Rumours re signings at London Broncos 2024

[gingerjon]

7 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

You're conflating two issues.

Whilst ignoring that we had something like 20 years where London were either definitely or effectively protected from relegation - and during that time the Broncos attracted fewer and fewer investors.

Plonking London in SL, even plonking London in SL with a special pulled up drawbridge, is not good enough.

[gingerjon]

Just now, Man of Kent said:

The NRL says hi. 

Is it waving at the truly national AFL?

[Michael Bates]

5 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

The NRL says hi. 

The NRL is a much more commercially attractive league than Super League. It's a major sport in the area it operates. Rugby league in England is not. Completely different situations. If London being in Super League would attract investment that would grow the game, why didn't it in their previous attempts?

[Barley Mow]

7 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Even if the RFL had two pennies to rub together, it shouldn't need to invest in London if the market conditions were sensible.

I'm not sure that conditions which interfere in the market to the extent that any business (club) is protected from failure (relegation) simply because of their geographic location should be described as sensible.

I am in favour of a level playing field (sorry Batley fans), where the rules apply to all clubs in exactly the same way. If that is the case and London can get the investment they need then that is fantastic for them. If under the same rules Featherstone can out compete London then all credit to them as well.

[Man of Kent]

Just now, gingerjon said:

Is it waving at the truly national AFL?

Not that your whataboutery is relevant to this thread, but cricket is the only truly national sport in Australia. Not Victorian Rules Football.

[Click]

43 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

I'm not a die hard Broncos fan, not even a fan tbh, i was a season ticket holder years and years ago.  I'm not the only one who can see the good things they're doing.  Any RL fan who can't see any of the good things for themselves clearly has a chip on their shoulder and blinkers on.  Probably deliberately to make a point.  I'll communicate with anyone who wants to have a good faith conversation about it.  But instantly dismissing the possibility just shows people up for what they are.

Ok, so more "they are doing good things, but I won't tell you what good things they are doing". 

They have made the play offs, and are currently in the semi final, other than that I honestly don't know what "good things" they are doing, other than existing? Yes, we have an academy, etc. We've had these things for years, and they aren't as good as they once were. 

We're a shadow of the club or team that we were years ago, but I am glad you and all those other apparent RL fans can see all the good things they are doing, so we can stop worrying about everything else.

[Man of Kent]

7 minutes ago, Michael Bates said:

If London being in Super League would attract investment that would grow the game, why didn't it in their previous attempts?

Richard Branson says hi.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

5 hours ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Wakey have the advantage of having an academy over Fev, but I don’t see what other huge advantages they have over us. 

I've been to both stadiums a few times 

I appreciate what you have done with the stadium but is not  anywhere near Wakeys new facilities 

Wakey is a city with a much bigger population than Fev 

New rich and ambitious  owner at Wakey

Think they def have the edge mate 

[Michael Bates]

1 minute ago, Man of Kent said:

Richard Branson says hi.

How did that work out? Assume the London club are a big player in Super League and their support and commercial presence is massive?

[Man of Kent]

Just now, Michael Bates said:

How did that work out? Assume the London club are a big player in Super League and their support and commercial presence is massive?

When Branson was there, they were a decent team that made the Challenge Cup final and got decent crowds.

It has been done in the past and there is no reason why London cannot be successful in the future with stable investment conditions. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

16 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

When Branson was there, they were a decent team that made the Challenge Cup final and got decent crowds.

It has been done in the past and there is no reason why London cannot be successful in the future with stable investment conditions. 

Would be great to get the old crowds back 

[Michael Bates]

35 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

When Branson was there, they were a decent team that made the Challenge Cup final and got decent crowds.

It has been done in the past and there is no reason why London cannot be successful in the future with stable investment conditions. 

Needing an investor to prop them up isn't the same as them growing the game though is it?

[gingerjon]

24 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Would be great to get the old crowds back 

They were higher after Branson left

[Tre Cool]

50 minutes ago, Click said:

Ok, so more "they are doing good things, but I won't tell you what good things they are doing". 

