Can IMG make Rugby League into a more successful sport?

[steve oates]

1 hour ago, fighting irish said:

I don't know that IMG will have a part in what I'm about to say next but the game (the amateur game) must grasp the nettle, nationwide and institute development programmes, similar to the North East (and Wales) in order to ensure the game halts the recent decline and begins to spread, grow and consolidate right across the country.

I just don't accept that Rugby League can't be ''sold'' into new areas, because all the young people in this country are already committed to Soccer, Cricket or Union.

I'm not biting on this one my friend, you needn't have bothered.........

[Dave T]

18 minutes ago, Oxford said:

I can't agree with you on this Dave which is a rare, nay, freak occurence.

At no point did I say all decisions, ideas and stuff were at the behest of or serving the purposes of those with power and influence.

As for those who think there may have been leanings towards those without, they really need to be placed in a room somewhere with soft walls.

And it's not like you to play Keith in the Middle.

I am less cynical about the decisions that the game makes as a whole. Of course there is always elements of self-interest, but I think the decisions on structures have generally been made in good faith with people feeling they are making the best decisions or the game. As we see on here, we are all RL fans, but we all have quite different views on what we should do.

I don't think anyone can make a case that the scrapping of licensing, or the introduction of S8's were for the benefit of Saints, Wigan, Leeds etc. 

I think we can point to many things in structure changes that have benefited higher teams, and lower teams in others. The problem has been that we have never done any of them well, whether they were our own preferences or not.

[steve oates]

6 hours ago, Jughead said:

I’m pretty sure the proposal that was rejected at the end of last year was playing everyone three times, which is as appetising as cross-division games. 

I wonder what the TV audience statistics may be as regards third fixtures.

Does a third fixture involving such as Saints and Wigan or Hull & HKR in a 10 club league, instead of say Toulouse and Wakefield being in the league mean a higher level of viewers for SKY Sports.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's the "Logic" Plus a reducing SKY deal shared 20 ways rather than 24 is again more money for the 20 clubs clubs.  Plus 20 votes is enough to elbow the rest out.... 

[Oxford]

20 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I am less cynical about the decisions that the game makes as a whole. Of course there is always elements of self-interest, but I think the decisions on structures have generally been made in good faith with people feeling they are making the best decisions or the game. As we see on here, we are all RL fans, but we all have quite different views on what we should do.

I don't think anyone can make a case that the scrapping of licensing, or the introduction of S8's were for the benefit of Saints, Wigan, Leeds etc. 

I think we can point to many things in structure changes that have benefited higher teams, and lower teams in others. The problem has been that we have never done any of them well, whether they were our own preferences or not.

I could argue this Dave.

But my original point was about the point of restructuring now. I have said it predates IMG and I'm not altogether convinced it would be on their top 100 ideas for how to further RL as a game.

I think it might come in under the pretext of their changes and just as easily not. I am convinced it's one of those things that has little substance and is mostly assumed to be fit for the intended purpose. I have no doubt there will have been little to no research done as to its effectiveness to reach certain targets. It just smacks of the old RL standard say something often enough, get the journos to write about it and then bring it into being and divvy up the greater part of the proceeds where the rich are. It's like the Premier League model without any of the understanding of unintentional outcomes and  not caring about the huge differences between the two sports.

Having said that I don't see  this as coming from IMG, but if it happens that won't matter one way or the other. It does just sound like a method of getting all the best players into fewer clubs

Edited July 14, 2022 by Oxford

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, steve oates said:

That's absolutely fair enough RP we can see how it goes 

Why didn't you say that on the first page ?

[GUBRATS]

On 13/07/2022 at 14:31, Dallas Mead said:

We THINK small too, and also it seems a fair % of the fan base are happy with that.  They are two massive problems IMHO. 

Hi Dallas , I'll ask again , what do you want the fans to do differently to change things ? 

[Harry Stottle]

7 hours ago, Pulga said:

If they're serious they shouldn't be let anywhere near the top flight.

Do excuse the rashness of this reply, but what the £uck has got to do with you. It's not as though from 13,000 Mile's away you are going to finance or influence anything, and put money through the turnstiles or buy a Sky subscription.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Harry Stottle

[Dallas Mead]

2 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

Hi Dallas , I'll ask again , what do you want the fans to do differently to change things ? 

