Where will RL be in 5 years?

[Eddie]

Where do you think the English (incl all of SL) game will be in 5 years time; in a better place, worse or the same?  
 

I think about the same, maybe a smaller TV deal but a similar number of clubs across the pro and amateur games, and similar attendances. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

I like to be optimistic 

At grassroots level RL and RU are potentially on the wrong side of history now though. Parents seem to increasingly steering away from the rugby codes as too risky (I've said here before...i am a rugby nut but won't let my kids do it) .Maybe a floor level will be reached and then stay consistent.....I hope so.

Violent team sports just aren't wha parents want.....especially when football gives physicality with lower risk. I realise MMA and boxing are potentially even more risky sports but they are looking rosy...for me this is because  individual kids can decide to take it up. If you need 30 kids involved for a match to take place it's much harder to make it happen.

At pro level I think both codes will be about the same (union now has a good tv deal across just 10 clubs) and we pay our smaller squads much less and can wash our face with what we have 

The hard bit may be getting more people who have never been involved at grassroots to be interested in watching. Also to make sure the pathways we do have in grassroots are preparing players to a the high level we need 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[HawkMan]

This thought just occurred to me. People say if the codes merge to form a hybrid game then that'll be the death of League and Union. But why should it? Perhaps a hybrid game at the top tier where top League and Union sides compete,  but the Championship and below the two codes still play their own game. Just use the joint pulling power of both codes to form a hybrid game capable of taking on football,  but the pure Union and League games still enjoyed at the other levels. So if a top team of either code, say Wigan or Bath want top tier Rugby then it's the new hybrid game, but they're not forced to, they can stay with their own preferred game at a level below,  it'll be their choice, or their fans choice.

[bobbruce]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Where do you think the English (incl all of SL) game will be in 5 years time; in a better place, worse or the same?  
 

I think about the same, maybe a smaller TV deal but a similar number of clubs across the pro and amateur games, and similar attendances. 

I think a lot will depend on the next couple of tv deals. Is it manged decline or will it stay at a similar level. The dream scenario is that another one or even two genuine bidders step up to either push Sky or to get more games televised at a similar level. Everything else stems from that. 

[ELBOWSEYE]

We will still be waiting for a new GF winner, p and r will have stopped, Toulouse will be maneuvered into SL one of the SL clubs who generally go from financial crisis to crisis finally go bust. 

[Big Picture]

3 hours ago, Eddie said:

Where do you think the English (incl all of SL) game will be in 5 years time; in a better place, worse or the same?  
 

I think about the same, maybe a smaller TV deal but a similar number of clubs across the pro and amateur games, and similar attendances. 

If nothing changes, then there might not be any pro RL in England in 5 years' time.  John Kear stated that as a possibility in a radio interview a few years ago (which I think was with the BBC) in 10-20 years from the time of the interview, and the way things are going it looks like he was prescient then.

[Eddie]

22 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

If nothing changes, then there might not be any pro RL in England in 5 years' time.  John Kear stated that as a possibility in a radio interview a few years ago (which I think was with the BBC) in 10-20 years from the time of the interview, and the way things are going it looks like he was prescient then.

Why wouldn’t there be any pro RL if nothing changes? The top clubs are fine financially? 

[Big Picture]

41 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Why wouldn’t there be any pro RL if nothing changes? The top clubs are fine financially? 

Because the TV money is evidently about to be reduced again.  And no the top clubs are not fine financially, Wigan for example has been losing money for some time based on their company reports.  Factor in the loans the clubs all got during the pandemic needing to be repaid again soon, and costs will increase at the same time as TV rights income is dropping.  That put even more of a squeeze on even the top clubs.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Big Picture

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Big Picture said:

Because the TV money is evidently about to be reduced again.  And no the top clubs are not fine financially, Wigan for example has been losing money for some time based on their company reports.  Factor in the loans the clubs all got during the pandemic needing to be repaid again soon, and costs will increase at the same time as TV rights income is dropping.  That put even more of a squeeze on even the top clubs.

Fair enough. 

[Llangennech]

6 hours ago, Eddie said:

Where do you think the English (incl all of SL) game will be in 5 years time; in a better place, worse or the same?  
 

I think about the same, maybe a smaller TV deal but a similar number of clubs across the pro and amateur games, and similar attendances. 

Lol, human beings might not exist on this planet in 5 yrs... 

[Mr Frisky]

4 hours ago, HawkMan said:

This thought just occurred to me. People say if the codes merge to form a hybrid game then that'll be the death of League and Union. But why should it? Perhaps a hybrid game at the top tier where top League and Union sides compete,  but the Championship and below the two codes still play their own game. Just use the joint pulling power of both codes to form a hybrid game capable of taking on football,  but the pure Union and League games still enjoyed at the other levels. So if a top team of either code, say Wigan or Bath want top tier Rugby then it's the new hybrid game, but they're not forced to, they can stay with their own preferred game at a level below,  it'll be their choice, or their fans choice.

