NRL Europe? In Winter?

[gingerjon]

19 minutes ago, barnyia said:

They could buy it for a couple of hundred euros 

Would they even need to buy it?

Actually, would they even need to buy Super League?

Just set up NRL Europe/NRL France/NRL Whatevs and invite clubs, officials, refs to join.

[Dave T]

44 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

This has been simmering in the background for over a year however the English press havant been on it.

The NFL don't have to buy Super League there is nothing to buy,all they have to do is put 5 million each on the table for 12 clubs and off they go.

NFL Europe even Phil Gould backs it.

 

 

 

Go where? And do what? 

[Whippet13]

50 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

This has been simmering in the background for over a year however the English press havant been on it.

The NFL don't have to buy Super League there is nothing to buy,all they have to do is put 5 million each on the table for 12 clubs and off they go.

NFL Europe even Phil Gould backs it.

 

 

 

That is effectively the same as buying SL, but there has to be more in it for the clubs than just a one off payment - If this ever happened I see a more likely scenario as a merged NRL/SL organisation with SL being the minority shareholder. Future profit share then becomes the ongoing incentive for SL clubs, whomever the 12 clubs are as that changes over time.

All still very unlikely though, I suspect this has flared up now because of the NRL suggestion that SL join in with the NRL USA adventure. It is far more probable that NRL/SL will work more closely on the future, which is a good thing.

Edited February 23 by Whippet13

[Whippet13]

16 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Would they even need to buy it?

Actually, would they even need to buy Super League?

Just set up NRL Europe/NRL France/NRL Whatevs and invite clubs, officials, refs to join.

That would end up being like the SL war in Australia, throw the British game into chaos and probably cost them far more. The last time they tried this it set Australian RL back by at least a decade.

[Griff]

21 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Would they even need to buy it?

Actually, would they even need to buy Super League?

Just set up NRL Europe/NRL France/NRL Whatevs and invite clubs, officials, refs to join.

There should be a shaking head in disbelief emoji.

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Whippet13 said:

That would end up being like the SL war in Australia, throw the British game into chaos and probably cost them far more. The last time they tried this it set Australian RL back by at least a decade.

I don't think it's a good idea, just if they wanted to do it, they easily could.

There's no benefit to either the NRL or rugby league in Europe to be had by the NRL buying us out (or whatever it should be called). The money making/visibility/engagement methods they have just don't translate.

[Dunbar]

Hasn't the NRL players collective bargaining agreement just ensured a minimum length off season for the players to protect players and guarantee welfare.

When and how are these Super League saving guest appearances going to happen?

[Dave T]

The reality is that as much as people think otherwise, people invved in the game in the UK are not stupid. 

They dismissed private equity, and I'd expect them to dismiss any move like this if it was ever more than fantasy. 

I'm not sure that the NRL can offer the sport here anythibg positive that can't be delivered in the current model. 

Sure, cash, but as with private equity, these things come with conditions, and tbh, I think the NRL would likely be worse partners than any PE. 

[GeordieSaint]

It’s interesting people are saying the NRL brand will be amazing for us… on the back of the foundations for improvements being put in place by IMG. 

I think it’s a daft idea; the move to winter being idiotic. @Whippet13’s post is spot on. As is @Dunbar’s about the cap on player games and @Dave T’s point about the people over here not being stupid - private equity is an excellent example of it. 

That this has been brought up makes me dislike the NRL hierarchy even more. 

[Dunbar]

15 minutes ago, Dave T said:

The reality is that as much as people think otherwise, people invved in the game in the UK are not stupid. 

They dismissed private equity, and I'd expect them to dismiss any move like this if it was ever more than fantasy. 

I'm not sure that the NRL can offer the sport here anythibg positive that can't be delivered in the current model. 

Sure, cash, but as with private equity, these things come with conditions, and tbh, I think the NRL would likely be worse partners than any PE. 

If the UK was floundering then maybe they would consider something like this.  But it is far from it.

We have just had the biggest opening weekend in Super League history and the stories out of Australia is that they need to save us.

I love the NRL for the on-field product the attitudes don't half wind me up at times.

[Copa]

Goodness.. it’s Matty Johns spreading rumours. 

[Damien]

While the NRL has risen several levels in many areas above SL the current difference is not the norm and is an anomaly in the games history. The game in Australia obviously has several things in its favour but I'm optimistic that with the work we have seen so far, and the improvements that are happening, that we will move to redress this somewhat.

Yeah for sure the game in Australia will continue to grow, and I hope it does, but we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of our growth here. SL needed to be much more professional and do all the little things better and is taking major strides in that direction.

If we continue in the same vein as we've started over the last year or so then I have no doubt that SL will be a richer, better attended and more vibrant competition than today.

Edited February 23 by Damien

[Damien]

Also talk like the NRL could just click it's fingers and takeover is fanciful. We do have big clubs with their own assets and several other potential big clubs.

Our clubs also have passionate owners who care and want what is best for their clubs. I really don't think it's a case of them handing them over for the sums people suggest on here.