Stop accepting the status quo.  Stop being satisfied with mediocrity and small town and small time thinking.

[GUBRATS]

9 minutes ago, Dallas Mead said:

Stop accepting the status quo.  Stop being satisfied with mediocrity and small town and small time thinking.

And the result of this not accepting of small time thinking will be ? 

[RP London]

9 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

And the result of this not accepting of small time thinking will be ? 

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, Brown paper packages tied up with strings.... obvs

[Dallas Mead]

9 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

And the result of this not accepting of small time thinking will be ? 

The sport grows……a nightmare for some I’m sure but let’s pray for it eh.

[GUBRATS]

Just now, Dallas Mead said:

The sport grows……a nightmare for some I’m sure but let’s pray for it eh.

How ?

[Pulga]

12 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Do excuse the rashness of this reply, but what the £uck has got to do with you. It's not as though from 13,000 Mile's away you are going to finance or influence anything, and put money through the turnstiles or buy a Sky subscription.

Small-time thought processing from a fan of small-time clubs. 

This is why the answer to the title of this thread is more than likely "no".

[Harry Stottle]

1 minute ago, Pulga said:

Small-time thought processing from a fan of small-time clubs. 

This is why the answer to the title of this thread is more than likely "no".

Are you the Cobber cousin of @Dallas Mead?

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, Pulga said:

Small-time thought processing from a fan of small-time clubs. 

This is why the answer to the title of this thread is more than likely "no".

Same question 

What do you want the ' fans ' to do differently to what they are currently doing ? 

[Dave T]

2 minutes ago, Pulga said:

Small-time thought processing from a fan of small-time clubs. 

This is why the answer to the title of this thread is more than likely "no".

You took great offence when people criticised your passion of playing small time internationals in Sydney, maybe you should be a little more empathetic when being critical of other peoples passions. 

Claiming the high ground to criticise Leigh may be easy, but it's not a good look. 

[Harry Stottle]

18 minutes ago, Dallas Mead said:

I’m out mate, argue with the other small timers.

So that statement says you are also a small timer Dallas, which in fact could be true, I well remember when Warrington was just that Warrington, since then it has had all these carbuncle new estates added on and also the way the boundaries were split in the local government reorganisations and it suddenly becomes Metropolis, did you know that the WA3 postcode boundary is only a couple of hundred meters from the LSV?

[fighting irish]

13 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Do excuse the rashness of this reply, but what the £uck has got to do with you. It's not as though from 13,000 Mile's away you are going to finance or influence anything, and put money through the turnstiles or buy a Sky subscription.

Steady on Harry.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

So that statement says you are also a small timer Dallas, which in fact could be true, I well remember when Warrington was just that Warrington, since then it has had all these carbuncle new estates added on and also the way the boundaries were split in the local government reorganisations and it suddenly becomes Metropolis, did you know that the WA3 postcode boundary is only a couple of hundred meters from the LSV?

I hate the modern world too. Why can't things stay the same like they never have at any point in history before?

[GUBRATS]

13 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I hate the modern world too. Why can't things stay the same like they never have at any point in history before?

Indeed , when people had to concentrate on working instead of being paid to post on internet Message Boards all day  

[Harry Stottle]

16 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I hate the modern world too. Why can't things stay the same like they never have at any point in history before?

Have you never been to Stonehenge?

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Indeed , when people had to concentrate on working 

And isn't it better now that we can all be a lot more flexible and adaptable?

Obviously, if I'd missed out on that then I'd be a little bit bitter too.

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Harry Stottle said:

Have you never been to Stonehenge?

You telling me it was built as a ruin?

Those stupid prehistorics.

(Actually got a nice new book on it from the British Museum - and, as a digression, one of the things I didn't know was how much both the circles and the environment around it did change over the centuries in which it was in use)

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Indeed , when people had to concentrate on working instead of being paid to post on internet Message Boards all day  

Brilliant, I have thought that some folk have easy jobs or very relaxed bosses, and no I did not join SM untill I retired, didn't have time to do so.

[John Drake]

As this has just descended into people slagging each other off now, time to lock it.