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I'd agree with much of this and the frustrating part of it is that it is all very fixable. I was at an event a few weeks ago where the marketing director at a Premier League football club was taking about the challenges that they faced and how they solved them. Now, before anyone sees the phrase "Premier League football club" and starts rolling their eyes and saying RL can't do that sort of thing, there were two things about what he said that were very striking: 1. The problems they faced were very similar to the problems facing RL. They had an ageing fan base, they had a fan base concentrated in one of the poorer parts of the UK. They had an ageing stadium, empty seats and they had a culture in the marketing team that they couldn't achieve regular sell-outs. They also had an under-achieving team and were the 'second' sporting team in their particular area. All issues that many RL clubs face. 2. The solutions to a these issues were not particuarly difficult, and certainly not expensive, to implement. They did a lot of analysis of their supporter base - looking carefully at the data behind who they are, their supporting habits, what they bought and what they didn't buy, and they changed the mentality that a 'supporter' was only worthwhile to them if they bought a season ticket. They now know more about their fans than they ever did, they know when and where they are likely to 'drop off', they cater their offering to each and every supporter and they make it easy for people who don't or can't go to the games to buy into the club. The only "expense" behind this was some time spent with their CRM system. They addressed the ageing fan base issue through little more than community marketing and matchday experience. They made the players accessible to young fans and they ran community events - stuff that all RL clubs do to some extent. But they also improved the matchday experience for younger fans - made it more kid friendly, gave every new junior season ticket holder a "debut season" gift pack and held events where they could play on the pitch after the last game of the season - all fairly easy and cheap stuff to do, but something that means the world to those kids. They've gone from having just one sell-out game a year to having an 11,000+ season ticket waiting list, and they now have the youngest average season ticket holder age in the PL. Clearly, there are various other factors at play, but even if RL clubs could get the 'cheap stuff', like the stuff mentioned above, right then they and the game would be in a much better position. The problems RL faces in the modern sports market aren't particuarly unique - it's just the way in which the sport tries to fix them.

I blame Toronto

When are England going to concentrate on the higher quality English County of Origin games instead of all these blowout international games against lesser opposition? There's no point playing Australia now until after the majority of the invincible English team retire and we have emerged later, re-established from a stage of transition.

On our RLFans forum is a mixture of gallows humour and resigned weariness. There's a few crackpots on the FB pages having a rant - but I don't see any 'support' for Andrew Chalmers, that's for sure. My own view is that we are well past the time of 'rescue'. The Bulls 'brand' is toxic and needs to be completely wound up. I'd rather see us start over with a completely new identity with ZERO ties to the Bulls. If that means playing out of Horsfall in League 1 as Bradford Northern, then so be it. I do NOT want to see some cobbled together consortium being approved by the RFL AGAIN - doubtless with zero financial resources, and thus being back at this exact same point again in 2-3 years. It needs to be a complete fresh start or - as they say on Dragons Dens - 'I'm out' (And I detect a big section of the supporter base saying the same thing)

We were told this would happen last time England won it, how they would now push into our territory and take over leaving us with no competition and we would have to go back to amateurs.....it didnt happen then and it wont happen now.

Blimey, you're really struggling with this one aren't you John...

Rugby League World Cup 2021 has today revealed that the women’s and wheelchair nations will receive participation fees, for the first time in the tournament’s history. Even better news... the participation fees are equal across all three competitions. This tournaments keeps showing some great organisation and leadership. https://www.rlwc2021.com/article/179/women-and-wheelchair-nations-to-receive-equal-participation-fees-as-men

At least the barmaids will still understand him.

Tomkins reunited . Pubs and barmaids around that way will be well chuffed I’m sure

And there's more ..... If this sport doesn't seem magic to you, what's wrong with you?

Thats my bad... I totally forgot Sam Scott signed a 2 year deal last year! List duly updated to 15... ?

In the Midlands, we don’t see that the game is doomed quite yet...

Like most blokes, there's been a few times when I wished I'd pulled out at the last minute.

This is garbage imo. Thackeray came to us with a reputation for being weak defensively but actually held up very well (other than when he was tried at full back, which clearly wasn't his position).

*Bangs head on desk*

the most surprising thing I find here is that leeds have actually been paying most of that squad - some of the players turning out lately should be paying them for the privilege

Salford almost got relegated because of salary cap points deduction. Yet Leeds and Wigan get away with it. What a surprise.

I hope you haven't already spent the rent.......

