Quote: Scarlet Pimpernell "The problem could be that Trinity in the championship could also mean no Trinity at all. We will have to cover the loss of the Sky money plus service the loan on the ground. We cannot do this on increased revenue from the ground alone so we would have to go through further cost cutting measures.
We would start next season with no squad and a lot of debt. I know you are not MENSA material but this must be the obvious conclusion.
The Chairman doesn’t believe in promotion and relegation so please explain what our route would be back to SL.
With regards the ground how much have we actually invested as a club above what we received from outside sources. I would also add how many of us not in your lofty position knew we were operating under an exemption from the RFL and why this season surely there were many when this could have been withdrawn.'"
The ground as it was required constant maintenance and generated no additional income. The ground as it will be should be cheaper to maintain and will generate extra revenue. We need a Derek Beaumont, but none are queuing up. The ground had to come first.
Further, there is no indication from anywhere that the IMG criteria applies to existing Super League clubs alone. There are three tiers. Those who we expect to be Grade A. Those who will always be Championship clubs. And those clubs in between, which probably includes us, Cas, Bradford, London, Toulouse, maybe York with a longer term view. The issue will whether IMG intend to grow the game so that a bigger Super League is sustainable, or will focus on a smaller league with a once in a lifetime application.
I imagine the model might be more similar to the NRL, where you can get admittance if you can submit a good enough proposal, and the league expands. With a new ground, and the growth it will create, that is the route. There has to be a route.