New York team- $52 million funding over first 3 years

[jpmc]

1 hour ago, TheReaper said:

 

Look, if there truly aren't enough players and it declining like you say, then it's only a matter of time before no-one plays the game at all because it'll be dead in the UK. OR, if there are enough fans who want to pay to watch even though no locals are playing, I guess those fans will get over caring where those players come from. Nobody in Toronto cares where the Blue Jays players come from. There aren't that many MLB level Canadians, and the ones that exist are under no expectation to play for the Canadian team. I understand there is a cultural difference. But cultural differences are growing smaller all the time as the world globalizes, and professional sport is a business first and foremost. Change with the times or fall behind. Because like it or not, if RL takes off in the USA, they are going to be signing English players all they want. As it stands they're looking to do that as part of the RFL structures as a way to join an existing model instead of starting from scratch. So at least there's some level of integration and cooperation. If you kick them out or don't let them in then maybe the game doesn't  grow here, and best of luck with your declining numbers.

BUT, if there are new exciting teams in cool big cities to bring attention to the game, new sponsors and investors bringing money into the game, don't you think that more players might be interested in playing? That they might stick with the game longer if there's a better shot at making it, since there are more paying teams? And the greater resources mean they get treated better in pay and facilities? I think player retention will make a big difference- you can't "train up" those who quit cus it looked like a dead end.

 

[Captain Survival]

Oh my, I am visiting again for the first time in awhile (work) and it is like a form of self inflicted punishment to wade through this thread, which is more or less regurgitating the same points from the same parties as at least 25 others from the last 6 months.

So I will move on from that and throw out the following:

a) as my fellow Canadian krzzystuff said a couple of pages back Perez politely dismissed the notion that Hamilton was the next Canadian outlet, and all I can say for that is "Thank Goodness!".  But if there is a lack of perceived activity in respect of Montreal, there is another candidate none of us have considered, but which in many respects would be ideal:  Ottawa.

Its a large mostly modern city of 1M + people.  It has a municipally owned stadium smack in the middle of the city that would be ideal for rugby games and which can hold up to 20K.  There is a heavy high tech presence in the city with lots of money.  There is an established pro franchise (CFL) already in the city but it could also be the owners of the junior A hockey team (which is almost as big) to act as management and co-lead on ownership.  There are 2 large universities in the city ( Carleton U and last chance U (aka Ottawa U which by dint of hard work supplanted Carleton for that honour)) which have practice fields, facilities, etc. And it has a prime minister who is the champion of selfies and if he shows up so would the ladies in droves.

Its also a very easy commute from Montreal, Kingston and a manageable drive (by our standards) from Toronto, so an "away" crowd is a sure thing.

The negative is the weather.  Most sane people run from it.  The rest are stuck with it. I grew up there so I know....

b ) A concern reiterated in several comments is once again about the supply of players.  I will repeat my contention again that this is not an issue.  If we get even 3 teams going in NA, you will have more players popping out of the woodwork then one could ever desire.  Yes they will be raw at the outset.  It wont take long for that to change.

Every time a new sport has taken ahold in North America, within 3-5 yrs quality players started sprouting everywhere.  I don't think people in Europe understand the depth of the sporting culture here, particularly in the USA.  And the population is 400 million people.  Do you really believe you cannot find 200 quality rugby players in a population this large?

Here is a perspective.  At any one time there are millions of Americans attending university on sports scholarships.  Millions!  There are easily enough football rejects alone (probably a million just in that group) that if you are going to argue to me that we cannot find 200 quality individuals capable of making the transition to rugby, I will laugh you all the way to the moon, and back.  I was one of those multi-sport individuals once upon a time. 

Of all the issues of which I am concerned in respect of expansion: capable management, financial capacity, marketing prowess, and location being foremost among them, the one issue with which I do not fret at all is a supply of players.

