McNamara blasts Huddersfield after IMG discussions

[Tommygilf]

4 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Degsy getting in on it too on social media claiming the Championship offers more for the game, which is utter madness, if we’re honest. 

The league he doesn't want to be in and thinks there should be a drawbridge pulled above??? Shock 

[JohnM]

3 hours ago, The Future is League said:

Richard Thewlis not denying McNamara's claim

So it MUST be true!  Mind you, if he DID deny it, some would say, "He would say that, though."

[RigbyLuger]

7 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Degsy getting in on it too on social media claiming the Championship offers more for the game, which is utter madness, if we’re honest. 

The Championship is the second tier of a large minority sport, if that's not an oxymoron. What does it, or can it, offer more than a fully professional division?

[Scubby]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

It's odd he keeps spending so much money trying to get out of it then or indeed actively applying for a SL place when he could, even stating he would be prepared to take no funding.

Is it xenophobia or what? I can't see past it. Can you be xenophobic to Londoners  because it was them getting this treatment before Catalans and Toronto came along.

Oh and Wakefield are building a new stand!

[Blind side johnny]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

All clubs were present, or rather all clubs of each league were present at each league's individual meeting with IMG.

Do I understand from this that each league met with IMG as a group? If so, that might explain how such a leak happened and was, in fact, guaranteed to happen.

[clogdance]

6 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Degsy getting in on it too on social media claiming the Championship offers more for the game, which is utter madness, if we’re honest. 

This is what Derek actually typed  earlier.....Wasn’t only Huddersfield. I was vocal as always and all bar 1 in the room I was in saw no COMMERCIAL value from all those years! 1 person aptly pointed out we give £4m to 2 French clubs and only £2m to the whole of champ and champ1! Which contributes most back to the game?

[Jughead]

2 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

The Championship is the second tier of a large minority sport, if that's not an oxymoron. What does it, or can it, offer more than a fully professional division?

He’s claiming that the Championship is worth more than Catalans and Toulouse and thats backed up by them doing it on half the money those two clubs get. 

How deadhead Degsy is justifying that whilst spending vast sums to get out of that league, is absolutely anybodies guess. 

[Jughead]

1 minute ago, clogdance said:

This is what Derek actually typed  earlier.....Wasn’t only Huddersfield. I was vocal as always and all bar 1 in the room I was in saw no COMMERCIAL value from all those years! 1 person aptly pointed out we give £4m to 2 French clubs and only £2m to the whole of champ and champ1! Which contributes most back to the game?

And the answer remains the French clubs. 

[Blind side johnny]

41 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

As ever the problem is that middle group.

If League 1 and much of the Championship, who are unlikely ever to be in Super League - indeed it would financially cripple many - are pretty happy going along as semi pro recreational teams playing to semi pro audiences as proper community clubs.

The middle group are a group who are stuffed. Some think they are capable of becoming the top group but haven't been able to (not always their own fault), most would really struggle to adapt to the League 1 style club level.

The argument may well fall down to which of those middle group clubs should be prioritised to the top division for a variety of reasons, and which should be guided to the community approach.

Semi-pro "community clubs" cannot exist on gate money alone, sadly those days have long gone. With zero central funding many of these clubs will simply close, sooner or later.

[Adelaide Tiger]

2 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Do I understand from this that each league met with IMG as a group? If so, that might explain how such a leak happened and was, in fact, guaranteed to happen.

That is indeed a strong possibility.

Get the discussion out in the open and see what the response is.

[JohnM]

3 minutes ago, clogdance said:

This is what Derek actually typed  earlier.....Wasn’t only Huddersfield. I was vocal as always and all bar 1 in the room I was in saw no COMMERCIAL value from all those years! 1 person aptly pointed out we give £4m to 2 French clubs and only £2m to the whole of champ and champ1! Which contributes most back to the game?

He shouldn't ask questions like that. He won't like the answer. 

[Eddie]

5 minutes ago, Jughead said:

He’s claiming that the Championship is worth more than Catalans and Toulouse and thats backed up by them doing it on half the money those two clubs get. 

How deadhead Degsy is justifying that whilst spending vast sums to get out of that league, is absolutely anybodies guess. 

