London Broncos must stay in SL!!

[The Blues Ox]

As much as it is poor in my opinion that London knew they would be relegated before a ball was kicked this season, the reality is that they have had nearly 12 months to prepare for next season in the Championship and if its true they only have 4 players signed up for next season then they really only have themselves to blame if they are going in to next season as a mess.

[DG70]

Should never have come to this in the first place, may as well take away the trophy for whoever finishes top, scandalous.

[17 stone giant]

London was in Super League for 19 seasons in a row from 1996 to 2014.

Why wasn't that long enough to establish the foundations of a successful and sustainable top flight club.

[Griff]

Just now, 17 stone giant said:

London was in Super League for 19 seasons in a row from 1996 to 2014.

Why wasn't that long enough to establish the foundations of a successful and sustainable top flight club.

A very good point.

[RP London]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Again all this shows is that London is important, not London Broncos specifically.

the NFL has been mentioned on here as an example of drop a team in London and it would be amazing, yet the NFL have realised there is a big logistical nightmare they need to solve first including questions like "do we need an international conference", "how would that work", "can they just be in the east and everyone in the east now gets a massive travel ticket to pay for"... and so on.. many of the questions we ask around Catalans and London.. Their solution is the on the road games as they can also take them to other potential hotbeds without massive risk (and this is an organisation with cash).. 

I will bang the drum for London as much as the next person but its London not the specific team that I will bang the drum for.. there are different ways to make this work but some of the questions we ask about London other sports do to and they do things differently to try and solve them

[Angelic Cynic]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/we-need-to-have-a-conversation-about-london-broncos-and-img

[Worzel]

13 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

London was in Super League for 19 seasons in a row from 1996 to 2014.

Why wasn't that long enough to establish the foundations of a successful and sustainable top flight club.

Because David Hughes invested disproportionately in the wrong areas. He was always prepared to find another £200k for what he thought was a marquee player, like Henry Paul for example. But if you asked him for the same £200k for marketing in order to build crowds, and reinvest in the commercial growth of the club, then he'd never agree. 

Sometimes he did that to ensure the club didn't get relegated, sometimes to give the club a crack at the play-offs, but always it was a focus on the quality of the squad on the pitch. He was building a team, but he never built a club. He spent over £25m doing that, and London rugby league is no better off for it. 

The whole point of the IMG model is to make the future David Hughes make different decisions. Firstly by rewarding investment in those other, club-building areas, and secondly by ultimately removing P&R and so allowing owners to think about multi-year decisions, rather than always thinking about just this, or at most next, season. 

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Worzel said:

Because David Hughes invested disproportionately in the wrong areas. He was always prepared to find another £200k for what he thought was a marquee player, like Henry Paul for example. But if you asked him for the same £200k for marketing in order to build crowds, and reinvest in the commercial growth of the club, then he'd never agree. 

Sometimes he did that to ensure the club didn't get relegated, sometimes to give the club a crack at the play-offs, but always it was a focus on the quality of the squad on the pitch. He was building a team, but he never built a club. He spent over £25m doing that, and London rugby league is no better off for it. 

The whole point of the IMG model is to make the future David Hughes make different decisions. Firstly by rewarding investment in those other, club-building areas, and secondly by ultimately removing P&R and so allowing owners to think about multi-year decisions, rather than always thinking about just this, or at most next, season. 

Having worse and worse relationships with the clubs whose grounds we were playing out of didn't help either. Nomadism plus ticketing strategies that were often weird or contradictory - not a great mix when further combined with the variable quality of the offering on and off the pitch.

Then, having learnt all those lessons, just doing the same again and leaving Ealing for Plough Lane.

[RP London]

5 minutes ago, Worzel said:

Because David Hughes invested disproportionately in the wrong areas. He was always prepared to find another £200k for what he thought was a marquee player, like Henry Paul for example. But if you asked him for the same £200k for marketing in order to build crowds, and reinvest in the commercial growth of the club, then he'd never agree. 

Sometimes he did that to ensure the club didn't get relegated, sometimes to give the club a crack at the play-offs, but always it was a focus on the quality of the squad on the pitch. He was building a team, but he never built a club. He spent over £25m doing that, and London rugby league is no better off for it. 

The whole point of the IMG model is to make the future David Hughes make different decisions. Firstly by rewarding investment in those other, club-building areas, and secondly by ultimately removing P&R and so allowing owners to think about multi-year decisions, rather than always thinking about just this, or at most next, season. 

absolutely.. 

money into the junior game when the RFL pulled funding could/would have seen a totally different landscape in London today IMHO. Thats based on what was happening and what I saw/was a part of there at the time and how that was starting to bubble along.. also how quickly it fell away.