Do I think that there could be a slight decline in the overall caliber of play while all the new blood gets up to speed? Perhaps.  However, how will you feel about 200 almost NFL quality players who can all run 60's faster then any player even in SL being a part of the talent pool.  And every one of them weighing in at 200+ pounds.  Except the number of athletes in contact sports here who can do that is not in the hundreds, but in the tens of thousands, at a minimum.

ok, long enough post.......

[westlondonfan]

Finding the right 200 individuals out of 400 million people sounds like a huge task by itself. I take your point though if the professional spots are there people will come. I am very excited by all this. It is a good time to be an RL fan.

[The Parksider]

21 hours ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

1. The basis of your argument is that there are not enough quality players and new ventures will dilute the 'quality' player pool.   I have yet to read anything from you that seeks to address this.

2. New York may begin to generate a greater level of media interest than TWP has. This may lead to a stronger more sustainable game. It may fail but I would rather the game had a go. 

3. What I find confusing is that you will be ok with investors i.e. New ventures if they invest in growth. But how the hell can a new venture start without players that can play at the standard?

1. I have posted many times how SKY/RFL/SL have addressed this through investing £17.8M in the Superleague club foundations. We can’t make kids play RL but we sure can go out and strongly encourage them and I take my hat off to the SL clubs running these foundations.

2. “Media interest” has to convert to such as a  bigger TV deal, a surge in kids playing, a big sponsorship of the league. North America has 60 cities. If there is a small pro-RL club in only six and half the fixtures are in Europe, how much actual north American “media interest” will that very thin coverage provide?

Meanwhile back in Europe the Superleague footprint will be down to also six clubs only, and half the fixtures will be being played an average of several thousand miles away. Media interest will decline here, certainly spectator interest will be decimated here with many traditional derbies consigned to the dustbin, You can’t spread Superleague out the 5,000 miles from Hull to LA and expect the media to show any great interest. 

3. Again I did several posts suggesting if SL goes licensed we can maybe use the Championship to develop overseas clubs. We already can have London, New York, Toulouse and Toronto.in there where lower level professionalism can be used to bring new players through. I do take Mr. Bishops point that if new clubs are not playing top flight they won’t be that attractive to youngsters taking up RL with them, but six NA clubs in SL would mean six English academies closing down ? Things really are not as easy as people think.

I take Mr. Reapers excellent point that if we don’t let NA clubs in SL they could form their own league and if that took off could drain us of our best players. If that is the case then why would Super league give them a head start? For me these businessmen have no sentiment, if their half of SL went great they’d look for another six North American clubs and give us the boot anyway. Let’s not all be so naïve?

We have enough owners but what we need to enlarge the game is more quality players, and I do not agree with Mr. Reapers suggestion there are enough quality players but protectionism is being used to up wages. Please all go back to how rubbish the teams at the bottom of SL were just before the 2015 cull with London, Bradford and Wakey all shipping in an average of over 40 points a game, causing their attendances to be well under half to a third of what they were in better days.

Be careful Toronto and New York don't end up in a similar position with all this wishful thinking. How will they fare if they come 11th, & 12th.

Finally Captain Survival says“You will have more (North American) players popping out of the woodwork then one could ever desire. Within 3-5 yrs quality players started sprouting everywhere. Do you really believe you cannot find 200 quality rugby players in a population this large?

To that I say....................

If money and players is not a problem then do go ahead and start your own league please do not ruin ours.

[Harry Stottle]

8 hours ago, Captain Survival said:

Oh my, I am visiting again for the first time in awhile (work) and it is like a form of self inflicted punishment to wade through this thread, which is more or less regurgitating the same points from the same parties as at least 25 others from the last 6 months.

So I will move on from that and throw out the following:

a) as my fellow Canadian krzzystuff said a couple of pages back Perez politely dismissed the notion that Hamilton was the next Canadian outlet, and all I can say for that is "Thank Goodness!".  But if there is a lack of perceived activity in respect of Montreal, there is another candidate none of us have considered, but which in many respects would be ideal:  Ottawa.

