[url=http://www.code13rugbyleague.com/2011/02/09/grassroots-rugby-league-flourishing/.............. the chairman of St Helens RLFC, Mr Eamonn McManus[/url.

Expansion works!!!!!!!!!!

I've tried to tell him already but unfortunately he is as parochial as some of the Saints fans, which is surprising for someone who lived in Hong Kong, was top dog in his field and played rugby union (a sport that is played all over the place).

Singapore!!!!!!!!

It's a shame we can't get any of them to go and watch London when they play at home.

The 2261 they managed to get there for the Warrington game is an absolute joke. When are these poor attendance figures going to "expand".

And how many did the heartland clubs like Leigh, and Workington get during their Super League tenure?

I don't know, but what I do know is that a Rugby League Club playing in a city with a population of about 8 million people, should be able to attract more than 2261 fans for a game against a side like Warrington. I would be interested to know the populations of Leigh or Workington?

But it's not (and shouldn't be) just about attendances. There were six or seven London academy players in the team that beat Wire on Friday.

Wire will only field three or four in tomorrows final.

I thought that was his mate? Our second biggest investor in the club (whose name has escaped me)? I'm sure McManus was Hong Kong as his daughter still lives out there.

Would you still be watching Saints if they had won about seven games in two seasons and it involved 1.5 hours travel each way?

Have you ever been to London or lived in London? It takes ages to get anywhere from anywhere else. The fans who turn up to watch what has largely been dross for the last four seasons are probably the most loyal bunch of fans in Superleague.

The answer to your first question is yes.

The answer to your second question is yes.

Why is this aimed at McManus? Has he asked for London to be cut or something?

As long as they don,t play Friday Night home games shouldn,t be a problem. The other team manage to get 12000 fans travelling there, Broncos should be getting in excess of 6000 fans, at the moment its an embarrasment, down there the public don,t take to the league game seriously.

Exactly

He made negative reference to expansion in his recent little speech giving support to Bradford. This follows his speech of not long ago about how Superleague should be 12 teams (presumably including Bradford, and all others located along the M62 corridor). The man really should stick to what he does best: making money.

Some would argue that is what he is seeking to do by advocating a reduction in the the size of SL by ditching Broncos and (possibly) Dragons. Plays well with a home crowd does that.

Some reckon he's still miffed that the French had the audacity to come to Langtree Park and win earlier in the season!!!



Thanks for the vote of confidence. It's appreciated.

To be fair McManus was really talking about professional rugby league (Superleague) and not grass roots rugby. As a successful ex investment banker he was really talking about club liabilities and the structure of rugby league.
As a chairman of our club who has saved this club from extinction, processed a brand new stadium and placed a plan for the future, I have more regard for him than the eggheads of the RFL who still advocate that professional rugby league expansion has been a success.

Yes, we all know that already. And that was my point.


Doubt that. Bradford has proven to be the biggest liability going and yet he wants to keep them in Superleague. He was speaking to his own agenda which is parochial and backward looking.


Well that's simply because you are as parochial as he is. I'm not. I can see the bigger picture and just because he put money into the club - and I'm sure David Hughes in London has probably invested at least as much but seen far, far less return for his money - does not give him immunity from criticism or comment or indeed having fans wish he'd button it.

Absolutely. Actually, I'd love it if next season under Rea London had a stormer of a season. That would really put paid to the tosh that some fans (and chairmen) speak.

The SL experiment in London has clearly been an abject, cataclysmic failure of the greatest order and I struggle to see on any level how anyone could reasonably argue otherwise. It is nothing but an utter embarassment and a weeping sore of credibility at the top level of our sport. The handful of players that the game has gained from London (which is the only reasoned argument for the continuing existence of a London SL club anyone can seem to come up with) would still be there with a similarly funded Cooperative league side.

What a load of rubbish.

Completely agree. They aren't new kids on the block like Catalans, who are an example of the complete opposite. Anyone who argues otherwise isn't looking at the facts.

Give over.
Catalan have been a heartland team for 60 years.

RL didn't begin in 1996.

Catalan have been an outstanding success in SL judged by any standards - the absolute antithesis of the London disaster on every level. Cats must remain a part of SL no matter what it's future structure ends up as.

Who said it did? What part of the section I quoted beginning with 'The [uSL[/u experiment in London' did you not understand?

Come on Rogues, it's time you let go of the good ole days.

Yes! His time at the Saints has clearly been an unmitigated disaster! After all he only saved the club from bankruptcy, oversaw by far the most successful period in the team's history and built us the best dedicated RL stadium in the UK. I say get rid now while there's still time!