even CNN seem to have heard of rugby league in England.

[paul hicks]

just watching CNN and slightly amazed that in there . what a shot feature  of sports photos there's one of the recent Wakefield v hull game with  ben jones bishop in full flight  captioned rugby league is up and running ..

seems that someone over there has heard of our great game despite the best efforts of Mr elstone and his mates 

[voteronniegibbs]

either tha's too young youth, or I'm gettin on a bit

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/throwback-thursday-the-original-american-dream-starring-wigan-and-warrington/

[Oldbear]

1 hour ago, paul hicks said:

just watching CNN and slightly amazed that in there . what a shot feature  of sports photos there's one of the recent Wakefield v hull game with  ben jones bishop in full flight  captioned rugby league is up and running ..

seems that someone over there has heard of our great game despite the best efforts of Mr elstone and his mates 

Yep but according to his merry men there’s no growth potential

[AWRL130]

2 hours ago, paul hicks said:

just watching CNN and slightly amazed that in there . what a shot feature  of sports photos there's one of the recent Wakefield v hull game with  ben jones bishop in full flight  captioned rugby league is up and running ..

seems that someone over there has heard of our great game despite the best efforts of Mr elstone and his mates 

Ten or more years ago media coverage was often discussed. It may even have been the primary influence of recent expansion attempts. However, I don't think this should reflect an ignorance towards rugby league. Not covering rugby league is not the same as not knowing about it; other reasons may explain the levels of coverage. The internet and streaming services has given us more options to broadcast today and increase coverage without having to wait or rely on media companies covering rugby league. It may be an indication as to why Super League's attitude towards expansion is changing. 

[Oxford]

33 minutes ago, AWRL130 said:

It may be an indication as to why Super League's attitude towards expansion is changing. 

From inward, backwards & can't be bothered eternal failure to what?

[AWRL130]

2 hours ago, Oxford said:

From inward, backwards & can't be bothered eternal failure to what?

The number of expansion clubs that have featured in Super League suggests the opposite of that description is true. The independence of Super League and Toronto's demise are recent developments. This suggests either that the vote against Toronto was dealt with independently or attitudes towards expansion are changing. 

[del capo]

4 hours ago, AWRL130 said:

The number of expansion clubs that have featured in Super League suggests the opposite of that description is true. The independence of Super League and Toronto's demise are recent developments. This suggests either that the vote against Toronto was dealt with independently or attitudes towards expansion are changing. 

A clear field needed for PE to stamp their print on our game. It's coming.

F1 now up to 23 races next year ( really ) in strange places pushing that sport ( and its income ) to the limits

[Tommygilf]

Have they called Super League for the rhinos yet?

[del capo]

1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

Have they called Super League for the rhinos yet?

Would love to see an actually authorised race round Leeds City centre  ( their much maligned camera coverage switched off - or maybe not to give the fans a true sense of the speed people could achieve ). 

Would make a fortune for the City- that's PE for you

[JohnM]

9 hours ago, paul hicks said:

just watching CNN and slightly amazed that in there . what a shot feature  of sports photos there's one of the recent Wakefield v hull game with  ben jones bishop in full flight  captioned rugby league is up and running ..

seems that someone over there has heard of our great game despite the best efforts of Mr elstone and his mates 

Grasping at straws at the bottom of the Anti-Elstone barrel.  An RL news item on the UK channel  of CNN. How is Elstone to blame for that? How is it an indicator of growth potential real, imaginary or non-existent?

[JohnM]

7 hours ago, Oldbear said:

Yep but according to his merry men there’s no growth potential

Really? How on earth did ypu arrive at that conclusion? Do tell.

[thirteenthman]

13 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Grasping at straws at the bottom of the Anti-Elstone barrel.  An RL news item on the UK channel  of CNN. How is Elstone to blame for that? How is it an indicator of growth potential real, imaginary or non-existent?