They have made the play offs, and are currently in the semi final, other than that I honestly don't know what "good things" they are doing, other than existing? Yes, we have an academy, etc. We've had these things for years, and they aren't as good as they once were. 

We're a shadow of the club or team that we were years ago, but I am glad you and all those other apparent RL fans can see all the good things they are doing, so we can stop worrying about everything else.

there you go, you do know 'some good things' they are doing, not so hard was it.

[Tre Cool]

1 hour ago, Barley Mow said:

I consider myself to be a RL fan, I'm entirely neutral on London Broncos but would be grateful for a bit more information on what good things the club are doing.

They've had a fantastic second half to the season on the field. They've finished higher in the table than I anticipated and must be thrilled to have reached the play-off semi-finals. Is it those good things on the field that you are referring to? Or are there other things - academy developing star players,  community work, off-field investments, etc - that I haven't noticed from 200+ miles away?

Thanks for the reasonable reply. They've put a team together that are playing some good RL and beating some good teams.  The head coach also seems great.  That's really what i was getting at.  It's not easy to do and they deserve credit for it, lots of established clubs in the heartlands struggle and London are doing a good job of it 200 miles away.  The balance of a few top notch players from down under and a lot of local lads is working well.

Take a look at this first team squad, where the players are from (particularly the English ones) and then say London aren't doing some good things for the game.  Everyone on here's obsessed with London's attendances and stadium moves. Which are obviously bad but they also deserve some credit imo.  

https://londonbroncosrl.com/mens-first-team/

Players from Hitchin, MK, Suffolk, Berkhamsted, Tottenham, Northampton, Hemel, Surrey etc. etc. etc.  Hitchin and Berkhamsted are two of the poshest, most middle class southern towns there are btw!  

Broncos are great for the game and need more support and less knocking by the "if only Skolars or Hemel had their funding" brigade.  

Edited October 3, 2023 by Tre Cool

[Barley Mow]

14 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

Thanks for the reasonable reply. They've put a team together that are playing some good RL and beating some good teams.  The head coach also seems great.  That's really what i was getting at.  It's not easy to do and they deserve credit for it, lots of established clubs in the heartlands struggle and London are doing a good job of it 200 miles away.  The balance of a few top notch players from down under and a lot of local lads is working well.

Take a look at this first team squad, where the players are from (particularly the English ones) and then say London aren't doing some good things for the game.  Everyone on here's obsessed with London's attendances and stadium moves. Which are obviously bad but they also deserve some credit imo.  

https://londonbroncosrl.com/mens-first-team/

Players from Hitchin, MK, Suffolk, Berkhamsted, Tottenham, Northampton, Hemel, Surrey etc. etc. etc.  Hitchin and Berkhamsted are two of the poshest, most middle class southern towns there are btw!  

Broncos are great for the game and need more support and less knocking by the "if only Skolars or Hemel had their funding" brigade.  

Thank you. That makes your meaning clearer.

I certainly hope the academy can keep producing Championship/Super League standard players.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Barley Mow

[Tre Cool]

29 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

Thank you. That makes your meaning clearer.

I certainly hope the academy can keep producing Championship/Super League standard players.

Interestingly a lot of those local lads come from a union background.  I think there's a unique opportunity down here as there's very little stigma about League, there's so little awareness of the sport's existence it's not really seen as a working class / rebel sport like I guess it is in the north where a lot of the middle classes don't want to associate it with it or go and play in the "rougher" towns and parts of cities where League is strong in Yorks/Lancs.

[Man of Kent]

39 minutes ago, Michael Bates said:

Needing an investor to prop them up isn't the same as them growing the game though is it?

If by growing the game you mean enlarging the player pool (and sport is nothing without players) then - to his eternal credit (though not from all quarters) - David Hughes has spaffed c.£25m of his own money on growing the game in London.

That element is pretty much sorted. The success of London's academy is well documented. The ground is sorted too.

What's missing is a top flight club for Londoners to watch and investors to back.

There's no shortage of capital in London in need of a return. So it seems to me the missing bit is the ROI.

