Robert Elstone Speaks...

[Lowdesert]

3 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

His role really is geared towards 2021 and the negotiation of a new TV deal, so I think it’s premature to completely write him off after one year. 

His first full season in the game has provided some great viewing for all, with the battle for 2nd-5th and the relegation battle, though I can’t say that was as the result of anything major that Elstone solely. The move to loop fixtures and P&R was as the result of a vote by the member clubs so it wasn’t imposed by Elstone. 

Magic Weekend was at a venue fans didn’t really want to go (and it showed in the attendance) and the games were pretty uninspiring. 

 

His role is solely geared up to 2021?  Great work if you can get it, especially when you can get away with announcing very little until that time.

All we want is to know what’s in the pipeline, plans, initiatives and progress.  He’s barely given us anything we don’t already know or was already underway.  The sum total of his being in post doesn’t add up to much at all.  That’s quite obvious.

[Man of Kent]

2 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

His role really is geared towards 2021 and the negotiation of a new TV deal, so I think it’s premature to completely write him off after one year. 

His first full season in the game has provided some great viewing for all, with the battle for 2nd-5th and the relegation battle, though I can’t say that was as the result of anything major that Elstone solely. The move to loop fixtures and P&R was as the result of a vote by the member clubs so it wasn’t imposed by Elstone. 

Magic Weekend was at a venue fans didn’t really want to go (and it showed in the attendance) and the games were pretty uninspiring. 

 

Fair comment.

His first full season as SL CEO has been reasonably successful judged on and off the field (rule changes improving the spectacle, TV ratings, attendances, competitiveness etc) but I agree it's totally about 2021 and the TV deal.

If it is unsatisfactory then I'll be the first one to demand Elstone is sacked and thrown in the Manchester Ship Canal.

 

 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

Just now, Lowdesert said:

His role is solely geared up to 2021?  Great work if you can get it, especially when you can get away with announcing very little until that time.

All we want is to know what’s in the pipeline, plans, initiatives and progress.  He’s barely given us anything we don’t already know or was already underway.  The sum total of his being in post doesn’t add up to much at all.  That’s quite obvious.

I never said solely. 

Why should he tell people? I’d rather a do-er than a talker. I’d rather him be busy than doing vacuous interview after interview every week. 

[Lowdesert]

2 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I never said solely. 

Why should he tell people? I’d rather a do-er than a talker. I’d rather him be busy than doing vacuous interview after interview every week. 

It’s people who’re indirectly paying his salary.

Quite clear from Martyns comment that he isn’t a speaker but to spend 5 minutes on the phone to League Weekly isn’t much to ask.

[Man of Kent]

More from Elstone on the BBC website (including next year's Magic TBA in early October): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49745356

Interesting snippet on SL trying to find a private equity investor.

"The priority is growing the profits," he said.

"Short-term that means the Grand Final attendance and it's also about new sponsors and corporate partners and the next television deal.

"Beyond that, new investment potential could be transformational if it's brought it in a way that works for the investor and the clubs.

"There is a lot of work ongoing to see if we can find a partner that will help transform the sport.

"Potentially it could be very exciting. We have a duty to look at it and, if we deliver it, it could be fantastic for Super League."

[Lowdesert]

1 minute ago, Man of Kent said:

More from Elstone on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49745356

Interesting snippet on a private equity investor.

"The priority is growing the profits," he said.

"Short-term that means the Grand Final attendance and it's also about new sponsors and corporate partners and the next television deal.

"Beyond that, new investment potential could be transformational if it's brought it in a way that works for the investor and the clubs.

"There is a lot of work ongoing to see if we can find a partner that will help transform the sport.

"Potentially it could be very exciting. We have a duty to look at it and, if we deliver it, it could be fantastic for Super League."

I really do hope we bring a large cash injection into the game.  Barring the comment regarding ‘a lot of work going on’, the rest are just sound bytes 

[Man of Kent]

1 minute ago, Lowdesert said:

I really do hope we bring a large cash injection into the game.  Barring the comment regarding ‘a lot of work going on’, the rest are just sound bytes 

With a good TV deal and private equity investment (not CVC, mind) we could really start to motor.

We already have the game, the players and the clubs but not enough money for stadia, marketing etc to attract more of those 15 million people who live in the North to watch in the grounds & on TV.   

[Blind side johnny]

43 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

With a good TV deal and private equity investment (not CVC, mind) we could really start to motor.

We already have the game, the players and the clubs but not enough money for stadia, marketing etc to attract more of those 15 million people who live in the North to watch in the grounds & on TV.   

Private equity investment could be very scary for followers of heartland clubs.

[Man of Kent]

2 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Private equity investment could be very scary for followers of heartland clubs.

The gap between the haves and have-nots would increase for sure but, hey, this is supposed to be an elite competition 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

The comments around London interest me keenly. He obviously wants a more national presence but isn’t willing to do so just to have a London team in the league. 

