Players poll reveals exodus fears

[Rugby League World]

Three quarters of Super League stars would consider leaving for the NRL or rugby union, according to a groundbreaking poll conducted by Rugby League World magazine and players association 1eagu3.

 

In a first for this country, players in the top flight have been asked about a host of key issues in the game.
The full results will be published in the October edition of Rugby League World magazine, which is out this Friday, September 6.
Among them is the fact that 75 per cent of those polled admitted that their heads have been turned by the greater salaries on offer in both the NRL and the 15-man code.
Using a text service put in place by 1eague3 to canvass the opinion of its members, players were asked for their opinion on issues such as depression, the marketing of the sport in England, refereeing standards and whether a reserve grade should be re-introduced.
The poll attracted responses from over 150 different players - almost half of the total number involved in Super League at present.    
Jon Wilkin, the Chairman of 1eagu3, believes that now is the time that players' opinions should be properly heard.
"One of the big issues for us is that players' opinions have never really been taken seriously in the game," Wilkin told Rugby League World.
"Individual players have been asked their opinion, but they are usually the high-profile players who have had good careers within the game.
"This survey gave us the opportunity to cover all bases, and hear what young and old players alike think about the big issues in the game, whatever their profile is.
"These players do a fantastic job for the game week on week, and it's the general consensus of 1eague3 that it's a really valuable thing to be able to understand how they feel.
"Pieces of work like this allow us to gauge opinions across Super League. We are passionately protecting the best interests of the sport.
"I found some of the results really surprising. They certainly weren't what some of my preconceived ideas were."
Wilkin added that the response to the question over the NRL and rugby union shows that Super League needs to tackle the issue of keeping its leading stars.
"We knew it was an issue, with the amount of press that the Burgess boys have been getting in Australia, and everything around the England RU set-up with guys like Chris Ashton," Wilkin said.
"There seems to be a lot of positive momentum towards leaving the game in this country, and that's something that we need to address."

The full results of the first ever players poll in this country will be revealed in the October edition of Rugby League World magazine, out this Friday 6th Sept.

PRESS ASSOCIATION - http://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-league/news/article/480/8906725/poll-highlights-departure-issue
 
DAILY STAR - http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/336690/New-poll-reveals-crisis-in-the-Super-League
 
THE INDEPENDENT- http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/rugby-league/dave-hadfield-rugby-league-players-lot-is-not-a-happy-one-in-a-game-suffering-money-and-image-problems-8798997.html
 
YORKSHIRE POST - http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/all-clubs/league-players-tempted-by-ru-and-nrl-survey-reveals-1-6015703

[Rugby League World]

The online edition of the new issue of Rugby League World is available to read now

http://www.pocketmags.com/viewmagazine.aspx?titleid=551&title=Rugby+League+World

[ckn]

You really have to wonder at the thinking behind running these surveys just before the World Cup and SL playoffs.

 

It's almost as if someone has said "Hang on, we've had no seriously negative coverage of our game for a while, how can we remedy that?"

 

FFS...  Yes, the results are highly important and really need to be discussed but why not keep it for off-season or a quiet time when there's nothing going on.

[hindle xiii]

You really have to wonder at the thinking behind running these surveys just before the World Cup and SL playoffs.

 

It's almost as if someone has said "Hang on, we've had no seriously negative coverage of our game for a while, how can we remedy that?"

 

FFS...  Yes, the results are highly important and really need to be discussed but why not keep it for off-season or a quiet time when there's nothing going on.

Perhaps the announcement on the restructuring is imminent?

 

Hopefully these changes the game are taking will help remedy some of the problems highlighted in the poll.

 

 

I'd be interested to see if there are any questions with a personal ability angle, i.e. What do you think of the training? I doubt any of those polled consider themselves ###### players but ultimately it's their ability that provides the quality of the competition. I doubt half the London squad will submit the answer; "I'm stealing a living here, I should try harder and smarter but I can't be arsed".

[Ackroman]

Whats the big deal SL is 3/4 full of Aussies.

[gingerjon]

You really have to wonder at the thinking behind running these surveys just before the World Cup and SL playoffs.

 

It's almost as if someone has said "Hang on, we've had no seriously negative coverage of our game for a while, how can we remedy that?"

 

FFS...  Yes, the results are highly important and really need to be discussed but why not keep it for off-season or a quiet time when there's nothing going on.

 

Indeed.  Or ask follow-up questions about practical things that can be done - and include those in the story.

 

Still, not like there's anything important going on with Salford or the RLWC right now.

 

Cretins.

[Rugby League World]

Gareth Walker's Rugby League World editorial on the Players' Poll results

http://www.rugbyleagueworld.net/category/page-xiii/

[Big Red Keev]

So Superleague players would consider changing jobs for the offer of more money elsewhere?

 

Well i for one am totally shocked!!!

 

What exactly is the story here??

[Gruff]

Cant really see this having any shocks - it will highlight what we, as fans, think and with regards to players leaving the competition why is this such a surprise?

 

If someone offered to pay me twice as much to do the same job in Australia, I'd go.  If someone offered to pay me twice as much to do a similar job in this country, i'd go.  Why are sportsmen any different.

 

The only way to combat this is to get more money in the game, which only works by improved perception and people wanting to be associated with the game, which will never happen if articles come out saying 75% of the players want to leave the game, especially 7 weeks before the biggest tournament in its history.  

 

Good job no-one is dumb enough to do this..... oh

[gingerjon]

 

 

The only way to combat this is to get more money in the game, which only works by improved perception and people wanting to be associated with the game, which will never happen if articles come out saying 75% of the players want to leave the game, especially 7 weeks before the biggest tournament in its history.  