If Super League can help by guaranteeing participation, I am convinced investors will see the growth opportunity and come on board.

Not just London but for all clubs in Super League (or whatever they rebrand it as).

 

[nadera78]

3 hours ago, Tre Cool said:

I assume everyone on here's an RL fan. Any RL fan can clearly see what good things they are doing.  I said they are doing 'some good things'.  It's hardly a controversial comment needing extra clarification, unless you're an anti Broncos troll which i assume you and him are.

1994. That was my first Broncos game. 27 years later I finally walked away. If I'm an "anti Broncos troll", like you say, then there are thousands of us out there. All of whom at one point considered that club to be an important part of their lives, none of whom now have anything to do with it.

But sure, crack on and tell us about all the good things London Broncos are doing.

[Tre Cool]

5 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

1994. That was my first Broncos game. 27 years later I finally walked away. If I'm an "anti Broncos troll", like you say, then there are thousands of us out there. All of whom at one point considered that club to be an important part of their lives, none of whom now have anything to do with it.

But sure, crack on and tell us about all the good things London Broncos are doing.

Well you've clearly been left upset by the club and it's stopping you from acknowledging the good things they do.

[nadera78]

3 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

Well you've clearly been left upset by the club and it's stopping you from acknowledging the good things they do.

What good things do they do? 

[Tre Cool]

53 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

What good things do they do? 

Ive answered that question above if you really can't work it out for yourself 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Tre Cool

[Veridical]

4 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I've been to both stadiums a few times 

I appreciate what you have done with the stadium but is not  anywhere near Wakeys new facilities 

Wakey is a city with a much bigger population than Fev 

New rich and ambitious  owner at Wakey

Think they def have the edge mate 

You are right although the three year averaging for many criteria limits the effect the new owners will have a bit.

But nevertheless I agree that Wakey will come out on top of Fev (and in SL). I could even see Toulouse ahead of Fev and Fev ranked 14th.

Wakey have several small advantages over Fev (@Barley Mow mentioned several of them). But I would say:

— Attendance 

— Viewership

— Website visits  

— Social media followers

— Foundation turnover

— Performance (almost regardless of what happens next year)

— Stadium utilisation (probably)

— Stadium facilities (I would think)

Hard to see where Fev will get as many points as, or more points than, Wakey. Catchment area obviously. Performance maybe if they do a Leigh next year.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Veridical

[The Phantom Horseman]

3 minutes ago, Veridical said:

You are right although the three year averaging for many criteria limits the effect the new owners will have a bit.

But nevertheless I agree that Wakey will come out on top of Fev (and in SL). I could even see Toulouse ahead of Fev and Fev ranked 14th.

Wakey have several small advantages over Fev (@Barley Mow mentioned several of them). But I would say:

— Attendance 

— Viewership

— Website visits  

— Social media followers

— Foundation turnover

— Performance (almost regardless of what happens next year)

— Stadium utilisation (probably)

— Stadium facilities (I would think)

Hard to see where Fev will get as many points as, or more points than, Wakey. Catchment area obviously. Performance maybe if they do a Leigh next year.

I agree with  this but it also highlights what I think are some of the weaknesses of the IMG scoring system. In particular, the incumbency bias (ie being in SL already) will have had a positive impact on a number of the categories you list above. As we've seen with Leigh this year, you can expect to pretty much double your average attendance if you're in Sl compared to Championship, unsurprisingly when you're hosting Wigan, Leeds and St Helens rather than Whitehaven, London and Sheffield.

There are significant incumbency boosts to a number of the other categories highlighted too.

The areas that really would favour Fev don't get a lot of credit in the IMG system - especially the self-sufficiency aspect, where the club is now almost entirely self-funding, and as Martin Vickers said recently, the club's broadcast money is less than 5% of what the club spends every month. The work that the club has done to build itself up to this position over the last ten years is pretty unique, but getting that foothold in SL is going to be tough under the new system.

[newbe]

4 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Would be great to get the old crowds back 

They would be a bit old now