 

[The Future is League]

13 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

The comments around London interest me keenly. He obviously wants a more national presence but isn’t willing to do so just to have a London team in the league. 

 

Well apart London and possibly Newcastle in the future i can't see how we can get team outside of the heartlands into Super League

[hunsletgreenandgold]

3 hours ago, Martyn Sadler said:

One thing I've been pressing Super League to do, for example, which may seem fairly minor in the wider scheme of things, is to pay tribute to all Super League's retiring players by honouring them at the Grand Final in front of all the fans who will be at Old Trafford.

If he had said on Monday that Super League will be doing that, it would at least have been a talking point and persuaded more people from clubs like Leeds to buy tickets to give one last goodbye to their departing stars.

As you say, a simple idea but would mean a lot to players and fans alike. Keep banging that drum, Martyn!

[dkw]

I thought the title to this thread was a competition to finish it... 

So my effort is.. 

Robert Elstone Speaks...a complete load of nothingness.. 

[MADREDNIGE]

7 hours ago, Mark S said:

He talks about minimum standards yet Wakefield are still in the competition. The game needs to take a serious look at itself and make some decision that might upset a few people.

And Castleford if you're talking about grounds. 

[krakauer]

22 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Im not sure how much he can grow clubs attendances etc. 

Allow TWP in SL? Guaranteed 7000+ for every home game.

[RobertAM]

56 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

i think we need to be clear about what Elstone is there to do, some of the criticism of him is a little harsh and a little misplaced. Im not sure how much he can grow clubs attendances etc. 

Also things like sponsorship (betfred has increased) will take a bit of time to filter through. 

A lot of work that he will be doing is going to be invisible and a lot of it is a thankless task because when the results come through it wont be directly attributable to 1 thing. It isnt going to be a case of Elstone announces X and we see an increase in Y. But that doesnt mean those changes don't make a difference. 

But...there are some really really easy wins we are missing. He has been terrible at creating some positive momentum. For instance, look at Toulouse. Rather than bigging up the transformational nature of Toulouse entry we get them damned with faint praise as having less demands put on them than Toronto. 

We see talk of the transformational possibilities of private equity, and at the same time negativity around Toronto What kind of PE firm is going to be attracted to spending millions on the sport that thinks there is some intrinsic reason it cannot succeed in a global city. 

 

 

well written, well said. Whether you like Bernie Ecclestone or not he sure put F1 on the map and in doing so made former "garagistes" (to use Enzo's words) very,very wealthy and Liberty thought it a worthwhile investment. we need thinking along those lines while at the same time avoiding turning RL into the elitist pastime that F1 has sadly become. It's tricky..is Elstone the man to do it..time will tell but something" transformational" needs to take place.

[whatmichaelsays]

1 hour ago, scotchy1 said:

i think we need to be clear about what Elstone is there to do, some of the criticism of him is a little harsh and a little misplaced. Im not sure how much he can grow clubs attendances etc. 

Also things like sponsorship (betfred has increased) will take a bit of time to filter through. 

A lot of work that he will be doing is going to be invisible and a lot of it is a thankless task because when the results come through it wont be directly attributable to 1 thing. It isnt going to be a case of Elstone announces X and we see an increase in Y. But that doesnt mean those changes don't make a difference. 

But...there are some really really easy wins we are missing. He has been terrible at creating some positive momentum. For instance, look at Toulouse. Rather than bigging up the transformational nature of Toulouse entry we get them damned with faint praise as having less demands put on them than Toronto. 

We see talk of the transformational possibilities of private equity, and at the same time negativity around Toronto What kind of PE firm is going to be attracted to spending millions on the sport that thinks there is some intrinsic reason it cannot succeed in a global city. 

 

 

I'd agree with most of that. It certainly isn't Elstone's job to fix the reasons why nobody wants to watch Salford, why Huddersfield can only sell tickets at knock-down prices, solve Wigan's sliding crowds or fix stadium issues in the WF postcode area. 

Elstone's job is to increase the profile of and central income coming into SL (not the wider game) but to do that, he also needs every club to pull its weight in equal measure. The clubs are the main point of sale and the main point of communication with the audience. If one club doesn't pull its weight, Elstone is working with a hand tied behind his back. 

Elstone needs to make it easier for people outside the heartlands and the realistic catchment areas of the clubs to 'buy' Super League. Currently, unless you live in a small part of the UK or have access to pay-TV, it's hard to be an active fan of Super League. He needs to follow the lead of other sports and find a way to monetise those audiences without relying on them buying tickets. 

And then he needs to find a way to make this sport appeal to new audiences - including those who don't necessarily want the full-bloodied 80 minute version. Let's forget this 'TGG' and "we have the right product" attitude - to many people who don't share the fanaticism of many on here, we don't have the right product. Elstone needs to cater to those markets looking for something different whilst still respecting what the current supporter base loves. 

Can he do all that? I'm not convinced so far. 