Its a large mostly modern city of 1M + people.  It has a municipally owned stadium smack in the middle of the city that would be ideal for rugby games and which can hold up to 20K.  There is a heavy high tech presence in the city with lots of money.  There is an established pro franchise (CFL) already in the city but it could also be the owners of the junior A hockey team (which is almost as big) to act as management and co-lead on ownership.  There are 2 large universities in the city ( Carleton U and last chance U (aka Ottawa U which by dint of hard work supplanted Carleton for that honour)) which have practice fields, facilities, etc. And it has a prime minister who is the champion of selfies and if he shows up so would the ladies in droves.

Its also a very easy commute from Montreal, Kingston and a manageable drive (by our standards) from Toronto, so an "away" crowd is a sure thing.

The negative is the weather.  Most sane people run from it.  The rest are stuck with it. I grew up there so I know....

b ) A concern reiterated in several comments is once again about the supply of players.  I will repeat my contention again that this is not an issue.  If we get even 3 teams going in NA, you will have more players popping out of the woodwork then one could ever desire.  Yes they will be raw at the outset.  It wont take long for that to change.

Every time a new sport has taken ahold in North America, within 3-5 yrs quality players started sprouting everywhere.  I don't think people in Europe understand the depth of the sporting culture here, particularly in the USA.  And the population is 400 million people.  Do you really believe you cannot find 200 quality rugby players in a population this large?

Here is a perspective.  At any one time there are millions of Americans attending university on sports scholarships.  Millions!  There are easily enough football rejects alone (probably a million just in that group) that if you are going to argue to me that we cannot find 200 quality individuals capable of making the transition to rugby, I will laugh you all the way to the moon, and back.  I was one of those multi-sport individuals once upon a time. 

Of all the issues of which I am concerned in respect of expansion: capable management, financial capacity, marketing prowess, and location being foremost among them, the one issue with which I do not fret at all is a supply of players.

Do I think that there could be a slight decline in the overall caliber of play while all the new blood gets up to speed? Perhaps.  However, how will you feel about 200 almost NFL quality players who can all run 60's faster then any player even in SL being a part of the talent pool.  And every one of them weighing in at 200+ pounds.  Except the number of athletes in contact sports here who can do that is not in the hundreds, but in the tens of thousands, at a minimum.

ok, long enough post.......

Have you made a career from being a professional sportsman Captain?

Just wondering, is it relatively easy to make the transition from trying and playing a number of disciplines as an amateur to be being a full time payed professional in the North American continent.

Like yourself, I was one of those multi-sport individuals - actually quite like that phraseology, I will use that in my next CV - at Rugby League, Swimming, Soccer, Cricket, Golf, Table Tennis, Darts, Snooker and represted clubs and teams in all of them to quite a good standard amongst my opponents, but well below the standard required to make a living out of any of them, maybe because there are 65 million to choose from in the UK.

Actually that is stupid assessment I make in referance to the 65 million as is your number of 400 million in the North Americas, we both know we can keep norrowing down those numbers by gender, age, sporting prowess, etc etc till we come to a finite number.

Also in referance to the second highlighted sentance, "Perhaps" do not delude yourself that what you are viewing from the sidelines is anything other than a very hard multi-faceted multi skilled game to be at a good enough standard to compete well enough to be a professional at, it takes years of learning all the disciplines to become adept at, just like your NFL single function players train at to become a blocker or wide reciever or running back or quaterback or.... get my drift.

Thirdly, I expect that this pool of for want of a better term rejects from their preferred contact sports is a growing pool year on year, in that the TWP had so many open invitation days to trial native North Americans to asses basic skill levels, apptitude and attitude (this board was going into raptures of the expected talent explosion) and I should imagine other athletes desperately seeking a professional career would have contacted the TWP also over the last two years, where are they?

