Catalans

[up the robins]

While I'm no big fan of French teams in super league Catalans have been rather successful and have a very good set up. I do believe they benefit more from away support than they offer back so a negative to other clubs, but I find this a rather ridiculous situation and quite unfair on Catalans.

If their had to be some way of clubs negating the travel cost my suggestion would be that fifty percent of the away supporters ticket price was given back to the away club to encourage clubs to get as many away supporters to the games, Catalans would still get hospitality boost and potential sponsorship from local businesses that benefit from the tourism.

Same would apply for Catalans visiting the English clubs.

 

[Sports Prophet]

What do you have to say about the RFLs objectives and ambitions when they are clearly trying to undermine a “pillar” of the SL competition @Hopie?

[Hopie]

45 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

What do you have to say about the RFLs objectives and ambitions when they are clearly trying to undermine a “pillar” of the SL competition @Hopie?

Why is my opinion so important to you?

Define "pillar" in this context.

I commented on this the last time it came up, seems a fair and balanced decision. I see no real evidence of the game in the UK working towards any well thought out objectives and ambitions, not sure why you bring them up in this rgread. 

[StandOffHalf]

If the European Super League is a fair comp, this should result in the English teams playing the travel costs of Catalans when they come to visit.

 

[Sports Prophet]

4 hours ago, Hopie said:

Why is my opinion so important to you?

Define "pillar" in this context.

I commented on this the last time it came up, seems a fair and balanced decision. I see no real evidence of the game in the UK working towards any well thought out objectives and ambitions, not sure why you bring them up in this rgread. 

I feel you harbour unreasonable resentment and opinions around the NRL and it’s responsibilities and commitment international RL, so your opinion on this matter is of interest to me to see if your harbour any legitimate resentment or negative feelings against the governors of the sport in the NH for undermining the one non-British European partner of the elite club game in the continent.

That you think a decision to make Catalans responsible for the travel costs of visiting SL teams is fair and balanced, certainly tells me all I need to know, so thanks for the response.

[Eddie]

8 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Please explain what these multiple barriers are Eddie?

Having to pay for everyone else’s costs, in a professional sports league. 

[Eddie]

7 hours ago, up the robins said:

While I'm no big fan of French teams in super league Catalans have been rather successful and have a very good set up. I do believe they benefit more from away support than they offer back so a negative to other clubs, but I find this a rather ridiculous situation and quite unfair on Catalans.

If their had to be some way of clubs negating the travel cost my suggestion would be that fifty percent of the away supporters ticket price was given back to the away club to encourage clubs to get as many away supporters to the games, Catalans would still get hospitality boost and potential sponsorship from local businesses that benefit from the tourism.

Same would apply for Catalans visiting the English clubs.

 

Saints take more away fans to games than Huddersfield, do you think Huddersfield should give Saints 50% of their away ticket costs back too? 

[The Future is League]

15 hours ago, Eddie said:

If whoever it was is based more than 5 miles from a junction of the M62 they’d be expected to pay for travel and officials.

Don't put ideas in the heads of people who run the game in this country

[The Future is League]

10 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Saints take more away fans to games than Huddersfield, do you think Huddersfield should give Saints 50% of their away ticket costs back too? 

Without away fans going to their grounds Salford Red Devils and the Huddersfield Giants would be in deep financial hock, and both clubs have been around for over 100 years. They have had plenty of time to establish a good home fan base, which obviously both have failed on.

I wonder what their excuses are for their poor fan bases?

[gingerjon]

Just now, The Future is League said:

which obviously both have failed on

How have they failed?

Their support, including their away support, is larger than the majority of rugby league clubs in this country.

Either way, this is a thread about Super League Europe deciding that European teams are problematic.

[bobbruce]

11 hours ago, Phil said:

So if I was Guasch I’d buy a small basic hotel, that’s the accommodation for visitors sorted.

I’m sure there are various imaginative solutions 

Most teams don’t stay over anymore. 

[The Future is League]

1 minute ago, gingerjon said:

How have they failed?

Their support, including their away support, is larger than the majority of rugby league clubs in this country.

Either way, this is a thread about Super League Europe deciding that European teams are problematic.

You think Salford and Huddersfield have a large away support?

Tell me which Super league clubs take less away support than Salford and Huddersfield?

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, The Future is League said:

You think Salford and Huddersfield have a large away support?

No. I think they are average sized clubs with under average levels of sport for Super League.

Thus bigger than most other rugby league clubs in this country.

If they've failed then the sport has failed and there is no future for league.

It's also, more importantly, utterly irrelevant in a conversation about which hostel dorm near a pub the Catalans should put their visiting teams up in.

[Dave T]

I do think there is (as usual) a PR piece around this.

Talking about travel costs is a little small time, when the reality of this is that the challenge is that there is no central funding form that territory.

