The "best of a bad bunch" are already in SL. Removing any club, with the exception of Crusaders) as of now will not improve the league particularly. Yes, Widnes and Leigh would bring newer stadia but the quantity of spectators will not really change, the quality of players will not really change.

The 10 point marking system has definately focused clubs on the areas identified by the RFL as key to a good license application and (although not perfect) at least force clubs to consider a wider definition of success.

So you advocate concentrating development (expansion of fan base) on heartland clubs for the next 5 years?

The article here

Just like in Australia then.

From the same source "From 1910 onwards, rugby league has held place as the premier winter sport of NSW and Queensland, and a maintained a strong following in New Zealand."

Doesn't sound as though there's been a great deal to compete with since 1910 then, what say you?

either you cant read, are deliberately thick or taking the p**s.

dont know which.

all SL clubs should be trying to grow their crowds.

quite a few current heartland SL clubs dont get sufficient crowds.

pretty simple stuff really.

widnes with some stability in SL will easily get bigger crowds than wakefield.

im sure that all current SL clubs can also keep growing their crowds, especially hudds, saints (new ground), warrington (ground extension) and hull KR (ground improvements)

cas need a new ground which is not happening soon. CC and quins clearly have problems in the area, and LC can get to 10,000 with an improved ground.

edit : new ground or not, leigh are a basket case

It may have escaped our southern hemisphere friends notice but, in the UK, a single premiership football match can often attract a gate larger than the entire combined SL gates for a week. Moving the game to summer (!!!) was an attempt at avoiding this competition but now we are back to a 9 month season again that just isn't the case.

I'm sure all SL clubs are trying to grow their crowds but isn't the problem (or at least a major part of the problem) the fact that most clubs even in the heartlands are not getting 10,000+ gates. If they were then perhaps potential investors in an expansion club might be more interested.

There really needs to be a serious focus on increasing spectator numbers and I mean an RFL lead initiative not a piecemeal approach by each club

IMHO there are 3 main types of 'new' fans to target 1) Those that have an interest in the game but dont watch a particular club 2) Lapsed fans of a club or those who go to the odd game 3) New fans to the game

1 and 2 are primarily heartlands and should be relatively easy to attract, but many fans are outside SL clubs who dont see the point outside big games eg Derbies, GF and ATC final for example Widnes v Leigh a few years ago drew 6500 and 5000 in NL1, Cas v HKR drew big gates in NL1, Leigh v Wigan in the CC saw 12000 at HP with Leighs allocation gone before general sale. All one offs, but all demonstrating a dormant fan base at the time. This is the low hanging fruit we fail to motivate and ignore, these are the fans who swelled CC finals and Ashes tours in the 90's

Converting 3 is difficult, costly and time consuming. Yet all our plans seem to be based upon this area, and they are not long term. This area must be long term, schools, amateur, semi pro, SL. The reality is you cant move too quickly to SL otherwise when the wind blows the house falls down. Lets take time to understand what easy wins are available and grow from strength. After all it was that strength that attracted interest previously ie Sky and 95000 at Wembley

That's not really true expansion, it would be like SL bringing in Widnes and Halifax but not Toulouse, which you would be horrified at. The NRL has more money to expand and actually having a Perth team would increase TV money in a way having a Welsh team doesn't, as TV seems to be done on a state by state basis in Australia, whereas in the UK it is national

How is that expansion ? That is just adding 2 heartland areas to the league. Sure, it's expanding the league but it's not expanding the game.

It's no different to the RFL putting Widnes and Halifax into SL and calling it expansion.

expansion of the NRL to central coast is expansion on all counts.

to brisbane its more a case of solidifying the heartland but central coast is certainly an expansion area.