Newcastle thunder

[Rockingchair]

Newcastle are going back to a part time team next season, I wonder how this will effect players who are on full time contracts .

 

[Jughead]

Ouch. That looks like the end of “Super League Grand Final winners by 2030”, then. 

[The Blues Ox]

Abysmal planning. Three quarters of a season and alredy giving it up. Im not sure what they were expecting in this first season and if they thought just putting a few full time players together would make it a doddle to get in to the playoffs. 

[Blind side johnny]

Issues with both Thunder and Falcons attendances will be causing a rethink I reckon.

Add to this questions regarding the willingness of Toulouse to return to the Championship and we may be entering another state of flux.

[DavidM]

I thought that was very ambitious tbh . I’m not sure what the vision was but you’d think it would have to be a long term thing . 

[Rugbyleaguesupporter]

The harsh facts of matter is that attendances won't go beyond 1,000 full paying customers (500 or so home fans) unless Thunder are in SL.

*Apart from the odd match 

[Eddie]

7 minutes ago, DavidM said:

I thought that was very ambitious tbh . I’m not sure what the vision was but you’d think it would have to be a long term thing . 

It may have been, but presumably they’ve realised it’s not affordable with their attendances, or maybe a backer has pulled out / reduced their funding. 

[Eddie]

9 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Abysmal planning. Three quarters of a season and alredy giving it up. Im not sure what they were expecting in this first season and if they thought just putting a few full time players together would make it a doddle to get in to the playoffs. 

It’s easy to use words like abysmal on the internet, but without knowing what’s gone on it’s impossible to judge. 

[The Daddy]

Bet some posters on here will be over the moon 

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, The Daddy said:

Bet some posters on here will be over the moon 

This doesn't work. 

People can think something is destined to fail without actually being happy about it failing. 

We could launch an SL team in Krakow and I'd be certain it'd fail, but I'd love to be proved wrong. 

It is strange that most anger does seem to be pointed at those who turn out to be right. 

[Archie Gordon]

I think abysmal planning is fair comment, especially as folk warned that progress for Newcastle wasn't guaranteed to be linear (or even guaranteed at all). A commitment to FT needed more than 1 year. This change of direction is a very poor outcome.

[glossop saint]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

This doesn't work. 

People can think something is destined to fail without actually being happy about it failing. 

We could launch an SL team in Krakow and I'd be certain it'd fail, but I'd love to be proved wrong. 

It is strange that most anger does seem to be pointed at those who turn out to be right. 

Not sure if you are referencing elsewhere but the only negative reaction to the cynics on this thread is the one you quoted. Hardly most.

It is no doubt disappointing. You've got to think that is it is due to a change of circumstances and not just a reaction to a lack of progress this season. If it is then to me that is more worrying. 

[Blind side johnny]

11 minutes ago, Eddie said:

It may have been, but presumably they’ve realised it’s not affordable with their attendances, or maybe a backer has pulled out / reduced their funding. 

Or possibly a combination of the two, so the rumour has it.

[Rockingchair]

From a players perspective this is not great , Ollie roberts just signed a four year deal , probably just re located to be told a couple of months later the club is going part time , I would imagine some players will be in similar situations.

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, glossop saint said:

Not sure if you are referencing elsewhere but the only negative reaction to the cynics on this thread is the one you quoted. Hardly most.

It is no doubt disappointing. You've got to think that is it is due to a change of circumstances and not just a reaction to a lack of progress this season. If it is then to me that is more worrying. 

Yes, apologies if not clear, my last line was a wider point on the criticism that is aimed at people who don't think something is a good idea. It doesn't mean they are happy about the failures. 

[glossop saint]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Yes, apologies if not clear, my last line was a wider point on the criticism that is aimed at people who don't think something is a good idea. It doesn't mean they are happy about the failures. 

Definitely agree with your point. All too often it becomes almost an ideology argument and that it didn't work because not enough people supported it or believed in it enough and nothing to do with the bad decisions made by people who are in the positions that actually matter.

Expansion is not going to rely on posters from Leigh or Fev on this forum but more on actions by the RFL and the clubs themselves, in this case Newcastle.

