Crowd growth has proven to be impossible in SL too, so I don't see it as much of a loss.
They'll find their level and develop from there over many years like every other club has to.

They'd be better served winding it up and using the central money to fund several lower league teams in various London locations; let them grow in an organic way, exploiting the grass-roots development that has undoubtedly happened and find their own way into the top flight at a time that is right for the individual clubs. As a governing body, I'd keep a light touch involvement with all such clubs, to safeguard the use of central funds and make sure the clubs in question were being properly run. With the right vision and strategy, RL in London & SE could be huge - never the force that football is, but big enough.

As it stands, they've demonstrated that hot-housing a team into the top flight simply doesn't work.

I'd absolutely love to see this club kicked down to Championship 2, there has been too much time / money wasted on something that 99% of the rest of anyone who has any involvement in RL, has known would never be a success.
Londoners are not interested and apart from a very small minority, never will be.

I wonder what Eddie & Stevo will say on Thurs at the London Leeds game, they've been quick to slag Shudds recently over low attendances. This game unlikely to have more than 1,500 to 1,700 there.
But they probably won't even mention it

I think it's truer to say that they don't know if they're interested, because very few people even know it exists; that's because the marketing and supporter engagement activities of the Broncos is pitiful.

Huge market in London and SE and you only need to get hold of a tiny fraction of it to make a club viable.

The problem is the club needs an identity. As Fulham they had that and historic attendances were better. They need to based one London borough and stick with it. While the club has no identity it cannot build a steady loyal fan base. I realise Catalan is a generic region name but the club is based in a Rugby League region. As they currently stand they are a bottomless pit financially. They ideally need to drop down a division stop relying on too much an Aussie input build their identity and start getting London based lads playing at a professional level where they can build their skill levels and be competitive. They would have more 'derby' fixtures against the likes of Hemel, Skolars, Gloucester and to some extent Oxford.

Get rid of London and Catalan keep t in m62 corridor never going to be as big as every body thinks lets look after the grass roots and build from there I no this is negative but after all this time it's never going to work. And I know Catalan get good crowds at home but what do they bring over here too far away

you know, I came and watched you guys play Hemel Stags in the fourth round. And it's always the same story. The guys came, REALLY had a go, dug in for the first 20 til the pace got a bit much, and the ends of both halves saw the floodgates open.

It's the same with any club like that, and to be honest it's absolutely fine to see - they gave it their all but were never ever going to be good enough.

I couldn't have slept saturday night if I were the London players. How they DARE to go on a field, in front of their fans who have spent heavily on supporting them that day (whether it was 1 fan or 1 million fans, it's the principal) and not even try, is disgusting. It's a disgrace to the club, theirselves, their fans, and the Challenge Cup.

it's not like these are "bad players" they are professionals, all of which are playing top level, and some of which are internationals.

If anybody thinks they gave ONE OUNCE of effort, they need to get their heads out their backsides.

Cause I know if I had to get a team out of the pub to go and play against wigan, I know for a fact we wouldn't embarass ourselves the way they did.

I still haven't calmed down all weekend over this. Those "players" are an absolute disgrace to rugby league and sport in general. I spent some of sunday watching the paralympic anniversary games..... Consider the two, if you will.

Is Shane Rodney the biggest conman in SL ? (Nigel Wood excluded).

Great theory Altofts but, that would mean reverting to semi pro or even amateur status and there wouldn't be any RL on tv.

I don't think that's the case across the board - some of the younger lads really put it in, Sarginsson for example, who never stopped trying; I also think Luke Dorn always gives maximum effort.

With regard to the likes of Shane Rodney and Kaufusi though, I agree with your sentiment; they showed Rodney's stats in comparison to O'Loughlin in the match build-up and it was, quite frankly, pathetic - his performance during the actual game bore them out; lazy, disinterested and unwilling to bend his back.

Quote: metallicat "I'd absolutely love to see this club kicked down to Championship 2, there has been too much time / money wasted on something that 99% of the rest of anyone who has any involvement in RL, has known would never be a success. Londoners are not interested and apart from a very small minority, never will be.'" Cannot agree. www.londonrl.com/london_rl/about_us These figures would disagree, fair enough this is London and the South East but to say there is no interest is plain wrong. What we need for the good of the game is to find a way to keep rugby League in London going, without it the game will slowly revert back to pit village versus pit village in front of dwindling crowds with even less money scattered about.

Quote: metallicat "I'd absolutely love to see this club kicked down to Championship 2, there has been too much time / money wasted on something that 99% of the rest of anyone who has any involvement in RL, has known would never be a success. Londoners are not interested and apart from a very small minority, never will be.'" Cannot agree. www.londonrl.com/london_rl/about_us These figures would disagree, fair enough this is London and the South East but to say there is no interest is plain wrong. What we need for the good of the game is to find a way to keep rugby League in London going, without it the game will slowly revert back to pit village versus pit village in front of dwindling crowds with even less money scattered about.

Couldn't agree more - no disrespect to the likes of Fev & Fax for example, but they will bring nothing of merit to SL; their catchment areas are tiny and even with a shot at SL, will bring numbers on a par with London.

Slow and sustained growth is the way forward. London may have 10,000 kids playing rugby league but compare that to the amount of kids playing RU in the area and it is not even going to hit 5%. I know the Hatfield in my username relates to the town 5 miles from Hemel Hempstead - who actually play/played there games at Old Albanians RU club on the third team pitch. Not so much the great expansion that we all hear about

There are 29 full time professionals from London playing in Super league. Well that’s less than 10%.

I am not anti expansion but surely if the UK is ever going to compete with the Aussies then you concentrate on developing the areas of talent that you already have and then add to it. You don’t abandon the heartlands and hope that by throwing enough money at it will you will unearth world beaters.

The game in the south is small - just like in wales but over a period of time it can develop. You could possibly argue that by throwing a team into London, and wales for that, and giving them dispensation to import Aussies has actually been detrimental as it has hindered the pathway for young London players.

Drop down a level and provide the with support to develop young players who may go onto greater things - there will be plenty of scouts looking in the lower levels at them now teams can afford overseas players. The pathways to the top will develop naturally

Given that "London" only accounts for 7% of the clubs in Superleague then I think that's a hell of a good return if true, but to be honest that sounds more than I though they would be.