London Broncos 2024

[binosh]

IMG/RFL make the rules and now you will start to see clubs find the path of least resistance to get themselves a Grade A by channeling all resources into the highest scoring criteria. 

Didn't take a genius to see this was how it was going to pan out.
 

 

[Harry Stottle]

11 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.

I have been saying for a good while David that this system is designed to do just that, IMG have not got a snowball in hells chance of turning a profit with 20odd impoverished clubs hanging on, as soon as they see an opportunity to cut them off they will do, but I doubt they will turn a profit anyway.

[Archie Gordon]

5 minutes ago, binosh said:

IMG/RFL make the rules and now you will start to see clubs find the path of least resistance to get themselves a Grade A by channeling all resources into the highest scoring criteria. 

Didn't take a genius to see this was how it was going to pan out.

Let's be honest, this isn't quite what's happening here. (It may well happen elsewhere).

London won't really spend that extra £250k on getting closer to being a Category A because they are a million miles off. This is more likely an owner with a track record of making emotional decisions, making an emotional decision. Then saying it's because of IMG. 

[Harry Stottle]

4 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

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.

The RFL started it.

I would understand your argument if Uncle Ralphy had not denied any club that wanted to run an academy to do so, he initially awarded 10 licenses which included Catalan (- why, they already had a feeder club with junior teams), then after pressure allowed Hull KR, Cas and Bradford to join 'The Elite', had he stuck to his guns from his initial master plan we would now be running with just 6 British Academies now.

[Archie Gordon]

1 minute ago, Archie Gordon said:

Let's be honest, this isn't quite what's happening here. (It may well happen elsewhere).

London won't really spend that extra £250k on getting closer to being a Category A because they are a million miles off. This is more likely an owner with a track record of making emotional decisions, making an emotional decision. Then saying it's because of IMG. 

To be clear, a game of bluff might be successful - and I've already said that I have sympathy with Hughes and the fact that he's been paying for the likes of KPP and Silva being picked off and doesn't like that - but they've picked the wrong time to have this battle IMO.

[Harry Stottle]

7 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

Let's be honest, this isn't quite what's happening here. (It may well happen elsewhere).

London won't really spend that extra £250k on getting closer to being a Category A because they are a million miles off. This is more likely an owner with a track record of making emotional decisions, making an emotional decision. Then saying it's because of IMG. 

C'mon Archie, I watched Mr Hughes on the field in celebration after the London win in France, his would you feel to now be in his situation, in my book he has earned it to make this emotional decision.

Now if he did a Toronto and packed in mid season and compromised the season in as such as RL can't deliver on Sky contract, then that would be a real emotional decision.

[Gav Wilson]

8 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

C'mon Archie, I watched Mr Hughes on the field in celebration after the London win in France, his would you feel to now be in his situation, in my book he has earned it to make this emotional decision.

Now if he did a Toronto and packed in mid season and compromised the season in as such as RL can't deliver on Sky contract, then that would be a real emotional decision.

Both were terrible decisions made off the back of extremely poor governance. 

[The Future is League]

If all other clubs decide to ditch their academies because their is no points for academies the game is in big trouble, and has a bleak future.

[Agbrigg]

27 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

If all other clubs decide to ditch their academies because their is no points for academies the game is in big trouble, and has a bleak future.

This shows a lack of foresight and how amateurish IMG are. Clubs will do all they can to squeeze a few extra points and in order to achieve this they will make sacrifices in other areas that did not benefit their IMG score. Seems IMG  never worked this out.

 

[JM2010]

I think on field performance followed by junior development should be the two biggest points scorers 

[Gav Wilson]

16 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

This shows a lack of foresight and how amateurish IMG are. Clubs will do all they can to squeeze a few extra points and in order to achieve this they will make sacrifices in other areas that did not benefit their IMG score. Seems IMG  never worked this out.

 

Again, IMG couldn't put Academy setups in their grading criteria because the RFL won't let everyone run one.

[phiggins]

3 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

Again, IMG couldn't put Academy setups in their grading criteria because the RFL won't let everyone run one.

Never really understood why the RFL seemed to have a max number of licenses before even assessing the applications last time out. You're right about IMG though, without some sort of coherant plan on academies / player development from the RFL, there's nothing to base any scoring criteria on.

