The game is struggling big time. This isn't the time they can afford to lose 10K+ fans, with one of the few modern stadiums and incoming investors.

Alternative theory, have SKY indicated theyve liked having so many games to show and are on board with 14 teams? SKY are now keen to fill their app up with Football League games, SL and any live content they can get their hands on.

Problem has always been SL owners dont want share the revenue with another 2 teams, which ive always found very blinkered, much rather see us play Wakey/Toulouse/Bradford than London, Wire and Leeds 3 times at least its different players to see and grounds to visit

14 teams has been needed for a while. Think only AP was in favour from all the owners previously.

This doom and gloom malarkey is catching.

They can't just change the structure this late into the season, as Wilf said, we'd probably have a legal case if we were relegated as we may have tried to sign a few mercenaries to try keep us up rather than giving so many young players game time...you'd also have complaints from Toulouse, Bradford and other top championship teams too.

People might be complaining about IMG, but they have forced a lot of clubs to make improvements that they wouldn't otherwise have done, do you think Cas would have put seats in if it weren't for IMG? They probably didn't expect the level of resistance they received from club chairmen on a lot of their proposals

But seriously Steve what have IMG done that enhances the game on the field and thats what counts,not what colour your seat is or they think its innovative and developing the game by having one end of a ground full of burger vans and street food.
IMGs fate was sealed and on the cards as soon as the RFL received the first invoice from IMG circa £500,000

There seems to be a growing resentment against IMG from within the game , There doesn't seem to be much of any payback from the investment the game is paying them .

And if we decide to go solo again without IMG...what happens? The sport relies on away fans to buy pies to stay afloat, challenge cup crowds are down, media coverage down, international fixtures in England aren't what they used to be (smaller venues and lower crowds), major sponsors include glens vodka and bachelor's mushy peas...how does the game grow without IMG? It'll just continue to slowly decline

I think we need to accept that the game will always be a M62 competition. Look at all the effort and investment put into the SL initial years, we've never really come close to the expansionist optimism of Paris v Sheffield. There is no market for the game in London, or anywhere else in the UK really, and the investment needed to create one is far far beyond the finances of the sport.

All the angst over the years about mergers, Odsal, franchise points, MPGs...and here we are with the same handful of northern clubs kept afloat by a few local businessmen. This is what RL is and that suits most owners and fan just fine. Why pay IMG for some pipe dream plan most of the owners won't back? Personally I'd love the game to grow geographically but at some point we need to concede defeat.

sorry Steve i called you Chris on my original post.Have amended it now
Its marketing the game needs not Spreadsheet Charlies
So what you do is look for a young talented marketing company who will not fleece you like IMG who just trade on their name.
Marketing is the process of getting people interested in the product and is present in all stages of the business,/product beginning to end.
Its a wheel with lots of different spokes so there are a lot of different marketing ideas they can try.
We all watch TV and see adverts some of which are very good but some are absolutely useless and how they get signed off by company chiefs ill never know thats why its important to find a young talented marketing company who know their stuff and know or learn quickly about the product and are prepared to work their socks off for the opportunity to develop the game.
It can be done but needs radical change at the RFL because the current staff do not understand what is required to grow the sport.

Expansion can work given the time and the resources for it to do so , The thing is as a game , we never give those clubs either .
The game in England is on it's last legs sadly . You only have to look at the riches the NRL are rolling in now and the expansion they are doing .

Cracking Wigan try from Wardle

Leigh getting pulled apart easily so far, glad we haven't signed half their lineup. Asiata limped off too

Moylan having a mare.

Awful game so far from him.