Eddie Posted December 7, 2022 Author Share Posted December 7, 2022 13 minutes ago, Madrileño said: "This forum" appears to be made up of about 30 middle aged white English guys, the majority of whom have never even played a game of League. Hardly a cross section of the game's wider support! Social media is littered with comments about the French, Toulouse, why they shouldn't be in Super League.... etc. Right up to today. The overriding feeling among most rugby league supporters that I have read, is that it is not England's job to help France. This is on club forums, Twitter, League Facebook pages and newspaper article comments. Even on this very thread, you have Harry Stottle saying "invest our money here" so let's not pretend that TotalRL is only composed of people wishing them well. If this is not the view of the public (ie: if I am wrong), then I am sure we will see a concerted effort to develop French Rugby league as a legacy of this World Cup. A rising tide lifts all boats after all... I was referring to your comment ‘, yet we have rugby league 'fans' on here’, which suggested to me that you meant this forum rather than wider social media. My bad. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweaty craiq Posted December 7, 2022 Share Posted December 7, 2022 3 hours ago, Madrileño said: "This forum" appears to be made up of about 30 middle aged white English guys, the majority of whom have never even played a game of League. Hardly a cross section of the game's wider support! Social media is littered with comments about the French, Toulouse, why they shouldn't be in Super League.... etc. Right up to today. The overriding feeling among most rugby league supporters that I have read, is that it is not England's job to help France. This is on club forums, Twitter, League Facebook pages and newspaper article comments. Even on this very thread, you have Harry Stottle saying "invest our money here" so let's not pretend that TotalRL is only composed of people wishing them well. If this is not the view of the public (ie: if I am wrong), then I am sure we will see a concerted effort to develop French Rugby league as a legacy of this World Cup. A rising tide lifts all boats after all... You seem to be confusing “helping” with “financing”. Todays reality is that cash is short and what we have left needs to generate income in the UK for RL to improve its income I would have 4 French clubs in an expanded SL tomorrow but they must be self sufficient and not drawing from the British income. Can you do that? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madrileño Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 4 hours ago, sweaty craiq said: You seem to be confusing “helping” with “financing”. Todays reality is that cash is short and what we have left needs to generate income in the UK for RL to improve its income I would have 4 French clubs in an expanded SL tomorrow but they must be self sufficient and not drawing from the British income. Can you do that? I wouldn't have 4, so whether i can "do that" or not, is irrelevant. However I would have 2 at this stage, with decent salary cap exemptions for them, probably on a sliding scale regarding their years in the league, and perhaps structured to mean that signing FFR XIII trained players is where they get these exemptions. I would also protect them from relegation for a period. This is not "financing" them, it's helping them. If you don't help them (and Toronto Wolfpack, and London Broncos) you get a "Super" League based around a few unknown northern towns, that nobody wants to sponsor, and a "Dream Team" that would finish about 5th in the 2002 league table. That's the choice you face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo5 Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 9 hours ago, sweaty craiq said: You seem to be confusing “helping” with “financing”. Todays reality is that cash is short and what we have left needs to generate income in the UK for RL to improve its income I would have 4 French clubs in an expanded SL tomorrow but they must be self sufficient and not drawing from the British income. Can you do that? Not drawing from British income ?? Self sufficient,You mean like going 2 yrs without the income of a home game & then having to pay every visiting teams travel costs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted December 8, 2022 Author Share Posted December 8, 2022 4 hours ago, Madrileño said: I wouldn't have 4, so whether i can "do that" or not, is irrelevant. However I would have 2 at this stage, with decent salary cap exemptions for them, probably on a sliding scale regarding their years in the league, and perhaps structured to mean that signing FFR XIII trained players is where they get these exemptions. I would also protect them from relegation for a period. This is not "financing" them, it's helping them. If you don't help them (and Toronto Wolfpack, and London Broncos) you get a "Super" League based around a few unknown northern towns, that nobody wants to sponsor, and a "Dream Team" that would finish about 5th in the 2002 league table. That's the choice you face. Just out of interest are you originally from an unknown northern town or did you get into RL another way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Stottle Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 13 hours ago, Madrileño said: They have (and had) a tiny window to recruit a SuperLeague squad, with a limited overseas quota. Most Rugby League contracts are sorted out months before, so they are left with a few short weeks to pick up the scraps that nobody else wants... That is what each club who has been promoted has had to face, don't make out that it is unique in Toulouse's case. Perhaps this year Toulouse should try the approach Mr Beaumont did this last season, start employing player's for next season in the hope that he gained promotion, it is down to speculate to accumulate, it may backfire but it is a different approach from waiting till the season ends and no one is left as you put it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Stottle Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 18 hours ago, David Shepherd said: Seems to be a standard response when pie in the sky dreamers are confronted with reality. Yep none of them ever respond with anything constructive when anyone disagrees with their way of thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 (edited) . Edited December 8, 2022 by Leonard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Stottle Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 2 minutes ago, Leonard said: . Morn'in Lenny, did you have a comment to make? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronicler of Chiswick Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 15 hours ago, Madrileño said: "This forum" appears to be made up of about 30 middle aged white English guys, the majority of whom have never even played a game of League. Hardly a cross section of the game's wider support! Social media is littered with comments about the French, Toulouse, why they shouldn't be in Super League.... etc. Right up to today. The overriding feeling among most rugby league supporters that I have read, is that it is not England's job to help France. This is on club forums, Twitter, League Facebook pages and newspaper article comments. Even on this very thread, you have Harry Stottle saying "invest our money here" so let's not pretend that TotalRL is only composed of people wishing them well. If this is not the view of the public (ie: if I am wrong), then I am sure we will see a concerted effort to develop French Rugby league as a legacy of this World Cup. A rising tide lifts all boats after all... Less of the middle aged - some of us are whinging, miserable OLD b*****s! