Central funding cut

[IanMac]

It’s being reported that league 1 clubs could get as little as 20k funding next year, with only 9 home games to provide income it is going to be very difficult to budget for a squad and all other costs involved in running a semi pro club. Whilst cuts are going to be fairly draconian in the championship it is absolutely vital we get out of this division so that at least we would have more fixtures and hopefully larger crowds. 
I’ve followed the town since the early 60’s and we’ve been through some good and bad times, as has the game, but I don’t think I’ve encountered anything quite like this when the elite few are prepared to cut adrift the lifeblood of the sport. I used to watch super league avidly but now it’s take it or leave it as I just don’t enjoy the sameness with most games. How much better is the game at the top level compared to what it used to be?Yes,  players are fitter, bigger and stronger but the spectacle is not what it used to be and that is on the back of millions being pumped into it for 25 years. I sincerely hope that the rfl and super league know what they are doing because it could spell the end for a number of old historical clubs and should that happen,  far from improving the game it will impact not just the clubs involved but the amateur game in those areas as well as the community. It seems ironic that in terms of competitiveness league 1 stands out, on a given day anybody can potentially win but it is that league that is being targeted for the harshest cuts even though most clubs have increased attendances. Very sad times for rugby league in my view. 
 

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

the games 'foo bahed' mate, the RFL put all their eggs in one basket the day they launched Super league and the top flight clubs have been happily taken the money year on year while the quality of games (and players) has, with the odd exception, got worse year on year.

I honesty can't see how the game can come back from this latest crisis under the current RFL leadership. The silence from the shiny new office space in Manchester says it all for me ....clueless!!

 

[Derwent Parker]

23 minutes ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

the games 'foo bahed' mate, the RFL put all their eggs in one basket the day they launched Super league and the top flight clubs have been happily taken the money year on year while the quality of games (and players) has, with the odd exception, got worse year on year.

I honesty can't see how the game can come back from this latest crisis under the current RFL leadership. The silence from the shiny new office space in Manchester says it all for me ....clueless!!

 

Only way to fix the game is to level up all the teams = equal funding - 24M divided by 36 = £600k each

How the RFL leadership can give 12 teams almost 2 million each and the rest next to nothing is a disgrace.

But that isn't gonna happen - Super Greed will take all funding at any cost, and happily accept the loss of any or all other teams.

Super Greed top 6 or 8 inc French should take ALL the money and F*** **f .

The remaining teams will continue as we did pre SL without SKY money. - with 2 good non sky funded leagues

We will all continue - semi pro all on a self funded basis.

Current proposals mean L1 teams losing around 50K out of their 70K which is really bad - but - The S*** will really hit the fan if Sky handout stops altogether and they all lose around 2 million each. 

 

[Billy Bob]

1 hour ago, Derwent Parker said:

Only way to fix the game is to level up all the teams = equal funding - 24M divided by 36 = £600k each

How the RFL leadership can give 12 teams almost 2 million each and the rest next to nothing is a disgrace.

But that isn't gonna happen - Super Greed will take all funding at any cost, and happily accept the loss of any or all other teams.

Super Greed top 6 or 8 inc French should take ALL the money and F*** **f .

The remaining teams will continue as we did pre SL without SKY money. - with 2 good non sky funded leagues

We will all continue - semi pro all on a self funded basis.

Current proposals mean L1 teams losing around 50K out of their 70K which is really bad - but - The S*** will really hit the fan if Sky handout stops altogether and they all lose around 2 million each. 

 

All the teams that are outside of the Super League should threaten to breakaway and set up their own deal with the BBC or other TV companies, and also take the challenge cup with them.

 

[tandle]

out of the 24 million first of all the rfl takes out 5 million for administration and running costs.

at the moment there are 10 clubs in champ.1 so that is payment of £200.000.

so out of the 24 million that leaves £18.800.000 to be shared among 26 clubs.

i believe there is going to be major restructuring of all 3 league.

[DavidM]

SL is a total  irony , it’s not super it’s largely bang average . Over time it’s just got worse and worse and less of a good entertaining watch .  So many games just grind away until I’ve got completely bored with them . The complete over sanitising of the game just enhances that perception . I watch stuff on YouTube from the 80s and early 90s and I’m watching a different game and one I enjoy more . Sky shove the same thing , the same teams , the same commentary , the same game down our throat week in week out . The best rugby I see now is down the pyramid in the championship and league one . Show that , fund that and grow that coz if that withers you’re super duper league will follow in time . We seem to be on a path toward losing clubs by giving them chicken feed . What kind of plan is retraction , only in rugby league with the total self interested clowns we have in charge . 

