20 replies to this topic

[Roughyeds Return]

RFL are giving us a chance to give them our opinion. For me, I am pressing the case for one division below SL (with Trains Cup scrapped), brassed off with playing same teams (and missing out on promotion!) although not sure that is on their agenda as they talk about teams coming up from National Premier to CC1.


All taken from RFL website

Link to questionnaire

http://www.therfl.co...pporters_survey

Main Story


The RFL have confirmed today that a thorough consultation period is to commence as the sport seeks input into shaping a new strategy for the Championships from 2012 onwards.



All major stakeholders, including supporters, will have the opportunity to submit their views up to mid-December, and the RFL are urging fans of the sport to complete a short questionnaire on the RFL website. click here to view questionnaire



The aim of the review, first announced to clubs in June, is to ‘create the best, viable and competitive semi professional competition possible’ and the RFL are keen on ensuring the clubs have strong management and their levels of investment reflect the level of return to the sport.



Commenting on the consultation process, RFL’s Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer, said:



“At this point we are seeking the views of all the game’s stakeholders including fans, sponsors, players and the media to ensure we are taking into account the informed opinions of these people when constructing a draft model outlining the future structure of the sport underneath Super League.



"The proposed structure will be taken to the clubs for an intense period of consultation before getting it signed off by the end of March 2011.”



The RFL has also entered into a partnership with the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) to gather the views of players and coaches registered to the union.



“We are delighted that the RLPA, which has over 700 Rugby League professional coaches and players in their union, has entered into a partnership with the RFL to become the driving force in getting its members to input into the process," added Rimmer.



“Whilst the existing clubs will be integral to this, another key aspect of review is that the fans have the opportunity to shape the future and whilst it will be impossible to please everyone, we wish to involve as many people as possible to ensure the new strategy has everyone moving forward from 2012 onwards.”

Edited by Roughyeds Return, 23 November 2010 - 06:39 PM.

[eclecticsheep]

I try not to be cynical but its rather like posting your passionate views about how your local club is run on the forum, You hope it might make a difference, but in your heart of hearts you know the people who are really controlling things might talk the talk, but walk the walk, forget it.
Im particularly vexed at the whole PLC thing, the continual over extending of clubs followed by Winding up/ insolvency, HMRC etc and the RFL`s seeming unawareness of just how disreputable this game has become. And the blatant double standards applied solely for the benefit of teams who`s "FACE FITS".
As for ORLFC particularly..a link to this forum from the new website might seem to most to be a small thing hardly worth bothering about, But I have learned just how effective silence and lack of information can be where control is concerned.
NL1 just hasnt enough games in a season presently...another year of same old same old, The RFL (like this club*) needs the axe to fall at the top IN MY OPINION*

* It aint worth much but this is an open forum and It is what I sincerely believe, due to the lack of Transparency to the paying public of which I have been for some time now.

I filled in the RFL questionnaire nevertheless.

[rocksinthehead]

I try not to be cynical but its rather like posting your passionate views about how your local club is run on the forum, You hope it might make a difference, but in your heart of hearts you know the people who are really controlling things might talk the talk, but walk the walk, forget it.
Im particularly vexed at the whole PLC thing, the continual over extending of clubs followed by Winding up/ insolvency, HMRC etc and the RFL`s seeming unawareness of just how disreputable this game has become. And the blatant double standards applied solely for the benefit of teams who`s "FACE FITS".
As for ORLFC particularly..a link to this forum from the new website might seem to most to be a small thing hardly worth bothering about, But I have learned just how effective silence and lack of information can be where control is concerned.
NL1 just hasnt enough games in a season presently...another year of same old same old, The RFL (like this club*) needs the axe to fall at the top IN MY OPINION*

* It aint worth much but this is an open forum and It is what I sincerely believe, due to the lack of Transparency to the paying public of which I have been for some time now.

I filled in the RFL questionnaire nevertheless.

ON THE ONE HAND AND THEN AGAIN ON THE OTHER

[Roughyeds Return]

Im particularly vexed at the whole PLC thing, the continual over extending of clubs followed by Winding up/ insolvency, HMRC etc and the RFL`s seeming unawareness of just how disreputable this game has become. And the blatant double standards applied solely for the benefit of teams who`s "FACE FITS".

