Newcastle thunder

[Angelic Cynic]

52 minutes ago, gazza77 said:

How does this decision impact their academy? 

I believe the Academy coach is currently assisting Dennis Betts as temporary head coach.

How will it affect the coaching appointments?

 

 

 

[DEANO]

5 hours ago, Chris22 said:

Newcastle have rebuilt to be a mid to lower table Championship club with crowds comparable to heartland teams in similar positions.

I'd rather have a part time, competitive Newcastle in the Championship, doing great work to increase participation in the North East than them going all out for Super League, failing and going bust again.

Don't think this is the end of the world, as part time teams like Batley show, it's more than possible to compete at this level. Big test is how they react to it.

Let’s not forget that Newcastle haven’t been rebuilt. They were actually placed in the championship. To go full time was ridiculous as it was at Sheffield. That said I hope they keep going

[londonrugbyleague]

Supposly if  the thunder players don't agree to go part time /walk away from the club, then the club will be Liquidated. 

 They are slashing the player budget by 80 %,the player budget for next season is a reported 150k, can only see the club going one way. Worrying times for thunder for sure

 

[OriginalMrC]

Newcastle profited from being closely linked with Falcons but now they will suffer because of it unfortunately. RU is in turmoil with many clubs close to liquidation. By the sounds of it the owner has decided he can't support two loss making clubs. Hopefully Thunder will continue but things dont look good with poor results and attendances down. 

[Joe Aitcheson]

31 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

Newcastle profited from being closely linked with Falcons but now they will suffer because of it unfortunately. RU is in turmoil with many clubs close to liquidation. By the sounds of it the owner has decided he can't support two loss making clubs. Hopefully Thunder will continue but things dont look good with poor results and attendances down. 

Many RU clubs close to liquidation?  Oh bliss!

[del capo]

19 hours ago, Joe Aitcheson said:

Many RU clubs close to liquidation?  Oh bliss!

 

No time to rejoice . RU have deep pockets and friends in high places. They will come out of it.

Maybe the Newcastle owner is simply taking stock as the oval ball game finances in general are at present shaky...non relegation for starters in RU  is helpful to him.

At TTG we have for too long failed to meaningfully invest at Community level. IMG were amazed that our major Tier 4  feeder leagues ( League 1 equivalent in most cases ) travelled the country financially unsupported.

Gateshead  withdrew from the NCL because of travel  finance  ( cost 10k-  losing such an outpost for just that really ? ) and NCL would probably  instead have  accepted  a NE rep side to replace them and  thereby secure a player  pathway for the Thunder. Didn't happen.

 All is not well either  in the Heartlands. Cumbria  for instance lost 3 clubs this week alone. Top pro producers in their day.

It's only a matter of time before RFL  Heartland clubs could be dipping in the same empty pond  for ' semi  pro ' as the likes of London , NW Crus et al.

When the penny eventually drops that proper investment needs to be made  where the players  acquire their love for TTG........ only then will the RFL pro and semi pro clubs have a chance of surviving .....

Too pessimistic a view ?

Maybe but as an RL Admin for over 50 years we are I would say at a fairly pivotal point in our history.

[Ragingbull]

26 minutes ago, del capo said:

 

 All is not well either  in the Heartlands. Cumbria  for instance lost 3 clubs this week alone. Top pro producers in their day.

Thats terrible news from Cumbria.  Which 3 clubs have folded?

Edited August 17, 2022 by Ragingbull

[del capo]

21 minutes ago, Ragingbull said:

Thats terrible news from Cumbria.  Which 3 clubs have folded?

Cockermouth . Glasson and Aspatria all reported as struggling.

RLWC  monies put into Cockermouth for their clubhouse  but it's on the ground day to day stuff where its really needed - as elsewhere.

I sometime think we need a scheme that actually hijacks kids out of school or off the streets.....

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, del capo said:

Cockermouth . Glasson and Aspatria all reported as struggling.

RLWC  monies put into Cockermouth for their clubhouse  but it's on the ground day to day stuff where its really needed - as elsewhere.

I sometime think we need a scheme that actually hijacks kids out of school or off the streets.....

Glasson, Ellenborough, and Maryport are all in the same area? Recreational sport is on the decline across all sports. There's probably not enough kids or adults to warrant 3 clubs in a small area like that.