Great idea, if we can use and drop bits from each sport it could be a winner -so from union -  15 men too many on a pitch so reduce that by a couple, line outs and contested scrums take far too long so get rid of those, drop goals should just be say 1 point to encourage attacking Rugby.   From Rugby league.... maybe just keep the 2nd part of the sports name and add the first part of RU.

If all those changes are made it could be a winner - Leeds v Sarasons here we come

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, Llangennech said:

Lol, human beings might not exist on this planet in 5 yrs... 

What , you mean like there'll be no Total RL ?

[Mr Frisky]

5 minutes ago, Llangennech said:

Lol, human beings might not exist on this planet in 5 yrs... 

It could be like that sitcom from the 80s when the last man alive was a RL fan - Barrow or Workington Town fan if I remember- all he could do was reminiss about old RL games...

[graveyard johnny]

21 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

What , you mean like there'll be no Total RL ?

the people here are human? wtf?

[Wakefield Ram]

21 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

What , you mean like there'll be no Total RL ?

Even if the earth was on fire, they still be fans on here complaining...  

[graveyard johnny]

Just now, Wakefield Ram said:

Even if the earth was on fire, they still be fans on here complaining...  

its too hot 

[GUBRATS]

4 minutes ago, Wakefield Ram said:

Even if the earth was on fire, they still be fans on here complaining...  

About Leigh not having a train station

[graveyard johnny]

14 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

About Leigh not having a train station

they will prob be still on strike anyway

[Veridical]

1 hour ago, Mr Frisky said:

If all those changes are made it could be a winner - Leeds v Sarasons here we come

I think you mean Sarson’s — rugby brought back to Worcestershire through funding from a big name sponsor at the expense of heavy corporate re-branding…

Edited June 15, 2023 by Veridical

[Londonbornirishbred]

I've always said that the TV money should never have been the "be all and end all".

£1.8 million or whatever it is now is essentially the lifebread of 90% of the sides. For 25 years+ they've taken that cash and largely ignored the #1 revenue stream. THE FANS.

If a fan at a game is worth say £40 in ticket and other spends, then 4,000 more fans at 11 home games a year covers it. 

The increased attendances this year show that the penny may have dropped, but unless a club is getting 10k regularly, I can see them being in trouble when the next couple of TV deals are announced.

[yipyee]

8 hours ago, Eddie said:

Where do you think the English (incl all of SL) game will be in 5 years time; in a better place, worse or the same?  
 

I think about the same, maybe a smaller TV deal but a similar number of clubs across the pro and amateur games, and similar attendances. 

I think they will be bringing back P&R after 3 years of a closed shop after a traditionalists revolt.

The national team will once again be playing an exile team as the French are not worthy opponents and magic venue will be moving back to Newcastle after a failed trip to Everton and Manchester.

Bradford will be back in SL but in financial trouble and Salford will be in talks to buy the stadium from the council.

Wakey will still be in SL by some technicality and St Helens will be going for 10 in a row upsetting Warrington as it was supposed to be their year.

England will have to take over hosting the world cup as some random country discovers that if they build it they won't come.

The challenge cup will be moving back to the august bank holiday week end after moving it to may didn't boost attendances and magic needs to move to the end of the soccer season.

Edited June 15, 2023 by yipyee

[Bostik Bailey]

Saints will have won 9 in a row and Wiganers will still claim that Saints are in their shadow.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Bostik Bailey

[chisholm]

At community open age level things look a little bleak to me. The commitment required to play at a good standard does not seem to be in the player's. I know several club coaches who regularly struggle to put a team out each week. It may be the same in other sports and just the different mindset of young people today. I hope I am wrong but I believe that open age mens rugby is on a downwards spiral.

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, chisholm said:

At community open age level things look a little bleak to me. The commitment required to play at a good standard does not seem to be in the player's. I know several club coaches who regularly struggle to put a team out each week. It may be the same in other sports and just the different mindset of young people today. I hope I am wrong but I believe that open age mens rugby is on a downwards spiral.

Without doubt , quite simply it's too physical, my son was a good player , broke his ankle at 17 , then played 12 weeks later and won the national youth cup with Leigh east a few weeks after that , but it set him back , I told him not to continue playing League at open age if not being paid for it , play footy or even union for fun 

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, Wakefield Ram said:

Even if the earth was on fire, they still be fans on here complaining...  

TBF I’d still be thinking about how parochial and idiotic the decision to vote TWP out was.