Not with the way things are with TV rights for other sports. If they couldn't sell Super League, then there's a problem, but not the 2nd division, we're lucky that we get one game a week from the Championships on Sky, not many other sports outside football get that.

Chances are, much like Elite League ice hockey on Sky, the league would have to pay for the production costs and give it away free. Then clubs will moan about a reduction in funding!

I love it how people think C4 or 5 or Eurosport are falling over themselves to bid for the rights to Rugby League

My thoughts as well JB , thats why I've suggested expansion at Championship 1 level within reasonable goegraphical distances to get the most for your dollar and give new clubs the best possible chance of surviving and building

I love it how the RFL think professional RL will take off in London/Wales just because they want it to!

No-one says they are - thats why the RFL need to earn their money and sell it to them. Its got to be worth a try, and better than keeping clubs with gates below 5000 in at the expense of other clubs who are better supported. Its all well and good talking about potential, but Quins and Crusaders don't seem to have any, except in Lewis's fevered imagination. Catalans has been a good result, but they should be looking to expand the French RL - hopefully in the future we'll see a strong league in France with the potential for a competitive European trophy, but that is a long way off.

IMO the real potential remains in the M62 corridor, and we should be looking to expand from that firm base in a measured manner and not trying to force-feed RL to an audience that doesn't want it. The key to succesful business is to identify your customers and then create and build on a sound customer base - not go piling into an area where your product isn't in demand, or even wanted!

The RFL dont sell the rights. IMG do.

Who are they?

They are a huge international sports and media agency.

After 130 odd years, when you planning on realising your potential?

The point is, O snidey one, the potential is there, as has been demonstrated before albeit many years ago. I think any club that is pulling in crowds of 5000+ in a crap stadium with a seriously underfunded team without the benefit of an Uncle Ken figure to bankroll them shows that clearly. The risk is that the potential will wither and die in the face of misguided efforts to foster it elsewhere. I'm not just plugging for Wakey here, but teams like Leigh, Sheffield, Hunslet, Rochdale Hornets, maybe even Doncaster would not need half the cash the RFL have squandered on 'projects'.

London is not yet ready for SL, Crusaders are a basket case and neither club has any realistic prospect of developing a big enough fan base to justify a SL place - the big experiment should end here.

The thing is with the crusaders on the back of them there is a thriving school comp which this year had 50 schools playing. there is numerous RLC teams and the scorpions were able to set up on the back of interest generated in only 5 years.

A youth system to get up to the level of SL clubs will take about 13 years to achieve. This is based on kids starting the game at about 5 and going through the system until 18. The system in south wales atm is only 1/3 of the way through this cycle and the results are very impressive so far. As for there being no potential i suggest you dig out your history book and look at the Welsh players who went north. There is a long tradition of "potential" so i fail to see where you getting your ideas from.


Its hard enough to promote a game with the Media and the Rah-Rah brigade doing nothing to help without having to deal with narrow minded and short sighted idiots like you. If you take of your blinkers you'll see the world is much wider than the M62.

if you want to foster the game at grass roots level, relegate crusaders, release them from the sky contract and let all their games be shown on bbc wales/s4c for free
if they cant run financially stable in the championships they shouldn't be allowed in SL anyway

rlIf The Bank Account Is Frozen The Players May Struggle For Paymentrl

Hope the rumour about Sky paying the RFL directly is true or they may struggle for their reimbursement.
Shame.

So why don't they support the team at the top table? If you read what I've posted you would (possibly) see that my suggestion is that these areas be allowed to develop naturally, and at their own pace, not 'cheap and cheerful oven ready' teams but naturally reared free range teams! I would love to see 30 or more top class clubs competing for honours, but its not going to happen overnight. London and Wales (and other parts of the country) have started this process, but it should not be rushed.

As for Welsh players - I've nothing but respect for anyone who plays RL, but the fact that they had to leave Wales (and no doubt be reviled for playing professional rugby) highlights the problem - RL wasn't wanted there. As for bigoted and narrow minded - not me , there not a drop of celtic blood in my body thank god.

I think its more 'the RFL need this to work in Wales' I doubt the majority of Welsh people give a toss about RL or even know of the existence of the Crusaders.