Koolcash not happy with Saints

[East Stand Faithful]

Koukash revealed he is committed to spending £2million a year in his attempt to transform the fortunes of the Red Devils and insists his enthusiasm for rugby league remains undiminished by his frustration at the way the game is being run.

The wealthy racehorse owner claims the RFL were behind a move by rival Super League clubs to block for a third time his bid to introduce an exemption in the salary cap to allow the signing of marquee players and demonstrated his anger by ripping up a copy of the RFL's Respect charter in front of the television cameras.

Koukash singled out St Helens chairman Eamon McManus for particular criticism after claiming he performed an about-turn in the latest vote and repeated a call for the RFL to hand over the running of Super League to the clubs.

"Super League is a brilliant sport but you have to realise that it is being run by the RFL and I have lost all confidence in the RFL running Super League," he said.

"The people running Super League have failed to grow the sport over the last five years and the time has come for them to step aside and let the clubs run the competition.

"I received verbal promises from various authorities last July that a marquee player would be introduced but the clubs, with the support of the RFL, last week managed to block the latest vote. They now want to discuss it in November and that to me means brushing it under the carpet."

Koukash was fined £1,000 by the RFL for his outspoken comments at a season launch and warned over his future behaviour but he remains unrepentent.

"I will continue to fight but now I know what I am fighting for," he told the news conference. "I an investing in the region of £2million a year into this club and I want to make sure something I am investing in has a future.

"I am determined to stay in the sport. I am seriously addicted to rugby league."

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... 9377964/-?

[KOOCH]

Fast changing my mind about morecash. This guy is a breath of fresh air and tells it like it is without going over the top.(Unfortunately)Why not be ruthless because you've already been fined.And say what most fans are already thinking the rfl are a bunch of clowns.People who should be promoting our beautiful game are killing it with blind stupidity.People like our very own IL should be backing this man to the hilt and telling McManus he's a spineless snake.

[cpwigan]

The Dr is incredibly honest. Nothing underhand, straight as. The likes of McManus are afraid of what the Dr wants and what RL fans want, a stronger RL in Britain.

[East Stand Faithful]

This bit made me laugh.

"The wealthy racehorse owner claims the RFL were behind a move by rival Super League clubs to block for a third time his bid to introduce an exemption in the salary cap to allow the signing of marquee players and demonstrated his anger by ripping up a copy of the RFL's Respect charter in front of the television cameras. "

I bet he gets another fine for that

[Dobby]

Koukash is great for the game and I fully support him. Rugby League is always crying for money but when someone wants to pumo money into the game we put every obstacle in the way, madness!

[Nezza Faz]

Koukash is great for the game and I fully support him. Rugby League is always crying for money but when someone wants to pumo money into the game we put every obstacle in the way, madness!

"Turkeys voting for Christmas!" Oft quoted of this RFL we have, yet don't deserve, but still true. And of those clubs that give the RFL their voice.

I despair at the low aspirations some of our SL clubs maintain, and the direction our game is going with the positions these people have and the power and abuse they demonstrate.

[John Ferguson]

We need people like him having a bigger say in the way the sport is run. The RFL have no idea. I still can't get over the TV deal they signed despite the current one no running out for several years!

[Owd Codger]

Many others think otherwise!

[keptinthedarkfans]

Koukash is a breath of fresh air in regards of not being frightened of upseting rfl. But I think we would be going down a dangerous road if we took his ideas on board. We do not and never will generate the fan base to balance the money spent.(as he will find out to his cost).And more clubs will go to the wall trying to keep up.You will probably end up with an elite 2/3 teams and the rest also rans And back to the days where you will see no contest games.That imo is a massive step back.It will also kill off any hopes of having a good national side and stop youth progression through bringing in overseas mersenaries.

[Wigan_forever1985]

Koukash is a breath of fresh air in regards of not being frightened of upseting rfl. But I think we would be going down a dangerous road if we took his ideas on board. We do not and never will generate the fan base to balance the money spent.(as he will find out to his cost).And more clubs will go to the wall trying to keep up.You will probably end up with an elite 2/3 teams and the rest also rans And back to the days where you will see no contest games.That imo is a massive step back.It will also kill off any hopes of having a good national side and stop youth progression through bringing in overseas mersenaries.

as opposed to the elite 4 teams we have now? sorry but this will exsist at every amount of income. Wire/Saints/Leeds/Wigan are the only ones challenging for honours, Cas, Hudds etc yeah they do well in the league which lets face it is nothing more now than a prolonged pre-sesaon, but come the crunch none of them will lift a trophy.

I dont buy into the claim that it will send clubs to the wall either, thats happnening now so i dont think the cap has anything to do with it. If anything it attracts people who are always running the "business" on a shoe string because there is no financial incentive to invest too much in Rugby League as there is little financial reward.

Without a club like salford being allowed to invest in players Wigan/leeds/Saints/Wire will continue to win every single trophy, that is the truth whether the RFL want that or not is another question.

The games might be closer now, but thats because the league standard is awful as a result of penny pinching, in fairness i dont even believe the league is closer, i think had we not had a wealth of injuries we would be breaking away at the top.

Put it this way when tomkins was here (and by here i mean the uk) Superleague stock was rising at a rate, football stars like rooney and ferdinand were constantly tweeting about our games, getting pictures with sam etc, he made it on to shows like Question of Sport and linked in with superstars of other genres. He left and with him the "star" quality of superleague did. Sam was a player who puts bums on seats.

Now who have we got left, mr sinfield?, wilkin? both of whom have about as much charisma as a bag of crisps!

Superleague needs stars and i dont mean stars in wigan i mean stars, the billy slaters, thurstons, greg inglis etc etc it needs people who can put bums on seats who will get outside the little bubble the RFL works so hard to keep players in.