If you look at the sports he's been involved with, yes he promotes the sport itself, but he also markets the characters, the reasons why people want to watch Ronnie O's, MVG etc. It might be chance for us to develop a new breed of player that are more media savvy and are a product themselves. To be fair to him, Jon Wilkin has been trying to come across as articulate within the media for a number of years. We need the likes of Ben Currie etc to help with the promo, and i dont just mean running in the snow with the Brownlee brothers.

As far as darts goes Matchroom have somehow made it a popular "sport" with competitions worldwide & players to match....not bad for what was a pub game 40 years ago. On a personal note ,i find darts even worse than watching paint dry but if Matchroom can bring success to something so one dimensional what could they do with an already exciting (if played properly) sport like rugby league?
The least they change the game the better but just raise the profile. What we don't need is Chris Hill & Sean O'Loughlin ranting at each other through mics for half an hour then ten minutes of rugby each half.

Completely agree but I think the current social demographic that watch and play RL seem to like that low brow stuff. Leaves me cold, in fact I cringe.

i don't watch snooker, so not sure whats gone on there, but with the darts, it's not so much the game but more they seem to have turned it into a good night out , go get ed and get rowdy, while in reality not much happens.

Boxing as well, its a good night out again, but people coming from far and wide for a one night event.

Whether they can transition that into multiple matchdays in different enviroments, especially where 'family sport' is pushed, i don't know.


Had these conversations been had 6 month ago, i would have been in favour of saying to them, if you're interested, there's the magic weekend, go publicize that, and see if they can add solid numbers to the attendance for that. Then we'll talk more.

Can still do that now and start negotiations in the meantime, with agreement to follow satisfactory Magic Weekend promotion.

They might think that the Magic Weekend isn't a good enough product. When you're taking advice from 'experts' you should let them suggest rather than try and make them fix something that may be broken.

footnote - I don't think magic weekend is broken, but i'm not a sports promoter!

But that is just not how advertising works....trying to sell out one event of a bunch of unknowns...
Promotion needs constant drip feed over prolonged periods...
Make names within the sport to such a celebrity status people know them like we knew Billy Beaumont Will Carling Rory Underwood Jeremy Gussgot Jonathan Davis Gareth Davis...and John Inver... no I can't say his name...but you would go and see an international or a club game because these celebrities were playing...not because it is 'the silly name cup'

hmmm

In my view I think we should abandon the name Super League. We didn't secure rights and there is now a Super League women's football competition which is being pushed by the BBC.

The game needs to be improved to have more contention for possession and reduce the mind numbing predictability of the high kick to the corner to score tries. I used to love RL but now I find myself bored.

Also biff and physical confrontation needs to come back.

There's some interesting points in here: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rug ... 90231.html

There's some interesting points in here: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rug ... 90231.html

Yes the Hearns are good at selling. I’m not interested in bigger crowds at small clubs, that will come with time if the sport becomes popular at grass roots level.

I’m not sure the Hearns should have any major control of the game or side competitions, but they should certainly be given the opportunity to promote. Especially the internationals.

Get him in quick, and get him to sort out pre-match "entertainment" at the HJ, while he's at it

I've just been subjected to a bloke mincing around, with a couple of rope sparklers.

Embarrasing

You're not wrong pal... can they sort Warrington counsel highways department too....that allow road closers 45 mins before kick off and an hour following it.

Brain dead department!

He wasn’t performing at Warrington hospital earlier, by chance?

I think they found him hiding in a container at Liverpool docks.