Key NRL club chief casts doubt over London Broncos to be included in 10 team SL

[josie andrews]

WESTS TIGERS chief executive Shane Richardson has cast doubt over London Broncos’ prospective plans to join a potential ten-team Super League under an NRL takeover.

The NRL has long been linked with taking a stake in the northern hemisphere game, and that now looks closer than ever before with ARL Commission chief Peter V’landys revealing that a 33 per cent stake proposal was being mooted.

Of course, a potential stake would come with a number of stipulations – not least the fact that the NRL wants full administrative control from 2028 with a ten-team competition the preferred avenue.

With Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington set to join the London at the end of this season to head up the operations at the capital club, there has been murmurings that the Broncos are gearing themselves up for a tilt at the big time once more.

But, Richardson, who held key positions at Gateshead Thunder, Hull FC as well as the RFL, has reservations.

“People mention about London being in there and there’s no smarter operator than Gary Hetherington,” Richardson said on James Graham’s The Bye Round podcast.

But at the end of the day, we’ve tried London a million times. If they want to be a part of the competition then they need a business plan that says – and more importantly – declares the financial backing that they can be in it.

“We don’t want to create another situation (like Salford) that can’t make it. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be in it.

“I’m saying the only clubs that should be in there are the two Hull clubs, Warrington, Leeds, St Helens and Wigan as well as the two French clubs, Catalans and Toulouse.

“The two other spots would be opened up to business plans, stadiums and set-ups. Then a decision could be made based on those business plans.”

https://www.totalrl.com/key-nrl-club-ch ... er-league/

[Ipinwigan]

We are flogging a dead horse with London, it's never going to work.

Can you imagine the crowd figures from the away fans, with London, Toulouse and Catalans in the league, then again you can add Huddersfield to that, who's pathetic low home crowds are appalling, but they are currently dishing up some awful perfomances.

[nathan_rugby]

Is the 10 team Super League just the rumour if NRL purchase a share of the RFL and have controlling rights?

If so, do we know what happens to the clubs who don't make the cut? Is the assumption they will form part of an improved Championship?

I wonder what would happen to clubs such as Huddersfield and their players contracts if this happens.
- They would get less TV money from Sky/Other Provider
- They may not be able to pay wages of existing contracts

I think the above is a likely scenario but who is at fault? Surely its a risk clubs take to offer contracts that extend beyond the current tv deal (which the sport is dependent on).

[the pieman]

Is the 10 team Super League just the rumour if NRL purchase a share of the RFL and have controlling rights?

If so, do we know what happens to the clubs who don't make the cut? Is the assumption they will form part of an improved Championship?

I wonder what would happen to clubs such as Huddersfield and their players contracts if this happens.
- They would get less TV money from Sky/Other Provider
- They may not be able to pay wages of existing contracts

I think the above is a likely scenario but who is at fault? Surely its a risk clubs take to offer contracts that extend beyond the current tv deal (which the sport is dependent on).

From what i've read the NRL, Super League and International TV contracts are all due to renewal at the same time, hence some of the ideas being mooted. The NRL model is based on feeder / affiliate clubs so an NRL club has a feeder club in Queensland Cup league ie Brisbane and Burleigh Bears, so Leeds could have Bramley for example

So at the minute everyone knows when the TV contracts are due for renewal, but what we dont know at the minute is what Nigel Woods is thinking as there has been nothing communicated outwards yet since his re-appointment. So, if we are thinking about the NRL involvement, then serious consideration needs to be given to what happens with the clubs that dont make the cut of 10 (if thats the agreed number) and who they would be affiliate to

the other noises being made from the NRL is that they want financially viable clubs, so assuming they dont want to be bailing clubs out, if they cant be self sufficient

[fozzie58]

I really don’t think the new top men at the Rfl will countenance any interference from those pesky louts from down under

[moto748]

In what sense is Shane Richardson an "NRL chief"?

[southportcdm]

Although I was never a fan of the original merger concept proposed by Maurice Lindsay I do now think that some kind of tie up with the NRL is the only way that our sport can thrive in the future. Those at the NRL can see where we're going wrong and how our competition can be developed. Sadly, some teams will miss out but hopefully there will be some room for properly financed clubs with ambition to expand the league beyond the original ten. Those teams that miss out will still have a future at the second level of competition (which should be better financed than it is today) if they want one. I have to admit that one of the reasons that I've finally come around to accepting that a new system is required is that we all know that the Warriors will be O.K. I can't honestly say I'd support the idea if I was a Leigh or Huddersfield fan for example. Having admitted my guilty belief in public I now have to state that I don't think it will happen because of all those clubs with vested interests in maintaining the status quo. One final point - Maurice was (partly) right all along.

[Mike]

Although I was never a fan of the original merger concept proposed by Maurice Lindsay I do now think that some kind of tie up with the NRL is the only way that our sport can thrive in the future. Those at the NRL can see where we're going wrong and how our competition can be developed. Sadly, some teams will miss out but hopefully there will be some room for properly financed clubs with ambition to expand the league beyond the original ten. Those teams that miss out will still have a future at the second level of competition (which should be better financed than it is today) if they want one. I have to admit that one of the reasons that I've finally come around to accepting that a new system is required is that we all know that the Warriors will be O.K. I can't honestly say I'd support the idea if I was a Leigh or Huddersfield fan for example. Having admitted my guilty belief in public I now have to state that I don't think it will happen because of all those clubs with vested interests in maintaining the status quo. One final point - Maurice was (partly) right all along.

Do they though? Suggestions of a return to winter rugby are not the way forward. IMO they started in a position of cultural sporting strength being a major sporting part of their country and have not had to overcome any advesity except that which they made themselves. The situation in the UK is massively different. We're a scrappy pretender like darts, not an intrinsic part of the national conciousness like football. Also, when Shane Richardson was involved in Gateshead, his business plan didn't stand the test of time did it? They were supposed to have 5 years of money and it turned out that their plan involved exponential fan growth in the first 2 years to be viable. If they come in with those expectations they will fail and fail rapidly.