Agree with this. I'll always remember his performance in the Souths Grand Final win, probably one of the finest individual performances in a major game I've ever seen - it was actually quite emotional to watch as it clearly meant everything to him

I wouldn’t be surprised if he jacked it in tbh, although it would be a shame . That shoulder has took so much hammer and wear n tear , and the surgery plus really bad infection by accounts has obviously made it severely debilitating . He’s got to think about life not just footy . If he does retire he’ll go down as one of our all time best , who’s got maximum respect from those down under which is not easily won or handed out

It's pretty obvious for those who have been following the story He made it clear that he couldn't get to the bottom of the amount of debt was in the business. Two days ago he said this in the Telegraph and Argus I think we can assume that either he concluded that Chalmers wasn't going to file accounts (or at least accurate ones) - or that he got his hands on the accounts and they are worse than he thought.

FT 84-28. Second match is on Wednesday.

And to be fair the 2013 one was Aus v NZ and it still sold OT out IIRC (I was there, managed to get a single seat on its own so I could go.. wont make that mistake again.. will buy earlier so i can take the family!).. The biggest mistake the RFL (and IRL or whatever they are now) have made is abandoning the international game and concepts that were working... The tri-nations seemed to work, the 4 nations seemed to work (maybe not as well as the tri nations).. England is being built nicely which allows the "smaller nations" to build too, so why GB?!? PLAY MORE... the games that will attract the attention of the national media and non traditional fans are internationals... other sports understand this... you need a domestic game that can develop this onwards but its starts at the international level.. There are plenty of ways of doing it, some people within the game may see them as artificial or pointless but they have to build the international game for people outside those that will watch it (how many people turned up to England V Jamaica who wouldnt normally go??). The key is they HAVE to PLAY MORE INTERNATIONAL GAMES!!!

From what I am hearing a new board is going to be announced soon which should end the Special Measures.

All this just highlights how lucky us old uns were when we had an "A" Team to watch on Saturday afternoons when the First were away . Was reading an old programme from the late 60`s the other day and it said we had a signed a new player but had to cross one off our books as we already had 50 players signed on and that was the limit permitted .

Nothing like tarring all Rugby League fans with the same brush. It's odd how you constantly show such disdain for a sport that you are supposedly a fan of. Cross code certainly hasn't missed this level of debate during your ban.

Agreed but I , like fans of other sports want to see top class international RL like the ashes when I was young . I also want to know a year in advance exactly what’s happening . Very please if are the advances in women’s and RL at more inclusive levels , but is anyone telling me that they don’t desire to have on a regular basis Burgess and co and the best from super league playing the Aussies , kiwis , Tonga at big different exiting stadiums in the UK . Think the ashes 90 ,94 and the kiwi tour 93 , brilliant tours front page coverage Proper major sponsors . how do we address this , also how do we stop the rapid death of the amateur game . Please don’t say all sports are suffering the same . RU , football are booming at the a mature level . If anyone like me is sad enough to have the Rugby Leaguer from the late eighties check out the armature leagues then v now it is frightening how they have shrunk .

England 32-0 up after about 14 minutes.

Agreed. He’s either discovered the scale of the debts, or been unable to discover the scale of the debt and drawn his conclusions

Not a Hornets fan myself but I suggest the answer is none whatsoever. And rightly so because the day the RFL interfere in the ownership issues,they become a Dictatorship.Besides the RFL would screw it all up anyway as they are not fit to flush a toilet,never mind anything else.

John. Mate, let it go. I have fabulous memories of this season. Even the GF, where we were so close that a single different decision could have had Saints in flat-out panic mode and who knows what would have happened? If you keep looking for conspiracies, you will find them and it will sour your memories of 2019, the best season I have known as a Salford fan. Cherish the good and let the bad go. Enjoy the winter and "Look out, Super League! The Salford Reds are rising!"

I think Bradford Bulls should be wound up,liquidated and shut down for good. They have become too toxic and are frankly beyond rescue or help. And if there is to be a new Bradford Club they should set up from new with a brand new name,but of course with Bradford in it.And if they do that then they should start out life in Championship 1. And if that was to happen then in my opinion Barrow should be offered the opportunity of a reprieve or allow Newcastle to take their place in the Championship.

They have faced the consequences, they have been fined as in accordance to the rules that the SL clubs agreed to. It's pretty much the same as what Wigan were found to have done and they got their points that were deducted back.

