McNamara blasts Huddersfield after IMG discussions

[GUBRATS]

9 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Yes, I get that. And I'm not arguing against needing more paying customers. I am wondering whether it should be our exclusive focus when other things may be equally or more valuable - or, if doing some other things well, may mean that we don't need quite so many seat buyers.

Its not about ' needing ' , it's wanting them , as well as the monetary value , they create the atmosphere that brings them and others back 

Or we could just play at an open field , have everybody watch on TV and CGI stands full of people , that would be cheaper in the long run , but would it be better ? 

[GUBRATS]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

Could well be a loss, only made up by sponsorship, directors loans etc.

Bonkers 

[Tommygilf]

44 minutes ago, mrfranco said:

Or is DB talking about a meeting of SL chairmen last time he was one, so of the 11 SL clubs at the time, he reckons the only was supporting French involvement in SL was... from France...

Possibly, though it could also be the Championship IMG meeting.

[Tommygilf]

41 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Bonkers 

Isn't that basically Huddersfield Giants' business model?

[GeordieSaint]

1 hour ago, binosh said:

Rugby League is is currently in its worst financial position for decades and that includes having the french teams in it.
Sky have already given us plenty Of notice it RL doesn’t come up with something different quickly there wont be enough money in the TV deal to gift each club 2M per year and Toulouse and Catalans will be scurrying off home with thee tail between their legs. Leigh and Featherstone will end up in there by default.

What makes you think SL ‘gifts’ Catalan and Toulouse money? Catalan are on TV more than any other club in the sport. SKY absolutely pay money for Catalan as much as any other club. I’d flip your poor argument around and state the clubs on TV less are gifted money; not Catalan. Selling at satellite dishes in a particular postcode is a one small criteria to determine commercial value. In fact, I’d suggest in a particular weak and narrow-minded argument - see Derek Beaumont for example. 

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Scubby said:

Why will it not be interesting to compare Leigh's second to last SL average with that of Wakefield? Isn't that more of a like for like given Toulouse went 2 years without a scheduled regular round league fixture?

Simply because there was no crowds due to Covid for the first few games of the season last year, even you can understand that the figures would somewhat unreal can't you.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

I'm not playing your games Harry and getting into a game of who said what. This thread has been going for 24 pages and you've been involved so you know as well as I do what has been said.

You make the statements Damien, back them up.

[Niels]

1 hour ago, gittinsfan said:

I would suggest that if Batley became under the umbrella of,say,Leeds, Huddersfield or Wakefield,then Batley as a club would be completely destroyed.

Yes.

I think it is also very arguable that we are much better managed than most of those clubs. 

To answer Tommy's point respectfully, we have never been relegated to league 1, in 22 years now, I think. So that isn't a level we would wish for. 

[Scubby]

2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Simply because there was no crowds due to Covid for the first few games of the season last year, even you can understand that the figures would somewhat unreal can't you.

Toulouse had restricted crowds and facilities in their first few games in 2022.

Edited July 25, 2022 by Scubby

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Scubby said:

What value? Away fans? Crowd average? Broadcast deal? Fans or real supporters? ........On no Mr IMG boss, we aint saying anything about Catalans or Toulouse. Who you want to be in SL is completely up to you

This is perhaps my favourite of all. Leigh fans spend more time in betting shops and eat mushy peas!! Case closed.

 

Baited Rod and another sucker bites, I gave you more credit Scubby.

[Scubby]

2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Baited Rod and another sucker bites, I gave you more credit Scubby.

Harry Leigh fans hijacking discussion threads to make it all about their team is getting pretty tiresome even for hardened users on here

[GUBRATS]

4 hours ago, JohnM said:

Could well be a loss, only made up by sponsorship, directors loans etc.

What ? , Explain that one ?

[glossop saint]

1 minute ago, Scubby said:

Harry Leigh fans hijacking discussion threads to make it all about their team is getting pretty tiresome even for hardened users on here

At the start of the thread comparisons were being made to Hudds given they were the club allegedly making comments about Catalans. I'm not really sure how this has become about Leigh. Especially when both Harry and Gubby have both said they are pro Catalan Dragons. 

[Anita Bath]

8 minutes ago, Niels said:

Yes.

I think it is also very arguable that we are much better managed than most of those clubs. 

To answer Tommy's point respectfully, we have never been relegated to league 1, in 22 years now, I think. So that isn't a level we would wish for. 

And long may it continue…a credit to rugby league and a model for others to follow. 

 

And thats from a Lancastrian who thinks there is nothing good over them hills.

[Omott91]

4 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

And ?

Does that surprise you. It probably surprises Beamont.

[GUBRATS]

3 hours ago, JonM said:

You don't think Liverpool get some value from having hundreds of millions of 'fans' worldwide, but only 50 000 spectators (or whatever the figures are)? You don't think that has any effect on tv contracts, media coverage or sponsorship deals? 

