Yes people say RL has to expand.

Yes people say its good for Rugby League to have these teams playing.

Yes people have said that without expansion RL will die.


Garbage.


Over here Rugby league is traditionally a sport that has only really been popular in the NORTH OF ENGLAND. Same as in Australia rugby league is really only popular in Queensland and NSW. Remember the Perth Western Reds? Or the Adelaide Rams??

No. And neither does anyone else.


The time has come to accept that Rugby league will never catch on in the south of France, South Wales, London, Adelaide, Perth or in any other area outside of the heartlands enough to make it financially viable to carry on.

London have tried since 1980 to kick start things down south. 3 name changes later and a big bail out from the RFL still hasn't seen much of an improvement.

South Wales has always been a Rugby Union area. Always. League will NEVER have the pull that union does.


I'm not a Widnes fan but there is no way they should have been overlooked for a SL franchise.

The RFL should stick with making the game stronger in the areas that count and not try and expand.

Expansion is not the future of Rugby League. They should pump more money into promoting what they already have in the areas that truly matter.

didnt cats get 18k at their last game

Yawn, you still believe that? FFS.

yeah. Not catching on over there.

Catalans are in a heartland of the game.....RL has always worked to broaden its base what we are seeing now is nothing more than a continuation of that.

Oh jesus, not again...

Yeah I agree. Get rid of Wire and the 2 Hull clubs too and then no one has to travel too far. Bring it down to about 8 clubs and we'll be sorted. Internationally we'd be awesome too and the Aussies wouldn't have a prayer.

Roll us yer cap grandad

No

How many fans do Catalans bring to the Galpharm??

Would you get more travelling supporters from Salford or from Catalans?


Dunno how much your tickets are....but even if they cost £10 thats a big loss of revenue

Seriously you haven't got a clue, if you used this argument then Hudds would be out as both Quins and Celtic have more travelling fans than Hudds, certainly to Saints they do.

I've no problem with Widnes being SL, but to remove the others that are clearly promoting the game massively in the regions they exist in is just plain daft.

How many fans do Hudds bring anywhere?

So because teams can't take many fans to away games then they should lose their place in the league?

In that case Bradford better be kicked out too as in recent seasons they haven't brought many over!

It has to be discussed at least every month, otherwise we'll all die.

No more than it is time for Calder or Hull Utd. Judge clubs pragmatically on what they offer, not their location. You cite Perth and Adelaide, but Melbourne and Auckland can be offered in response. Respectively they could be the models for Quins and Catalans/Celtic.

If RL can make to the other side of the World and flourish, surely it won't get a nose bleed passing Birmingham.

Welcome to 2005. Try the beef.

If nothing else, it was a hell of a fishing trip by the OP.

edited for accuracy


BMcK....take up another sport mate coz you're not going to catch much with that bait

Get rid of Salford too, their crowds are too low. One of Wakefield and Castleford should be ditched as they are too close together. The basic criteria should be having a junction of the M62 as an access point into your town/city. Don't have one? Then you are out of here.

PS

How's tricks Schoey?

Remember this time last year? In the weeks leading up to 'The Announcement'?

I was ready to end it all back then.

Why do Huddersfield (or any club) need to rely on Catalans supporters to boost their gates?

Why can't clubs follow the lead that Wigan took only last week and try and attract locals to games instead?

It's only a big loss of revenue if clubs are too lazy / inept to attract local people and if that is the case, then perhaps it's their licence that should be reconsidered rather than the Catalans'?

And a train station.

That's Leigh's next application sorted

Preferably one where the last train back home for the visiting fans doesn't leave well before the end of a Friday night 8pm kickoff - Hull/Rovers take note...

And Leeds, Saints and Wigan