston with Jamie Lyon/SBW's and you would be hard pushed for anyone of those kids to be able to recognise the player.

Yet walk in with say a top ladies footballer and there would be some recognition there.

Why? Because girls football is now pushed in schools, get the girls playing and when they grow up they will end up watching (someone). But it does not matter whether they follow PNE or Liverpool. It's that opportunity to play that gains the interest.

But school's can't be left to do this themselves and in a way neither can clubs. Clubs are interested in the here and now, schools are worried about league tables. But parents would eagerly push their kids into free after school activities if they were there as it takes the pressure off them cost wise.

I currently live in Leeds the heart of the RL world.
This year there have been over 10 after school clubs, not one was playing RL. Football/girls football/ games skills/ etc etc etc.

All provided free of charge and football send coaches into the school, it's not teacher lead.

Everything else, like free tickets is window dressing. Get em whilst they are young and whether they come back week after week or just have a passing interest in the game. It will build up you core support for years to come.

Pass that one over to Marwan, I wonder why he hasn't thought of that?

From the Salford Star:- www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2778

From the Salford Star:- www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2778

Spot on. And sadly Leeds are one of the better clubs at reaching out and engaging with clubs and schools. So it shows how much work there is to do.

I live and grew up in York. RL was unknown in my school. The only people who knew anything about it were some of my friends who I took along to Leeds games (I was a Leeds fan due to my parents not anything RL or Leeds in particular did). Most of my year didn't know anything really except football and Union. Union only really because our school played Union rather than League. (Again that's not anything Union did, it's simply because the PE teacher was an ex-Union player and obviously running sports in schools relies very much upon teachers giving up their free time, so he naturally chose Union).

But because of that school playing Union, a group of my year went down to the local Union club and so got interested in Union. Now as there wasn't a top Union club anywhere near they didn't go to domestic games. But they made a point of going to at least 1 England game each year. That's 5/6 extra people in the game just from 1 year group of 1 school in 1 place. Replicate that in lots of different places and you'll get a response in attendances.

The school and amateur game is the entry way to the sport and its so, so, so vital to make that entry way as wide, encouraging and easy as possible for people/kids to go through.
(It's why I get so annoyed at violence/intimidation in the amateur game).

Koucash and Allam sharing the same stadium, now that would be fun..

https://twitter.com/drmarwanK/status/608679292004888577 Latest out burst from the Dr. He needs sorting from the RL disgusting comment from a owner of one of our clubs

https://twitter.com/drmarwanK/status/608679292004888577 Latest out burst from the Dr. He needs sorting from the RL disgusting comment from a owner of one of our clubs

Glasgow got a 6,374 regular season average in a 10k stadium and defeated Munster who normally treat the Pro 12 as a 2nd tier comp....but it is a vast improvement on a couple of years ago when they were getting 2,500 or so.
Salford need to do more to attract fans. the Cheap offer for the Wire game showed that there's interest enough, but they need to be pro-active all of the time, not just when K has a dummy spit!

What a berk; clear evidence that you can't buy class.

What an idiot. Shows why Salford are in such a mess. He hasn't a clue what he's doing.

Wow. Is all I can say at that tweet. Twitter, if your going to use it, is your business shop window to the world and he's just gone and laid a cable the length of Barton Bridge in Salford's.

What player, in their right mind, would look at that and think "yes, that's a club culture I need to be part of"

Problem is, he has seen Chelsea and he has seen Man City and thought buying a sports team and turning it around is easy if you throw the cash at it. However RL is very different to football and isn't as easy to turn around as football is.