IL talks about SL expansion & how the global future of RL lies with clubs not national teams

[DaveO]

This appears, to me, that there is a change in the influence of the power brokers in RL. The article is by IL but Pearson must go along with it for Hull to take part. They clearly have an ambition to expand the game and it can't be done without making money. This trip it is suggested with make the clubs £500k each.

The money made from this game is not being set aside to be used to expand the game. It's going directly into the club's coffers.

The idea you can take a game to Wollongong and claim this is part of an expansion initiative is farcical.

This may be just the starter for ten, with expansion ventures ahead.
Where they take place I'm not sure. Although there is a club in Toronto and talk of others over there we aren't going to be playing in Feb anywhere in North America. Southern states maybe. Perhaps the Magic Weekend could be taken over there in a couple of cities.

We take the magic weekend to places like Cardiff and Newcastle and do nothing to expand the top flight in these areas. Just taking games to far flung places is pointless unless there is concerted effort to get the game going in these areas. How or why a club as opposed to the whole sport should be doing this I have no idea. We have let expansion teams in Gateshead, Wrexham and even London fall by the wayside.

They obvious one at present is Perth where IL mentions about the NRL expanding. The Western Australian Govt may be interested and that would be interesting. Perhaps Hull FC would do it again with it being one of their home games.

Expansion in Perth is nothing to do with us. Why do we need to go there? If a team starts again it will be for the benefit of the NRL.

Our issue is expanding the game here and in Europe. Taking games on the road and saying in effect, there look at that isn't it great, is pointless unless the sport is going to invest in the sport in these areas. That will cost a fortune and requires patience and a different attitude from fans. It's no use letting expansion teams be relegated out of the top flight like London or just go bust like Gateshead and Wrexham but that kind of favouritism is disliked.

If IL and other chairman decided the game needed to expand and so sought to fund a team or teams through coming up with cash themselves or through sponsorship fair enough but I don't see any evidence of this. A game in Oz certainly isn't going to further the cause.

If I was being cynical I'd suggest IL saying he sees the games future club lead is just another excuse for taking games on the road in an attempt to make money.

[thegimble]

Expansion in Perth is nothing to do with us. Why do we need to go there? If a team starts again it will be for the benefit of the NRL.

On this point NRL have refused expansion for clubs in Perth and other areas in Australia and NZ. They do not want any more sides in the competition. There is a feeling a Perth side could be in SL very quickly if allowed the same path as Toronto are on atm.

[fozzieskem]

Expansion in Perth is nothing to do with us. Why do we need to go there? If a team starts again it will be for the benefit of the NRL.

On this point NRL have refused expansion for clubs in Perth and other areas in Australia and NZ. They do not want any more sides in the competition. There is a feeling a Perth side could be in SL very quickly if allowed the same path as Toronto are on atm.

Our game simply can’t support having a team down there,it would to be the same deal with Toronto money and have for all time a backer with more money than sense for it to come off,for me a SL team in Perth it’s a complete non starter purely on the money front alone.

[DaveO]

Expansion in Perth is nothing to do with us. Why do we need to go there? If a team starts again it will be for the benefit of the NRL.

On this point NRL have refused expansion for clubs in Perth and other areas in Australia and NZ. They do not want any more sides in the competition. There is a feeling a Perth side could be in SL very quickly if allowed the same path as Toronto are on atm.

What a mind numbingly stupid idea. Expand SL by going as far away as you possibly can.

RL's been tried before in Perth (and Adelaide) and failed. Given RL's track record in this country re expansion who has any faith in it being able to foster a team in Perth when it can't get a top flight team sustained London?

What is wrong with putting all this effort into Toulouse if they want to broaden the game?

As to the NRL refusing to expand I am pretty sure they don't think RL in Australia needs expanding. If the NRL are being insular and not taking an interest in expanding the game in general, into new countries, fair enough that would be a valid criticism if true but SL taking on responsibility for expanding the game in Australia is bonkers.

[thegimble]

Expansion in Perth is nothing to do with us. Why do we need to go there? If a team starts again it will be for the benefit of the NRL.

On this point NRL have refused expansion for clubs in Perth and other areas in Australia and NZ. They do not want any more sides in the competition. There is a feeling a Perth side could be in SL very quickly if allowed the same path as Toronto are on atm.

What a mind numbingly stupid idea. Expand SL by going as far away as you possibly can.

