What if everything goes as well as we hope...

[Exiled Wiganer]

As we are still in the World Cup, and conscious of the risk that this time next week we will be mid post mortem, I was daring to dream of a future in which everything we hope goes right, does go right. Here is what I would be happy to see:

- in France, Toulouse and Catalans become a focal point for developing French talent, with the best of them staying fit enough to realise their full potential. Leading to full houses and a very competitive side at the 2021 World Cup (I am assuming they will have their own group);

- the game in Lebanon capitalises on the extraordinary journey they have been on, and the promise highlighted in recent articles, using their heroes as a springboard to develop in leaps and bounds;

- Fiji get a team in the NSW Cup, so that our game sits at the top table over there;

- the World Cup defectors stay with Tonga and play more matches against the Kiwis and Samoa (whose team gets a new coach and discover salads);

- PNG keeps doing what it's doing and gets an NRL team in 2020;

- the NZRL gets an injection of talent at the top, to make the most of the vast potential in that country; 

- Toronto go from strength to strength and act as a focal point for development of the game locally, joined by Montreal; 

- Serbia gets a team in league 1, and somehow makes the leap up from grassroots to competitive second tier nation;

- NYC has real intent and money behind it, to follow Toronto's lead, and work with the USARL to join together the dots over there;

- Ireland follows the plan laid out in the recent interview with their CEO, and gets that pro team in league 1; and 

- Wales gets luckier with injuries and withdrawals, their talented juniors get developed at SL clubs in greater numbers and they reach competitive second tier level again.

All of which seems possible, and much of it eminently so. (I wasn't sure what to write about Italy or Scotland, but would defer to others on that). 

Imagine, then, a World Cup in 2021 watched by 1 000 000 people, marvelling at the skills on offer and building on the triumph of 2013, with groups entirely made up of teams with rock solid links to the countries they represent. Followed by a condensed but wildly successful 2025 North American version based around Toronto, NYC, Hawaii and Florida. 

We have spent so long answering detractors and critics that we can miss the genuine potential that people all round the world see in the greatest game.

[Krzzystuff]

My first world cup experience but have to say there is a real feel good factor about the international game right now and it seems that games are being confirmed for mid season and tickets are going up for sale just like people said they wanted to see.

Great state for the game overall, now for the English leagues to make some smart changes as well. The changes in league 1 seem for the better with the home and away (a fortune byproduct of two teams folding) but how about not starting a summer game on Feb 1st? Players need some rest for both mental and physical recovery which can only lead to better performances on the pitch.  But for now this WC is just making this a great end to my first year as a RL fan and i can't wait for what 2018 brings....cough...TWP Promotion to SL...cough 

[Number 16]

I would add to that list of wishes, that England win the WC, and that the RFL is able to capitalise on the success. 

[Guest]

No chance of a PNG nrl franchise for the foreseeable future let alone by 2020. The best we can hope for is the hunters entering u18’s and u20’s teams in the Queensland cup followed by a 2nd PNG franchise based in Lae.

[Krzzystuff]

5 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

RL has spent so long desperately protecting what is has that its boxed itself in to a corner and made it impossible for it to have anything else.

RL or the RFL? 

There is growth in Europe (Serbia best example but other Eastern nations as well),  Ireland seems to have a proper strategy they are trying to execute, South American and lets not forget NA growth or everything that is happening with the Pacific Nations.

The local English game is what's not ready to capitalize on the success but with the structure talks ongoing maybe they can react accordingly with their next decisions. The timing is actually almost perfect to try and capitalize on the success of rugby league as a whole. i think that with the money flooding into the NRL they really need to adjust the schedule as they are just adding another drawback of playing in the UK vs Oz.

[Kayakman]

1 hour ago, scotchy1 said:

This is the question that most bothers me about the way RL is at the moment. What if our wildest dreams come true. We arent prepared in any way shape or form for it.

I've said before that we are on the verge of good things in so many areas. France is desperate to go to two SL sides, we have Toronto doing something very special in North America, NYC on the horizon, we have PNG on a sound footing and pretty much entrenched the ownership of the sporting culture there, we have Fiji in the semi-finals of the world cup having beaten NZ and they are desperate for their own side, we have the USA world cup on the horizon, we have stumbled ass backwards in to a real and competitive international scene, we have England in the WC semi-final and favourites to get through to the final and an outside chance of at least pushing the australians in the final.

