London Broncos 2024

[JM2010]

11 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

300K a year to run it no IMG grading points no players produced for several years and no RFL support

Isn’t there any points for junior development?

[phiggins]

4 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

Isn’t there any points for junior development?

No. I think there's some small print in the minimum standards about a player pathway being required to be able to get an A or B grade.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Is it too late for London to defer on promotion to Super League?

[Harry Stottle]

4 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Is it too late for London to defer on promotion to Super League?

And give up the difference of £1.3million for 100K ?

[Gerrumonside ref]

9 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

And give up the difference of £1.3million for 100K ?

I think I’d rather give it to a more ambitious club to be honest.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Gerrumonside ref

[Harry Stottle]

41 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

300K a year to run it no IMG grading points no players produced for several years and no RFL support

So under the watch of IMG/RL Commercial we are now down by 2 outposts of bringing kids into a professional sporting environment.

Can't say I blame London at all, after '25 with all the advantages of being in SL to accumulate grading points I don't see that there will be any clubs crossing divisions.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

31 minutes ago, phiggins said:

No. I think there's some small print in the minimum standards about a player pathway being required to be able to get an A or B grade.

The minimum standards must be extremely low looking at the lack of development of home grown players by a couple of A/B graders in SL 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Wollo Wollo Wayoo

[Harry Stottle]

Just now, Gerrumonside ref said:

I think I’d rather give it to a more ambitious club to be honest.

London won promotion before they knew what their fate is for next season and in my opinion have rightfully earned their money.

What do you term as a 'more ambitious club' ?

[Gerrumonside ref]

2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

London won promotion before they knew what their fate is for next season and in my opinion have rightfully earned their money.

What do you term as a 'more ambitious club' ?

Featherstone or Toulouse in this situation.

 

[Harry Stottle]

7 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Featherstone or Toulouse in this situation.

 

They both had their chance and blew it in a sporting contest, something sadly that will be missed.

[nadera78]

On 12/11/2023 at 10:50, ATLANTISMAN said:

Did a site visit on Friday and was very impressed with the facilities.

Lots of positives happening have posted a video on my you tube channel.

Paul

 

 

 

On 12/11/2023 at 19:25, nadera78 said:

No offence, but every couple of years you post something on here about having seen a new set of plans, how exciting it all is, there's going to be this that and the other...and the club just continues to deteriorate in every conceivable way.

Just going to leave this here...

 

[nadera78]

1 hour ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

300K a year to run it no IMG grading points no players produced for several years and no RFL support

Did you know about David Hughes' latest insane decision when you were telling everyone how positive it was looking...*checks diary*...3 days ago?

[The Blues Ox]

3 hours ago, gingerjon said:

That's kind of an inverse of reality. If you knew you were going down regardless, why wouldn't you invest for the future by ensuring your talent pathways are working, and by blooding players in the top division when you have chance. Increasing their experience and your depth. So that when you've addressed everything else - which London have claimed they are going to do - you don't have to spend money getting in extra players because you will already have that depth.

 

2 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

I am pretty sure this is Hughes saying that, from 2025, we're nowhere near SL and so why would we fund an academy to develop players that will get picked up by SL clubs for next to nothing? [Expletive] off.

It's short-sighted but it makes a point. The academy licences don't work for clubs outside SL and outside the heartlands. Newcastle also announced they weren't running an academy in 2024 quite some time before bringing down the shutters on the club itself.

I have some sympathy with Hughes on this. But it's an awful outcome.

 

I think there is a good chance that what Archie says is somewhere near the truth. As a part time team why would they spend a small fortune to develop players for SL teams? It makes no sense whatsoever, it has to be cheaper to simply cherry pick already developed players from other Championship teams rather than take the risk on young players. The game is in a sad state for this but it is what the SL chairman have made it in to with their greed.

I also don't agree that London will get tonked by 50 points every game next season just because they are essentially staying part time. I think if anything by doing that they will remain pretty competitive rather than signing the worst FT players but we will see.