It wasn't even a news item. They run small features during the ad breaks, and one of these is 'What a Shot' which is a 30 second feature which shows photo images from sports events around the world. While watching the US election coverage last week I saw it a few times, and I saw the pic of the Wakefield v Leeds game as well as a photo from the Womens NRL GF as well (lots of US Sport featured, as well as football, cycling, Union and even the AFL GF). 

 

[cookey]

Not a great fan of CNN but in recent weeks,in their photo slot,they have had photos of the Womens NRL final and one of the first game in the State of Origin.

[RP London]

7 hours ago, AWRL130 said:

The number of expansion clubs that have featured in Super League suggests the opposite of that description is true. The independence of Super League and Toronto's demise are recent developments. This suggests either that the vote against Toronto was dealt with independently or attitudes towards expansion are changing. 

dont misread the number of expansion clubs for real effort at expansion. Real effort isnt just saying "yep you can play in that league.. here are some fixtures" its actually helping the area with resources.. something they did very well with London in the late 90s early 2000s but over the history of the sport is something that the RFL are notoriously terrible at... they just want someone to come along and make it work for them with as little effort as possible from them.. and god forbid they actually had a plan for the next growth area and how to build it up.

[JohnM]

Here's some random thoughts. I blame the medication. Perhaps the game needs a culture and a concrete manifestation of that culture  that is attractive across generations and regions. Just calling it "the greatest game" or "the family game" is not enough. Rugby union seems to have that as even the smallest clubs have real community prsecence right across the UK.  Soccer and crikit seem to have it too.  Our sport seems to have that only in a few hotpots.  

Maybe we'll never be able to match any of that so maybe we have to take a top-down approach. Drive Superleague brand hard or change it to the NRL brand. But dp we have say 20 Lenagan,  Hetheringtons, etc to finance and run clubs. PE might well have a real contribution  to make.

[Oxford]

8 hours ago, AWRL130 said:

The number of expansion clubs that have featured in Super League suggests the opposite of that description is true. The independence of Super League and Toronto's demise are recent developments. This suggests either that the vote against Toronto was dealt with independently or attitudes towards expansion are changing. 

Toronto and London ? Er ....

"The independence of Super League and Toronto's demise are recent developments." but the attitudes to new developments and change are as old as emerging from the oceans.

"This suggests either that the vote against Toronto was dealt with independently or attitudes towards expansion are changing. " or just as easily argue the opposite is the case.

Only one thing pushed an already decided jury to a guilty verdict and that was cash hardly anyone wanted to share. That kind of decision & its basis shows where SL is and where RL has always been.

I'm also not sure the Broncos should be considered an expansion side after all this time & the Dragons should never have been placed in that category.

[Wildcat]

13 hours ago, paul hicks said:

just watching CNN and slightly amazed that in there . what a shot feature  of sports photos there's one of the recent Wakefield v hull game with  ben jones bishop in full flight  captioned rugby league is up and running ..

seems that someone over there has heard of our great game despite the best efforts of Mr elstone and his mates 

Trinity leading the way. Elite.

[AWRL130]

5 hours ago, RP London said:

dont misread the number of expansion clubs for real effort at expansion. Real effort isnt just saying "yep you can play in that league.. here are some fixtures" its actually helping the area with resources.. something they did very well with London in the late 90s early 2000s but over the history of the sport is something that the RFL are notoriously terrible at... they just want someone to come along and make it work for them with as little effort as possible from them.. and god forbid they actually had a plan for the next growth area and how to build it up.

Yes. I agree with that but the original post ties all this in with media coverage. I perhaps strayed off point in my second post. My original response was to question why rugby league was not covered (ignorance or choice?) and do we now need to rely on the same platforms for coverage. Media has changed since ie Catalans' introduction. Media City has seen more broadcasting brought to the north of England, Newspaper sales are falling, social media has developed etc... Where media may have once been cited as a reason to expand, there is less of a need for that to be a reason to expand today. 

[AWRL130]

2 hours ago, Oxford said:

Toronto and London ? Er ....