 

And you certainly wouldn't press release it an hour before one of the sport's biggest and most exciting club relaunches in a very long time.

[Just Browny]

It does make you wonder what LPL's agenda is. I suppose I'd guess they've seen the negativity and apocalyptic nature of posts on here and decided to jump on board.

[Gruff]

And you certainly wouldn't press release it an hour before one of the sport's biggest and most exciting club relaunches in a very long time.

You'd think wouldn't you...

 

Potential Sponsor: "What's all the hub-bub with Salford, whats going on there then?

 

Marketeer: "Well, this time last year they were about to go bust, then this great new investor has come in, shaking things up, about to undergo a massive relaunch, has signed some of the best players available, and is investing lots of money"

 

Potential Sponsor: "Wow, that sounds like something I want to be involved with and get my name associated with"

 

Marketeer: " Oh, hang on, I've just got something else through saying that 75% of their players want to leave to go to Union or Australia"

 

Potential Sponsor: "Lets sponsor that instead then"

 

Morons, the lot of them

[gingerjon]

It does make you wonder what LPL's agenda is.

 

If I were the good Doctor I'd ban the lot of them from Salford.  What's the ****ing point?

[Just Browny]

If I were the good Doctor I'd ban the lot of them from Salford. What's the ****ing point?

Martyn, Neil and Gareth will be on a minute to say this is a fnatastic piece of investigative journalism, and to compare Jon Wilkin to Deepthroat.

EDIT: Perhaps not quite a minute, I'm sure there's buffet and champagne at Salford to get through first.

Edited September 5, 2013 by Just Browny

[gingerjon]

Martyn, Neil and Gareth will be on a bit to say this is a fnatastic piece of investigative journalism, and to compare Jon Wilkin to Deepthroat.

 

Aye, I noted you were reading twitter as well ...

[frank]

These players need to play a decent standard of footy if they want higher wages etc

[Dave T]

So Superleague players would consider changing jobs for the offer of more money elsewhere?

 

Well i for one am totally shocked!!!

 

What exactly is the story here??

Absolutely spot on.

 

I'm surprised that 25% wouldn't change their job for more money tbh!

 

If you did a survey at Castleford for example and asked how many of them would consider a move to Warrington, Wigan or Huddersfield, you could easily get 100% of them saying yes - this isn't the same as 100% of Cas players wanting to leave.

[Northern Sol]

And you certainly wouldn't press release it an hour before one of the sport's biggest and most exciting club relaunches in a very long time.

No point doing it an hour after.

[gingerjon]

No point doing it an hour after.

 

Very little point doing it at all.

[Gruff]

Very little point doing it at all.

I disagree - I think it's good to get views from players.

 

However, the timing is atrocious and counter-productive and the poor RL writers we seem to have we only make sensationalist headlines and try to make everything seem doom and gloom- see title thread.

 

There is no exodus fears - 1 in ten SL player will get offered more money to play in the NRL or Union.  75% might want to go somewhere else for more money (v.surprised its not 100%), but that doesn't mean they will do.

 

You can spin these figures however you want - 25% of current players would never leave the superleague regardless of the riches on offer.

 

75% want to be better paid - this is not a player exodus.  You get better journalism from the sunday sport.

[gingerjon]

I disagree - I think it's good to get views from players.

 

However, the timing is atrocious and counter-productive and the poor RL writers we seem to have we only make sensationalist headlines and try to make everything seem doom and gloom- see title thread.

 

There is no exodus fears - 1 in ten SL player will get offered more money to play in the NRL or Union.  75% might want to go somewhere else for more money (v.surprised its not 100%), but that doesn't mean they will do.

 

You can spin these figures however you want - 25% of current players would never leave the superleague regardless of the riches on offer.

 

75% want to be better paid - this is not a player exodus.  You get better journalism from the sunday sport.

 

I agree with all that but I'm not prepared to give the morons an inch today.

[brooza]

 75% might want to go somewhere else for more money (v.surprised its not 100%), but that doesn't mean they will do.

It's not even saying that they want to go. It's just that they would consider going.

 

I wonder if the players were asked if they'd consider staying in SL but playing for a different club. It's one thing to consider doing something, it's quite another to actually do it.

[Gruff]

I agree with all that but I'm not prepared to give the morons an inch today.

Ha ha - Good man

[John Drake]

Come off it you lot. It's only telling it like it is.

 

Hurrah! Someone gets it at last!

 

Look, RLW isn't my baby anymore, but shooting the messenger as many appear wont to do in this thread is just daft. It was the players' union itself, 1eague3, that conducted the poll of its members. RLW is publishing the results. Make of them what you will. Or you can stick your heads in the sand if you prefer.

 

For the record, it may stun some people to know that the publication dates of RLW are set at least 12 months in advance, and are not deliberately timed to scupper a press launch in Salford. That would just be silly. RLW folk are big fans of Dr Koukash and his Salford revolution, which is why the mag carried a massive 6 page interview with the man himself just 3 issues previous. You all read that, all you guys in the positivity brigade, didn't you? Hey, didn't you?? Also, RLW editor Gareth Walker has been tweeting away positively from the Salford event all morning, and we've retweeted these on both the @rlworld and @leagueexpress twitter accounts too.

 

We always tie in our promo for each new issue to coincide with the online edition going live, which is always the day before the print edition appears in the shops. This month, that falls today. There's no dark or doom-laden conspiracy going on.

 

Go on, be positive, buy the mag, have a read, you might surprise yourself to discover how well-written it is and how passionate about the game everyone who contributes to it is. Or you can just indulge your own negativity (sound the irony klaxon) by ignorantly slagging it off here.

[Northern Sol]

Very little point doing it at all.

1eagu3 obviously have a different agenda from your good self.