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Hudgell - left hook for Hetherington, right cross for Chalmers, Liverpool kiss for TWP!


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He says nowt though does he? What is their vision and how can they answer their "unanswered questions"? (The main one being who is paying Elstone's six-figure salary.)

Just having a go at other club owners and other clubs is simply a distraction from the real issues and fighting in public isn't advancing the sport one iota. It's about time these folk had a long serious conversation in private and came to some sensible conclusions.

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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2 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Excellent article that I found myself agreeing with. 

Viva La Revolution. 

A tautology isn't logic though, is it?

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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The only interesting bit in that rant was:

The structure we’ve got is broken, it doesn’t work, fans don’t like it, broadcaster doesn’t like it, crowds are down, the product on the field is suffering, it needs fixing.

Now certain posters keep telling us that Sky like the current structure and want it to remain. This appears to suggest otherwise 

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“The current state of play is that Super League has appointed its own CEO in Robert Elstone, who is at heart, very much a life long rugby league fan,” said Hudgell.
“So he understands the game from that perspective, but has been recruited primarily for his commercial and business nous, gained through decades of experience at Premier league football, Sky TV and other places.
From the Super League’s perspective, the dialogue and conversation rests with Robert to articulate our collective views across the game with the RFL and the Championship clubs, who have been very vocal in how they think the game should go forward.
“It’s at a delicate stage the negotiation, so it’s not for me to start to articulate detailed views that sit outside the direction of travel agreed between the clubs."

And then he goes off on one anyway.

Elstone must be tearing his hair out trying to lead this lot anywhere.

 

.

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Is it really necessary for a supercilious solicitor to come out with indolent invective and make the entire sport,from bottom to top,

lose any credibility for the Family Game?

Why get personal,if his ideas are the panacea for all the ills of the sport?

The legal system has ruined the country that is England,and now this buffoon,with his insults,wants to ruin the sport.

He should have more respect for his betters.

 

     No reserves,but resilience,persistence and determination are omnipotent.                       

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Always interesting to read these honest views, but he doesn't come across well on his comments on Hetherington and Bradford Bulls. In fact a Director of SLE making an accusation like he does should be challenged.

Things like moaning about Visas is embarrassing. 

Telling people to get back in their box is even worse.

He seems like a grade A tool.

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7 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Always interesting to read these honest views, but he doesn't come across well on his comments on Hetherington and Bradford Bulls. In fact a Director of SLE making an accusation like he does should be challenged.

Things like moaning about Visas is embarrassing. 

Telling people to get back in their box is even worse.

He seems like a grade A tool.

.....and it's he and his ilk who are going to lead the sport to the promised land........????

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About as vile an ad hominem rant as I have read from any club chairman or CEO for a long time. His personal attacks on Chalmers very much suggest Chalmers has hit a raw nerve somewhere? I don't recall Chalmers ever atacking Hudgell? 

As for "...It wouldn’t surprise me to learn the club was bought out of its own central distributions with little, if any external investment...", well given that Bradford received minimal if any "central distribution"  last year, and a whopping £75k this year, need I say more?

Seems certain club owners remain very bitter about Bradford and, interpreting from from Hudgell's rant, are maybe determined to ensure the latest iteration of the club does not prosper or advance. Chalmers' opinions sound much more pertinent in that context?

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wise people so full of doubts.

Bury your memories; bury your friends. Leave it alone for a year or two.  Till the stories grow hazy, and the legends come true.  Then do it again - some things never end.

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13 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Always interesting to read these honest views, but he doesn't come across well on his comments on Hetherington and Bradford Bulls. In fact a Director of SLE making an accusation like he does should be challenged.

Things like moaning about Visas is embarrassing. 

Us on the west side of the river have known he’s a grade A tool for years Dave.

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1 hour ago, scotchy1 said:

Embarrassing.

Bluster and aggression covering for detail and vision.

Literally no chairman who has commented during this issue has looked in any way close to deserving the trust of the game. All of them, from all sides have looked amateurish, completely lacking the vision the game needs and entirely devoid of the skills to implement any vision.

It is depressingly pathetic, from Wood to Barwick to Chalmers to Hetherington to Lenegan to McManus to Hudgell. A plague on all their houses.

I find myself in total agreement with that

Embarrassing in the extreme

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11 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

.....and it's he and his ilk who are going to lead the sport to the promised land........????

It is probably my biggest issue with what is happening at the moment, only McManus has spoken really well imho, although we haven't heard from plenty of clubs. 

Lenegan, Moran, Hudgell, Hetherington plus the number of Championship bosses responding have not sounded like great business people who are going to take this game forward.

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47 minutes ago, Dave T said:

It is probably my biggest issue with what is happening at the moment, only McManus has spoken really well imho, although we haven't heard from plenty of clubs. 

Lenegan, Moran, Hudgell, Hetherington plus the number of Championship bosses responding have not sounded like great business people who are going to take this game forward.

What has Moran said?

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1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

What has Moran said?

When asked how we get fans interested he was pretty clueless, hailed a 10k Wire v Wigan crowd and then said he isn't interested in 4Nations, he wants to see GB v Oz at Wembley, Old Trafford and Leeds.