[nadera78]

It's good to see clubs have someone else to blame for their mistakes, it's a fine RL tradition.

Edited November 15, 2023 by nadera78

[The Future is League]

4 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

Again, IMG couldn't put Academy setups in their grading criteria because the RFL won't let everyone run one.

You would agree though that is other clubs follow London's Example the game will have big problems

[Gav Wilson]

4 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

You would agree though that is other clubs follow London's Example the game will have big problems

100% 

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

I have been saying for a good while David that this system is designed to do just that, IMG have not got a snowball in hells chance of turning a profit with 20odd impoverished clubs hanging on, as soon as they see an opportunity to cut them off they will do, but I doubt they will turn a profit anyway.

If the top 7 clubs get rid of their pathways I'd agree. But I expect they won't. 

And I expect London will become weaker and weaker. 

Let's not make out this is a smart move. 

[Harry Stottle]

41 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

This shows a lack of foresight and how amateurish IMG are. Clubs will do all they can to squeeze a few extra points and in order to achieve this they will make sacrifices in other areas that did not benefit their IMG score. Seems IMG  never worked this out.

 

There is quite a lot that have not worked out, just wait till stones start to be upturned.

[gingerjon]

24 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

Again, IMG couldn't put Academy setups in their grading criteria because the RFL won't let everyone run one.

Indeed. And, as Archie says, London are not going to be spending their savings on addressing any of the issues that they need to address. Because, to be clear, they are a really, really, really poorly run club whose promotion to Super League reflects really bad on how shallow the depth of talent is at Championship level.

And that's nothing to do with IMG, and everything to do with decades of failure.

[Harry Stottle]

22 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

It's good to see clubs have someone else to blame for their mistakes, it's a fine RL tradition.

Please expand, what are those mistakes and which clubs?

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Please expand, what are those mistakes and which clubs?

This is a thread about the 2024 London Broncos.

Which club do you think is being talked about?

[JM2010]

The RFL should allow all SL clubs to run academies as long as they can commit the funds and development work to go with it. If any club can’t or won’t run an academy then they shouldn’t be in SL.

The RFL should then look at setting up regional academies for areas outside of SL without an SL club 

 

[Harry Stottle]

10 minutes ago, Dave T said:

If the top 7 clubs get rid of their pathways I'd agree. But I expect they won't. 

And I expect London will become weaker and weaker. 

Let's not make out this is a smart move. 

Irrespective of whether London's is a smart move or otherwise Dave, it must be over 12 months or so ago I suggested that IMG in so much as "doing it for nothing" until a profit is turned when they can then take a cut, will have no use for any clubs under SL level, they will just eat into the expenditure.

Anyone who can't see that and believes otherwise is deluding themselves or simply does not care if some clubs just cease to be.

[Tex Evans Thigh]

It's ok saying that the RFL are to blame for not letting clubs run academies as that to me was a huge failing and ridiculous decision in the first place, and it wouldn't be fair to compare clubs in this instance, but then it's not fair to compare on finances or crowds either. However, IMG have brought in this god awful points scoring system KNOWING that was the case and junior development is a huge part of any sport, particularly one with dwindling pathways and playing numbers. Did they just think this wasn't going to come up?

It seems like every day another huge hole is exposed in this fag packet plan and it's barely even operational. All the spreadsheet RLFC fans were cheering to the rafters when London won promotion - "just what we need", Kyle Amor - "Great for the game". How many more of this kind of story are we going to get before the penny drops?

While it's terrible for the game that London have taken this decision, I don't blame them in the slightest. They are pointing out yet another flaw in a system that has taken their ambition, ripped it up and wiped its backside with it. They could be gearing up for a crack at SL but instead they've thought why bother. Why bother indeed.

[Harry Stottle]

25 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

This is a thread about the 2024 London Broncos.

Which club do you think is being talked about?

He said clubs as in plural,

"It's good to see clubs have someone else to blame for their mistakes"

But don't let that bother you speaking for someone else.

And again @Tommygilf latches on, it's starting to get habit forming Thomas.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Harry Stottle

[Dave T]

Clubs got no points for pathways last year but London didn't abandon them. Why are some people happy they have done this now?