Agree with this view fully. In the other comments, gave them both barrells that they should be putting money into grass roots / traditional heartland teams rather than unsustainable SL outreach clubs.

What good will it do? Probably naff all but at least a chance to sound off at the RFL!

[steef]

whilst i agree with most of the sentiments posted there is an element of "damned if they do, damned if they don't" for the RFL. We whinge that they don't listen then we whinge when they ask us for our views! the more fans complete the survey the more the RFL will realise they have much to lose by alienating fans below SL.

[Steve the Roughyed]

whilst i agree with most of the sentiments posted there is an element of "damned if they do, damned if they don't" for the RFL. We whinge that they don't listen then we whinge when they ask us for our views! the more fans complete the survey the more the RFL will realise they have much to lose by alienating fans below SL.

Are they bothered? Maybe they just want us all to say it doesn't matter so they can finally forget about anything other than Super League which I suspect is the real agenda.

[SINGE]

ON THE ONE HAND AND THEN AGAIN ON THE OTHER

Please can you turn your caps lock off, in etiquette terms its shouting you know.

[SINGE]

whilst i agree with most of the sentiments posted there is an element of "damned if they do, damned if they don't" for the RFL. We whinge that they don't listen then we whinge when they ask us for our views! the more fans complete the survey the more the RFL will realise they have much to lose by alienating fans below SL.

I agree, the more that complete it, there more likely the voices willb e heard.
Bit like voting, no point whiging about who is in power if you don;t vote.

[SINGE]

Are they bothered? Maybe they just want us all to say it doesn't matter so they can finally forget about anything other than Super League which I suspect is the real agenda.

Did you complete the survey Steve.
Fair enough if you did.
but don;t give them the chance

[steef]

Are they bothered? Maybe they just want us all to say it doesn't matter so they can finally forget about anything other than Super League which I suspect is the real agenda.

and how many fans will say that? Why would the RFL help clubs like us and the hornets, as they have done recently, if they wanted rid of us?

[bigred]

I have completed it and found it to be quite cathartic experience - said what I feel about a once great sport being sacrificed on the altar of 'expansion' which is doomed to fail.
They wont realise until Sky cut the funding and the SL comes crashing down to earth!

[steef]

I have completed it and found it to be quite cathartic experience - said what I feel about a once great sport being sacrificed on the altar of 'expansion' which is doomed to fail.
They wont realise until Sky cut the funding and the SL comes crashing down to earth!

why on earth would sky cut the funding? RL gives them the brilliant value for money.

[Bedford Roughyed]

I have completed it and found it to be quite cathartic experience - said what I feel about a once great sport being sacrificed on the altar of 'expansion' which is doomed to fail.
They wont realise until Sky cut the funding and the SL comes crashing down to earth!

Without expansion the game is doomed to languish in the periphery. Without a national presence we will get less media, less sponsorship, less interest, less government funding. Without Sky the game would of gone bust.

When we got in trouble with the tax man, fans were asking what action the RFL would take to audit clubs accounts, stop clubs spending HMG's money on players, etc. The RFL are now doing this and the fans are up in arms about them interfering. In many areas the RFL can't win.

Expansion is needed to counteract the drop off in players/fans in the heartlands. Less kids do sport, less adults play weekend sports (in every sport the levels have dropped, nationally), we need a national presence to keep participation up and to increase the talent pool.

Expansion is needed (along with a real international scene) to keep the media and the general sports fan interested. Catalans need to be built on and strong France helps the game in so many ways.

Crusaders have been a pain, mainly due to the actions of the chairman but the so called traditional clubs can't stand on to higher ground with this respect, how many heartland clubs have been screwed by a chairman? Our greenhouse has very few windows left.

[steef]

Without expansion the game is doomed to languish in the periphery. Without a national presence we will get less media, less sponsorship, less interest, less government funding. Without Sky the game would of gone bust.

When we got in trouble with the tax man, fans were asking what action the RFL would take to audit clubs accounts, stop clubs spending HMG's money on players, etc. The RFL are now doing this and the fans are up in arms about them interfering. In many areas the RFL can't win.

Expansion is needed to counteract the drop off in players/fans in the heartlands. Less kids do sport, less adults play weekend sports (in every sport the levels have dropped, nationally), we need a national presence to keep participation up and to increase the talent pool.