[Fly-By-TheWire]

Someone should send Matty Johns a video of pre-SL games in knee deep frosty January mud.   I remember some players being treated for hypothermia.   I shudder at the thought of standing on an open terrace at certain stadia in the winter, and I'm sure parents wouldn't be subjecting their kids to that these days.   

Quote

"Let’s imagine if the Roosters are faced with the situation of letting Joey Manu go to French rugby or we let him go and have a stint at Castleford"

If I was a RU poacher and was asked to think of one thing that would swing it for Manu to go to French RU, it would be that proposal 

Edited February 23 by Fly-By-TheWire

[Dave T]

30 minutes ago, Damien said:

While the NRL has risen several levels in many areas above SL the current difference is not the norm and is an anomaly in the games history. The game in Australia obviously has several things in its favour but I'm optimistic that with the work we have seen so far, and the improvements that are happening, that we will move to redress this somewhat.

Yeah for sure the game in Australia will continue to grow, and I hope it does, but we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of our growth here. SL needed to be much more professional and do all the little things better and is taking major strides in that direction.

If we continue in the same vein as we've started over the last year or so then I have no doubt that SL will be a richer, better attended and more vibrant competition than today.

I do also think this kind of things demonstrates the attitudes that the game of RL has, that are real challenges. 

We have a negative fanbase in the UK who will blindly call for anything as long as it is critical of what the RFL/SLE are doing. Even the Cas stuff around their player being banned is a small example of that. 

And then Down Under we have a level of arrogance from many that they believe that they know everything about everything. 

A pro league taking over another on the other side of the world shouldn't even be a discussion it's embarrassing.

[Coggo]

45 minutes ago, Damien said:

While the NRL has risen several levels in many areas above SL the current difference is not the norm and is an anomaly in the games history. The game in Australia obviously has several things in its favour but I'm optimistic that with the work we have seen so far, and the improvements that are happening, that we will move to redress this somewhat.

Yeah for sure the game in Australia will continue to grow, and I hope it does, but we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of our growth here. SL needed to be much more professional and do all the little things better and is taking major strides in that direction.

If we continue in the same vein as we've started over the last year or so then I have no doubt that SL will be a richer, better attended and more vibrant competition than today.

Have you seen the NRL's latest financial results (and how they compare with the RFL)? 

[iffleyox]

2 minutes ago, Coggo said:

Have you seen the NRL's latest financial results (and how they compare with the RFL)? 

while there is definitely a fact there, it doesn't actually contradict anything in the post you've quoted?

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, Coggo said:

Have you seen the NRL's latest financial results (and how they compare with the RFL)? 

I know. My point was quite clear and it's quite clear that I do not expect to get to the same level as the NRL. Its a behemoth and as I said it has many things in its favour which the game will never have in the UK.

However we can certainly aim for major growth in several areas that can get us much closer again to the NRL. Increased TV deals, revenue streams, attendances etc are all very achievable along with associated increases in salary cap. Even getting some of these things back to what we had before is doubling the TV deal value, practically doubling the salary cap etc.

Sure the NRL will still grow but we should be aiming for multiples level growth in some areas because we have allowed ourselves to fall so far behind.

[Coggo]

11 minutes ago, iffleyox said:

while there is definitely a fact there, it doesn't actually contradict anything in the post you've quoted?

The NRL is in a separate orbit to Super League. Talk of closing the gap to anywhere close to parity seems highly fanciful, the gap will get wider. 

[gingerjon]

Just now, Coggo said:

The NRL is in a separate orbit to Super League. Talk of closing the gap to anywhere close to parity seems highly fanciful, the gap will get wider. 

No one on this thread is saying anything about closing the gap to close to parity.

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

However we can certainly aim for major growth in several areas that can get us much closer again to the NRL. Increased TV deals, revenue streams, attendances etc are all very achievable along with associated increases in salary cap.

I think any involvement from the NRL is likely to hinder RFL/Super League in achieving those things, not least because the whole marketplace in which RL in Europe operates is basically the opposite of that in which the NRL operates.

[Coggo]

Just now, gingerjon said:

No one on this thread is saying anything about closing the gap to close to parity.

Oh. I'm seeing words like 'much closer'. The opposite will happen. It is happening.

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, Coggo said:

Oh. I'm seeing words like 'much closer'. The opposite will happen. It is happening.

They operate in two completely different spheres. The only thing that's going to prevent the NRL continuing to grow is (a) if anything happens to the Australian economy and/or (b) it overreaches.

Super League/RFL have plenty of growth opportunities and it could even be several percentage points higher growth - but that gap will still be there because the context of the market is so different.

[gingerjon]

Until it turned out that they'd spent £30m on an app that didn't work, I did say the Australian sport the RFL could learn the most from would be soccer.

Turns out, the lesson they should learn is, "Don't spend £30m on an app."

[Griff]

26 minutes ago, Coggo said:

Have you seen the NRL's latest financial results (and how they compare with the RFL)? 

Do you think the NRL would be as successful here?

How did the Brisbane Broncos takeover of London go? Not as well as they thought?