These are all things that can at the very least make a big contribution to taking RL to the next level, but imagine a best case scenario. Imagine it all comes off. Are we in any way in a position to take advantage of it, to make the most of it? RL has spent so long desperately protecting what is has that its boxed itself in to a corner and made it impossible for it to have anything else.

I really believe that its all starting to come together...and make no doubt about it....Northern England will always be the beating heart of this game (no need to fear; no need to be afraid).  This is the time, you can just feel it.  If the whole RL community moves forward it will all be so good...if we just sit on our laurels and miss this opportunity...well it would make a fella cry...weep in torrents like Niagara Falls.

This time will either be written about as "The Great Leap Forward" or...well...I don't even want to think about it and it sure would be tough to watch....that option is not acceptable period!

[Bob8]

Alright,

How it could go incredibly well (it won't).

The future is less likely to be based around national sports.  And entry to many sports is high as costs are artificially inflated by rich men wanting to play out the dreams of their childhood and willing to make a loss.

So, in union, the pay-off is high and the costs even higher.  Same with soccer

RL does not have this,  they payback is medium and the layout relatively low.  Furthermore, they need more teams to make up their top flight, whereas most major sports have more than enough teams.  Which means it is briefly, RL has potential for new viable clubs.  This is assisted by the economy facing difficulties, making it relatively cheap for wealthy European and American cities.

So, let us welcome Geneva Mighty Morphin Power Rangers RLFC, Antwerp Super Duper Heros RLFC and TWP.

[RayCee]

11 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

Alright,

How it could go incredibly well (it won't).

The future is less likely to be based around national sports.  And entry to many sports is high as costs are artificially inflated by rich men wanting to play out the dreams of their childhood and willing to make a loss.

So, in union, the pay-off is high and the costs even higher.  Same with soccer

RL does not have this,  they payback is medium and the layout relatively low.  Furthermore, they need more teams to make up their top flight, whereas most major sports have more than enough teams.  Which means it is briefly, RL has potential for new viable clubs.  This is assisted by the economy facing difficulties, making it relatively cheap for wealthy European and American cities.

So, let us welcome Geneva Mighty Morphin Power Rangers RLFC, Antwerp Super Duper Heros RLFC and TWP.

I've said it before there must be a diamond merchant in Belgium or Russian oligarch who would happily spent some small change to have their own RL team. The thing is do they know about RL? Can someone put the word out in those circles or should we wait until they discover RL by chance? If they get in now, it would mean getting in on the ground floor. 

[Krzzystuff]

36 minutes ago, Kayakman said:

I really believe that its all starting to come together...and make no doubt about it....Northern England will always be the beating heart of this game (no need to fear; no need to be afraid).  This is the time, you can just feel it.  If the whole RL community moves forward it will all be so good...if we just sit on our laurels and miss this opportunity...well it would make a fella cry...weep in torrents like Niagara Falls.

This time will either be written about as "The Great Leap Forward" or...well...I don't even want to think about it and it sure would be tough to watch....that option is not acceptable period!

Weep like Niagara Falls NZ or Canada? there is a big difference, been to both.

[Kayakman]

5 minutes ago, Krzzystuff said:

Weep like Niagara Falls NZ or Canada? there is a big difference, been to both.

Combine 'em both and you would get what would be coming out of my eyes!

[Bob8]

15 minutes ago, RayCee said:

I've said it before there must be a diamond merchant in Belgium or Russian oligarch who would happily spent some small change to have their own RL team. The thing is do they know about RL? Can someone put the word out in those circles or should we wait until they discover RL by chance? If they get in now, it would mean getting in on the ground floor. 

That sounds like hoping it to be taken as a vanity project, which rarely works long term.

And it does not appeal to them anymore than a Man U fan would buy a Liverpool FC shirt as it is half price.

How about a way that a consortium of prudent businessmen?

[RayCee]

46 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

That sounds like hoping it to be taken as a vanity project, which rarely works long term.

And it does not appeal to them anymore than a Man U fan would buy a Liverpool FC shirt as it is half price.

How about a way that a consortium of prudent businessmen?

It can be as you said but when you see investors like Roman Abramovich, it may be vanity but he has stuck with it. 

