A message from NZ.

[Tabby]

13 hours ago, dkw said:

So when NRL was dropped by a channel on the UK did they also feel that was going to be dead in 10 years?

There's nothing worse in RL than people revelling in misery and predicting it's demise.

You should put yourself forward for Rimmers job. You should get a good 10 mins not 10 years at it.

[MrPosh]

Funnily enough, our game is going through one of its most testing times, but the standard this year has been excellent.

 

With the exception of 3-4 teams at the top of the NRL and similar at the bottom of SL, the standard has been pretty much the same.

 

Outside those few at the top, the NRL has been poor this year.

[dkw]

7 hours ago, Tabby said:

You should put yourself forward for Rimmers job. You should get a good 10 mins not 10 years at it.

Shut up Derek.

[M j M]

For decades it was union journalists who told us Rugby League would be dead in ten years. Now it's internet trolls and self-hating supposed RL fans.

I think I preferred the old days, at least the agenda was transparent.

[westlondonfan]

19 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

Well the other point is - it depends on where he lives in NZ - what if he lives in a big RU area. Then by definition most people he will talk to (and even the local press) may not like RL so he's getting a biased opinion.

I once took a New Zealand work mate to West Cumbria for the weekend during the RU WC and none of the pubs were showing any RU WC games- Did he text home to say RU is finished in the UK? - No he just acknowledged that he was in an area of the UK that loves RL so no one wanted to go to the pub to watch a RU match.

Edit to say - the next day we went to keswick on the drink which is full of southern people who moved to keswick and all the pubs shows the WC games - he filled his boots watching it and I just got very drunk (and bored)

I can only think of one pub in Keswick that shows regular sport but there might be a couple of others.  To be fair they do show a lot of Super League too.

[dkw]

2 minutes ago, westlondonfan said:

I can only think of one pub in Keswick that shows regular sport but there might be a couple of others.  To be fair they do show a lot of Super League too.

Back in the day when Town were on the up there were several busses from Penrith/kendal/Keswick way coming to home games, RL was popular in the lakes. Not so much now unfortunately. 

[Dunbar]

23 minutes ago, M j M said:

Now it's internet trolls

But they are so clever with their apparent passion for Rugby League and their negativity only having the best interest of the game at heart.  They fool me every time and it literally never gets old.

[Mr Frisky]

38 minutes ago, westlondonfan said:

I can only think of one pub in Keswick that shows regular sport but there might be a couple of others.  To be fair they do show a lot of Super League too.

Yep, this was about 12 or so years ago (when eber the RU WC was on) most of the locals pubs were showing match - well the 3 we went in anyway.

[westlondonfan]

32 minutes ago, dkw said:

Back in the day when Town were on the up there were several busses from Penrith/kendal/Keswick way coming to home games, RL was popular in the lakes. Not so much now unfortunately. 

In the summer months I always play spot the RL shirt when I am there but I am probably seeing tourists. The family who run the newsagents/ fishing shop are RL fans and seem to be St Helens fans.

I once climbed Skiddaw in my Broncos shirt. One young lad coming down in the opposite direction noticed it and remarked on it to his friend.

 

[Scubby]

Let's make the game as skint and as #### as possible so my undervalued (or underperforming) club could prosper is an interesting growth strategy and pretty unique to RL fans. 

[Cheshire Setter]

It's hard to argue with the notion of Northern Hemisphere RL being a slowly sinking ship. What it needs to keep buoyancy is a perfectly-timed World Cup to put it in the national and international spotlight, riding on the positive buzz of a host-country that's hungry for some good sport to watch after 18 months of being locked down.

Only that didn't happen did it? The very nations mocking the slow death just hastened it through selfishness.

[Mr Frisky]

54 minutes ago, Cheshire Setter said:

It's hard to argue with the notion of Northern Hemisphere RL being a slowly sinking ship. What it needs to keep buoyancy is a perfectly-timed World Cup to put it in the national and international spotlight, riding on the positive buzz of a host-country that's hungry for some good sport to watch after 18 months of being locked down.

Only that didn't happen did it? The very nations mocking the slow death just hastened it through selfishness.

I don't think its nations mocking our game its just someone's grandson, who by the looks of it is clueless, and a very naughty boy.

[redjonn]

Yep their are issues with RL here in the UK. On the other hand having been fortunate to be in the hospitality at Headingley for the Hull KR game and it was very vibrant = both a good crowd and all the hospitality rooms were jam packed.  No doubt helped by the normal exciting play of Hull KR and at one stage the importance of the game.

Most of the people I spoke to thought the game was entertaining, Ok not the highest skill levels but very entertaining play from both teams, especially the first half and thoroughly enjoyed.

Now the top hospitality rooms at Leeds are around £250 per person including the huge emerald suite and they were full/jam packed, all the box's (30,000 a year) full and the other rooms at around £150 jam packed.  

The crowd was somewhere between 14-15000.

So some clubs are doing relatively well and the jam packed hospitality shows that some clubs have fans that are prepared to pay a premium - whether just watching rugby their every week or to celebrate an occasion with the family.

The point being one club shows what is possible.

[yipyee]

On 18/09/2021 at 09:49, Harry Stottle said:

Undoubtedly so, look at our playing roster's we employ far far from the best they can offer - and a bloody lot of them - in fact mostly those who cannot command a contract "at home" because they are not of the right quality, convalesce those  deemed past it, or the odd bad boy. 

And as the Whppet says

If these people don't start putting a lot of effort into the community game we are going to require more and more imports to swell our playing ranks.

I dont think there is much wrong in the community game, that is at youth level. Plenty of talent playing the game and lots in new areas too.