"The independence of Super League and Toronto's demise are recent developments." but the attitudes to new developments and change are as old as emerging from the oceans.

"This suggests either that the vote against Toronto was dealt with independently or attitudes towards expansion are changing. " or just as easily argue the opposite is the case.

Only one thing pushed an already decided jury to a guilty verdict and that was cash hardly anyone wanted to share. That kind of decision & its basis shows where SL is and where RL has always been.

I'm also not sure the Broncos should be considered an expansion side after all this time & the Dragons should never have been placed in that category.

There's been plenty more clubs than Toronto and London. Most of them have come and gone. But the fact they were in Super League suggests an openness to expansion. The vote against Toronto suggests they no longer are... Something is changing. 

[Oxford]

2 minutes ago, AWRL130 said:

There's been plenty more clubs than Toronto and London. Most of them have come and gone. But the fact they were in Super League suggests an openness to expansion. The vote against Toronto suggests they no longer are... Something is changing. 

Now I know certain clubs have come and gone but I honestly don't recall any expansion clubs playing in that league? Enlighten me.

[RP London]

3 minutes ago, AWRL130 said:

There's been plenty more clubs than Toronto and London. Most of them have come and gone. But the fact they were in Super League suggests an openness to expansion. The vote against Toronto suggests they no longer are... Something is changing. 

I dont think that is a fair reading of the situation. I think they would love for expansion to work but they dont really want to get their hands dirty doing it. When someone with loads of money pops along they are happy to admit them, or the teams earn promotion but when it looks like it is going to cost them something to help they tend to run away.. it has ever been thus and this just reaffirms the same.

that said with the way it went and with LiVolsi not showing proof of funds I would also have said no to Toronto this time around.. 

I would however be looking to get Tolouse in for next year if their plan is good, i think there is much to gain from that.

[RP London]

2 minutes ago, Oxford said:

Now I know certain clubs have come and gone but I honestly don't recall any expansion clubs playing in that league? Enlighten me.

To be fair Celtic Crusaders, Sheffield, PSG, Gateshead.. 

Left to fend for themselves and 2 actively screwed over by the league.. so its not a great story to tell to be equally fair!

[Oxford]

1 minute ago, RP London said:

To be fair Celtic Crusaders, Sheffield, PSG, Gateshead.. 

Left to fend for themselves and 2 actively screwed over by the league.. so its not a great story to tell to be equally fair!

Now I understand the evidence but your interpretation leaves a lot to be desired. They liked expansion so long as it cost nothing, they didn't have to do any work for it and it had to survive without help and all of this without one shred of a plan for expanding the game.

Now to these eyes that looks like couldn't care less and wishing it would go away.

[AWRL130]

55 minutes ago, RP London said:

I dont think that is a fair reading of the situation. I think they would love for expansion to work but they dont really want to get their hands dirty doing it. When someone with loads of money pops along they are happy to admit them, or the teams earn promotion but when it looks like it is going to cost them something to help they tend to run away.. it has ever been thus and this just reaffirms the same.

that said with the way it went and with LiVolsi not showing proof of funds I would also have said no to Toronto this time around.. 

I would however be looking to get Tolouse in for next year if their plan is good, i think there is much to gain from that.

I agree, there is a hands off approach but I'm not yet sure if they are retreating from expansion or taking a different approach that would counter the issue you have highlighted.

But reffering back again to the original post about CNN, which relates media with expansion, I think this is one area where attitudes towards expansion has changed because of the ways in which the media has changed. If another project was attempted in the future, media would be prioritised differently. 

[RP London]

2 hours ago, Oxford said:

Now I understand the evidence but your interpretation leaves a lot to be desired. They liked expansion so long as it cost nothing, they didn't have to do any work for it and it had to survive without help and all of this without one shred of a plan for expanding the game.

Now to these eyes that looks like couldn't care less and wishing it would go away.

think you may be on to something there.