[Eddie]

25 minutes ago, Dave T said:

This doesn't work. 

People can think something is destined to fail without actually being happy about it failing. 

We could launch an SL team in Krakow and I'd be certain it'd fail, but I'd love to be proved wrong. 

It is strange that most anger does seem to be pointed at those who turn out to be right. 

Krakow, now you’re talking, is the jersey available yet? 

[Eddie]

20 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

I think abysmal planning is fair comment, especially as folk warned that progress for Newcastle wasn't guaranteed to be linear (or even guaranteed at all). A commitment to FT needed more than 1 year. This change of direction is a very poor outcome.

If they’ve just changed their minds then yes, but if they’ve lost funding from a sponsor or backer which means FT is no longer possible next year then there’s nothing they can do about it?  Either way from a fan of RL perspective this is very disappointing news. 

[JohnM]

36 minutes ago, Eddie said:

It’s easy to use words like abysmal on the internet, but without knowing what’s gone on it’s impossible to judge. 

That's never stopped him before.

[David Shepherd]

Shame for the players, but I always thought this was far too early in their development to be going full time.  It's only 3 years since they were in League 1. 

As an absolute minimum they should have cemented themselves as regular play off contenders before even thinking about it.

They've now done a Sheffield and put themselves back a good five years.

Foolish.

[Damien]

I know Newcastle were full time but they never struck me as spending big money or big wages to do so, certainly nothing like Leigh or Featherstone.

[Derwent]

I was at a function in Newcastle a few weeks ago on the same table as Semore Kurdi. I asked him what his plans were for Thunder and he just shrugged and said "they serve a purpose in absorbing some of the stadium overheads". On the subject of SL he said if a place were offered as part of a restructure/licensing arrangement then he would take it, but that he was not prepared to spend the sums that other Championship clubs are to get there by competitive promotion. In his view the sum required to build a team to win the Championship isn't worth it, SL income does not offer a decent risk/reward ratio to make it a viable investment in his opinion.

He did also say that he was cutting the Falcons playing budget by 20% for the next couple of years as well given the 3 year moratorium on P&R in RU.

His most telling comment was "with KP stadium and the hospitality company I would have a very good business if it wasn't for the 2 rugby teams !".

[Damien]

54 minutes ago, Rugbyleaguesupporter said:

The harsh facts of matter is that attendances won't go beyond 1,000 full paying customers (500 or so home fans) unless Thunder are in SL.

*Apart from the odd match 

I think there is a lot of truth in this. I think to many people in the U.K sport outside the top flight isn't particularly appealing and is a hard sell. I think non heartland teams especially will always struggle on that front. Heartland teams are a little more like Football where it is more ingrained in the town and so the likes of Leigh and Fev can get some great attendances. Even at that though many struggle too.

[Tubby]

37 minutes ago, Rockingchair said:

From a players perspective this is not great , Ollie roberts just signed a four year deal , probably just re located to be told a couple of months later the club is going part time , I would imagine some players will be in similar situations.

I wonder where he stands contractually.  If he has signed a full time four year contract, then surely the employer is bound to pay it unless the company is liqidated?

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

5 minutes ago, Derwent said:

I was at a function in Newcastle a few weeks ago on the same table as Semore Kurdi. I asked him what his plans were for Thunder and he just shrugged and said "they serve a purpose in absorbing some of the stadium overheads". On the subject of SL he said if a place were offered as part of a restructure/licensing arrangement then he would take it, but that he was not prepared to spend the sums that other Championship clubs are to get there by competitive promotion. In his view the sum required to build a team to win the Championship isn't worth it, SL income does not offer a decent risk/reward ratio to make it a viable investment in his opinion.

He did also say that he was cutting the Falcons playing budget by 20% for the next couple of years as well given the 3 year moratorium on P&R in RU.

His most telling comment was "with KP stadium and the hospitality company I would have a very good business if it wasn't for the 2 rugby teams !".

If that is (even half) true, then oxy is absolutely correct to use the phrase 'abysmal planning'.