steavis

Hopefully a public service announcement for someone, if still an ad for most! Steve

I think you have Sandy Shipley mixed up with Rob and Caz. Sandy is, indeed, Canadian.

http://rugbyam.co.uk/toronto-game-in-belgrade-is-scrapped/

http://rugbyam.co.uk/elstone-says-wigan-salary-cap-penalty-perplexing/

"news" = stuff that's new. News, like milk, expires. This is a feature story now, not a news story and I don't write rugby league features anymore.

I care about what I care about. Up to others to determine what that makes me.

Regarding self-promotion: You'll see that our name is nowhere on the RLIF Store page. They chose to put it in the promo, not us. It says "our partners" on the RLIF Store page - and that's so we take responsibility for store stuff-ups, not them. We were happy to remain completely anonymous.

Yes! I am not objective anymore! I am only continuing to write stories because I need the cash. I will stop as soon as I can.

We don't make them or get them made. We buy existing stock from the teams' official manufacturers.

To me, the RLIF is the world governing body and I want to make a difference in international rugby league not just write about stuff. To do that, you deal with the RLIF. I'll keep coming up with suggestions to help them generate income because that's good for the game. I'm not a particularly strategic person. I like to just get to work. I hope the MB can grow with them but as I said, if we are left behind that's fine. But I'm not stopping at MB. It's just one of a myriad of areas I hope to make a positive difference in the international game now I've left Sydney rugby league journalism behind.

Linking all the countries together into a digital network is something I have suggested to various people in positions of influence but these things happen over a decade, not in six months. This MB relationship is a foot in the door so we can move together towards such objectives. I met with Canada, Chile and Jamaica in Jacksonville and Phill is on the board of the USARL.

I've been party to the negotiations regarding referees. It's not as easy as it seems. There's no click-through revenue available because most of the countries don't have stores. Also I am going to suggest we feature Hummel England and other countries who won't let us sell their stock, on the RLIF store only, with no benefit at all to us. Because the store SHOULD feature those countries. The good thing about MB is if we stop doing pop-ups it will take care itself. I can move onto something else (it's not fulltime anyway) and it will keep bubbling away in the background. Next year my focus will be on my content company. Last year it was on the book. This year MB.

BTW we're going around nations one by one and offering to do the same thing we've done for the RLIF. Even New Zealand doesn't have an online store. Good response so far. What the RLIF and these countries "need" is not a matter of whether there "should" be an online store but they need to generate cash for doing nothing. That's the carrot we're dangling.

Ah, but the big problem is that the RLIF doesn't have a revenue stream outside of the World Cup. Believe it or not, their biggest thing is trying to find a sponsor for referees. That puts money straight into their pockets. So they need more things to achieve this: like merchandising, licensing, travel, the Nines ! That's their focus and we're part of the short term solution by starting them on this journey. None of the things you suggest create an income for the RLIF that can be put back into the sport.

It's Phill's name and he has half of the company. He can do as he likes!

How would this work between series? NRL.com would host the store? I'm not going to defend our store as the best solution for the game. It's a business opportunity for Phill and I and the start of the journey for the RLIF. We'll outgrow our usefulness very quickly, I am sure.

The other thing to understand folks is that international rugby league merchandise is completely unviable commercially. The RLIF would never find an established firm willing to waste money and resources on this concept. They'd have to spend the money themselves which is better channelled towards development. We're enthusiastic amateurs who don't even pay ourselves. That's the only way this was going to happen at this stage in the game's development. And I'm keen to replicate that model in other areas that can help them commercialise their business.

If Hummel start making mugs, they won't need RLIF approval!

No that's to the RLIF, who need many more revenue streams aside from the World Cup and which I have been trying to help them get. And the percentage is more than 10 per cent ... it wouldn't be prudent for me to mention the exact figure... and also I can't remember exactly!

Er, no.

I don't disagree with you but Phill and I have to do our best for our business. This is good for us.

All have different deals with their manufacturers but in many cases they are incentivised by their supplier. So the supplier gives them a commission when we buy stuff wholesale.

I've sold out mate, I've gone commercial. I am no longer professing to be impartial. Journalism is not my priority anymore. But if The Roar want to pay me some pocket money each week to write columns, I'll keep doing it because I need the money.

None. Hopefully they'll outgrow us and leave us behind at some point. But it was our idea to to help them commercialise. I've also put to them ideas on ticketing, membership, publishing and product licensing. Someone had to start the journey. We probably won't go on the entire trip with them. Perhaps one of the things, I can become proficient enough at to hang on a bit longer than with others.