There were two successful Kiwi businessmen who bought the NZ Warriors and didn't get on at all. It ended in an acrimonious split which didn't do the club any good. If the multiple investors distance themselves from the club and leave it to a manager, that can work. 

[Bob8]

6 minutes ago, RayCee said:

It can be as you said but when you see investors like Roman Abramovich, it may be vanity but he has stuck with it. 

There were two successful Kiwi businessmen who bought the NZ Warriors and didn't get on at all. It ended in an acrimonious split which didn't do the club any good. If the multiple investors distance themselves from the club and leave it to a manager, that can work. 

The fact is there are very few Roman Abramovichs who are rugby league fans.  There has to be a decent business case.  What he has done is buy a club and spend money to take it to the top.  That is different from developing a new club.  Marwan Koukask is good for rugby league, but he has not developed the game much.

[The 4 of Us]

3 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

As we are still in the World Cup, and conscious of the risk that this time next week we will be mid post mortem, I was daring to dream of a future in which everything we hope goes right, does go right. Here is what I would be happy to see:

- in France, Toulouse and Catalans become a focal point for developing French talent, with the best of them staying fit enough to realise their full potential. Leading to full houses and a very competitive side at the 2021 World Cup (I am assuming they will have their own group);

- the game in Lebanon capitalises on the extraordinary journey they have been on, and the promise highlighted in recent articles, using their heroes as a springboard to develop in leaps and bounds;

- Fiji get a team in the NSW Cup, so that our game sits at the top table over there;

- the World Cup defectors stay with Tonga and play more matches against the Kiwis and Samoa (whose team gets a new coach and discover salads);

- PNG keeps doing what it's doing and gets an NRL team in 2020;

- the NZRL gets an injection of talent at the top, to make the most of the vast potential in that country; 

- Toronto go from strength to strength and act as a focal point for development of the game locally, joined by Montreal; 

- Serbia gets a team in league 1, and somehow makes the leap up from grassroots to competitive second tier nation;

- NYC has real intent and money behind it, to follow Toronto's lead, and work with the USARL to join together the dots over there;

- Ireland follows the plan laid out in the recent interview with their CEO, and gets that pro team in league 1; and 

- Wales gets luckier with injuries and withdrawals, their talented juniors get developed at SL clubs in greater numbers and they reach competitive second tier level again.

All of which seems possible, and much of it eminently so. (I wasn't sure what to write about Italy or Scotland, but would defer to others on that). 

Imagine, then, a World Cup in 2021 watched by 1 000 000 people, marvelling at the skills on offer and building on the triumph of 2013, with groups entirely made up of teams with rock solid links to the countries they represent. Followed by a condensed but wildly successful 2025 North American version based around Toronto, NYC, Hawaii and Florida. 

We have spent so long answering detractors and critics that we can miss the genuine potential that people all round the world see in the greatest game.

Great sentiments but don’t worry a RL administrator will be along soon enough to distribute some moisture over your flickering match soon enough.

[Exiled Wiganer]

My intention was to draw out the full range of prospects, without the need for any speculation as to Belgians or Russians. Simply extrapolating from what we already have in play. I think there are simply too many green shoots for us not to make major strides forward. Sure, some will fall short, but then others will emerge. The one thing we have got is a wonderful game, which is great to play, and great to watch in person and on TV. Just taking, say, Hawaii. We stayed with a family in California in the summer who had Hawaiian roots, who were explaining how close culturally they were to (other?) Pacific Islanders culturally. And we know how close communities they are... 

[RayCee]

1 hour ago, RayCee said:

I've said it before there must be a diamond merchant in Belgium or Russian oligarch who would happily spent some small change to have their own RL team. The thing is do they know about RL? Can someone put the word out in those circles or should we wait until they discover RL by chance? If they get in now, it would mean getting in on the ground floor. 

 

5 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

The fact is there are very few Roman Abramovichs who are rugby league fans.  There has to be a decent business case.  What he has done is buy a club and spend money to take it to the top.  That is different from developing a new club.  Marwan Koukask is good for rugby league, but he has not developed the game much.

I realise they don't know about the game perhaps as I stated, and developing a new team is different.However,  I don't know why you think a wealthy person wouldn't consider financing the Antwerp Super Duper Heros RLFC or the St Petersburg Snow Leopards from the ground up.

[Exiled Wiganer]

4 minutes ago, The 4 of Us said:

Great sentiments but don’t worry a RL administrator will be along soon enough to distribute some moisture over your flickering match soon enough.

