All that exposure, all the money they get thrown at them disproportionately and still the Premiership clubs are an average of £3 Million in debt.

Rugby League is a threat to union and like many other bodies of authority the RFU in its many guises would love to strangle their nemesis at birth.

Kings, Emperors, Generals throughout history have seen the benefit of killing off a potential rival before it can become too strong.

Rugby League offers a much more vibrant spectacle for both live and TV audiences. Without the restrictions that have held League back internationally there has been a steady and significant increase in the number of countries trying their hand at League.

It will only take so many Lebanon’s, Irelands or Fuji's before some kind of critical mass is obtained and international growth will become an almost unstoppable inevitability.

Imagine a time when Rugby League can match Union for International credibility, when our financial resources become strong and when Sports editors can no longer ignore our showpiece events.

Union will be the big loser in that scenario and they will do anything to prevent it from happening.

Stephen Jones for all his pseudo intellectual spouting’s and derogatory musings knows this as well as anyone and it scares the $h!t out of him and his cocktail drinking chums.

Sorry, must have missed that bit. When did the RFL say we were one of the biggest sports in existence?

There is currently a tournament taking place containing England, France, NZ and Aus. This is an international competition. Just because it is smaller than some others does not make it non existent. Jones is implying that these countries do not play RL simply because he has a hatred of RL. That doesn't make him right. Nor does the fact that some RL fans are happy to have people like him commenting about RL when he hates the game.

WE criticise RL because we care about it, he criticises RL because he wants it to die off.

This constant comparison with others is ridiculous anyway. When a new band emerges do the music press say "good band but they are not as big as The Beatles so they should sack it" or do they just enjoy the band?

My lord, much as I wish you were right (and you are regarding the better spectacle) I am afraid that you are living on another planet......

We could imagine but action actually needs to be taken.

League needs a full time board running the international scene. Not just people giving up some hours every now and then from working in the NRL, ARL, RFL,etc. (I'm sure some of them wouldn't mind a break.)

A full time organization would have the time to get the international scene in order and they could stop some of the things which makes internationals a joke (Nation swapping) Then maybe Stephen Jones won't have as much material to take a pop at!

You been reading someone's blog?

I suspect there isn't enough money in the game to expand aggressively.
Full time requires cash. League is a relatively poor sport - mainly down to a poorly supported international scene. A vicious circle....

Hmm...i would say some of that world cup profit would be useful for this but a lot of that has probably been spent! (on useful things of course)

It'll still be peanuts compared to what Twickenham churns in every 6 Nations tournament/Autumn internationals.

Plus the RFU own the stadium, so it's all clear profit. NRL/RFL have to borrow stadia....

The IRB is substantially wealthier than the RLIF.

And let's not forget what the 2000 world cup did (or didn't....)

Rugby Union is rich? Strange, you never mentioned it.

X-Factor has unrivalled media coverage and generates millions. This makes it the best music show on tv.

'The mighty Lebanon' are indeed not in this competition Mr Jones. Are the mighty Namibia, Portugal, Canada or the Ivory Coast (have all played in RU World Cups) taking part in any games this Autumn?

73,000 + in 1992 at Wembley is what we need to get back to...

Not that far at all really. Just treating the international game with respect.

It is about exposure and correcting the misinformation spread by the likes of Jones.

Just to expand, only someone with no idea whatsoever would claim only Australia - GB matters in rugby league after that superb World Cup Final before a sell-out crowd last year...

The RLWC resides in Auckland after all.

Something union certainly ain't crowing about.

The likes of Jones fear rugby league because they realise it has massive implications for the structure of their sport. We have evolved as a code of rugby, they haven't but realise they need to.

Read between the lines some of you people.

some of the people talking up union on this thread are simply hilarious.

union lies or exaggerates its level of popularity.

its a minor sport in every nation it is played in bar NZ, small bits of england, SA and the south of france.

it relies upon hooray henry fans that turn out 3 or 4 times a year to go to internationals to cover apathy for club games.

with all the media the game gets in england, the collapse in crowds for many GP clubs is really funny.

the game is on its deathbead in australia, declining in NZ too.

the way NZ many NZ commentators have all said the NRL is a far better product tells you the dire future for the game

do they stick with the status quo and become more a marginal sport or admit they were wrong all along and copy RL.