RL's been tried before in Perth (and Adelaide) and failed. Given RL's track record in this country re expansion who has any faith in it being able to foster a team in Perth when it can't get a top flight team sustained London?

What is wrong with putting all this effort into Toulouse if they want to broaden the game?

As to the NRL refusing to expand I am pretty sure they don't think RL in Australia needs expanding. If the NRL are being insular and not taking an interest in expanding the game in general, into new countries, fair enough that would be a valid criticism if true but SL taking on responsibility for expanding the game in Australia is bonkers.

Not disagreeing with you.

Biggest mistake made on the expansion front was Crusaders going to South Wales. Been in Wrexham was ideal but too late the damage was done before they even got to Wrexham. The previous owner made sure it would fail.

[DaveO]

Biggest mistake made on the expansion front was Crusaders going to South Wales. Been in Wrexham was ideal but too late the damage was done before they even got to Wrexham. The previous owner made sure it would fail.

Yes and the other one I out up there is what happened to Gateshead.

From Wikipedia:

In 1998, Gateshead were officially granted a franchise in the Super League ahead of bids from Swansea and Cardiff. The club was named Gateshead Thunder, the name chosen in a contest, with Shaun McRae as head coach.

Fan attendance in the early part of the season was poor, but rose to 3,895 by season's end. The Thunder finished in sixth position, just two points outside the play off places. They had defeated St. Helens home and away, as well as beating Wigan in the 'on the road' fixture at Tynecastle, Edinburgh. Matt Daylight was the joint leading try scorer in Super League IV and winger Ian Herron was one of the leading goal kickers in the league.

During their sole season in the league, the Thunder claimed to have lost £700,000, so on 15 November 1999, the board announced their intention to merge the Thunder with the Hull Sharks, for which they were paid a fee £1.25 million by Super League Europe. The Association of Premiership Clubs blocked attempts for the newly merged company to enter a separate Hull-based team in the Northern Ford Premiership [1] and so the new club would be called 'Hull' and play all their home games in Hull itself. The 'merger' has since been accepted to be a simple takeover of Thunder by Hull F.C. to allow them to retain their Super League status.

To me that sums up what has been wrong with RL expansion in a nutshell. Instead of putting money behind Gateshead when they made a loss it was allowed for Hull to take them over to help Hull. A team in a city with another RL side and I am sure Hull themselves would have sorted themselves out eventually without nicking a franchise off an expansion team.

[wall_of_voodoo]

Biggest mistake made on the expansion front was Crusaders going to South Wales. Been in Wrexham was ideal but too late the damage was done before they even got to Wrexham. The previous owner made sure it would fail.

A former rugby league team chief executive has admitted three fraud charges amounting to more than £65,000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-nort ... s-43009005

[wall_of_voodoo]

Biggest mistake made on the expansion front was Crusaders going to South Wales. Been in Wrexham was ideal but too late the damage was done before they even got to Wrexham. The previous owner made sure it would fail.

Yes and the other one I out up there is what happened to Gateshead.

From Wikipedia:

In 1998, Gateshead were officially granted a franchise in the Super League ahead of bids from Swansea and Cardiff. The club was named Gateshead Thunder, the name chosen in a contest, with Shaun McRae as head coach.

Fan attendance in the early part of the season was poor, but rose to 3,895 by season's end. The Thunder finished in sixth position, just two points outside the play off places. They had defeated St. Helens home and away, as well as beating Wigan in the 'on the road' fixture at Tynecastle, Edinburgh. Matt Daylight was the joint leading try scorer in Super League IV and winger Ian Herron was one of the leading goal kickers in the league.

During their sole season in the league, the Thunder claimed to have lost £700,000, so on 15 November 1999, the board announced their intention to merge the Thunder with the Hull Sharks, for which they were paid a fee £1.25 million by Super League Europe. The Association of Premiership Clubs blocked attempts for the newly merged company to enter a separate Hull-based team in the Northern Ford Premiership [1] and so the new club would be called 'Hull' and play all their home games in Hull itself. The 'merger' has since been accepted to be a simple takeover of Thunder by Hull F.C. to allow them to retain their Super League status.

To me that sums up what has been wrong with RL expansion in a nutshell. Instead of putting money behind Gateshead when they made a loss it was allowed for Hull to take them over to help Hull. A team in a city with another RL side and I am sure Hull themselves would have sorted themselves out eventually without nicking a franchise off an expansion team.

