Eddie Hearn ' Monitoring RL'

[themainbrace]

There seems to be a lot of discussion about Eddie Hearn and Matchroom but we're often talking about very different roles depending on the posting.  It's interesting that they have thrived in sports that are based on the individual, a team sport like Rugby League would be a different kettle of fish.

He/They may make a decent fist of running a particular club but some people are talking about a bigger role than that.  But you could argue that they were able to influence Darts and Snooker because they are both sports with relatively little infrastructure  with little international aspect.  Rugby League would be a very different challenge.

Eddie Hearn may be a decent candidate as CEO of the RFL - I do like a lot of what he has said, but I'd expect the CEO to be focused on that role.  We're too big a sport for us just to be part of someone's portfolio.

 

[Krzzystuff]

20 hours ago, themainbrace said:

There seems to be a lot of discussion about Eddie Hearn and Matchroom but we're often talking about very different roles depending on the posting.  It's interesting that they have thrived in sports that are based on the individual, a team sport like Rugby League would be a different kettle of fish.

He/They may make a decent fist of running a particular club but some people are talking about a bigger role than that.  But you could argue that they were able to influence Darts and Snooker because they are both sports with relatively little infrastructure  with little international aspect.  Rugby League would be a very different challenge.

Eddie Hearn may be a decent candidate as CEO of the RFL - I do like a lot of what he has said, but I'd expect the CEO to be focused on that role.  We're too big a sport for us just to be part of someone's portfolio.

 

Promotion and marketing, negotiating TV deals, using alternative media for exposure that's what RL needs to be going after. I think that Hearn is the best candidate for this than anyone associated with the RLF because there is an inferiority complex that has creeped it's way into the DNA of RL...need fresh uncontaminated blood to come it and get this ship sailing again.

[EastLondonMike]

Orient was 'explored' by London at the time of moving around, but was too expensive apparently.

[Lowdesert]

21 hours ago, themainbrace said:

There seems to be a lot of discussion about Eddie Hearn and Matchroom but we're often talking about very different roles depending on the posting.  It's interesting that they have thrived in sports that are based on the individual, a team sport like Rugby League would be a different kettle of fish.

He/They may make a decent fist of running a particular club but some people are talking about a bigger role than that.  But you could argue that they were able to influence Darts and Snooker because they are both sports with relatively little infrastructure  with little international aspect.  Rugby League would be a very different challenge.

Eddie Hearn may be a decent candidate as CEO of the RFL - I do like a lot of what he has said, but I'd expect the CEO to be focused on that role.  We're too big a sport for us just to be part of someone's portfolio.

 

We should be welcoming sporting entrepreneurs into the game, for their eye in developing competitions alone.  Is RL such a challenge?  

Imo, there is no reason why the challenge cup shouldn’t be sold out year on year, or the GF.  Magic could quite easily be a festival of rugby, aside from the games themselves, rather than a shuffle of the teams to make certain the final day isn’t an anti climax.  

RL hasn’t ever been shy of trying different things but seems to be reluctant to sell the game big style.  

 

[Yakstorm]

I agree that CEO is possibly not a role Eddie is quite right for not possibly interested in, however that is no reason why we can't play to his strengths and still get him and his company to help us as a code.

Considering events and making events bigger are arguably the Hearn's bread and butter, we should be trying to work out a deal with him around our core properties.

Naturally SL GF, CC Final and Magic are obvious ones which I'm sure they'd happily take on, but we should also be trying to sell some of our other inventory.

Summer Bash, CC Semi Finals and England matches are obvious ones. Maybe if we sold the England matches to a third party, it would guarantee them playing at home each year.

We could even create some new properties like Nines.

Work out an appropriate underwrite so the RFL is no worse off financially if they bomb and then appropriate rev share so there is significant up side to Eddie and co to perform.

[Bedford Roughyed]

Brian McDermott joining in the debate on 5live this morning.  BBC making a bit of a thing of it.  Not the most positive story to start the new season with (RL ‘static’).

