Quote: SmokeyTA "
Its not the ‘cloth cap’ image. That’s your own insecurities coming through. It is the fact Rugby League isn’t something they associate with. One token club in an RU stadium doesn’t build an association with the entirety of London.'"
Ha ha, I never realised you were a shrink as well as a R.L guru, but you're right about the lack of association regarding R.L unfortunately, they never will. You can preach all you like to the converted, however, you'll never manage to sway the union lot I'm afraid.
Quote: SmokeyTA "It is, unfortunately that, or the game dies. We are seeing it in action now, we are seeing that small towns cant compete, we are seeing that a lack of big places and glamour ties means we struggle for sponsorship, our image as a game played in small northern towns makes us less attractive to TV companies. It is a sad reality that if we stick to being a sport played in a small area, relevant to a limited amount of people our value will fall, when that happens we will go back to being semi-pro. When that happens we will be in a spiral that will end up with the game’s presence as even a semi-pro sport being token. Our best players will leave, people will stop watching and that will mean people will stop playing. In my lifetime we will either see a much larger national presence or a game which, for all intents and purposes, is dead.'"
Unfortunately you gloomy outlook may well transpire, before the other code paid "proper" wages we could always entice a good few over & before our glorious currency plummeted we could even get a decent Aussie, but now it's all turned around, and like global warming, we're blissfully heading towards the abyss.
You'll have to walk away and follow your other love if you want national domination, whereas I may get to see my team actually win something, tin-pot or not. a G.F win over Featherstone played at Headingley will do for me. When you're starved of success, you take any crumb.