Championship 1 that the TWP played in is and I do not wish to insult anybody not a very good standard and if players were going to be blooded it should have been in that division, that reluctance to play newbies will be greater in the Championship, and if they do get into the SL will be almost non existance for a good number of years.

Having said all that, there will be the odd exception who will come through, it will happen, but the way to find those athletes in numbers is through an infrastructure were youngsters can play, develop and have a structured pathway for better competition for the elite junior player's to travel down to becoming professional, like anything in nature it does just not happen it has to 'Evolve' and Rugby League is no different.

Last point, 3 years ago one of the best Rugby League players on this planet Jarred Hayne tried to make the transition in the opposite direction to the NFL, he failed, the games are so different to adapt to, even modern day League and Union do not cross codes as readily and easily as they once did.

Thank you for your post Captain, it gave me the opportunity to air my views, and that is what they are my views, some will chastise me for them, the odd one may agree, good debate.

 

 

[damp squib]

The player supply issue is a complete red herring. I guarantee you that the same people making that argument could also be found on other threads complaining about Aussies imports not giving young English lads a chance. It's a totally disingenuous argument.

The new clubs will eventually expand the player pool but in the short/medium term there are thousands of extremely talented RL players in Australia desperate for a pro contract who can plug any player shortfall.

[damp squib]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Last point, 3 years ago one of the best Rugby League players on this planet Jarred Hayne tried to make the transition in the opposite direction to the NRL, he failed,

 

If you think making 8 appearances for an NFL team at the age of 27 having never played the game before is failure I don't know what to say to you.

[Harry Stottle]

Just now, damp squib said:

If you think making 8 appearances for an NFL team at the age of 27 having never played the game before is failure I don't know what to say to you.

The reason he is back in RL does not really deem him to be a success does it. 

 

[Pulga]

1 minute ago, Harry Stottle said:

The reason he is back in RL does not really deem him to be a success does it. 

 

Rumour was he was in for a new contract with SF. He didn't seem to want to be there.

[Harry Stottle]

Just now, Pulga said:

Rumour was he was in for a new contract with SF. He didn't seem to want to be there.

I would say and I may be totally wrong,  Mr Hayne does seem quite mercenary in that he will find his way to the brightest shilling on offer, how much would he have earned over there.

[Bob8]

11 minutes ago, damp squib said:

The player supply issue is a complete red herring. I guarantee you that the same people making that argument could also be found on other threads complaining about Aussies imports not giving young English lads a chance. It's a totally disingenuous argument.

The new clubs will eventually expand the player pool but in the short/medium term there are thousands of extremely talented RL players in Australia desperate for a pro contract who can plug any player shortfall.

Quite.

It is worht bearing in mond that when a poster refers to this issue not being addressed, they are referring to posts like this that address it directly.

[JoneslessBishop]

1 hour ago, The Parksider said:

1. I have posted many times how SKY/RFL/SL have addressed this through investing £17.8M in the Superleague club foundations. We can’t make kids play RL but we sure can go out and strongly encourage them and I take my hat off to the SL clubs running these foundations.

2. “Media interest” has to convert to such as a much bigger TV deal, a surge in kids playing, and  a big sponsorship of the league. North America has 60 cities. If there is a small pro-RL club in only six and half the fixtures are in Europe, how much actual north American “media interest” will that thin coverage provide?

Meanwhile back in Europe the Superleague footprint will be down to also six clubs only, and half the fixtures will be being played an average of several thousand miles away. Media interest may very well decline here, certainly spectator interest will be decimated here with many traditional derbies consigned to the dustbin, You can’t spread Superleague out the 5,000 miles from Hull to LA and expect to get any great nett significant increase in media coverage from that, the odds are spread it too far and too thin and media coverage may well show a nett fall.

