I would give it some serious thought if it prevented the Dons from going out of existence as a professional club.

You haven't answered my question to you how do you think the Dons would survive possibly as an amatuer team in the third division.

A TV deal , money from Club Doncaster, sponsors & gate money.

What if there isn't a TV deal or money for teams in the third division league one teams currently roughly receive £75,000 per year from the present Sky deal which ends this year.

I appreciate that Geoff , but you have got to live in hope . What is the point in waking up each day if you do not .

I am done on this now until firm proposals are put to the clubs.

Paul

Ok Paul we will wait & see what transpires & if the proposed restructure does go through lets hope there is a reasonable amount of tv money made available to the teams in the new division three.

Personally i think if the clubs share of the money is reduced then I can see almost all clubs in league one offering players pay as you play deals as contract money would be out the window.

To be fair , it wouldn't surprise me if that was the way most clubs in our league were run.

Yes, you will always get the teams like Keighley that will throw money at players like Scott Murrell and Jake Webster to drop out of Super League or The Championship to ply their trade in the lowest division in pro rugby league.

However unless there happens to be a cash cow director or a massive increase in gate receipts the writing is often on the wall.
How many clubs have tried and failed to take the next step up the ladder and failed miserably due to over spending and poor management.

I cant see the Dons merging with the Seagulls , we have one of the best stadiums in rugby league a board of wealthy directors and we just need to take that next step.

If we have a board of wealthy directors they need to make sure that we get promoted out of League One this season & if the new restructure proposals go through they need to sign players & a provide a team that can make a serious attempt to finish in the top 6 of the Championship.

No chance Geoff that will not happen. There is no guarantee of that top 6 finish, it is a massive financial gamble and one that I am sure the people running Club Doncaster will not take.

IMO at the moment its all a bit what ifs and maybe's, lets see what happens. As I keep saying Carl Hall will have a better idea of what is going to happen than us speculating what may happen.

If the RFL has any sense (doubtful, I know!) they will not allow a situation where it's basically top six in the Championship next season or die.

As things stand at the moment the third tier would comprise of: Sheffield, Widnes, Newcastle, Dewsbury, Oldham, Swinton, Barrow, Workington, Dons, N Wales, Keighley, Rochdale, Hunslet, Coventry, London Skolars and West Wales.

With a reasonable amount of central funding, watching the Dons play these teams would be much more appealing than the current League One set up. We might even be able to increase our fan base with more home games against better sides.

The powers that be have been trying to expand the game over recent years, potentially losing up to 16 professional clubs in one go with a restructure would be madness.

I'm sure a lot of people at a lot of clubs in League One have worked incredibly hard to survive over the last 2 years, a kick in the teeth from the RFL is not what they need or deserve.

I hope the top twenty clubs are able to look beyond their own immediate personal needs and consider what is best for the greater good of the game.

I can't see any money coming from central funding the RFL have loans of £32.7million to payback to the government

If the 16 clubs in the third tier got £75k each, the total cost to the RFL would only be £1.2 million (just 3.66% of the RFLs present debt). I'm sure the government can wait for their loan repayments especially when the RFL tell them what the impacts would be on local communities if clubs didn't survive.

The game really needs to get its act together to work for the greater good of all rugby.

Slightly O/T but pertinent IMO, Bruce Horn who is a regular poster over on the Dons Fans Facebook page has posted an article from the Free press in 2017 where Carl Hall talk about the Dons (and Rovers) 5 year plan and the ambition at the time for the club.


Bruce used to be a regular on here some years ago and was a Dons regular at the ground and at meetings and is a top bloke, but I have not seen him at the KM for a while. Can't remember his username on here Hoping that SO or Wanderer can remember.

Any how make of the Free Press article what you will.

Bruce used to post as Dragonfan.

Better not say what I think about the intervening years since that statement was made.

Thanks Gary, put it down to old age. I will be re-visiting this article at season close and with a little more I suspect.

Lots of clubs are gambling on a return to the Championship this season with Barrow ,Keighley and Rochdale spending big.
We signed a large squad as we had complaints about DR , for the first half of the season we were very competitive however losing players to injury , covid and players leaving has not helped by the looks of things.

Rumour has it Gary Thornton was sacked at Hunslet as the board and fans thought they should have been in the top two with the squad and money given to him.

It amazes me how people who don't contribute to the club financially in anyway try telling others how to spend their money.
Terry Bramall and his co directors have taken the club and put it on a safe financial footing.
It is the same people on here and at the Rovers calling them out because they have not thrown the kitchen sink into getting promotion.
Surely after the last 18 months its better to get your finances back in order, than go out on a spending spree where nothing is guaranteed.

Lets wait and see what happens come the end of the season because I'm sure that for some teams the death knell will toll.