[gingerjon]

17 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

 

I think there is a good chance that what Archie says is somewhere near the truth. As a part time team why would they spend a small fortune to develop players for SL teams? It makes no sense whatsoever, it has to be cheaper to simply cherry pick already developed players from other Championship teams rather than take the risk on young players. The game is in a sad state for this but it is what the SL chairman have made it in to with their greed.

I also don't agree that London will get tonked by 50 points every game next season just because they are essentially staying part time. I think if anything by doing that they will remain pretty competitive rather than signing the worst FT players but we will see.

My overall point is that if you so much as spend thirty seconds thinking about it you will have put more thought into it than London have on any decision they’ve taken in the past twenty years.

They have long since run out of credit when it comes to believe there is any basis for any of their actions.

[Gerrumonside ref]

2 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

They both had their chance and blew it in a sporting contest, something sadly that will be missed.

You’re right of course that Featherstone and Toulouse blew it, but is it not a bit disappointing to see London’s approach to next season judging on this thread?

 

[Archie Gordon]

Already getting ugly. Club has pointed the finger at IMG and some fans seem to be buying it:

"With the new IMG grading criteria, clubs are not directly rewarded for running an ‘Elite Academy’, so we will focus on other areas to improve with the long term aim of becoming a Category A."

[Gerrumonside ref]

@Leonard The floor is yours mate to clear up any confusion about London’s ambitions for Super League 2024?

[Gav Wilson]

2 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

Already getting ugly. Club has pointed the finger at IMG and some fans seem to be buying it:

"With the new IMG grading criteria, clubs are not directly rewarded for running an ‘Elite Academy’, so we will focus on other areas to improve with the long term aim of becoming a Category A."

This is still on the RFL. IMG couldn't put Academy setups in their grading criteria because the RFL won't let everyone run one.

 

[Archie Gordon]

7 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

This is still on the RFL. IMG couldn't put Academy setups in their grading criteria because the RFL won't let everyone run one.

 

I agree. Nothing at all to do with IMG. But it will be on the RLC risk register presumably, so let's see how the powers-that-be mitigate it. Thus far, mitigation has consisted of shrugged shoulders for Skolars and Thunder and a cold shoulder for Cornwall.

[Dave T]

18 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

Already getting ugly. Club has pointed the finger at IMG and some fans seem to be buying it:

"With the new IMG grading criteria, clubs are not directly rewarded for running an ‘Elite Academy’, so we will focus on other areas to improve with the long term aim of becoming a Category A."

TBH, it's clear that clubs think they are being clever. For me, it will just make it easier to create a ring-fenced 'breakaway' SL that roots out clubs like this.

[Griff]

3 minutes ago, Dave T said:

TBH, it's clear that clubs think they are being clever. For me, it will just make it easier to create a ring-fenced 'breakaway' SL that roots out clubs like this.

It's what somebody said last week, clubs will play for IMG points without considering whether that's a good plan.

And - to be fair - who would blame them?

[Harry Stottle]

25 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

You’re right of course that Featherstone and Toulouse blew it, but is it not a bit disappointing to see London’s approach to next season judging on this thread?

 

No not at all reffy, this system has shafted them as I also think it will with another present SL club come the end of '24, Cas  or Leigh could go down along with London no matter where any of them finish, wouldn't it be great to see those 3 I mention finishing above 12th place.

[Gav Wilson]

1 minute ago, Harry Stottle said:

No not at all reffy, this system has shafted them as I also think it will with another present SL club come the end of '24, Cas  or Leigh could go down along with London no matter where any of them finish, wouldn't it be great to see those 3 I mention finishing above 12th place.

London will finish 12th, by quite some distance. 

[Griff]

1 minute ago, Gav Wilson said:

London will finish 12th, by quite some distance. 

But in which table?

[Gerrumonside ref]

1 minute ago, Harry Stottle said:

No not at all reffy, this system has shafted them as I also think it will with another present SL club come the end of '24, Cas  or Leigh could go down along with London no matter where any of them finish, wouldn't it be great to see those 3 I mention finishing above 12th place.

Binning off your pathway for junior development can’t be good for the sport though can it?

I always thought this was the unique selling point of having a London presence was to produce more players for the game as a whole?

I understand they are ‘gaming’ the system.