3. Again I did several posts suggesting if SL goes licensed we can maybe use the Championship to develop overseas clubs. We already can have London, New York, Toulouse and Toronto.in there where lower level professionalism can be used to bring new players through. I do take Mr. Bishops point that if new clubs are not playing top flight they won’t be that attractive to youngsters taking up RL with them, but why dump academies in places like Huddersfield, Wakefield, Castleford and Widnes for academies in places kids don’t play RL?

I take Mr. Reapers excellent point that if we don’t let NA clubs in SL they could form their own league and if that took off could drain us of our best players. If that is the case then why would Super league give them a head start? For me these businessmen have no sentiment, if their half of SL went great they’d look for another six North American clubs and give us the boot anyway. Let’s not all be so naïve?

4. Lower entry cost has been taken up many times at several clubs Hudgell, Campbell, O’Connor, Koukash, Davey, Beaumont. Kurdi have all walked in to pick up clubs for a song. Your point?

We have enough owners but what we need to enlarge the game is more quality players, and I do not agree with Mr. Reapers suggestion there are enough quality players but protectionism is being used to up wages. Please all go back to how rubbish the teams at the bottom of SL were just before the 2015 cull with London, Bradford and Wakey all shipping in an average of over 40 points a game, causing their attendances to be well under half of what they were in better days.

Be careful Toronto and New York don't end up in a similar position with all this wishful thinking.

Finally Captain Survival says“You will have more (North American) players popping out of the woodwork then one could ever desire. Within 3-5 yrs quality players started sprouting everywhere. Do you really believe you cannot find 200 quality rugby players in a population this large?

To that I say....................

If money and players is not a problem then do go ahead and start your own league please do not ruin ours.

1. As you kindly accept in point 3, SL clubs do produce players. A new broadcast deal in 2021 could considerably increase SkyTry style initiaves, increasing the player pool both in the UK and North America.

 

2. Media interest is exactly that. In the media. It doesn’t need to be geographically spread. Millions more Americans watch the Premier League than MLS with no geographic tie. But if geographic interest is all that is generated in 6 NA cities with populations greater than 30 mln, that dwarfs the populations currently watching SL.

 

3. We don’t need to materially lose an SL clubs. Conferencing is the clear solution by the time we get to 5-6 NA clubs in c. 8 years time. A heritage conference, and a transatlantic conference, including the likes of London, Catalan and Toulouse. Means we keep all the local derbies, and only 3-4 transatlantic away games for heritage teams in the cross-conference games. They can be scheduled in two blocks of 1 week around school holidays for fans to build holidays around. You are quick to suggest we have mimicked other sports structures (Super8s). Why not mimick Pro14, but with far more glamour? 

 

4. London and Bradford were not attracting the likes of Morris, Gallen, Hayne and Burgess, all of whom have made expressions. They won’t all come but others will. Please don’t allude to a different time when this is a game changer.

[Harry Stottle]

13 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

Quite.

It is worht bearing in mond that when a poster refers to this issue not being addressed, they are referring to posts like this that address it directly.

Bob, only the other day am I correct in recalling that you intimated that a player coming into Rugby League would need to do so by a certain age to become adept at it, if it ws not youself please accept my apoligies.

[Bob8]

6 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Bob, only the other day am I correct in recalling that you intimated that a player coming into Rugby League would need to do so by a certain age to become adept at it, if it ws not youself please accept my apoligies.

It was me.

It might be able to get a couple fairly quickly, but it would be about ten years in my opinion before a regular supply of top line players is likely achievable.   

I have never argued that this development is 100% good, there are downsides.  Several of them are related to distance

[Toby Chopra]

32 minutes ago, damp squib said:

The player supply issue is a complete red herring. I guarantee you that the same people making that argument could also be found on other threads complaining about Aussies imports not giving young English lads a chance. It's a totally disingenuous argument.

The new clubs will eventually expand the player pool but in the short/medium term there are thousands of extremely talented RL players in Australia desperate for a pro contract who can plug any player shortfall.

Exactly this.

