Players poll reveals exodus fears

[John Drake]

I've hardly commented at all, other than to calm the "panic".

 

Yeah sorry, confused you with 'Gruff' who has been slightly more vociferous!

[John Drake]

OK John. you are right, everyone else is wrong but you are a journalist so your opinion is more worthy.

 

Don't be daft. I'm not the one arguing that players should be seen and not heard.

[John Drake]

Having got my copy in the post today, I think this is a bit of a storm in a teacup. Nobody is really "letting rip", it's a bunch of Yes/No questions that are pretty simplistic (a couple of the questions are a bit loaded as well I feel). Whilst something like this should be welcomed, it seems there isn't as much depth as one might hope. 97% of players think the game isn't marketed well enough - well duh! Everyone knows that, what I want to know is what they think might help. Why do more players than not think Refs have improved? It's frustratingly undetailed, and in all honesty doesn't tell us much more than if you asked most of the same questions of a genuine cross section of 200 RL fans.

Finally 77% of players thinks the game doesn't take the views of the players seriously - fair enough 1eague3 - give us a reason to, and show your working. That would be genuinely worth reading

(This isn't a go at RLW by the way, Gareth Walker's editorial and John Wilkin's article takes an interesting look at the results, but at the end of the day it's just speculation. Informed speculation, but still speculation.)

 

Thanks for buying the mag and thanks for the constructive feedback, which speaking as a former editor, I know is always welcomed.

 

The poll is the first of its kind in Super League and the first player poll of any kind since RLW forerunner Open Rugby did something similar way, way back in 1989. It is a (re)starting point, and something to build on and develop further in future.

 

The reaction to the poll so far has been interesting, to say the least!

 

Polling players for their views is something which Rugby League Week manage to carry out every year in Australia without the earth tilting off its axis.

 

Anything they can do...

[THE RED ROOSTER]

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.

 

 

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

 

Let me get this right then, the pair of you have come on here to say thast LPL's hidden agenda is to knock the game. Further decrease interest in the sport and coincidentally in doing so put the future of LPL at risk through declining sales

 

I also take it then in your view those who play should not have a say..

 

It may comes as a shock to those who do not attend matches in the professional game that often, that many of us who do realise that the game is in dire straights and in serious danger of going down the gurgler in the Northern Hemisphere into a semi-pro feeder league for the NRL and RFU. A process that has already commenced.

 

And you can expect more headlines this in future in the press, too but not from LPL

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/10286811/Wigan-Warriors-rugby-league-star-Sam-Tomkins-keen-to-switch-codes-in-time-for-2015-World-Cup.html

 

As the risk of being accused of "deathriding" the game this entire season, for some of us, has been one of near Stygian gloom with the game laid out awaiting to cross the river Stix the only problem being no-one has a brass razoo to pay the ferryman.

 

A Journalists job is to report on the truth, whether that truth is unpalatable to some or not is up to the individual - Carry on LPL.

[Bostik Bailey]

Nah, the salary cap has worked well when it was properly applied. We've had crowds doubling since the beginning of SL and that means more money all round.

Anyone who seriously thinks that the salary cap was the cause of Paris or Crusaders demise needs to read up a bit. Those clubs were doomed no matter what. Dropping expansion clubs with insufficient funds into SL and then expecting the Salary cap to save them is stupid.

It's also given clubs like Warrington and Huddersfield a new lease of life. For years they could not beat St Helens and Bradford respectively, now look where they are. See what a lack of salary cap has done to soccer.

The problems are:-

a) too many teams in SL reducing the TV money for everybody

putting expansion sides into Sl when they weren't ready

c) a failure to relegate clubs that are obviously struggling

Very seletctive with Paris and North Wales, what about the others I mentioned ( oh and I missed Bradford)

The salary cap isn't working, it's not stopped clubs going bust, when 8 teams ( more than half the league) have go into administration then one of the reasons for it is blown out of the water.

Both Huddersfield and Wire are competitive due to wealthy backers. I'll claim that the salary cap is allowing Saints to compete at the moment

[Northern Sol]

Very seletctive with Paris and North Wales, what about the others I mentioned ( oh and I missed Bradford)

The salary cap isn't working, it's not stopped clubs going bust, when 8 teams ( more than half the league) have go into administration then one of the reasons for it is blown out of the water.

Both Huddersfield and Wire are competitive due to wealthy backers. I'll claim that the salary cap is allowing Saints to compete at the moment

It's not more than half the league. More than half the current league have never gone bust - Wigan, Leeds, Hull FC, Hull KR, St Helens, Wire, Catalans, Cas, Salford - that's 9 out of 14 clubs.

And Crusaders were going bust even when they were breaking the NL2 and NL1 salary caps.

The cap worked better when there was a maximum spend so that clubs that could not afford the full cap couldn't bankrupt themselves. When it was removed things got less stable.

[Dave T]

Very seletctive with Paris and North Wales, what about the others I mentioned ( oh and I missed Bradford)

The salary cap isn't working, it's not stopped clubs going bust, when 8 teams ( more than half the league) have go into administration then one of the reasons for it is blown out of the water.

Both Huddersfield and Wire are competitive due to wealthy backers. I'll claim that the salary cap is allowing Saints to compete at the moment

is Warrington's turnover so high due to Moran?

is it balls...