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It seemed to me to be an interview done as he was walking somewhere else and summarising the position.  Candid, but not that dramatic.

"You clearly have never met Bob8 then, he's like a veritable Bryan Ferry of RL." - Johnoco 19 Jul 2014

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3 hours ago, scotchy1 said:

Embarrassing.

Bluster and aggression covering for detail and vision.

Literally no chairman who has commented during this issue has looked in any way close to deserving the trust of the game. All of them, from all sides have looked amateurish, completely lacking the vision the game needs and entirely devoid of the skills to implement any vision.

It is depressingly pathetic, from Wood to Barwick to Chalmers to Hetherington to Lenegan to McManus to Hudgell. A plague on all their houses.

Yet look what came out of that bloodbath that was the Aussie split. They have got a coherent league and viable clubs. And finance.

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11 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

Yet look what came out of that bloodbath that was the Aussie split. They have got a coherent league and viable clubs. And finance.

The Aussie 'split' was the result of a  fight between 2 broadcasters vying for the TV rights to one of the country's biggest sports, a different scenario entirely.....although I think that some believe that the Uk game is bigger than it actually is. I doubt it'd survive a civil war

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15 hours ago, scotchy1 said:

The problem is that the alternative have done nothing more to make us believe they are leading us to the promised land either.

Its a choice between the devil and deep blue sea at the moment.

And its not a question of finding some middle way between those two, it really needs someone to stand up with a clear vision and the skills to implement it. Something neither side possess at the moment. My fear is that there is nobody within the sport with those qualities.

I thought that Elstone was appointed to do this for SL at least. How long will he last?

Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change.

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Quote

“The structure we’ve got is broken, it doesn’t work, fans don’t like it, broadcaster doesn’t like it, crowds are down, the product on the field is suffering, it needs fixing.

Fantastic that he has taken it upon himself to speak for everyone.

Quote

“It’s a nonsense for us to be taking a bottom up view, and placing a disproportionate amount of attention of the views of some people that, frankly in my view have got no track record in the game.

I'm glad he doesn't build houses.

Quote

“They need to get back in their box, and let other people that have got an established track record, make the noises and make the decisions.

These people with established track records and look at the state of our game.

Quote

“He’s smart though, he said what he did to grab the headlines, whip up the championship clubs and cause unrest. We need to rise above it.

Well that was an easy one because when the Championship clubs found out that the SL lot were planning to take away any funding they could, well it meant that their clubs were at risk. Lets take away some SL teams funding and see how they would survive.

 

I just hope its not his team that is relegated this year putting hundreds of players and coaches out of employment just like last time.

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10 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Elstone was appointed to take forward the vision of the 12 SL directors. Who are the club chairmen who are looking so terrible.

I honestly hope Elstone can be that man. he looks a competent man and has good experience and comes across well, but his equivocation about a lot of things and some of the things he has said dont really strike me as coming from someone who has a clear, ambitious vision for the game.

My worry is what we will see is small steps and small changes to get a little more here and there for the SL clubs, when in reality what we need is quite dramatic changes and big improvements.

I don’t agree with the final para.  Gains are made in small, incremental steps, which can be adapted and modified if need be.  Dramatic changes can often mean dramatic problems.  

What dramatic changes and big improvements do we need?  

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14 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

My worry is what we will see is small steps and small changes to get a little more here and there for the SL clubs, when in reality what we need is quite dramatic changes and big improvements.

I wouldn't be surprised if the NRL were looking in on this and wondering how they could take advantage of the situation. They're testing games part way round the world next year (conveniently ignoring all player safety concerns of course).

Would it be possible to see the 4-6 biggest clubs break away to the NRL in a few years in an expanded competition using the UK TV broadcast deals to fund the few? 

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3 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

We need a pretty dramatic change in image. I think we need quite dramatic change in how we develop young players. I think we need huge changes in how we get people playing the game. Personally i think we need a huge improvement in the quality of player we attract. I think we need a much bigger geographical spread.

In fact im not sure there are many things that we are excelling in at the moment. I think there are quite dramatic improvements required in pretty much all aspects.

Sweeping statements though.  One dramatic change won’t create a better image, neither will one dramatic change develop young players, getting people playing the game or alter quality recruitment.

 

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4 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Well i think a dramatic change in the level of the salary cap could have a big change in the quality of recruitment.

I think dramatic change to the way we develop young players will have a massive effect on not only the quality of player we bring through but the amount of people playing the game.

Im confident that dramatic changes can have big effects.

The SC isn’t affecting the recruitment of the Blake Austin’s of this world.  I’m led to believe that Leeds aren’t up to cap either and realistically, we can’t control the deficit between us an the NRL to parity, neither can we control the sterling/Aus dollar exchange rate.

Leeds, Hull, Wigan, Saints, Bradford, Wire, Widnes among others, are developing young players and some of these are holding their own in SL teams regularly, before their time.  London have just lost some young players to SL clubs as have York.

The development of young players has wide ranging questions, not just one or two dramatic changes.

 

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