The Xhampions League was brought up, but the clubs from the territories that bring most TV money get a bigger share of the TV money. Which in effect is what we are talking about here.

[The Future is League]

3 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

No. I think they are average sized clubs with under average levels of sport for Super League.

Thus bigger than most other rugby league clubs in this country.

If they've failed then the sport has failed and there is no future for league.

It's also, more importantly, utterly irrelevant in a conversation about which hostel dorm near a pub the Catalans should put their visiting teams up in.

Apart from London they are the 2 smallist clubs in Super League in terms of support and and revenue streams.

[ATLANTISMAN]

34 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Most teams don’t stay over anymore. 

That's if you fly by private jet

Ryan Air summer 

Cancellations

Air traffic control strikes 

Airport queues

Not to mention cramped conditions for a professional sports team

It's a disaster waiting to happen 

[gingerjon]

28 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Apart from London they are the 2 smallist clubs in Super League in terms of support and and revenue streams.

So there's a smaller club (this year) in their league and the divisions below are filled with significantly smaller clubs.

What's the alternative?

[gingerjon]

32 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I do think there is (as usual) a PR piece around this.

Yes.

What do Catalans bring to Super League?

Visibility, players, fans from different areas, a quality opponent, an example of how to run a commercially expanding operation ...

Super League will be a lot weaker when they're gone.

[The Future is League]

Just now, gingerjon said:

So there's a smaller club (this year) in their league and the divisions below are filled with significantly smaller clubs.

What's the alternative?

Their isn't one and that's why the powers that be need to stop putting hurdles in the way of the Catlans, and as pointed our earler IF clubs can't afford to take a team to France every year they shouldn't be in Super League

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Yes.

What do Catalans bring to Super League?

Visibility, players, fans from different areas, a quality opponent, an example of how to run a commercially expanding operation ...

Super League will be a lot weaker when they're gone.

The reality is they won't be gone. I do think this is more about resolving the challenge of integrating more overseas teams into the UK pyramid over time. 

Unfortunately the outcome is a poor one (and particularly mean-spirited) for Catalans. I'd rather they had any new agreements as forward looking rather than feeling the need to treat Catalans exactly the same.

[Dave T]

11 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Their isn't one and that's why the powers that be need to stop putting hurdles in the way of the Catlans, and as pointed our earler IF clubs can't afford to take a team to France every year they shouldn't be in Super League

That isn't the only alternative though.

This is the UK pyramid and when decisions are made about whether to introduce French teams, the business case doesn't really stack up for British RL. £1.5m in central funding per annum goes to French rugby league instead of UK RL, and there are additional costs of c£500k. So to introduce a French club into SL it's probably a direct cost of £2m per annum (£30-40m so far in reality).

Multiply that by 2 or 3 and it's a huge cost.

The real alternative is that we just say no to French teams because we can't fund it.

The real root cause here is that we embark on these things without having a real costed plan. We wing it, and it leads to tactical decisions like this which can be seen as short sighted.

Edited October 2 by Dave T

[Treizistance]

Embarrassing stuff. UK RL's administration is pathetic and the sport will deserve the fate that becomes of it here.

Do we think a condition of the WA Bears is for them to pay travel opposition costs to go to Perth? Of course not.

[The Future is League]

8 minutes ago, Treizistance said:

Embarrassing stuff. UK RL's administration is pathetic and the sport will deserve the fate that becomes of it here.

Do we think a condition of the WA Bears is for them to pay travel opposition costs to go to Perth? Of course not.

So as far as you know all AFL clubs have to pay their own travelling expenses, which in my opinion should apply to Rugby League clubs in this country

[up the robins]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Saints take more away fans to games than Huddersfield, do you think Huddersfield should give Saints 50% of their away ticket costs back too? 

What I suggested is better than the one been implemented, at least with this idea only the clubs which are of financial benefit to Catalans get some help towards the travel cost.

I do agree that the whole thing is unfair on Catalans and needs a complete rethink.

 

[Worzel]

9 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Perhaps they could do a Toronto and put the players and staff in a school dorm?

Personally I'd put them in a camp site, and have them travel by coach.

Any club who wants more can pay for it themselves. As grown-ups would be prepared to anyway. 

This is up there with one of the most backward things the sport has ever done. There is not a single argument for it. Normally you think "yes, I don't agree but I understand the thinking from your point of view", but in this case there isn't a valid, rational one to be made. Anything put forward to try and justify it can be shot down in a heartbeat.

It boils down to "we have the power to make you do it, you might have the means, and we think that ultimately you will be able to because the alternative is worse". Those are the criteria of gangsters, extracting protection money. It's not how you build success together as partners of trust, in a joint enterprise. 

Genuinely think we're doomed as a sport. It's not where you start that counts in life, it's the quality of your decision-making and the effort that you apply afterwards. This demonstrates we have no chance.