Widnes have 30 000 followers on Facebook, but only around 3000 people currently turning up to watch at a typical home game. That's a big pool of people who can be turned into customers, and increasing the size of that pool is pretty basic 'sales funnel' stuff that I'd expect a club CEO to care about.

Yes they do , so you think we need to chase ' global branding ' as a priority ? 

Yes Widnes need to drag some of those 30,000 through the gates , which is really easy , well so I keep getting told by internet marketing experts 

[GUBRATS]

3 hours ago, The Future is League said:

Delboy keeps ignoring the facts and that is the last time Leigh were in Super League they didn't bring in one worthwhile new sponsors and no news fans to our game, while Catalans and Toulouse and brought in worthwhile new sponsors and new fans to the game

They've brought in sponsors and fans to their club , just as Leigh did , no different 

[GUBRATS]

Who has actually requested the French clubs be removed from SL other than by on field relegation ?

Please answer with definitive proof ? 

[Harry Stottle]

17 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Harry Leigh fans hijacking discussion threads to make it all about their team is getting pretty tiresome even for hardened users on here

Hijacking, myself and another poster from Leigh were on this thread from page 1 you didn't join it till page 4, and the first reference to Leigh was from a certain poster from the Wilds of Cumbria who directed a post to me with reference to "your club and owner" that was as early as page 3.

But whatever, it is a discussion forum if someones opinion is different then accept it or don't take part or put those you don't agree with on ignore, simples.

[The Future is League]

2 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

There you go again, who from Leigh can you point to with postal evidence who says they want to get rid of Catalan?

Well its quite clear Delboy has a huge fear of them by his tweets

[audois]

4 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I was at the Dragons on Saturday and it was announced that IMG will be coming down to a match next month.

Knowing the Dragons they will ramp up the match day presentation and entertain the IMG delegation to a level not experienced before:)

It is well known in RL circles that 4 clubs in SL always vote against the Dragons and would love them kicked out (I am not going to name names however the clubs that are pro Dragons/Toulouse are:)

Leeds Rhinos

Hull FC 

Hull KR

Warrington Wolves

St Helens 

Wigan Warriors 

 

On another subject Warne Pearce was at the match on Saturday with his wife saw Sean Edwards to with his partner and children great day all on my French RL blog should be up tonight:)

Cheers 

 

Paul

Paul

I rememberd the wooden tables in the open  at the back of the stands at Aime Giral USAP in 2006 where T-shirts et al where on sale. Saturday at Brutus  I looked around the club shop - was another world - the amount and of items on show extraordinary. It was packed out, parents with children, wives and girls in numbers too.

Edited July 25, 2022 by audois

[GUBRATS]

4 hours ago, glossop saint said:

By 'put that to bed' then you mean you posted that. Was there actually any stats or even agreement that that was the case? (Genuine question as I might have missed it.) And if it is the case as to the club are irrelevant then why not Catalans?

But it goes back to the original point. Some posters are looking at ways to dismiss Catalans contribution to the sport, and are repeatedly changing the definition of what that contribution is.

Have a good morning at work. Hopefully this hasn't descended from good discussion by dinner time!

That's the point , there are no stats , it is impossible to quantify , the vast majority of subscriptions are for football or general ' sport ' , even in the heartlands of the game very few are purely for RL , outside I'd suggest even less apart from the odd ' expat ' , so saying ' most ' or ' all ' subscribers outside the heartlands would prefer to watch Cats and Toulouse over say Leigh and Fev isn't provable either way , football rules the roost completely 

[GUBRATS]

4 hours ago, gingerjon said:

My grammar isn't always the best - especially when I'm writing quickly and I tend to write it as I say it without realising it may not be read the same way.

Maybe you should be concentrating on work instead ?

[GeordieSaint]

20 minutes ago, audois said:

Paul

I rememberd the wooden tables in the open  at the back of the stands at Aime Giral USAP in 2006 where T-shirts et al where on sale. Saturday at Brutus  I looked around the club shop - was another world - the amount and of items on show extraordinary. It was packed out, parents with children, wives and girls in numbers too.

A proper, commercialised, well-run and successful Rugby League club. 

[glossop saint]

Just now, GUBRATS said:

That's the point , there are no stats , it is impossible to quantify , the vast majority of subscriptions are for football or general ' sport ' , even in the heartlands of the game very few are purely for RL , outside I'd suggest even less apart from the odd ' expat ' , so saying ' most ' or ' all ' subscribers outside the heartlands would prefer to watch Cats and Toulouse over say Leigh and Fev isn't provable either way , football rules the roost completely 

In which case it can't be 'put to bed'. What has been clarified is that it is not just people from the heartlands watching it so can't use the logic that if Widnes for example are in SL then subscriptions go up. Which I think was the point being made that Catalans don't add any subscriptions (though the discussion has moved on since then!).

To be fair the fact that so much can't be quantified is why the debate is going on, and why there is no obvious right answer. Trying to quantify how much any club contributes is near enough impossible but there has been good discussion on both sides along with a lot of nonsense as well. Though that's for IMG to work out and it will be interesting to see what way they go. Whatever there will be some people upset.