[del capo]

4 minutes ago, NW10LDN said:

Glasson, Ellenborough, and Maryport are all in the same area? Recreational sport is on the decline across all sports. There's probably not enough kids or adults to warrant 3 clubs in a small area like that.

I'll leave you to argue with the Marras on that.

RL is the go to sport in Cumbria. No other game competes. RL rules there.

Wigan for instance  has more than 10 clubs with clubhouses within  5 miles of each other. a smaller area than you talk about - but they still recruit - it can be done but financial intervention  from the RFL  with day to day expenses  across the board would make it so much easier.

[yipyee]

25 minutes ago, del capo said:

I'll leave you to argue with the Marras on that.

RL is the go to sport in Cumbria. No other game competes. RL rules there.

Wigan for instance  has more than 10 clubs with clubhouses within  5 miles of each other. a smaller area than you talk about - but they still recruit - it can be done but financial intervention  from the RFL  with day to day expenses  across the board would make it so much easier.

Its not the close proximity of clubs its the mass of people in that area that matters.

Also union is big in Cumbria, particularly East Cumbria. Aspatria have a good level union team as does Kendal. 

Infact there's 25 union clubs to,  what, about 15 league clubs?

The gap between cumbria and wigan is also dominated by union...

There seems to be no strategy to fill this gap or build on the few clubs that exist in the void

Edited August 18, 2022 by yipyee

[Guest]

1 hour ago, del capo said:

I'll leave you to argue with the Marras on that.

RL is the go to sport in Cumbria. No other game competes. RL rules there.

Wigan for instance  has more than 10 clubs with clubhouses within  5 miles of each other. a smaller area than you talk about - but they still recruit - it can be done but financial intervention  from the RFL  with day to day expenses  across the board would make it so much easier.

Population is all that matters. You are comparing apples with oranges. Financial intervention from the RFL doesn't magically create new people to play for a club.

[tec]

Not really bothered if Newcastle are going PT. Just goes to show it takes time to build a team and support etc. If there crowds improve and the finances are there who’s to say they can’t go back to FT in a few years time.

 

[Harry Stottle]

17 hours ago, Toby Chopra said:

I think playing budgets are a big part of it. What we need in Superleague is more clubs challenging at the top end so the competition has depth and diversity.

Wasn't that the whole idea of the Salary Cap by not allowing the 'richer' club's to monopolise the available home grown and overseas spend on players, to spread out the better player's, in that some club's in SL have chosen not to spend to the limit is half the problem PLUS the 'add ons' some club's get that effectively increases their spend.

Who ever gets promoted this season will be at a disadvantage over all those who get cap concessions for the lads who come through their academy system, which incidentally would not have effected Newcastle whichever division they play in. 

[Harry Stottle]

17 hours ago, Chris22 said:

Don't think this is the end of the world, as part time teams like Batley show, it's more than possible to compete at this level. Big test is how they react to it

Hi Chris, what is this level? Honest Question. And it is also directed to the 11 who liked your post.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Harry Stottle

[Harry Stottle]

17 hours ago, Ragingbull said:

As ive said previously i think they will struggle to get players to commute 100 odd miles 3 times week for part time money given the travel time and the cost of fuel.  Players that work all day, will they want a 4 hour commute on a weeknight just to go training?

Would the player's have to travel to Newcastle 4 times a week? Considering most were based across the heartland corridor if they returned to their roots would it not be possible to find a more adequately placed venue to train, if you wish do a Toronto scenario of living and training in the heartlands and travelling for their 'home' games. 

[glossop saint]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Would the player's have to travel to Newcastle 4 times a week? Considering most were based across the heartland corridor if they returned to their roots would it not be possible to find a more adequately placed venue to train, if you wish do a Toronto scenario of living and training in the heartlands and travelling for their 'home' games. 

Considering the reaction to Toronto (and I think Oxford?) when they did this I would expect it would just be used as a stick to beat Newcastle with. It is no doubt a disadvantage for them but I would still hope that they work around that and base themselves in the North East. It will reduce their player pool but hopefully it will enable some local players to gain a bit more experience and develop and if they can stay in the championshipwhilst doing so it will be an improvement on the previous league 1 standard. Maybe the next Sam Luckley is just around the corner.

[Harry Stottle]

15 hours ago, Scubby said:

Maybe they are being told the route to SL is no longer going to be through promotion and relegation? If that is they case, why would you be signing players on full time contracts who would only be good enough for the Championship. 