[Worzel]

2 hours ago, RP London said:

absolutely.. 

money into the junior game when the RFL pulled funding could/would have seen a totally different landscape in London today IMHO. Thats based on what was happening and what I saw/was a part of there at the time and how that was starting to bubble along.. also how quickly it fell away.

Yes, the loss of those development officers was massive. I blame the RFL for that, they should have found a way to maintain them from other budgets. London has a talent pool like no other, and the club (and Skolars) had demonstrated the ability to tap into it, supported by the Sport England-funded officers. I'd imagine much of the present player pool today comes from the work done back then. It should have been maintained. 

That's not a "support London Broncos" argument, it is just good strategic sense for the sport as a whole. That talent pipeline could have been used to funnel players into other, nothern clubs systems too. A pathway could have been built to do that.

The best fishermen fish where the fish are. Not where they happen to be already standing. 

[Griff]

8 hours ago, Click said:

You think Whitehaven have just lost a couple of games, and that's why they are in the situation they are in?

Talk about missing the point.

Just batting your own words back at you.

[ATLANTISMAN]

Agree with many comments here however the reality is it's over.

The momentum within the game for no French teams is gaining momentum as everyone crawls back into their comfort zone.

Just saw Lyndsey Hoyle (Sir) article mentioning how France should have its own Super League which just goes to show how ignorant many are.

ONLY thing that can save the game in the UK is the NRL coming in.

Many laugh when one says next TV deal 4/6 million and that's if they offer one 

 

[Archie Gordon]

12 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

...

Just saw Lyndsey Hoyle (Sir) article mentioning how France should have its own Super League which just goes to show how ignorant many are.

...

His comments were just embarrassing. Embarrassing for the RFL too.

[ATLANTISMAN]

14 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

His comments were just embarrassing. Embarrassing for the RFL too.

Very disappointed by them  

[lucky 7]

36 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

His comments were just embarrassing. Embarrassing for the RFL too.

 

21 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Very disappointed by them  

That these comments are embarrassing is an unstatement 

Like others he wants to game in this country to retreat to the M62 corridor, but look how many junior clubs have folded in the last 15 years in the M62 corridor, and its not good reading.

Edited September 2, 2024 by lucky 7

[ATLANTISMAN]

17 minutes ago, lucky 7 said:

 

That these comments are embarrassing is an unstatement 

Like others he wants to game in this country to retreat to the M62 corridor, but look how many junior clubs have folded in the last 15 years in the M62 corridor, and its not good reading.

There are currently 5 and maybe even 6 SL clubs that want the Dragons out.

After 2027 quote from one goodbye form your own French SL.

Edited September 2, 2024 by ATLANTISMAN

[17 stone giant]

1 hour ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Agree with many comments here however the reality is it's over.

What exactly is over?

London Broncos in SL? London Broncos as a club? Rugby league as a sport in London?

[Tommygilf]

11 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

There are currently 5 and maybe even 6 SL clubs that want the Dragons out.

After 2027 quote from one goodbye form your own French SL.

Who are the 5, out of interest?

[lucky 7]

8 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

There are currently 5 and maybe even 6 SL clubs that want the Dragons out.

After 2027 quote from one goodbye form your own French SL.

My guess would be that 3 of the clubs would be in the botton half of the Super League table.

Another reason why the NRL won't be buying into Super League with that insular thinking.

As pointed out in another post, the NRL want expansion in Australia while the RFL/Super League want contraction here.

[Leyther_Matt]

France having its own Super League would be fantastic. Imagine having 14 strong clubs in each country and the Challenge Cup evolving in to a European Cup. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

11 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

France having its own Super League would be fantastic. Imagine having 14 strong clubs in each country and the Challenge Cup evolving in to a European Cup. 

Dream on population of some main clubs 

Pia 4000

Lezignan 8000

Limoux 10000

St Gaudens 12000

 

 

Edited September 2, 2024 by ATLANTISMAN

[Henson Park Old Firm]

1 minute ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Dream on population of some main clubs 

Pia 4000

Lezignan 8000

Limoux 10000

St Gaudens 12000

 

 

All great locations for the Magic Round

[ATLANTISMAN]

There are around 70 clubs in France  the fact that only around 300 players max are professional/semi professional standard is down to the sheer hard work and dedication of the few.

[lucky 7]

2 minutes ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

All great locations for the Magic Round

I hope nobody at the RFL see's this as it might puts ideas in their head.

[Wakefield Ram]

5 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

London was in Super League for 19 seasons in a row from 1996 to 2014.

Why wasn't that long enough to establish the foundations of a successful and sustainable top flight club.

You could say the same for a number of SL clubs in established RL areas.