In my view and experience, this is how it works, simplified and serialised, or rather, circularised.
Identify the successful sustainable clubs. Identify the factors that determine this success and build a model for all clubs to adopt. Incentivise clubs to adopt best practice.
Success on the field depends on a number of things, including but not limited to:
1. The quality of the individual players.
2. The quality of the team.
3. The quality of the coach, the coaching, the training.
4 Quality in this context is skill, ability, attitude, personality, fitness, stamina.
5. The ability to attract such players and coaches depends on the money available as well as the quality of club leadership.. The attractiveness of the club to players, coaches depends on the money available to pay them and to provide attractive facilities, too.
6. The money available depends on owners and directors input, sponsorship, central funding, income from fans.
7. Money from fans depends on a range of factors ranging from quality of stadium and facilities, media activities, RFL/SL activities directly and indirectly through social media. It also depends on the penetration rate into the local population.
8. Money from fans also depends on success on the field. And so the perpetual motion machine is operating.
So all that is happening is that the model is being brought into play and clubs are being incentivised to adopt the model of the successful clubs.