[The Daddy]

Interesting comments 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/eddie-hearn-opens-possibility-reviving-11945250.amp?__twitter_impression=true

 

[Lewis]

44 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Interesting comments 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/eddie-hearn-opens-possibility-reviving-11945250.amp?__twitter_impression=true

 

It is interesting. 

To use the Darts analogy, I see the Lenagan-led Super Clubs as the "PDC (initially WDC)" whilst the old blazers at the RFL play the role of the "BDO". 

I think the SL clubs, players, CEO's are much more likely to be receptive to Matchroom' involvement.

The RFL suits more likely to adopt a "we like the way things are" stance.

Let's see where we are in 12 months as there is plenty up in the air.

[Man of Kent]

23 minutes in

[Mattrhino]

He is right, we criminally undersell our games personalities, In fact we have none. If people think of RL they think Martin Offiah who was in his pomp 25 years ago and Jason Robinson who finished playing RL 20 years ago.

[Mattrhino]

We have had players just as good as them in the last 20 years but we just don't get them out into the media.

[Dave T]

Sam Tomkins and Sam Burgess have been  couple of the biggest names from English RL in recent years. 

Sinfield and Peacock and Long etc. in recent history. 

The point is valid, but once again Hearn is playing to the fans when making statements like the 'game is on its knees'.

[Bob8]

On 1/22/2018 at 10:05 PM, Tre Cool said:

Yeah what a useless place to play. An affordable stadium with great bar, pitch, and a capacity well above the average attendance for the Broncos and the league they play in. 

Indeed.

People have very set ideas about what success looks like and cannot recognise it in any other form.  Much more could be made of Trail Finders, the craft ale bar and local culture could be added to make each game an event for a young and wealthy population.

[roughyedspud]

"Matchroom magic" never worked at leyton orient did it!!

Stick to promoting two guys punching each other,chucking darts at a board or hitting balls round a table....team sports are completely different....as the hearns know with leyton orient,1 promotion in 19years from what I can tell? Matchroom magic my ###### lol

As for Eddie being a RFL CEO candidate lol he's hosting/promoting fights literally every two weeks,Matchroom have just opened a office in the states..he doesn't have any time to take on RL too..

[Dave T]

2 minutes ago, roughyedspud said:

"Matchroom magic" never worked at leyton orient did it!!

Stick to promoting two guys punching each other,chucking darts at a board or hitting balls round a table....team sports are completely different....as the hearns know with leyton orient,1 promotion in 19years from what I can tell? Matchroom magic my are lol

As for Eddie being a RFL CEO candidate lol he's hosting/promoting fights literally every two weeks,Matchroom have just opened a office in the states..he doesn't have any time to take on RL too..

I suspect he would also find that RL isn't quite 'on it's knees' and crowds wouldn't double under his reign, sponsors wouldn't flock, and Sky wouldn't suddenly pay double the £200m.

I firmly believe there is growth in RL, but some of Hearn's previous efforts, particularly darts and snooker have seen wider changes as those sports needed to move into the modern times - RL is already there, but just needs to be better at it.

That isn't to say that they couldn't improve things, but in three years they would still be getting the same stick that all RFL leaders have had.

[Mattrhino]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Sam Tomkins and Sam Burgess have been  couple of the biggest names from English RL in recent years. 

Sinfield and Peacock and Long etc. in recent history. 

The point is valid, but once again Hearn is playing to the fans when making statements like the 'game is on its knees'.

Yeah Burgess is known for failing at the RUWC (whether you think its true or not) and SKY did have a go at making Tomkins a cross over star but it didn't work. Sinfield,JP and Longy are legends in the game but none became UK household names Like Offiah,Robinson and Hanley for example.

[Mattrhino]

The whole RL family managed to get Sinny the 2nd place SPOTY but most of the viewers didn't even know who he was despite being one of the most decorated players in our sport.

