Alffi_7:
At least *Something* seems to be happening, just feels like
the game has been in a slow decline for so long.
There is a debate to be had on Catalans, I'm very much in
favour of them being in the competition, but they have received significant
investment from the game in terms of TV revenue and its difficult to quantify
financially what they have given in return, there is an argument that a club
that generates 12-14m Euros in revenue could do without the TV money coming
from the UK given the 1,000 of fans that travel over and support the local
economy in Perpignan. I'm a big fan of Catalan, and further French involvement
in the league, but without a paying French TV contract we need to look at the
financials carefully in terms of what is 'fair'.
The suggested model seems to be 8 teams from the UK Wire,
Pies, Saints, Leeds, Hull FC, Hull KR, with 2 'others' from Leigh, Wakey, Cas,
Huddersfield, Salford, London, Bradford and two from France, Catalan &
Toulouse presumably. With the ones missing out playing in a ten team
second tier. Can't say I'm a fan of a ten team comp, 14 is the ideal
number for me but I accept that there isn't enough money in the game to support
that it seems. Ultimately we need to provide what the broadcasters will
pay for I guess.
I'm wary of the NRL coming in if I'm honest, I accept the
way they run the game is FAR better than the RFL ever has, but I'm just
concerned about what we give up and losing any element of control - there would
have to be some form of break clause involved I guess, which would obviously
mean paying back any sort of NRL investment. Not sure where this leaves
IMG either? We brought them in 18 months ago to turn things around, we're
ripping that up now?
The one thing NRL involvement may bring with it is further investment in clubs from Australian sources I guess...
Agree with the points about Catalan but it was the RFL that brought them in, clearly it’s not worked out how they envisaged but it’s hardly Catalans or Toulouse fault. They can’t expect a big away following from either of them it’s just not viable.
I’m not sure what control you are referring to as all control lays with each club right now with the power of veto hence no control. Hence the state of the game over here. If the RFL had full control over the way the sport was/is run then maybe we could be in a better position than we currently are. But for years we have been run by fools. I agree it’s frightening to hand it over to the NRL and I’m wondering what their intentions for the game here are but there is no denying right now the NRL model is much much better than ours.
Regards the 10 team comp something tells me that one of them will be London especially as Hetherington is going there at end of the season. Think all the bleating from Beaumont right now and him getting Wood involved is he is worried Leigh will not be involved. Then again if Bradford got in above Leigh I would be beyond angry.
Interesting times.