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnyia Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 They reckon there was around 4000 for the limoux v Carcassonne game, not bad for a chilly winters day. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweaty craiq Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 1 hour ago, barnyia said: They reckon there was around 4000 for the limoux v Carcassonne game, not bad for a chilly winters day. More than not bad, positively brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweaty craiq Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 4 hours ago, Davo5 said: Not drawing from British income ?? Self sufficient,You mean like going 2 yrs without the income of a home game & then having to pay every visiting teams travel costs. British income - the money sky provide in the hope of making a return by selling advertising and subs or the money Bet Fred provide despite no presence in France, surely anyone can work that one out. Cats reported 12m Euros turnover in one of those 2 years btw, so should be self sufficient without central funding plus clubs should pay to travel & stay if no central funding given. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted December 8, 2022 Author Share Posted December 8, 2022 1 hour ago, barnyia said: They reckon there was around 4000 for the limoux v Carcassonne game, not bad for a chilly winters day. And a population of 10,214. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnyia Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 The stand was full as was the space in front and near the bar, the popular side in the sunshine goes the full length of the ground and was 4 deep the full length of the field, 4 or 500 for the pre match meal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 12 minutes ago, barnyia said: The stand was full as was the space in front and near the bar, the popular side in the sunshine goes the full length of the ground and was 4 deep the full length of the field, 4 or 500 for the pre match meal. Brilliant. Given the standard - puts a lot of Champ and LG1 to shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 22 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said: British income - the money sky provide in the hope of making a return by selling advertising and subs or the money Bet Fred provide despite no presence in France, surely anyone can work that one out. Cats reported 12m Euros turnover in one of those 2 years btw, so should be self sufficient without central funding plus clubs should pay to travel & stay if no central funding given. Cats are one of the clubs I actually make a point of tuning in to watch - Toulouse as well last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnyia Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 52 minutes ago, Leonard said: Brilliant. Given the standard - puts a lot of Champ and LG1 to shame. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, sweaty craiq said: British income - the money sky provide in the hope of making a return by selling advertising and subs or the money Bet Fred provide despite no presence in France, surely anyone can work that one out. Cats reported 12m Euros turnover in one of those 2 years btw, so should be self sufficient without central funding plus clubs should pay to travel & stay if no central funding given. The TV money issue only makes sense if nobody watches games involving non-English sides. If they do, then they deserve a cut like anyone else. The same argument could be applied to say that unpopular British sides should get a lower share of income as they don't bring eyeballs to TV. Edited December 8, 2022 by Leonard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo5 Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 2 hours ago, sweaty craiq said: British income - the money sky provide in the hope of making a return by selling advertising and subs or the money Bet Fred provide despite no presence in France, surely anyone can work that one out. Cats reported 12m Euros turnover in one of those 2 years btw, so should be self sufficient without central funding plus clubs should pay to travel & stay if no central funding given. Oh you mean the central funding every team in Superleague Europe are entitled to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweaty craiq Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 1 minute ago, Leonard said: The TV money issue only makes sense if nobody watches games involving non-English sides. If they do, then they deserve a cut like anyone else. The same argument could be applied to say that unpopular British sides should get a lower share of income as they don't bring eyeballs to TV. That's cured by never having them on TV, and as the away team at Cats gets nothing then your argument says dont play them. Which means you are proposing a UK only comp. Strange? I will assume you know that the GF winning side gets 100k, second 50k. The league leaders used to get 100k also, and bonus's paid to players for success were excluded from salary cap - dont know if this is still the case btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo5 Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 12 minutes ago, Leonard said: The TV money issue only makes sense if nobody watches games involving non-English sides. If they do, then they deserve a cut like anyone else. The same argument could be applied to say that unpopular British sides should get a lower share of income as they don't bring eyeballs to TV. And I’m sure Sky see no benefit whatsoever in all those Catalans home games they get for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madrileño Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 5 hours ago, Harry Stottle said: That is what each club who has been promoted has had to face, don't make out that it is unique in Toulouse's case. No they don't. Other teams don't have to entice the majority of their squad to emigrate (and under the same derisory financial terms that teams from Yorkshire can pay players.... who are also from yorkshire). Toulouse obviously have lifestyle benefits that other teams cannot offer, however the rugby league playing demographic is notoriously inward looking, and many players refused to move to London over the years, never mind France. Stop pretending all clubs are in the same boat, they clearly aren't. If you are recruiting from your competitors who are all based within 40 miles of you, you clearly have and advantage (in terms of recruitment) over another competitor who is isolated in another country overseas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweaty craiq Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 2 minutes ago, Davo5 said: And I’m sure Sky see no benefit whatsoever in all those Catalans home games they get for nothing. Think you answered your own question there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madrileño Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 6 hours ago, Eddie said: Just out of interest are you originally from an unknown northern town or did you get into RL another way? Got into it through TV as a kid, then started playing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now