The issue is at some pro clubs, lack of pathways in some areas due to the lack of academys and players not going back to amateur clubs.

Amateur clubs paying a match fee would help

[yipyee]

6 hours ago, redjonn said:

Yep their are issues with RL here in the UK. On the other hand having been fortunate to be in the hospitality at Headingley for the Hull KR game and it was very vibrant = both a good crowd and all the hospitality rooms were jam packed.  No doubt helped by the normal exciting play of Hull KR and at one stage the importance of the game.

Most of the people I spoke to thought the game was entertaining, Ok not the highest skill levels but very entertaining play from both teams, especially the first half and thoroughly enjoyed.

Now the top hospitality rooms at Leeds are around £250 per person including the huge emerald suite and they were full/jam packed, all the box's (30,000 a year) full and the other rooms at around £150 jam packed.  

The crowd was somewhere between 14-15000.

So some clubs are doing relatively well and the jam packed hospitality shows that some clubs have fans that are prepared to pay a premium - whether just watching rugby their every week or to celebrate an occasion with the family.

The point being one club shows what is possible.

TBF Catalan, Saints Warrington also do well in the hospitality parts of matchday. The emphasis on attendance rarley reflects that 1 hospitality ticket is the same as 10 normal tickets. Having 500 in hospitality suites and boxes is the equivilent of 5000 extra in the stadium.

[Cake Tiger]

This is a weird thread. I live in NZ. Rugby league, including Super League, is alive and well over here. Sky Sport NZ usually has ten channels on the go at any given time. One of them, Sky Sports 4, shows all live rugby league that is available, including all the support shows that FOX League produces in Australia. Sky shows all the SL games that are shown live in England. We also got a good selection of Challenge Cup games this year. Occasionally, we get NZ rugby league shows - usually following the Warriors or sometimes looking at Pacific Islanders in sport. 

In its short history, Spark Sport has never shown any RL. Think of it as BT Sport. It is a small newcomer to the field, trying but usually failing to acquire sporting rights but losing out to Sky. They showed the RUWC in 2019 and have acquired rights to the RLWC. Their big drawcards for British sports fans are Premier League football and Formula 1.  

Ain't nothing to see here - move along. 

[Scubby]

8 hours ago, Cake Tiger said:

This is a weird thread. I live in NZ. Rugby league, including Super League, is alive and well over here. Sky Sport NZ usually has ten channels on the go at any given time. One of them, Sky Sports 4, shows all live rugby league that is available, including all the support shows that FOX League produces in Australia. Sky shows all the SL games that are shown live in England. We also got a good selection of Challenge Cup games this year. Occasionally, we get NZ rugby league shows - usually following the Warriors or sometimes looking at Pacific Islanders in sport. 

In its short history, Spark Sport has never shown any RL. Think of it as BT Sport. It is a small newcomer to the field, trying but usually failing to acquire sporting rights but losing out to Sky. They showed the RUWC in 2019 and have acquired rights to the RLWC. Their big drawcards for British sports fans are Premier League football and Formula 1.  

Ain't nothing to see here - move along. 

Yes the author of this thread seems to have gone AWOL on here but is very busy making posts elsewhere.

[gingerjon]

6 hours ago, Scubby said:

Yes the author of this thread seems to have gone AWOL on here but it very busy making posts elsewhere.

Odd that.

[Dave T]

8 hours ago, Scubby said:

Yes the author of this thread seems to have gone AWOL on here but is very busy making posts elsewhere.

 

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

Odd that.

I think he's still trying to get hold of his Grandson and give him a rollicking for making him look silly here

[dkw]

8 hours ago, Scubby said:

Yes the author of this thread seems to have gone AWOL on here but is very busy making posts elsewhere.

So what do we make of it then? As I see it its one of 3 things: -

1. His grandson got it all wrong, so is an idiot.

2. He interpreted what his Grandson said wrong.

3. He wilfully started a doom and gloom thread for some ridiculous reason.

Pretty pathetic all in really.

[Dunbar]

37 minutes ago, dkw said:

So what do we make of it then? As I see it its one of 3 things: -

1. His grandson got it all wrong, so is an idiot.

2. He interpreted what his Grandson said wrong.

3. He wilfully started a doom and gloom thread for some ridiculous reason.

Pretty pathetic all in really.

Can we not have a 'select all that apply' option?

[Harry Stottle]

38 minutes ago, dkw said:

So what do we make of it then? As I see it its one of 3 things: -

1. His grandson got it all wrong, so is an idiot.

2. He interpreted what his Grandson said wrong.

3. He wilfully started a doom and gloom thread for some ridiculous reason.

Pretty pathetic all in really.

1. Maybe (but without the idiot bit)

2. Could have,

3. I wouldn't do that.

Yeah,  it really ranks up there with the drivel you have been spouting for years.

 

[Harry Stottle]

4 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Can we not have a 'select all that apply' option?

Go on then.

[redjonn]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Go on then.

In general I enjoy your posts even if I don't agree so don't let the baying mob get to you...

occasionally on here we do sometimes get the worst of the social media world.

[redjonn]

12 hours ago, yipyee said:

TBF Catalan, Saints Warrington also do well in the hospitality parts of matchday. The emphasis on attendance rarley reflects that 1 hospitality ticket is the same as 10 normal tickets. Having 500 in hospitality suites and boxes is the equivilent of 5000 extra in the stadium.

yep, i used saints, warringtons and wigans, all do a good job although can improve their facilities to further capture that market  Premier League soccer is almost priced out for mid market and below companies. It's a market RL should be investing in to grab an opportunity.