[bobg]

I have to agree with DavidM , apart from some isolated moments I am of the opinion that SL is average at best, probably a lot of reasons for this, sanitation of the game, inexperienced match officials (with exceptions),  very poor tv presentation, stale commentary, rule changes etc, I could go on.

Give is our great game back please.

[Hate the rec]

1 hour ago, DavidM said:

SL is a total  irony , it’s not super it’s largely bang average . Over time it’s just got worse and worse and less of a good entertaining watch .  So many games just grind away until I’ve got completely bored with them . The complete over sanitising of the game just enhances that perception . I watch stuff on YouTube from the 80s and early 90s and I’m watching a different game and one I enjoy more . Sky shove the same thing , the same teams , the same commentary , the same game down our throat week in week out . The best rugby I see now is down the pyramid in the championship and league one . Show that , fund that and grow that coz if that withers you’re super duper league will follow in time . We seem to be on a path toward losing clubs by giving them chicken feed . What kind of plan is retraction , only in rugby league with the total self interested clowns we have in charge . 

Good post

[town4me]

The sport has to revert back to Two leagues or some long standing  clubs will die. 

[Derwent Parker]

4 hours ago, DavidM said:

SL is a total  irony , it’s not super it’s largely bang average . Over time it’s just got worse and worse and less of a good entertaining watch .  So many games just grind away until I’ve got completely bored with them . The complete over sanitising of the game just enhances that perception . I watch stuff on YouTube from the 80s and early 90s and I’m watching a different game and one I enjoy more . Sky shove the same thing , the same teams , the same commentary , the same game down our throat week in week out . The best rugby I see now is down the pyramid in the championship and league one . Show that , fund that and grow that coz if that withers you’re super duper league will follow in time . We seem to be on a path toward losing clubs by giving them chicken feed . What kind of plan is retraction , only in rugby league with the total self interested clowns we have in charge . 

Well said - totally agree

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

14 hours ago, DavidM said:

SL is a total  irony , it’s not super it’s largely bang average . Over time it’s just got worse and worse and less of a good entertaining watch .  So many games just grind away until I’ve got completely bored with them . The complete over sanitising of the game just enhances that perception . I watch stuff on YouTube from the 80s and early 90s and I’m watching a different game and one I enjoy more . Sky shove the same thing , the same teams , the same commentary , the same game down our throat week in week out . The best rugby I see now is down the pyramid in the championship and league one . Show that , fund that and grow that coz if that withers you’re super duper league will follow in time . We seem to be on a path toward losing clubs by giving them chicken feed . What kind of plan is retraction , only in rugby league with the total self interested clowns we have in charge . 

I pretty much agree with everything you have said, and I would also add the standard at amateur level has also fallen considerably over the last 20 years. BUT, I sometimes wonder if we have turned into grumpy old men who are looking at the game through rose tinted spectacles as I can remember my granda telling me how he preferred the game in the 50s and 60s with 5 tackles and contested scrums. I'm sure we are all heavily influenced by how the game was played in our teens and early 20's and I don't suppose that's any difference for today's generation who would look at the 80's and 90's clips on you tube and probably think the game was slower than todays 'attack and defend' style of rugby.

Women's football will get an immediate boost by being shown on BBC, and its a pity that the RFL couldn't get a deal to show league games, even in a 'Match of the Day' type format shown countrywide at a decent hour on BBC1 or 2, but the reality is they would want the package for free, as the BBC as a public owned broadcaster will not pay the licencing that the likes of Sky, BT or amazon can afford.

RL has an awful lot of soul searching to do in the next 6 months, they need to invest some of the sky tv money into appointing a new CEO, replace some board members and employ a firm with a strong track record in sports management and marketing to evaluate the game in its current format and look for potential new income streams. I'm sure the Aussies will have experience that the hierarchy could tap into.

I don't doubt for a second that Ralph Rimmer loves the game, but he does not appear have the necessary skills or experience to reverse the games decline. The right person will be out there, but they won't come cheap and they will have some very unpopular decisions to make !   

