Quote Grimmy="Grimmy"We certainly need to get a bit more capitalist in our approach. An increase in the cap or an outright abolition may well be the way forward. We need to give those clubs who can spend money the freedom to do so. This will hopefully lead to us retaining our best players and bringing over some decent NRL players like we could 5-10 years ago. In turn hopefully sponsors, sky etc will see we have a better product and invest. I can't believe how far backwards we have gone since the millennium. Someone, somewhere has really taken their eye off the ball.'"
We most certainly do not!
Look at the mess capitalism is making of the world right now. In a genuine capitalist system we would end up playing Saints, Leeds and Warrington ad nauseum. The RFL SHOULD be regulating the competition. The salary cap in principle is a good idea, but needs to be raised or changed radically to allow clubs to compete in the market that is Super League, Union and the NRL.
There is NO money in club ownership. Individuals get into it for a variety of reasons, probably more to do with ego than any idea of making money.
Finding wealthy individuals is not the answer (The Koucash thing will end in tears that's a cert) surely the way forward is to have supporters and the local authorities having a GREATER say in clubs ownership ~ clubs should belong to the community NOT an individual. The game has to be self-reliant with income coming from TV rights, sponsorship and supporters pockets not wealthy individuals, who let's face it aren't really that interested in small clubs in the north of England. Look at the trouble Everton have had getting an owner with money. They get 35,000 gates every other week plus a global marketing opportunity plus much more from Sky than any Rugby League Club does, and they still can't find a sugar daddy.
I'm probably in a minority here but as a lifelong Socialist I still believe that Socialism (not Communism) can provide plenty of answers.