I actually agree with much of Mr Parksider''s analysis of the state of our game, and the potential risks of the North American project. I feel he rightly punctured some of the blind optimism that many on here had that it was impossible to fail.

But on the point of the players, it's a red herring. The point of Toronto, NY etc is that potentially, they can generate the sort of revenue in their markets that our most successful clubs do, so another couple of Wigans or Leeds, not more Widnes or Leighs.

More teams with playing budgets of the first pair means we can start repatriating some of the NRL Brits and bid for a better standard of aussie.  So in theory there's an unlimited supply of good players it's just our weakest current clubs can't afford them. Maybe NY could.

[JoneslessBishop]

8 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Bob, only the other day am I correct in recalling that you intimated that a player coming into Rugby League would need to do so by a certain age to become adept at it, if it ws not youself please accept my apoligies.

Jermaine McGilvery only took up aged 16. Regan Grace similarly. Whilst many have cited the college players who don’t make NFL and CFL, there is a huge number who don’t make college. For me these are the riper target. Plus tens of thousands with RU experience. If NA teams in 10 years time have homegrown forwards, centers or wingers, and British or Aussies half backs, won’t be much different to other SL teams. There nation teams won’t be much different to the Pacific Islanders who are always a bit week in the pivots 

[Harry Stottle]

20 minutes ago, JoneslessBishop said:

Jermaine McGilvery only took up aged 16. Regan Grace similarly. Whilst many have cited the college players who don’t make NFL and CFL, there is a huge number who don’t make college. For me these are the riper target. Plus tens of thousands with RU experience. If NA teams in 10 years time have homegrown forwards, centers or wingers, and British or Aussies half backs, won’t be much different to other SL teams. There nation teams won’t be much different to the Pacific Islanders who are always a bit week in the pivots 

Of course there are going to exceptions to rule, it is like saying the average height of men in the UK is 5'-10" and someone saying well I saw a man at 6'-3" the other day, rather stating the obvious would you not say.

So those in the riper target market in N. America by what method will you bring them through to professional level, would you just have regular auditions which has been TWP's model up to now, and having done that keep playing behind closed doors trial matches?

They need and require a proper structured pathway, I have no doubt there will be talent there and that may or may not happen, but if it does you are looking at 20 to 30 years.

[Bob8]

34 minutes ago, JoneslessBishop said:

Jermaine McGilvery only took up aged 16. Regan Grace similarly. Whilst many have cited the college players who don’t make NFL and CFL, there is a huge number who don’t make college. For me these are the riper target. Plus tens of thousands with RU experience. If NA teams in 10 years time have homegrown forwards, centers or wingers, and British or Aussies half backs, won’t be much different to other SL teams. There nation teams won’t be much different to the Pacific Islanders who are always a bit week in the pivots 

Regan Grace had a background in rugby union I believe.  There will be some who can make the switch quicky and easily, but they will be few.  

[Bob8]

 

37 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

Exactly this.

I actually agree with much of Mr Parksider''s analysis of the state of our game, and the potential risks of the North American project. I feel he rightly punctured some of the blind optimism that many on here had that it was impossible to fail.

I probably seem fairly balanced to you.  He will often portray me as not accepting that there is any downside and then highlight thinkgs I have already referred to.  The blind optimiism he refutes is largely his own fiction.  I struggle to cite any, let alone a large number who would argue that there is no risk of failure.   

37 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

But on the point of the players, it's a red herring. The point of Toronto, NY etc is that potentially, they can generate the sort of revenue in their markets that our most successful clubs do, so another couple of Wigans or Leeds, not more Widnes or Leighs.

Indeed.  And, that is regretful for clubs like Widnes and Leigh.  They are assets to the and do huge amounts to promot the game in Widnes and Leigh.  Their sporting and community value is immense, their commercial value to Super League (beyond the essential task of making up the numbers) is far less.