And there was me about to sign up to try to give it a nudge along the way...

[Bob8]

1 minute ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

My intention was to draw out the full range of prospects, without the need for any speculation as to Belgians or Russians. Simply extrapolating from what we already have in play. I think there are simply too many green shoots for us not to make major strides forward. Sure, some will fall short, but then others will emerge. The one thing we have got is a wonderful game, which is great to play, and great to watch in person and on TV. Just taking, say, Hawaii. We stayed with a family in California in the summer who had Hawaiian roots, who were explaining how close culturally they were to (other?) Pacific Islanders culturally. And we know how close communities they are... 

How can rugby league clubs be profitable.

If you can answer that, you have the answer. 

[The 4 of Us]

6 minutes ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

And there was me about to sign up to try to give it a nudge along the way...

I’m usually a glass half full but the way in which the RLWC has been managed and suggestions who may be parachuted into the RLIF role doesn’t inspire confidence. The game doesn’t deserve the players who don’t fail to put on a show on the pitch. I hope I’m wrong.

[Bob8]

1 hour ago, The 4 of Us said:

I’m usually a glass half full but the way in which the RLWC has been managed and suggestions who may be parachuted into the RLIF role doesn’t inspire confidence. The game doesn’t deserve the players who don’t fail to put on a show on the pitch. I hope I’m wrong.

The head of the RLIF is becoming a sinecure position when people are shuffled out of the way for being useless.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I am not Nigel Woods, by the way. 

The beauty of a lot of this though is that even useless administrators can’t cock it up, as it is grass roots generated. 

[headtackle]

I agree that we are on the verge of some exciting developments

The cynic and realist in me says that England could win the world cup and the RFL not have a clue how to capitalise on it 

[JoneslessBishop]

I think it’s unfair to suggest the game isn’t not ready to capitalise. TWP were admitted at a level that the game could tolerate at the time, but with that proof of concept there is no reason why other North American clubs can’t go in at a higher level.

The RFL stayed recently that the structure would stay the same in 2018 without any mention of 2019, whilst they wait for Mr Perez and potentially the NYC bid to get their ducks in a row. Current TV deal expires 2021, which will be an excellent opportunity for a restructure and to capitalise on the success of an ambitious World Cup.

Make it a four year one, and we can get an even bigger one to capitalise on 2025 in North America. The last TV deal brought great stability to the game. TWP and Toulouse have really freshened things up during it, and there is plenty of scope to bring new revenues and teams into the game.

[londonrlfan]

Interesting everyone always has plans to turn league 1 into some world league, but never to grow the sport in England. We still need teams in Liverpool, Manchester, a 2 NE, Birmingham/Nottingham and another London team imo. Ireland and Scotland won't happen, they barely exist beyond a kick around for union players to keep fit. The future is in the Balkans and maybe Poland and Spain.

Montreal and NYC getting to SL would be massive for the sport. I expect both to happen.

France need Toulouse in SL and a 3rd big city team to go full time as we'll as improve the standards in Elite. 

[JoneslessBishop]

1 hour ago, londonrlfan said:

Interesting everyone always has plans to turn league 1 into some world league, but never to grow the sport in England. We still need teams in Liverpool, Manchester, a 2 NE, Birmingham/Nottingham and another London team imo. Ireland and Scotland won't happen, they barely exist beyond a kick around for union players to keep fit. The future is in the Balkans and maybe Poland and Spain.

Montreal and NYC getting to SL would be massive for the sport. I expect both to happen.

France need Toulouse in SL and a 3rd big city team to go full time as we'll as improve the standards in Elite. 

We will only get big city teams in the UK if we raise the profile of the game. That happens in three ways:

* England wins the World Cup, maybe consistently.

* The likes of Toronto, NYC and Montreal become competive teams in SL.

* building on the above we are seen as a truly international sport. The World Cup in North America is a perfect way to do that, but venues and marketing must be perfect to prevent the often near empty stadia of this World Cup.  A good 2021 World Cup is an important 1st step.

Over the next 8 years there is good opportunity to deliver all these, so it’s an exciting time for our sport.

 

Ireland do have ambition to grow organically and deliver a League 1 team. They have advantage of using heritage players to make the team competive and thus raise their profile initially, so shouldn’t be written off.