Keighley sack there coach.

[Wolford6]

Bulls?

[OriginalMrC]

The Bulls should make a move For Rhys Lovegrove as their new head coach. He did a great job at Cougars. They could do worse than taking advantage of this very strange decision. 

[dkw]

Well I for one am massively surprised that the owners of Keighley who have recently embarrassed themselves with knee jerk, unsubstantiated nonsense choose to sack a coach in a knee jerk style.....

[Angelic Cynic]

20 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

The Bulls should make a move For Rhys Lovegrove as their new head coach. He did a great job at Cougars. They could do worse than taking advantage of this very strange decision. 

Please.He has been there and I believe it was at a financial cost.

https://www.totalrl.com/lovegrove-signs-permanent-deal-bulls/

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/nov/14/bradford-bulls-placed-into-administration-rugby-league

Same year.

15 minutes ago, dkw said:

Well I for one am massively surprised that the owners of Keighley who have recently embarrassed themselves with knee jerk, unsubstantiated nonsense choose to sack a coach in a knee jerk style.....

Embarrassing that a small club can make decisions,rightly or wrongly,far quicker than the snails pace of IMG as they await instruction from the owners of the elite League clubs.

When can we expect the new name for Super League? Difficult job,though.

Needs the intellect and sporting know how of USA folk.

[dkw]

5 minutes ago, Angelic Cynic said:

Please.He has been there and I believe it was at a financial cost.

https://www.totalrl.com/lovegrove-signs-permanent-deal-bulls/

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/nov/14/bradford-bulls-placed-into-administration-rugby-league

Same year.

Embarrassing that a small club can make decisions,rightly or wrongly,far quicker than the snails pace of IMG as they await instruction from the owners of the elite League clubs.

When can we expect the new name for Super League? Difficult job,though.

Needs the intellect and sporting know how of USA folk.

Yeah, what we definitely need at the moment is more people diving in two footed to make the wrong decision in haste.....brilliant idea.

Edited May 16, 2023 by dkw

[RBKnight]

Seems to be either extraordinary naivety or arrogance from the Cougars owners here, if they thought they were going to waltz straight to the top of the Championship after years in League One.

They are in the mix with Batley, Widnes, Bradford and York (having already beaten the latter two) for a place in the play-offs, which is about where they should expect to be, given their current squad and experience.

[dkw]

44 minutes ago, Wolford6 said:

Bulls?

hit?

[Mumby Magic]

4 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

Its almost like they are trying to keep up with the Jones's. 

Players walking out?

[Derwent]

James Ford leaving his role at Wakefield, coincidence ?

[Expatknight]

5 minutes ago, Derwent said:

James Ford leaving his role at Wakefield, coincidence ?

Fordy gone to Fev as director of Rugby.

[The Blues Ox]

5 hours ago, Dovster said:

People will support a winning team. This has always been the case despite what IMG have to say on the subject (and I really don't want to get into that debate again). The Keighley owners have invested heavily into the club - on all fronts.

Ive often wondered about this and think that it takes more than simply just having a winning team on the field and some sort of other catalyst is needed. I mean Fax have been a winning team in this division for many years without seeing any real increase on the crowd front so it can't just be on the field.

[The Blues Ox]

.

Edited May 16, 2023 by The Blues Ox
Double Post

[RP London]

32 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Ive often wondered about this and think that it takes more than simply just having a winning team on the field and some sort of other catalyst is needed. I mean Fax have been a winning team in this division for many years without seeing any real increase on the crowd front so it can't just be on the field.

There are a few you can add to that from Super League.. have good seasons but still dont put the numbers on the gates.. and Eagles post 1998 challenge cup didnt bring a massive lift either.

[Dovster]

1 hour ago, The Blues Ox said:

Ive often wondered about this and think that it takes more than simply just having a winning team on the field and some sort of other catalyst is needed. I mean Fax have been a winning team in this division for many years without seeing any real increase on the crowd front so it can't just be on the field.

Yes Fax is a funny one.

Not sure why they are not better supported. I suppose there is competition with the football club which is never easy.

Another issue may be that Fax have sampled a higher level of rugby and some fans might not get as excited about playing in the Championship. People don't have to travel far from Halifax or Keighley to watch SL.

I know a lot of the older ones still talk about the good times at thrum hall and don't like the shay.

There is however a solid amateur base in the town for the club to build upon. 

[Blind side johnny]

8 hours ago, Dovster said:

Don't want to debate your opinion on whether Keighley could ever be more than what they are, as this is just opinion and I'm sure we are miles apart and never agree.

I agree that on the face of the Cougars mid table position is ok. However this doesn't match the investment.

Unfortunately for Lovegrove the owners seem to think this is his fault.

 

How much investment has there been to "match"?

[Dovster]

8 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

How much investment has there been to "match"?

According to the Directors, Keighley have the second highest budget in the Championship.

Obviously I can't verify this.

[gazza77]

20 minutes ago, Dovster said:

According to the Directors, Keighley have the second highest budget in the Championship.

Obviously I can't verify this.

If that's true, they've not invested it wisely by getting any semblance of balance across the field. More investment in the pack needed! 

[Blind side johnny]

23 minutes ago, Dovster said:

According to the Directors, Keighley have the second highest budget in the Championship.

Obviously I can't verify this.

Removing Gale from that list will have reduced it a fair bit, no doubt.

[DOGFATHER]

9 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

Ive often wondered about this and think that it takes more than simply just having a winning team on the field and some sort of other catalyst is needed. I mean Fax have been a winning team in this division for many years without seeing any real increase on the crowd front so it can't just be on the field.

I completely agree. I was having a similar discussion a while ago on the Dewsbury forum.

If winning was the silver bullet to increasing attendances, Batley would have seen gates far greater than Dewsbury's over the last 10 years or so. Relatively speaking, we have been more successful, NRC winners, 2 GF appearances, fairly regularly in the playoffs etc. Not a dig at Dewsbury, but they have struggled over the last decade in comparison. Dewsbury and Batley are two towns with similar demographics, not far apart in terms location, similar competition from other leisure activities and other sports, similar transport links etc. However, our gates have not significantly improved, and Dewsbury's haven't massively declined compared to ours. In fact, if you believe the attendance figures published, the two were very similar whilst we were in the same division.

There must be more to it than just success on the field....

Edited May 16, 2023 by DOGFATHER

[The Blues Ox]

8 hours ago, DOGFATHER said:

I completely agree. I was having a similar discussion a while ago on the Dewsbury forum.

If winning was the silver bullet to increasing attendances, Batley would have seen gates far greater than Dewsbury's over the last 10 years or so. Relatively speaking, we have been more successful, NRC winners, 2 GF appearances, fairly regularly in the playoffs etc. Not a dig at Dewsbury, but they have struggled over the last decade in comparison. Dewsbury and Batley are two towns with similar demographics, not far apart in terms location, similar competition from other leisure activities and other sports, similar transport links etc. However, our gates have not significantly improved, and Dewsbury's haven't massively declined compared to ours. In fact, if you believe the attendance figures published, the two were very similar whilst we were in the same division.

There must be more to it than just success on the field....

I think this is the area that IMG are probably aiming at when adding points for clicks or similar in the hope that bringing teams to a broader number of people who don't normally watch will help increase gates. As has been mentioned simply winning is not enough and its hard to get people with no affiliation with clubs to actually be willing to pay good money to watch a team.

Especially at Championship level it is a lot of money to watch the games, for a family of 3 or 4 you are likely talking £50+ a week to take in a game and given the areas that the sport is played in most families can't afford to spend £200+ a month watching rugby. I don't know the answer, its something that needs looking at for the game as a whole.