Well one thing is certain about Chris b. He certainly knows what a toxic crock of sheight looks like. Just my opinion but I would strongly suspect he realises that there is nothing worth rescuing

Pretty embarrassing as is the fine, and I say that as a Rhinos fan. £10,000 isn't much to break the salary cap especially if it can keep you in SL, which as it was in 2018 this could have done.

Oh right....so have Town not won at Haven since then ? Perhaps I'll just go and check my very comprehensive files and get back to you.............................or not.?

Sticky thread Mods????

Always a shame that both players are local and have parted from the Knights,hope both players have left for the right reasons.

That’s going back a long way to find a win at Haven ??

I don't buy that 'Boring' Union Argument.......You just have to be invested in what you're watching.......I've seen loads of boring Rugby League games. I like watching the England World cup games cos i want England to win. Most people are Invested in International sport and that why Rugby League need to concentrate more on that.

Sounds like challenging times for him. Regardless of the huge mistakes he made in the past, and the lack of any moral compass he has demonstrated, everyone deserves a chance to turn their life around. I hope he works out how to be the best father he can be, first and foremost. If his career is behind him, he can look back on a highlights reel which is the envy of pretty much us all. I hope he draws on that and shows the same courage in other aspects of his life.

Perhaps he will be selected at Sheffield even if he is unable to train regularly, whereas with Dews it might be “no training, no playing”.

mate we've all tried to engage.. he ignores it if he doesn't like what you've said or questions you've asked or the fact you actually have sources and facts... then he says that no one is engaging!! its frustrating and its cyclical... he'll say we insult him but we don't we just tell the truth... he doesn't engage if he doesn't like the argument, he then makes facts up to counter actual facts that don't work for him and he provides no substance to any of his claims (nor does he realise that time moves on and things change so quotes from 5 years ago are rendered meaningless by changing circumstances).. he is Donald Trump and i claim my £5!

They didn't decide to address this by going without home internationals at all in 2010, 2014, 2017, 2019 though? Four missed years in a decade is a disgrace.

The reason was simply that the Northern and Southern Hemisphere seasons aligned with the advent of Summer Rugby here, that led to having to shoe horn in other "International Fixtures" at the end of both season's North and South, hence the short 3 nations tournament. I went on the last 'proper tour' in '92 along with other 1,000's who travelled for the Kangaroo Series, financially a resounding success for both the ARL and RFL, that would most surly have been built on, on the back of that tour 4 months later we played the WC Final at Wembley with 72,000 in attendance, will that ever be beat? If you consider Traditional tours ceased for any other reason please state why, I have yet to hear it.

A mixed bag today on the field but overall a very enjoyable day out. Slightly negative things out of the way first: 1. Useless online ticketing system that wouldn't let you buy junior tickets OR buy 'print at home' tickets. Thank you Leeds for your shiny new three-quarters of a stadium but ###### technology. 2. Leading on from number 1 - massive queue to collect online tickets and huge confusion over where you could buy tickets with cash. 3. Rather pedestrian rugby by England (I'm open to criticism on this one but I thought it was a bit 'meh' from England rather than exhibition rugby against a 'minnow' team). 4. Massive queues for half time refreshment despite a smallish attendance. Anyway, hugely positive things: 1. Jamaica fans. Loads of them having a great day out with their colourful presence and flags everywhere 2. Steel band instead of the usual dirge from the south stand 3. Jamaica never giving in and showing plenty of talent 4. Jamaica's no 1 and no 12 (Golding and Powell?) were outstanding 5. The Jamaican national anthem. So, so funny. It went on for days and everyone was laughing. Reminded me of an old Harry Enfield sketch which I'll try and find online. 6. The view from the new north stand. (Shame about the west terrace but never mind, it's only away fans) 7. Watching international rugby for £15 and £5 for kids. 8. Minikin, Richardson, Powell and Evalds all did well. Richardson looks a good signing for Cas. edit: found it - The Paquador national anthem. Anyone who was there today will empathise

My first ever 5K this morning in perfect weather on the Toronto lakeshore. Walked all but the last 500m that I ran in (wasn’t going over the line walking!) in 42:18. Target to beat for next year then ?

Jamaica in! As Daphne du Maurier might have put it.

Typical lazy journalism again. Grace may well end up in the NRL in a few years time and Thompson has already said he will see out the remainder of his Saints contract and then consider his options (plus Saints have also said they will not sell Thompson). Walmsley has had several big offers from NRL clubs but turned them all down because he has a young family and his missus doesn't want to leave their family support while their kids are so young. I reckon Thompson will go to the NRL in 2021 and maybe Grace in 2023, but other than those 2 I can't see anyone else leaving.