[Derwent Parker]

3 hours ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

I pretty much agree with everything you have said, and I would also add the standard at amateur level has also fallen considerably over the last 20 years. BUT, I sometimes wonder if we have turned into grumpy old men who are looking at the game through rose tinted spectacles as I can remember my granda telling me how he preferred the game in the 50s and 60s with 5 tackles and contested scrums. I'm sure we are all heavily influenced by how the game was played in our teens and early 20's and I don't suppose that's any difference for today's generation who would look at the 80's and 90's clips on you tube and probably think the game was slower than todays 'attack and defend' style of rugby.

Women's football will get an immediate boost by being shown on BBC, and its a pity that the RFL couldn't get a deal to show league games, even in a 'Match of the Day' type format shown countrywide at a decent hour on BBC1 or 2, but the reality is they would want the package for free, as the BBC as a public owned broadcaster will not pay the licencing that the likes of Sky, BT or amazon can afford.

RL has an awful lot of soul searching to do in the next 6 months, they need to invest some of the sky tv money into appointing a new CEO, replace some board members and employ a firm with a strong track record in sports management and marketing to evaluate the game in its current format and look for potential new income streams. I'm sure the Aussies will have experience that the hierarchy could tap into.

I don't doubt for a second that Ralph Rimmer loves the game, but he does not appear have the necessary skills or experience to reverse the games decline. The right person will be out there, but they won't come cheap and they will have some very unpopular decisions to make !   

Rose tinted glasses ---- its difficult to avoid that, we all do it.

I think there are a lot of things that have caused a decline in the game.

1.  Changing to summer rugby, its much nicer to watch a match in the sun - no muddy pitches - [Remember the day referee pulled Jimmy Pickering back because he thought he was Lee Crooks]  - but families have many, many more things to do when its sunny too.  But on a cold damp winters day the family didn't want to go anywhere so you were free to go rugby match - no problem!.  The game was a bit slower mostly because of the Soft pitches in winter.

2.  Sky money  - Should have been shared fairly from day 1 to improve all teams not just the chosen few,  I cant go back as far as 50s/60s but i remember 70s and 80s and that was better, 2 leagues of 16 with 4 up and down. Any team getting promoted or relegated was never put at risk and did not always go back up/down like now because there was not the vast difference between the haves and have nots.

Whatever other forum members say on here it is solely down to Sky money that is causing all the arguments about restructuring of leagues. The teams calling themselves elite teams are only elite because of that money.

For example in an hypothetical situation - give all teams only 20k - but give West Wales 2 million every season [only used WW as example because currently bottom of tree]. In a few year who will be the elite??

3. Scrapping of "A" teams - This should never have happened, This gives the opportunity for fringe players to get a game and not get fed up and leave plus its a pathway for locals to go semi pro and injured first team players to get fit and avoid the situation we had a couple of years ago going to matches with no subs.

4.  Scrums if they are going to bring them back they should be contested, end of story.

5.  RFL Leaders - Rimmer does love the game but you cant stand back and watch the  SL teams taking the money away from the other leagues when they are already getting almost 2M each.

Only person who could fix this Mess at present is ROBIN HOOD

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

totally agree with you on the A team front. 

I've always been against Academies in all sports as I personally think they set lads up to fail. We all know that out of a squad of 20 players, realistically only 2 or 3 will sign a professional contract, the rest are there to make up the numbers, its even worse in football !

Far better to go back to a regional development pathway with closer links between the professional and community game so the first and foremost the players benefit, followed by their amateur and professional clubs.

The cream always rises to the top and this is a much better way to showcase talent than the current deal.  

Its reverse psychology I suppose, players would come through the ranks and get regional honours rather than having to suffer the stigma of rejection by the professional club once they are too old for the Academy, while still retaining their links with their community club having had the opportunity to represent their district, county, regional and finally amateur international.

Strong links with the professional and amateur clubs, weekly coaching and a set fixture list allowing for the regional games to be played on the last weekend every month would be far more beneficial that the current system and would also allow ALL professional teams to link in with the development pathway at very little cost compared to what it costs to run Academy teams. 

IE: Copeland linked with Haven, Town with Allerdale, Barrow with Barrow etc.

It's an old system but one that worked, one look at the old U18 touring programmes is a like a 'whose who' of players who had a successful professional career!

Maybe a bit too straight for the RFL though eh !