[Cookiepuss]

If we really haven't got a full-time PR officer then we're definitely going to struggle to promote our stars.

There doesn't seem to be much lateral thinking about where they can feature either. With all the fuss about Veganuary did anyone see if we could get Anthony Mulally for example on something like C4's Sunday Brunch?

Last Sunday would have been ideal. A week ahead of the season launch, a vegan RL player back from the World Cup, co-host Simon Rimmer runs a very successful vegetarian restaurant.

At least pitch the idea to the show.

He's getting plenty of press and lifestyle coverage from bloggers so there's evidence to back up why he should be on.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Mattrhino said:

Yeah Burgess is known for failing at the RUWC (whether you think its true or not) and SKY did have a go at making Tomkins a cross over star but it didn't work. Sinfield,JP and Longy are legends in the game but none became UK household names Like Offiah,Robinson and Hanley for example.

Burgess' had a lot of promotion during the 2013 RLWC - plenty of coverage about him and his brothers.

I think we overstate how much these older legend players were really household names. And in any cases we still struggled for sponsors, apart from booze and fags.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Burgess' had a lot of promotion during the 2013 RLWC - plenty of coverage about him and his brothers.

I think we overstate how much these older legend players were really household names. And in any cases we still struggled for sponsors, apart from booze and fags.

How many darts players are genuine household names on a par with Bristow, Jocky Wilson etc? Few years ago I saw Phil Taylor on a daytime quiz show with the thing being that no one knew who he was and had to guess whether he genuinely was a world champion.

Who's the current snooker world champion?

[deluded pom?]

2 hours ago, Cookiepuss said:

With all the fuss about Veganuary

I hadn't even heard of it until I read your post.

[Dave T]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

How many darts players are genuine household names on a par with Bristow, Jocky Wilson etc? Few years ago I saw Phil Taylor on a daytime quiz show with the thing being that no one knew who he was and had to guess whether he genuinely was a world champion.

Who's the current snooker world champion?

Yep. Its the point i have been making about Union players. Sure they get more coverage than us but hardly household names.

Its unrealistic i think to expect us to have a load of household names.

Even some of those Olympic Champions from Super Saturday will be known by only small parts of the population. 

In terms of British sports stars beibg true household names i think it is probably a couple of handfuls.

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

Yep. Its the point i have been making about Union players. Sure they get more coverage than us but hardly household names.

Its unrealistic i think to expect us to have a load of household names.

Even some of those Olympic Champions from Super Saturday will be known by only small parts of the population. 

In terms of British sports stars beibg true household names i think it is probably a couple of handfuls.

By and large I think sport is significantly less central to the day to day lives of most people than it was 30 years ago.

On the other hand, I doubt anyone in 1988 could name any champion ballroom dancers.

[Scubby]

7 hours ago, Dave T said:

Sam Tomkins and Sam Burgess have been  couple of the biggest names from English RL in recent years. 

Sinfield and Peacock and Long etc. in recent history. 

The point is valid, but once again Hearn is playing to the fans when making statements like the 'game is on its knees'.

What Hearn shows us is how an outsider sees the game. I think we should should steer well clear of the Hearns - unless it was in relation to a particular event like Magic or a SL 9s. What the game is crying out for though is a leader who can influence, articulate and push hard for his or her vision for the game in this country. I really can't see anyone within the game who is a standout candidate. 

[Dave T]

19 minutes ago, Scubby said:

What Hearn shows us is how an outsider sees the game. I think we should should steer well clear of the Hearns - unless it was in relation to a particular event like Magic or a SL 9s. What the game is crying out for though is a leader who can influence, articulate and push hard for his or her vision for the game in this country. I really can't see anyone within the game who is a standout candidate. 

Wood has managed to convince all sorts of people to do all sorts apparently.

What people really want is somebody who pushes through a vision of the game they agree with 100%.