and the crusaders or harlaquins are getting a licence when the attendence tonite was 1122

[Big Picture]

What people advocating this idea don't seem to understand is that we currently don't deserve more than scraps. Let's see it from Sky's perspective, they are essentially an entertainment industry, they are going to hand out the most money to the sports that entertain (or have the potential to entertain) the largest number of people and sell the most number of Sky dishes. They aren't going to give 50 million to the World Curling Federation because people wouldn't subscribe to their channels to watch it, and hence they would lose a lot of money. They have to operate this way or there is no Sky at all because they go bankrupt.

No where in the real world would you demand to be paid significantly more than you are, but offer nothing knew to the company and insist that your job should remain exactly the same. You can ask for a promotion but you have to be willing to do something that makes it worth the company's money. There's a limit to how many terms you can dictate to your employer, you can't turn up to a job interview and say "well I don't think you need an investment banker, I think you need a mortgage advisor, so you should pay me to do that instead".

What you are advocating, is essentially dictating to Sky what they should want from us, retreating to the M62 (From Sky's perspective this means the potential for a decrease in subscriptions to their sports channels, and hence a loss of money), yet at the same time asking to be paid more money, and given more promotion than we get currently. Then if they refuse we should tell them to stuff it and go live on the dole. Get real, we wouldn't even have time to tell them to stuff it, they would metaphorically say "clear your desk, your fired, get the f*ck out of my office and don't come back tomorrow".

You hit the nail on the head there. For a regional sport with a couple of outposts elsewhere in the UK, RL's already getting as much as can be expected for that. Pulling back can only reduce what RL gets for TV rights.

[The Parksider]

What you are advocating, is essentially dictating to Sky what they should want from us, retreating to the M62 (From Sky's perspective this means the potential for a decrease in subscriptions to their sports channels, and hence a loss of money), yet at the same time asking to be paid more money, and given more promotion than we get currently. Then if they refuse we should tell them to stuff it and go live on the dole. Get real, we wouldn't even have time to tell them to stuff it, they would metaphorically say "clear your desk, your fired, get the f*ck out of my office and don't come back tomorrow".

The flatcap argument can't start to reverse or it's lost, so it can only go forward to it's logical "leave us alone SKY we're OK" argument. Sadly I saw something similar in a Maurice Bamford book.

It's a business not a sport.

[The Parksider]

Exactly what would happen if Crusaders finished - although some would still have a go with the Scorpions.

Down here we need to exploit the massive corruption of representative rugby that everyone in Wales knows still goes on and sees so many young players dropping out of the game at 19/20 years of age or just not giving adamn and ending up in the pubs. To do that we need to be able to offer a viable WELSH alternative at SL level.

If the pinnacle of Rugby League is exclusively M62, then future players, fans, and investors in Rugby League will predominate from the M62.

Living along the M62 I am sure I don't give a damn about scottish soccer along the M8 or whatever motorway links hearts, celtic, hibs and rangers.

So I'd rather the pinnacle of RL be in the north and the south of England, Wales and France.

that would be good for the game and a bit more effective for the game than being good for some flatcappers dotted along the M62.