Something needs to change as it's become embarrassing how many time professional clubs cant name 17 players on a matchday, with the lack of an A team has been the sole contributor to this problem   

[silverfox]

There is going to be alot of clubs really worried about the money that's been talked about from the central funding (Sky Money) Where do the players the top clubs have  start there careers . The grass roots, then if good enough hopefully picked up by a semi pro club . Then be a full-time professional . So surely if the top clubs want to survive . They have to look at being fair, looking after the supply chain. So why can't the RFL See this  and tell these greedy clubs.  the money as to be shared out more realistically for the clubs in the lower leagues .If this trend carries on .Clubs will just go under . amateur players will have less opportunity  to make the grade . and lose interest . So there is only one way it's going to end. The game of RL finished. People go on about clubs should have a an A team, how can they when the lower league clubs struggle to survive on the money they get off the RFL  to start with .  I wish there was someone like Eddie Hearn with his business brain who would take over the running  of this great game. Because the ones that are running it now just see Super league.  They hardly sell the game ,and they wonder why it's dying. Look what  Eddie as done to Darts   .So it can be done . 

 

[Derwent Parker]

39 minutes ago, silverfox said:

There is going to be alot of clubs really worried about the money that's been talked about from the central funding (Sky Money) Where do the players the top clubs have  start there careers . The grass roots, then if good enough hopefully picked up by a semi pro club . Then be a full-time professional . So surely if the top clubs want to survive . They have to look at being fair, looking after the supply chain. So why can't the RFL See this  and tell these greedy clubs.  the money as to be shared out more realistically for the clubs in the lower leagues .If this trend carries on .Clubs will just go under . amateur players will have less opportunity  to make the grade . and lose interest . So there is only one way it's going to end. The game of RL finished. People go on about clubs should have a an A team, how can they when the lower league clubs struggle to survive on the money they get off the RFL  to start with .  I wish there was someone like Eddie Hearn with his business brain who would take over the running  of this great game. Because the ones that are running it now just see Super league.  They hardly sell the game ,and they wonder why it's dying. Look what  Eddie as done to Darts   .So it can be done . 

 

Only person to fix this is Robin Hood

Running an "A" team with local lads will be cheaper than bringing travellers in on loan

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

1 hour ago, silverfox said:

 I wish there was someone like Eddie Hearn with his business brain who would take over the running  of this great game. Because the ones that are running it now just see Super league.  They hardly sell the game ,and they wonder why it's dying. Look what  Eddie as done to Darts   .So it can be done . 

Eddie Hearns name continually pops up on these forums like he’s some sort of saviour. The guy obviously has a brilliant brain for business but the jury’s out with me on whether his marketing skills would work in rugby league as you are looking at marketing a product on a weekly basis for several months of the year as opposed to darts and boxing which are promoted as single events and appeal to folks wanting a weekend away on the lash.

His skills may work for one off events like the challenge cup final at Spurs next year or even possibly the magic weekend as they fall more under his remit as an event.

 

 

 

[silverfox]

Running an À team ,Transport to away matches, maybe a meal,   full kit to buy, insurance for players, .and there must be  other expenses that occur. I wish that there was an A team league, when you have a squad of players .and week in week out some are not getting game time.you can understand why they go back to there amateur clubs .But times have changed Clubs now have to be more carefully with there money .The super league teams were going to have À teams but with Covid they scrapped that Idea . Hopefully one day clubs can afford to run teams . But with that to happen ,the RFL will have to share the funding they get more equal .

[silverfox]

Just read Coventry bear have stated , if the central funding is as low as what's been touted about , It will be the end of Rugby in the Midlands.  

[Derwent Parker]

26 minutes ago, silverfox said:

Running an À team ,Transport to away matches, maybe a meal,   full kit to buy, insurance for players, .and there must be  other expenses that occur. I wish that there was an A team league, when you have a squad of players .and week in week out some are not getting game time.you can understand why they go back to there amateur clubs .But times have changed Clubs now have to be more carefully with there money .The super league teams were going to have À teams but with Covid they scrapped that Idea . Hopefully one day clubs can afford to run teams . But with that to happen ,the RFL will have to share the funding they get more equal .

I agree but super greed wont share - they will let the others fold first

[ivans82]

Take 10% of the Sky money from the Super League Clubs for the next 3 years , spread it down the other 2 Leagues , work towards having the same number of teams in Championship and Division 1 after this period ,and then with their reduced money the Super League Clubs would have to develop more British born players , which surely should be the main aim anyway , instead of throwing most of their money at bang average overseas players !