It seems pretty obvious that the model for promotion in 2022 was just sign 17 overseas players on one year deals and go for it. After this year it is certain the loophole will be closed.

Could you imagine the vitriol they would have got on here if it had been Thunder that did this in 2022?

First question who in the Championship has signed 17 overseas player's?

Secondly you honestly believe that someone would have leaked that the system which no one knows what it will be is going to be by licencing to SL.

Yes plenty of vitriol has been directed at the two clubs in the Championship that occupy the top two positions by 'spending' why should any other club be spared that indignity if they did the same?

[Harry Stottle]

15 hours ago, Tubby said:

Just so I understand, which club are you referring to here? And when you say it’s certain the loophole will be closed, do you mean the limit on overseas players? And is that certainty based on some knowledge from within the RFL? If that is the case, it would make sense for the limits to be more aligned between SL and championship, although I’m not sure they need to be identical at this stage (IMO). 

Best me to it Tubs.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Harry Stottle

[David Shepherd]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Secondly you honestly believe that someone would have leaked that the system which no one knows what it will be is going to be by licencing to SL.

 

I'm suspicious that something is afoot Harry. The recent changes to the legal constitution of SLE are an indicator.

TOXIII don't seem overly concerned sat at the bottom of SL, despite Sky's see through attempts to big up the relegation battle.

Leigh are either supremely confident of promotion or know something we don't. They've signed lots of the current squad for next year. That's a massive financial risk for Degsy, all it need is a couple of injuries or a sending off in the MPG to go horribly wrong for him.

 

 

[Harry Stottle]

18 minutes ago, glossop saint said:

Considering the reaction to Toronto (and I think Oxford?) when they did this I would expect it would just be used as a stick to beat Newcastle with. It is no doubt a disadvantage for them but I would still hope that they work around that and base themselves in the North East. It will reduce their player pool but hopefully it will enable some local players to gain a bit more experience and develop and if they can stay in the championshipwhilst doing so it will be an improvement on the previous league 1 standard. Maybe the next Sam Luckley is just around the corner.

Is Newcastle not the new London? In that they will always need out of town player's - just as your own club, Wigan, Leeds etc do - and as you intimate they will need those with big wallets to finance it, as all club's do.

[The Future is League]

25 minutes ago, glossop saint said:

Considering the reaction to Toronto (and I think Oxford?) when they did this I would expect it would just be used as a stick to beat Newcastle with. It is no doubt a disadvantage for them but I would still hope that they work around that and base themselves in the North East. It will reduce their player pool but hopefully it will enable some local players to gain a bit more experience and develop and if they can stay in the championshipwhilst doing so it will be an improvement on the previous league 1 standard. Maybe the next Sam Luckley is just around the corner.

I think its more important than ever to underpin Rugby League more than ever now with the Magic Weekend

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

I'm suspicious that something is afoot Harry. The recent changes to the legal constitution of SLE are an indicator.

TOXIII don't seem overly concerned sat at the bottom of SL, despite Sky's see through attempts to big up the relegation battle.

Leigh are either supremely confident of promotion or know something we don't. They've signed lots of the current squad for next year. That's a massive financial risk for Degsy, all it need is a couple of injuries or a sending off in the MPG to go horribly wrong for him.

 

 

That is very true David, but when the end of last season approached Mr Beaumont said he would do what is possible to get Leigh promoted this term, and if it fails he was prepared to do it all again in '23, his money his choice.

[glossop saint]

9 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Is Newcastle not the new London? In that they will always need out of town player's - just as your own club, Wigan, Leeds etc do - and as you intimate they will need those with big wallets to finance it, as all club's do.

Of course they will. As you say, every club in every sport use players from outside of the town be it St Helens, Leigh, Penrith, Wasps or Manchester United. That is the nature of professional sport.

Im probably being a bit slow but I'm not really sure how that relates to your original point of Newcastle training outside of Newcastle though.

[Jughead]

20 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

I'm suspicious that something is afoot Harry. The recent changes to the legal constitution of SLE are an indicator.

TOXIII don't seem overly concerned sat at the bottom of SL, despite Sky's see through attempts to big up the relegation battle.

Leigh are either supremely confident of promotion or know something we don't. They've signed lots of the current squad for next year. That's a massive financial risk for Degsy, all it need is a couple of injuries or a sending off in the MPG to go horribly wrong for him.

 

 

I like the bit where you have concocted that Toulouse don’t care despite numerous interviews and mid-season signings to the contrary.