[The Parksider]

The salary cap isn't working, it's not stopped clubs going bust, when 8 teams ( more than half the league) have go into administration then one of the reasons for it is blown out of the water.

 

 

The salary cap was at one time set so clubs could not blow their budgets just on players but instead had to put money into other parts of the business. IIRC there was a rule clubs could only spend 50% of their income on players.

 

However that left some clubs unable to compete, and so the 50% of income rule was lifted, but the cap stayed in place to stop the wealthy clubs just buying up all the best players so we'd just end up with a couple of clubs winning all the trophies and wage inflation as they outbid each other for the best.

 

So the salary cap has worked in terms of it's purpose in recent years. With respect the business aim of getting all 14 clubs equally competitive on the field to try to get them all on decent crowds that would sustain their businesses is what has not worked.

 

It was a noble aim, but sadly not enough paying fans and players to go round, and latterly not enough rich men to prop every club up fully.

[South Wakefield Sharks]

Thought the article in RLW was pretty good. Ok sensational headline, but it got people talking. If the players get a stronger voice in the game that will be a big benefit to all of us who want to see the game grow. It won't suit some of those who want to keep the game where it is, and that includes those who like to be a big fish in a small pond.

We don't want to turn into soccer, but players need to be represented as key parts of the game, rather than just bits of meat you chuck away when they're no longer at their best.

The fact that 75% of players would consider going to the NRL or union for more cash should send a message to the club owners that they can't simply bumble along as they are, and that they need to create enough viable, top level clubs to keep the best players in this country.

The issue of marketing the game is also pretty clear. To me it sends the message out that playes have seen the profile that Sam Tomkins & the Burgess boys are getting in league, and are saying they'd quite like to be recognised or known as a personality outside their own particular town too.

Even things like the Rhino ball that was introduced last year. A ball deal got signed and the players had to get on with it. Everyone seems to have said the ball is rubbish (except Rhino, obviously), now through 1eague3 the players are involved in trialling next year's ball. It should have been a basic, but because the game is not used to considering the views of players, they just get ignored, and some ill-informed decision get made.

Not saying they players have all the answers, but they clearly have a view and it is poor management by the club owners and the RFL to not actively seek out the views of such key stakeholders.

[Northern Sol]

The salary cap was at one time set so clubs could not blow their budgets just on players but instead had to put money into other parts of the business. IIRC there was a rule clubs could only spend 50% of their income on players.

 

However that left some clubs unable to compete, and so the 50% of income rule was lifted, but the cap stayed in place to stop the wealthy clubs just buying up all the best players so we'd just end up with a couple of clubs winning all the trophies and wage inflation as they outbid each other for the best.

 

So the salary cap has worked in terms of it's purpose in recent years. With respect the business aim of getting all 14 clubs equally competitive on the field to try to get them all on decent crowds that would sustain their businesses is what has not worked.

 

It was a noble aim, but sadly not enough paying fans and players to go round, and latterly not enough rich men to prop every club up fully.

Indeed. What seems to have been forgotten is that we have seen three new stadiums in SL: the Halliwell Jones, the Barton Stadium, Langtree Park and even below SL Leigh Sports Village. Major improvements have taken place at Craven Park as well.

None of which was ever going to happen when clubs were spending 95% of the income on player wages.

[Futtocks]

Thought the article in RLW was pretty good. Ok sensational headline, but it got people talking. If the players get a stronger voice in the game that will be a big benefit to all of us who want to see the game grow. It won't suit some of those who want to keep the game where it is, and that includes those who like to be a big fish in a small pond.

We don't want to turn into soccer, but players need to be represented as key parts of the game, rather than just bits of meat you chuck away when they're no longer at their best.

The fact that 75% of players would consider going to the NRL or union for more cash should send a message to the club owners that they can't simply bumble along as they are, and that they need to create enough viable, top level clubs to keep the best players in this country.

The issue of marketing the game is also pretty clear. To me it sends the message out that playes have seen the profile that Sam Tomkins & the Burgess boys are getting in league, and are saying they'd quite like to be recognised or known as a personality outside their own particular town too.

Even things like the Rhino ball that was introduced last year. A ball deal got signed and the players had to get on with it. Everyone seems to have said the ball is rubbish (except Rhino, obviously), now through 1eague3 the players are involved in trialling next year's ball. It should have been a basic, but because the game is not used to considering the views of players, they just get ignored, and some ill-informed decision get made.

Not saying they players have all the answers, but they clearly have a view and it is poor management by the club owners and the RFL to not actively seek out the views of such key stakeholders.

Right, I bought my copy of RLW on Saturday. It's a shame that the sensationalism about the 75% rather overshadowed some of  the more interesting and relevant poll results.

 

Then I went and did a Google image search for Holly Myers.  

[redjonn]

I like the CAP approach in RU... a base amount with additional credits to increase based upon academy players.

[DeadShotKeen]

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??

That a fabulous sport cannot provide an intense, commercially attractive vehicle for its elite players outside of Australia. That's all. No biggie really - what's the fuss, eh?

It doesn't matter anyway, because British rugby league has a rich history and the 1985 Challenge Cup final between Wigan and Hull was a beauty.