Expansion is needed (along with a real international scene) to keep the media and the general sports fan interested. Catalans need to be built on and strong France helps the game in so many ways.

Crusaders have been a pain, mainly due to the actions of the chairman but the so called traditional clubs can't stand on to higher ground with this respect, how many heartland clubs have been screwed by a chairman? Our greenhouse has very few windows left.

well said.

[bigred]

Well we had better hurry up and start to expand then - Oh hang on we have been trying for the last ten years or so haven't we!!
Failed 'expansion' clubs all over the place - forced mergers, clubs going bust, all great stuff isn't it.
We have to face the fact that RL is a quaint parochial sport played in the M62 corridor and Cumbria.
Catalans have been a relative success because rugby league is already established in the Catalan region of France, NOT because of expansion.
The entire sport is beholden to Sky, a dangerous position to be in because as I said Sky can theoretically pay much less for the sport if they want to - who else would bid for anything remotely what they pay now?
Yet if you took that funding away there isn't a club in SL would be able to stand on their own feet!

[steef]

the money SKY give RL is pocket change and as I said they get excellent viewing figures for RL and good advertising revenue from it, they won't drop us or reduce the money they give us. Expansion is working slowly, scorpions are virtually all welsh players, many quins players are southern. At amateur level RL is played pretty much everywhere in the country. I'll fully support any arguement that the way pro expansion clubs have been given a leg up and treated differently to heartland clubs is out of order but to not want this great game of ours to expand and grow is crazy to me.

[Keith T]

Without expansion the game is doomed to languish in the periphery. Without a national presence we will get less media, less sponsorship, less interest, less government funding.

Am I not sick of hearing that since the days of Fulham (1980) and can anyone say that we have more media (press) attention than we did then? The game is struggling at the top to get blue chip sponsors. Interest has been created for a television sport (Super League) but interest at semi-pro level is falling. And, the Rugby Union World Cup in 2015 is set to receive 40 times as much financial support from the government as we will receive from them for the RL World Cup in 2013!!!!!

Yes, the Sky money has been most helpful for a handful of clubs but it has also created problems for others trying to catch up or keep up with them. Rugby League will never be the national game that soccer or rugby union are at a professional level but we can expand at an amateur level in many parts of the country. However, with the RFL it has to be with a SL club in that area, yet places like Cumbria get the opposite view from them, even though they have a good amateur infrastructure with no SL club.

[rocksinthehead]

Without expansion the game is doomed to languish in the periphery. Without a national presence we will get less media, less sponsorship, less interest, less government funding. Without Sky the game would of gone bust.

When we got in trouble with the tax man, fans were asking what action the RFL would take to audit clubs accounts, stop clubs spending HMG's money on players, etc. The RFL are now doing this and the fans are up in arms about them interfering. In many areas the RFL can't win.

Expansion is needed to counteract the drop off in players/fans in the heartlands. Less kids do sport, less adults play weekend sports (in every sport the levels have dropped, nationally), we need a national presence to keep participation up and to increase the talent pool.

Expansion is needed (along with a real international scene) to keep the media and the general sports fan interested. Catalans need to be built on and strong France helps the game in so many ways.
Crusaders have been a pain, mainly due to the actions of the chairman but the so called traditional clubs can't stand on to higher ground with this respect, how many heartland clubs have been screwed by a chairman? Our greenhouse has very few windows left.

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[Steve the Roughyed]

Did you complete the survey Steve.
Fair enough if you did.
but don;t give them the chance

Hi Singe.

Yes I have completed it but I am so disaffected by the way the game is now run that I was very negative. I have to say that I am seriously considering whether to bother next season after 40+ years watching Oldham. Until there is clear automatic P&R to and from the top division and no preferential treatment based on geographical location is given to clubs who go bust then I consider the management of the game to be somewhat corrupt I am afraid.

[Steve the Roughyed]

Hi Singe.

Yes I have completed it but I am so disaffected by the way the game is now run that I was very negative. I have to say that I am seriously considering whether to bother next season after 40+ years watching Oldham. Until there is clear automatic P&R to and from the top division and no preferential treatment based on geographical location is given to clubs who go bust then I consider the management of the game to be somewhat corrupt I am afraid.

I also tried to use the find your nearest club facility on the Survey page and guess what. Typed in my OL2 postcode and no results. Well done RFL.