41 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

More teams with playing budgets of the first pair means we can start repatriating some of the NRL Brits and bid for a better standard of aussie.  So in theory there's an unlimited supply of good players it's just our weakest current clubs can't afford them. Maybe NY could.

Commercaily this is great.  It will ultimately mean that some clubs are priced out of Super League, which would be a shame.  At the moment, we have oppotunity borne out of weakness.  IN the future, there might be pain from the renewed strength.  

 

 

[Adelaide Tiger]

Parksider, you and I will always be poles apart on this.  So rather than responding to your comments and then you responding to mine et al. I thought I would create a telephone conversation between the RFL and the New York venture based on what I think your position is.

RFL 'Now how much money is your consortium putting into the venture'

NY '52 big ones'

RFL 'cough, cough ... 52 big ones .... really.  Wow!! we once let Scarborough Pirates in and they only stumped up £50,000.  It's a real triumph for the RFL thst you are putting in £52,000'

NY 'No we are putting up $52 million over three years'

Sound of a chair falling over and items hitting the floor ...

RFL 'Ffffffff .. fifty two MILLION ... oh my oh my'. Hand goes over mouthpiece  a muffled voice is heard saying 'Nigel come here and listen to this ... I think we have Abramovitch on the phone'  A chair with a squeaky wheel is heard coming closer to the phone.

NY 'Yes, and we have a business plan as well'

 RFL  ......  whispers in the background 'Nige they have 52 million AND a Business Plan what the hell do we do'  Nige whispers back 'This'll ###### everything up.  How can Oldham, Swinton and Hemel compete with this.  We must put a stop to this'

NY 'What did you say?'

Nigel whispers something to the RFL spokesman .....

RFL 'Ahem, Nigel says that you cannot sign any UK based players and all of your players must have been born within sight of the Christmas tree where Kate McAllister found her son Kevin'

NY 'Why?'

RFL 'Because it is Mr Wood's favourite scene in the film.  By the way Mr Wood is asking if are your investors are called Harry and Marv'

NY 'No'

RFL spokesman to Nige 'Harry and Marv aren't involved so they must be legit'  Nige whispers 'Ok, but if they can't sign UK players then we have got them and we can keep the status quo'

RFL ' Errr ....Forget about Harry and Marv ..... but you cannot sign any UK based players'

NY 'Why?'

Nige comes up with an idea that can deflect the blame from him ....

RFL 'Errr .. Because a Mr Parksider says that if you sign 10 UK based players our game will cease to exist'

NY 'So you want us to put up $52 million and then put a team together based on them being birn within sight of a location used in Home Alone 1 and then try to compete?'

RFL 'Yep'

NY 'Seeing Nigel Wood likes to promote rugby union by wearing their scarf does he know the phone number of the RFU because we might as well talk to them'

[jpmc]

12 minutes ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

Parksider, you and I will always be poles apart on this.  So rather than responding to your comments and then you responding to mine et al. I thought I would create a telephone conversation between the RFL and the New York venture based on what I think your position is.

RFL 'Now how much money is your consortium putting into the venture'

NY '52 big ones'

RFL 'cough, cough ... 52 big ones .... really.  Wow!! we once let Scarborough Pirates in and they only stumped up £50,000.  It's a real triumph for the RFL thst you are putting in £52,000'

NY 'No we are putting up $52 million over three years'

Sound of a chair falling over and items hitting the floor ...

RFL 'Ffffffff .. fifty two MILLION ... oh my oh my'. Hand goes over mouthpiece  a muffled voice is heard saying 'Nigel come here and listen to this ... I think we have Abramovitch on the phone'  A chair with a squeaky wheel is heard coming closer to the phone.

NY 'Yes, and we have a business plan as well'

 RFL  ......  whispers in the background 'Nige they have 52 million AND a Business Plan what the hell do we do'  Nige whispers back 'This'll ###### everything up.  How can wigan,warrington and st helens compete with this.  We must put a stop to this'

NY 'What did you say?'

