If I was the RFL I would be knocking on BT Sports door to see what they would offer, if they can nick half the football I am pretty sure they can get our sport.

Dont forget rugby league was for a few season the 2nd most watch sport on sky.

Pearson mentioned the descendence into Wakey of Kath three times. The peculiarity of it was a point he was determined we'd get. While not for the purpose of forcing Wednesday's vote, her presence at Wakey is undoubtedly a strength both for the Hetheringtons' cause and a sympathetic ear for the RFL.

Pearson was at pains to say the RFL had injected funds into Wakey, then - as if by magic, like the shopkeeper - the Hetherington appeared.

Sounds a bit like when Gateshead started up.

I have posted this on the VT but I think I will give it an airing here as well.

I have been thinking about this and there can only be 2 things going on here.

1 Adam Pearson is lying which in itself is a concern as we cannot have one SL club cast false accusation towards another. If this is true the RFL and Gary Hetherington really have no choice but to make at least a statement saying such as mud sticks. So far no statement at all and the longer that goes on the more likely that what is actually going on is.
2 The RFL and Gary Hetherington tried to stitch up a vote at a SL meeting which is quite frankly alarming and should have EVERY logical RL fan's alarm bells ringing loud and clear.
If it is true I cannot understand how the RFL could be so stupid as it pretty much means they have just signed their own death warrant, I mean seriously did they think it would never get out what they did?
Hell even if it had been passed how would it have stood up to any scrutiny at all?

Sorry, I'm losing the plot here, what did Adam Pearson say that was, or was not, a lie?

What did he say that WAS a lie (and remember, the AUP is watching, and nobody on here likes you)

I never actually accused him of lying.
My point is that either he is or the game has MASSIVE issues to sort out.

It really has to be one or the other here.

I think the game has MASSIVE issues to sort out, and it's great that Pearson and Hudgell are of a similar opinion, Hetherington has had it his own way for far too long.

Barwicks statement on the 23rd really doesn't stand up for me, I know I am knocking on a bit but to say 8 teams were in favour when we have a 14 team league 6 walk out 2 didnt attend and 1 couldn't vote, no matter what i cann't get 14-6-2-1 to equal 8

Particularly when you read rlthis statementrl from the RFL website....

Completely agree and I'll hazard a guess what the massive issues are.

Its not so much the structure that is the problem but rather if more money goes to the Championship Clubs where does that come from, if its not to be to the detriment of the Super League Clubs, its about even more importantly how the RL govern the game, why we haven't got a Sponsor for Super League or the World Cup, how our administration is happy to settle for pictures on the side of a lorry instead of tackling the 'moral' issues of an offer of nearly £1m from a betting company, how much money the Sky deal actually generates and how much is passed onto the Clubs (and how much of that is retained by Redhall) which Chairman if any have any sort of vested interest in the proposed changes, how a subject that it has been agreed in writing by the RL to be discussed after the World Cup is suddenly on the agenda as an urgent item at a run of the mill Super league meeting.

Its about getting the entrepeneurs who own the Clubs involved in marketing the game on a national stage, getting better tv deals, being transparent when handouts are given by the governing body to Clubs who are struggling and how we can plicate a players union and act in a caring way towards players who are now k*ackered after 30 games who will under the new structure be expoected to play a lot more etc. etc. etc.

For me there are too many questions that want answering before we go blindly into a re-structuring which is fine as far as the 8 x 8 x 8 stuff is concerned if if you like that complicated sort of thing but you can't vote on it until the finance is agreed and sorted and the governance of the game clear and transparent. All we'll end up with is moving the deckchairs on the deck while the ship continues to go down. The World Cup is a big opportunity to talk up the game and get new converts this is a watershed moment and looks pretty massive to me!!!

Of course I'll get shot down now but I love this game, its fans and the folks who play it and at present it is grossly undersold and badly administered and sinking as a commercial entity very fast indeed.

You wont get shot down by me mate, I agree 100%, the next 6 months may well see RL become what it should be, a truly World Class sport administered by professionals, not a blazer club presided over by old men with old fashioned ideas.

we have a fantastic product on the pitch (as showcased by the World Cup matches this weekend) - it is is just criminally undersold by the RFL when there are people willing to invest in our sides and market the game in more effective ways!