[Manxmanc]

12 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

I'd agree with most of that. It certainly isn't Elstone's job to fix the reasons why nobody wants to watch Salford, why Huddersfield can only sell tickets at knock-down prices, solve Wigan's sliding crowds or fix stadium issues in the WF postcode area. 

Elstone's job is to increase the profile of and central income coming into SL (not the wider game) but to do that, he also needs every club to pull its weight in equal measure. The clubs are the main point of sale and the main point of communication with the audience. If one club doesn't pull its weight, Elstone is working with a hand tied behind his back. 

Elstone needs to make it easier for people outside the heartlands and the realistic catchment areas of the clubs to 'buy' Super League. Currently, unless you live in a small part of the UK or have access to pay-TV, it's hard to be an active fan of Super League. He needs to follow the lead of other sports and find a way to monetise those audiences without relying on them buying tickets. 

And then he needs to find a way to make this sport appeal to new audiences - including those who don't necessarily want the full-bloodied 80 minute version. Let's forget this 'TGG' and "we have the right product" attitude - to many people who don't share the fanaticism of many on here, we don't have the right product. Elstone needs to cater to those markets looking for something different whilst still respecting what the current supporter base loves. 

Can he do all that? I'm not convinced so far. 

I'm all for dropping the TGG tag - I think it tends to alienate fans of other sports.

I've mentioned it before, but I much prefer the 'Rebel Code'.

[Loup]

Just now, Manxmanc said:

I'm all for dropping the TGG tag - I think it tends to alienate fans of other sports.

I've mentioned it before, but I much prefer the 'Rebel Code'.

Makes no sense in Canada. Why not just "Grandsons of Miners"?

[Manxmanc]

2 minutes ago, Loup said:

Makes no sense in Canada. Why not just "Grandsons of Miners"?

Fair enough, we could have regionalised labels.

[whatmichaelsays]

30 minutes ago, Manxmanc said:

I'm all for dropping the TGG tag - I think it tends to alienate fans of other sports.

I've mentioned it before, but I much prefer the 'Rebel Code'.

To be honest I think TGG is something that the fans and RL press have come up with. I certainly can't remember it being anything either the RFL or SL have promoted. 

But it really isn't helpful in understanding why relatively few people actually take an interest in the sport. We can't just write it off as "this is a great sport, people just don't know about it". We have to be more critical and objective.

For the same reasons that cricket created T20 and for the same reason the NFL is investing in shorter, more accessible ways to enjoy the game, RL needs to look at what it can do to appeal to people who don't want the 'full fat' product, as well as making the full fat product more appealing to a new generation of fans. 

[Chris22]

Elstone strikes me as someone who goes with the crowd. Are people saying there are too many games? Elstone repeats it. Do people say they don't like loop fixtures? Elstone repeats it. The test will be what he does in recent years.

Reading the briefing, I do appreciate his honesty regarding Thursday fixtures and the first time I've seen him go against the grain. He accepts Thursday's aren't great but is honest and realistic in saying it probably won't change.

His open scepticism towards Toronto is very strange. Is it Elstone's role to lead Super League or represent the club's views? I wonder, should it be the latter, he is merely repeating what chief execs are telling him about Toronto?

Disappointing to hear he seems to be refusing media interviews. When he was on Sky last year I sent in a question asking specifically how he intends to fulfil his brief of promoting the brand of Super League and what measures he would put in place to do that. 

Unfortunately, he more repeated what his vision was rather than explaining how he was going to do it, which was a tad disappointing.

[gittinsfan]

3 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Private equity investment could be very scary for followers of heartland clubs.

And will Elstone give a $$$$.

I would love to read his job description.Even more so his annual appraisal.

I wonder who writes that and how they justify his salary?

[Kayakman]

49 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

I agree very much with this. The game is really inaccessible. 

Unless you are paying for 80minutes of Rugby League from a northern town or city, the game is pretty much impossible to engage with. Almost all other sports have adapted but we offer 1 product, to pretty much 1 market and wonder why there isnt more reach.

The game is hugely reliant on, and aimed towards, a small number people who are able to commit to at least 28hrs and probably around £400 all told cost of attending RL matches. The amount of people who will do this, as we see, is really small. There needs to be more variety and options for people to engage with the game and be monetised. 

We complain that we get little coverage, but most of the country is excluded from the game. 

A very good post once again Scotchy1!   All of what you said and then BLAM!  Add in a Toronto, who do everything differently than you have so aptly enunciated in your post,  and it all goes CRAZY!

Its like adding a nice smooth, but strong, Mexican Green Hot Sauce to a bland dish of peas.  BOOM!  POW!  BANG!

[Blind side johnny]

5 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

The gap between the haves and have-nots would increase for sure but, hey, this is supposed to be an elite competition 

Actually I was referring to SL heartland clubs. Do you imagine that private equity investment would be interested in exploiting the opportunities in Wigan or Hull?