22 replies to this topic

[Lesmets]

Since 1995 when Union went professional and League rebraded its self via the Super League war RL in the UK has went from quite high profile ,to bordering on irrelivent with Union now dominating a landscape that league used to be able to hold its own in, and with The NRL now taking the best talent out of superleague ,how long will it be before sky and other broadcasters arnt willing to pay the amounts of money the game needs to servive and keep the best players ,and if that happens Superleague will become a 4th rate comp very fast ,also there would be the knock on effect of clubs like Wigan ,Saints etc possibly merging with union to stay alive ,with the NRL being a stand a lone sustainable comp in Australia like the AFL and Internationl RL being .... Well lets face it almost pointless ,is it just a matter of time before Rugby League in Great Britain dies!

[Bleep1673]

Knob off back to your Union web site & buy a dictionary

[Lesmets]

I guess if that's the best you can come up with lol?????? and actually I love League and I was trying to get over some of my real worries about the game and its future , I'm not going to stick my head in the sand!!! I'm dyslexic not stupid!!!!

[Old Frightful]

I would say, with greater certainty, that it's only a matter of time before this thread disappears.

[Roy Boy]

Quite right!
http://plover.net/~bonds/rugby.html

[Lesmets]

Then the game is doomed if people can't even debate the issues !!!!

[Old Frightful]

If you care to look elsewhere on this "Rugby league" forum, you'll find plenty of evidence of RL fans debating about faults our game may have.

We are happy to debate with other RL fans.

Which may be why you've not managed much of a debate.

[Methven Hornet]

"Is it just a matter of time before rugby league in the UK dies?"

Yes. If global terrorism doesn't get us, we avoid the dinosaur-killer asteroid, and we continue to play on through the apocalypse, then we've only got about 5 billion years until the sun destroys itself (and us). So, unless humankind finds a way of migrating to other star systems, I'd say that rugby league has had it long-term.

[Lesmets]

So you think the game is stronger now than it was in 1995 ,that's fine I just remember back then the best players in Britain all played RL ,we had probably the best World Cup in 95 there's been to date ,and that was without the players that signed for Super League Australia since then RL has gradually lost its market share and lost a great opportunity while the union guys were arguing about how to split the money up!!!

[creditwhereitsdews]

It's already pretty much dead as a sport - in so much as it's contrived to a point where what happens on the field bears little relevance. It's about money. I believe it's called a "brand" or a "product" now which has to be "talked up" or marketed.
But I don't think it will die because it's evolved to become a form of entertainment, pre or post-football filler for a bland TV channel.
Irrelevant, yes, but if you go along wanting to be entertained then you might be - even if it's only by cheerleaders, pre-match singers or - if you can actually bear to stay in your seat - "big hits". But everything is decided long before the season starts. New signings, who goes in what division, who plays who in the Cup (if you have the misfortune to be in the Northern Rail), rule changes that apply only if you're in one division, who won't be going up or down, tedious play-offs.
If you want genuine competition and actually care what happens to your club then there are more rewarding pastimes.

[Emosi Koloto]

English Rugby League got itself into trouble by putting too much money into the pockets of rubbish/average overseas players.

There has to be more Tomkins/Watkins/Sculthorpe's out there and the challenge is for SL clubs to find them, bring them through and create the next lot of superstars.

If they picked up by NRL clubs then so be it because in theory it should strengthen the National team which will bring it's own benefits to SL.

[Johnoco]

If you want genuine competition and actually care what happens to your club then there are more rewarding pastimes.

Go on then, what?

[Mushy]

Only in Rugby League do we get such depressing the end of the world is nigh navel gazing.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions but compared to 1995 we have a few teams that can win the main trophies, we do actually have more decent players (albeit with perhaps the same number of world class players) and our clubs are not any less stable financially despite being in a massive economic slump.

We do still have the most miserable of fans and amusingly inept leaders at times, although the Australian Commisssion and formerly Richard Lewis are/have been very positive in my opinion. And the game is played in loads more countries and counties, has much better and safer stadia, and is about to hold its most successful World Cup ever.

Not all is rosy, but I am pleased to say the game is at least as healthy as it was 17 years ago and won't go under if me and plenty of others have anything to do about it.

Edited by Mushy, 06 November 2012 - 07:43 AM.

[The Parksider]

Then the game is doomed if people can't even debate the issues !!!!

It was at it's lowest ebb 1970

Fully pro league, best players getting NRL spots, expansive world cup and international game, Union stopped their apartheid living & let living, healthy TV audiences, game played all over now, game often preferred to union in old union strongholds game strong in armed services and universities, game played in schools nationwide, biggest crowds since 1950's etc etc etc etc etc.......

[shrek]

Don't know about die, but can envisage a day when we have a "3rd code" of rugby inflicted on us by an over enthusastic TV executive once they've run out of other silly ideas to fill there schedules with, given the hybrid games already about though thats hardly a massive leap of faith!

[The Parksider]

We do still have the most amusingly inept leaders...

So why did RL climb so high since it's lowest point 1970?

Oxley, Lyndsay and Lewis were far from inept??

[Ackroman]

Go on then, what?

I think the OP is fishing but I personally think CWID is right. RL is more razmataz than a sport with little competition and low level drama over the season. The drama is for about 1 game so the marketing is on full blast but from a weedy pipe.

If you compare even with football, this week we get the 2nd round draw for the FA cup. The drama and excitement is whether a non league side can meet a Premier league team in the 3rd round. There was an interview on 5live with the Harrogate Town coach and the Hastings Town coach who drew each other. It was intriguing enough for me to consider attending the game. Not because of the 3rd round reward but because the tie seems so evenly matched played out by dedicated sportsman.

[Dave T]

I quite like Rugby League me. Anybody else?

[cookey]

No doubt John Drake will tell me the justification for retaining this thread?

[Number 16]

I quite like Rugby League me. Anybody else?

You're in a minority on here, pal!