Nigel whispers something to the RFL spokesman .....

RFL 'Ahem, Nigel says that you cannot sign any UK based players and all of your players must have been born within sight of the Christmas tree where Kate McAllister found her son Kevin'

NY 'Why?'

RFL 'Because it is Mr Wood's favourite scene in the film.  By the way Mr Wood is asking if are your investors are called Harry and Marv'

NY 'No'

RFL spokesman to Nige 'Harry and Marv aren't involved so they must be legit'  Nige whispers 'Ok, but if they can't sign UK players then we have got them and we can keep the status quo'

RFL ' Errr ....Forget about Harry and Marv ..... but you cannot sign any UK based players'

NY 'Why?'

Nige comes up with an idea that can deflect the blame from him ....

RFL 'Errr .. Because a Mr Parksider says that if you sign 10 UK based players our game will cease to exist'

NY 'So you want us to put up $52 million and then put a team together based on them being birn within sight of a location used in Home Alone 1 and then try to compete?'

RFL 'Yep'

NY 'Seeing Nigel Wood likes to promote rugby union by wearing their scarf does he know the phone number of the RFU because we might as well talk to them'

Ive altered your post for a bit more realism.

Dont hate me for it:}

[Adelaide Tiger]

3 minutes ago, jpmc said:

Ive altered your post for a bit more realism.

Dont hate me for it:}

Not at all.  Your amendments read a lot better.

[JoneslessBishop]

1 hour ago, Bob8 said:

Regan Grace had a background in rugby union I believe.  There will be some who can make the switch quicky and easily, but they will be few.  

But in 10 yeas time by that logic, if we have 5 NA clubs who have produced 3-4 SL quality players, wont the USA and Canada have far better Interntional teams. If the likes of Burgess, Hayne etc have graced our League again won’t it be a better standard. And as Parky atests, SL clubs raise the standard of players, the rest brought in from elsewhere won’t have reduced the standard. Add significant revenues that can improve the game, aren’t we winning on 4 fronts.

 

We can build to that stage, and we might not complete every milestone. Some clubs might fail. But so have many clubs before and here we are 126 years later. So what have we got to lose? 

 

P.S. I did mention Union players as well in the post you quoted.

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, JoneslessBishop said:

Jermaine McGilvery only took up aged 16. Regan Grace similarly. Whilst many have cited the college players who don’t make NFL and CFL, there is a huge number who don’t make college. For me these are the riper target. Plus tens of thousands with RU experience. If NA teams in 10 years time have homegrown forwards, centers or wingers, and British or Aussies half backs, won’t be much different to other SL teams. There nation teams won’t be much different to the Pacific Islanders who are always a bit week in the pivots 

How do we watch or hear of the players who don’t make College?  Is there an underlying American Football league at a lower level?  Genuine question as I don’t know.  

I certainly think that the lack of politics (appears to me) with RU in NA, makes recruiting/trialling  those players easier.  

 

[Bob8]

4 minutes ago, JoneslessBishop said:

But in 10 yeas time by that logic, if we have 5 NA clubs who have produced 3-4 SL quality players, wont the USA and Canada have far better Interntional teams. If the likes of Burgess, Hayne etc have graced our League again won’t it be a better standard. And as Parky atests, SL clubs raise the standard of players, the rest brought in from elsewhere won’t have reduced the standard. Add significant revenues that can improve the game, aren’t we winning on 4 fronts.

 

We can build to that stage, and we might not complete every milestone. Some clubs might fail. But so have many clubs before and here we are 126 years later. So what have we got to lose? 

 

P.S. I did mention Union players as well in the post you quoted.

YOu seem to think that I am against the NA clubs.  I have heard some disappointing things and there are drawbacks, but the state of the game at the moment means we are lucky to have this break.  

I hope NY are vetted and get the thumbs up.

And, I still think ten years is a reasonable time to wait.