To be fair the twelve championship clubs are worth more to the game than the two French clubs. 

[Jughead]

Fifteen miles away from Huddersfield, this is the facilities today at an elite Super League game;

 

One French team plays here 

the other, here

Offer nothing, though. 

[Jughead]

Just now, Eddie said:

To be fair the twelve championship clubs are worth more to the game than the two French clubs. 

Right, I’ll bite. How on earth do you get to that conclusion. 

Plus, there’s 14 championship clubs…

[RigbyLuger]

4 minutes ago, clogdance said:

This is what Derek actually typed  earlier.....Wasn’t only Huddersfield. I was vocal as always and all bar 1 in the room I was in saw no COMMERCIAL value from all those years! 1 person aptly pointed out we give £4m to 2 French clubs and only £2m to the whole of champ and champ1! Which contributes most back to the game?

What ROI do we get from each of those clubs to justify it? Super League brings in the TV deal, why Sky pay what they do is up to them. How much are Premier paying for their Championship deal, which, given their commercial value, should cover some of that difference?

(I don't know what I'm arguing about to be honest! )

[idrewthehaggis]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

I know French RUs transformation (specifically in relation to the second division and how that has strengthened and grown geographically in the past 20 years, rather than the millionaires at Toulon) was mentioned, though it was not discussed to any great detail during one of the meetings.

Enlighten us all sir. I am aware of the oodles of Euros rolling around the French other code, their own restructuring and that had or have some "joker/wildcard" promotion to their tier 2 from non traditional areas.

But not much more or how, so if you can....

And how - if at all - could it help RL?

[Adelaide Tiger]

17 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

God, this is all thoroughly depressing.

I'm going on holiday tomorrow though and I am sure it will all be sorted when I get back.

I left Cas in 2006 thinking that when I visited my parents a few years later I would be sat in a brand new stadium ……..

[GUBRATS]

2 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Think a top tier without relegation seems preferable now.

Then an application process for expansion from secondary competitions or abroad.

The alternative is nothing more than an ‘who is bringing 400 away fans’ philosophy which holds the sport back.

To who ?

[clogdance]

Why do Toulouse not play in the French League. I know that will seem like a really strange question, but I was just wondering ?

[Jughead]

Just now, clogdance said:

Why do Toulouse not play in the French League. I know that will seem like a really strange question, but I was just wondering ?

Why don’t Huddersfield play in the Yorkshire League? I know it will seem like a really strange question but I was just wondering?

[Eddie]

5 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Right, I’ll bite. How on earth do you get to that conclusion. 

Plus, there’s 14 championship clubs…

Oh yes 14. We’ll add up their number of fans, the number of players they have, the income that they generate, the number of players they develop etc. Unless you think Toulouse and Catalans are each on average 7 times more important than an average Championship club in those key areas - which I don’t. 

[clogdance]

1 minute ago, Jughead said:

Why don’t Huddersfield play in the Yorkshire League? I know it will seem like a really strange question but I was just wondering?

O)h dear, didn't realize you were French. I can only apologize xx

[Scubby]

5 minutes ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

I left Cas in 2006 thinking that when I visited my parents a few years later I would be sat in a brand new stadium ……..

Every story paints a picture

 

[glossop saint]

What do people mean about 'contribute' to the game? Players? Fans? Excitement? Experiences for fans and players? Media coverage? Money? 

I fail to see how Catalans don't contribute.

[Adelaide Tiger]

9 minutes ago, clogdance said:

This is what Derek actually typed  earlier.....Wasn’t only Huddersfield. I was vocal as always and all bar 1 in the room I was in saw no COMMERCIAL value from all those years! 1 person aptly pointed out we give £4m to 2 French clubs and only £2m to the whole of champ and champ1! Which contributes most back to the game?

My reply is not directed at you Clogdance.

Derek along with every other owner/CEO and leaders of the RFL and SL are solely responsible for the game at all levels not bringing in more income across all levels of the game after 26 years of professionalism.

Yet to hide their inability/incompetence/Ineptitude/shortcoming/failure to move the game forward they blame French clubs for the malaise.

Truly amazing.