SL USA/NRL America (Merged Threads)

[Big Picture]

8 hours ago, frank said:

If money is no object and they are short of players, there are plenty  of players in Aussie, who haven't made the grade who would jump at the chance to play in this League. Also plenty in Papua New Guinea.

Just sit back and watch the developments instead of being  negative.

Sigh.....

If the amount of money they're talking about is only 23 million US$ and their franchise fee is a pitiful 1.5 million US$ (just 1/50 of what I calculate would be the value of the most valuable minor league franchise in the US now), then money most certainly is an object.  Those figures are just a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed for a serious, credible pro RL venture in North America.

If you listen to the interview it's evident that Steve Scanlan is an outsider with no understanding of how much backing is needed for such a venture "over there" as he put it to succeed.  He cluelessly admits that someone he approached about the proposed New York club in the British RL structure laughed at him because he underpriced the jersey sponsorship at 2 million US$ and the person he approached won't look at anything under 10 million US$.  His pitiful 1.5 million US$ is just as ridiculous, 10 franchise sales at that sum would net only 15 million US$ which is nowhere near enough to capitalize the proposed league.  They'd fold before completing their first season just as the AAF did.

On the subject of players, none of the guys you have in mind would ever get a pro athlete's visa in the US.  Those are only given to players who are "internationally recognized", which is why MLR franchises have struggled to get visas for some of the foreign RU players they wanted to bring over.

[Coggo]

This seems to be a thing.

NRL America: Manly open to affiliate links with possible New York Eagles franchise

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson courted by Rugby League America consortium chiefs as franchise owner

Karl Stefanovic buys a stake in the NRL's American competition - and backs one of the game's biggest stars to be the face of new league

[gingerjon]

Mods - please merge this thread with this one: 

 

 

[NRLandSL]

Do these clueless NRL folk realise how small rugby league is in America. It’s hard for the very few teams in the country to even field 17 players a few times a year.

And they think they can start a professional comp, get these people out of charge.

Invest in the grassroots and actually getting a few people playing the sport and maybe in 25 years you can think about funding a pro comp.

Edited February 29 by NRLandSL

[Copa]

This whole thing seems to be run by one fast talking guy…

[sam4731]

I hope we don't look back at this in years to come when there's a theoretical NRL America that's thriving and think 'if only we had the first chance to crack North America...oh wait'.

[İzmir Rugby League]

On 28/02/2024 at 03:12, Big Picture said:

Sigh.....

If the amount of money they're talking about is only 23 million US$ and their franchise fee is a pitiful 1.5 million US$ (just 1/50 of what I calculate would be the value of the most valuable minor league franchise in the US now), then money most certainly is an object.  Those figures are just a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed for a serious, credible pro RL venture in North America.

If you listen to the interview it's evident that Steve Scanlan is an outsider with no understanding of how much backing is needed for such a venture "over there" as he put it to succeed.  He cluelessly admits that someone he approached about the proposed New York club in the British RL structure laughed at him because he underpriced the jersey sponsorship at 2 million US$ and the person he approached won't look at anything under 10 million US$.  His pitiful 1.5 million US$ is just as ridiculous, 10 franchise sales at that sum would net only 15 million US$ which is nowhere near enough to capitalize the proposed league.  They'd fold before completing their first season just as the AAF did.

On the subject of players, none of the guys you have in mind would ever get a pro athlete's visa in the US.  Those are only given to players who are "internationally recognized", which is why MLR franchises have struggled to get visas for some of the foreign RU players they wanted to bring over.

How much is the franchise fee in the NRL and Super League? 

[Farmduck]

13 minutes ago, İzmir Rugby League said:

How much is the franchise fee in the NRL and Super League? 

The NRL doesn't have one. 

[İzmir Rugby League]

5 hours ago, Farmduck said:

The NRL doesn't have one. 

That is my actual point. 

The franchise fee and the investment in running a new professional club are not the same thing. 

İf this group can be / come professional the 23 million would essentially go into central expenditure not local club development and expenditure. 

Manly Sea Eagles owner, based in New York, has apparently expressed in buying the NY Franchise. İf actual business guys, already involved in Professional Rugby League get involved, there may yet be some to this. 

 

[Dunbar]

Sorry if it has been mentioned on the thread already, but why are the NRL keen on using the name Super League when that brand name has a poor reputation in Australia (because of the Super League war, not the league here).

Why are they not looking at NRL USA?

[sam4731]

47 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Sorry if it has been mentioned on the thread already, but why are the NRL keen on using the name Super League when that brand name has a poor reputation in Australia (because of the Super League war, not the league here).

Why are they not looking at NRL USA?

I imagine because the use of 'Super' has more weight in America (Superbowl, Superdome, Supersize etc). I think more abbreviations would just get lost in US sports.

[Sammo]

For context, an MLR franchise would cost you around USD10m, and look how they are struggling. This proposal is naive at best.

[gingerjon]

16 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Sorry if it has been mentioned on the thread already, but why are the NRL keen on using the name Super League when that brand name has a poor reputation in Australia (because of the Super League war, not the league here).

Why are they not looking at NRL USA?

Probably because, on a quick glance, and typo risk, it comes too close to NFL.

EDIT

And NHL.

Edited March 1 by gingerjon

[The Rocket]

11 hours ago, Sammo said:

For context, an MLR franchise would cost you around USD10m, and look how they are struggling. This proposal is naive at best.

Having a rubbish product wouldn`t help.

[gingerjon]

Just now, The Rocket said:

Having a rubbish product wouldn`t help.

We've a great product but the money being talked about to spend on it is peanuts.

[The Rocket]

1 minute ago, gingerjon said:

We've a great product but the money being talked about to spend on it is peanuts.

I remember quiet clearly you saying the 9 million the NRL were spending on the Vegas adventure as being, quote "pathetic" as well, now we are possibly (being reported in the Herald today) looking at a crowd of 45 000 plus. As long as the money is spent well and targeted carefully, 23 million could be worth multiples of that. A successful day on Sunday would be a pretty good start.

HST, I`m sceptical as well, but we`ll just have to wait and see how it goes and trust that the people attempting this are probably a little more dynamic than ourselves.

[gingerjon]

28 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

I remember quiet clearly you saying the 9 million the NRL were spending on the Vegas adventure as being, quote "pathetic" as well, now we are possibly (being reported in the Herald today) looking at a crowd of 45 000 plus. As long as the money is spent well and targeted carefully, 23 million could be worth multiples of that. A successful day on Sunday would be a pretty good start.

HST, I`m sceptical as well, but we`ll just have to wait and see how it goes and trust that the people attempting this are probably a little more dynamic than ourselves.

I don't think I did say it was pathetic in that sense? I'm sure I said for $10m they blinking well should put on a good event - which it more than looks like they are doing.

Not going to make a profit, mind.

[The Rocket]

NRL's Las Vegas journey the start of a 'huge win' (nypost.com)

And,’’ Delany (chief executive officer of the Foxtel Group) went on, “just speaking to you (The Post) and you guys talking about the NRL in America is big.’’