To be fair to Tony Smith, they could have been playing an old clip of him having his favourite whine rather than it being his specific reaction to the programme.

Riley is an ABSOLUTE DISGRACE! TGG is not open to scrutiny or criticism from anyone... inside or outside... not now, not ever. The role of the media is to act as "positive news only" PR agents for the sport and if they don't follow those rules then get the hell away and follow other sports instead. The same applies to fans or anyone else - if they don't like it, if they continually question things or address issues about the current state of the game, criticise the RFL, criticise the TGG, promote negative opinion, etc, then leave... GO NOW... and leave us all in peace to enjoy our brilliantly-run sport which is on the up-an-up and simply gets better and better. Anyone who doesn't follow these rules shall not be tolerated, be subject to an inquisition, heretics fork, judas cradle, stoned, hung drawn and quartered, burned at the stake and then thrown to the lions.

It was Phil Kinsella (BBC Radio Mcr) interviewing Smith at the Launch yesterday. I get the feeling if you asked Smith what the time was he's likely to launch into his favourite monologue about his 10 team gentlemens club .
there is a time when this discussion is relevant:- ( league structure- P&R is on the agenda for meetings in March I believe ) . but at the launch day the SL comp shouldn't more positive aspects be promoted ? He probably didn't anything else to say , " well I've signed nobody & my older players are even older...next "

No one is saying that. The game should be scrutinised, but, this report is based on the findings of one "expert" and never explains what this debt actually is. That's poor journalism and scaremongering based on nothing we didn't already know. Sports clubs are not sustainable businesses, and that's not a problem exclusive to rugby league.

Why release this report now, on the day of the season launch? Why splash it as the main story on the BBC website RL section when it's not news?

Why should the BBC care whats going on on sky sports

Yep. If it had been an in-depth investigation into the clubs financial positions then fine, I think most RL fans would be interested. But this was a pathetic bit of "journalism" that told us, explained and did nothing other than chuck out a guessed headline figure and a nice, meaningless quote of RL clubs "heading into a financial abyss".
Effectively all the bloke at Sheffield Uni did was look at the Companies House accounts and add up the debts. There's been more in-depth investigative work done by posters on RLFans than in that useless programme.

link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 5809999001 ian lenagan rips into the debate... i like the cut of his jib

link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 5809999001 ian lenagan rips into the debate... i like the cut of his jib

I hate to agree with a Wiganer but Mr Lenighan is spot on...

Good interview...

Interesting that he thinks that RFL are now much more commercially adept and links the Stobart deal to increased attendances and awareness.

I wish our chairman was that positive about the game!

Well said that man!

Thanks for posting the link Roughyedspud.

Never heard him speak before. Good guy. I hope someone who can do something about it is listening.

How dare anyone wash Rugby League's dirty linen in public. I hate all this bad publicity. Let's return to all the good publicity we made for ourselves last year, when all this nonsense about financial struggles didn't exist.

[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/19110189[/url