Aaaaaah that was the "Hetherington effect". Kath was in charge of Hull at that time and with Gary at Leeds (and both having control of Dewsbury/Batley/Hunslet/Gateshead/Sheffield plus others) we were left with the competition we have now. The Hetherington's controlled RL voting for years based on their hold over these clubs

[thegimble]

Biggest mistake made on the expansion front was Crusaders going to South Wales. Been in Wrexham was ideal but too late the damage was done before they even got to Wrexham. The previous owner made sure it would fail.

Yes and the other one I out up there is what happened to Gateshead.

From Wikipedia:

In 1998, Gateshead were officially granted a franchise in the Super League ahead of bids from Swansea and Cardiff. The club was named Gateshead Thunder, the name chosen in a contest, with Shaun McRae as head coach.

Fan attendance in the early part of the season was poor, but rose to 3,895 by season's end. The Thunder finished in sixth position, just two points outside the play off places. They had defeated St. Helens home and away, as well as beating Wigan in the 'on the road' fixture at Tynecastle, Edinburgh. Matt Daylight was the joint leading try scorer in Super League IV and winger Ian Herron was one of the leading goal kickers in the league.

During their sole season in the league, the Thunder claimed to have lost £700,000, so on 15 November 1999, the board announced their intention to merge the Thunder with the Hull Sharks, for which they were paid a fee £1.25 million by Super League Europe. The Association of Premiership Clubs blocked attempts for the newly merged company to enter a separate Hull-based team in the Northern Ford Premiership [1] and so the new club would be called 'Hull' and play all their home games in Hull itself. The 'merger' has since been accepted to be a simple takeover of Thunder by Hull F.C. to allow them to retain their Super League status.

To me that sums up what has been wrong with RL expansion in a nutshell. Instead of putting money behind Gateshead when they made a loss it was allowed for Hull to take them over to help Hull. A team in a city with another RL side and I am sure Hull themselves would have sorted themselves out eventually without nicking a franchise off an expansion team.

Aaaaaah that was the "Hetherington effect". Kath was in charge of Hull at that time and with Gary at Leeds (and both having control of Dewsbury/Batley/Hunslet/Gateshead/Sheffield plus others) we were left with the competition we have now. The Hetherington's controlled RL voting for years based on their hold over these clubs

And we are still in the crapper due to them

[doc]

Yes and the other one I out up there is what happened to Gateshead.

From Wikipedia:

In 1998, Gateshead were officially granted a franchise in the Super League ahead of bids from Swansea and Cardiff. The club was named Gateshead Thunder, the name chosen in a contest, with Shaun McRae as head coach.

Fan attendance in the early part of the season was poor, but rose to 3,895 by season's end. The Thunder finished in sixth position, just two points outside the play off places. They had defeated St. Helens home and away, as well as beating Wigan in the 'on the road' fixture at Tynecastle, Edinburgh. Matt Daylight was the joint leading try scorer in Super League IV and winger Ian Herron was one of the leading goal kickers in the league.

During their sole season in the league, the Thunder claimed to have lost £700,000, so on 15 November 1999, the board announced their intention to merge the Thunder with the Hull Sharks, for which they were paid a fee £1.25 million by Super League Europe. The Association of Premiership Clubs blocked attempts for the newly merged company to enter a separate Hull-based team in the Northern Ford Premiership [1] and so the new club would be called 'Hull' and play all their home games in Hull itself. The 'merger' has since been accepted to be a simple takeover of Thunder by Hull F.C. to allow them to retain their Super League status.

To me that sums up what has been wrong with RL expansion in a nutshell. Instead of putting money behind Gateshead when they made a loss it was allowed for Hull to take them over to help Hull. A team in a city with another RL side and I am sure Hull themselves would have sorted themselves out eventually without nicking a franchise off an expansion team.

Aaaaaah that was the "Hetherington effect". Kath was in charge of Hull at that time and with Gary at Leeds (and both having control of Dewsbury/Batley/Hunslet/Gateshead/Sheffield plus others) we were left with the competition we have now. The Hetherington's controlled RL voting for years based on their hold over these clubs

And we are still in the crapper due to them

During Gateshead's brief spell in SL I was living in Hartlepool and was looking forward to watching them play Wigan at Gateshead. Instead the RL decided to move what was potentially going to be their best attended match to Edinburgh. The mind boggles!

As for the take over; definitely an example of the "Hetherington effect". Totally corrupt!