Would you like a hand expanding the game? Say somewhere exotic like Bolton?

Would that still not be expansion? Why does it matter if it is exotic?

I don't get what your problem is?

That we have had all this time and instead of expanding the game it has shrunk, places so close to the real heartlands of the game don't even know it exists most of the time, for years the closest thing we had to expansion was Castleford, hardly spreading your wings.

Those whinging about looking after the heartlands first have had their time, they can't even get people interested from 10 miles up the road, if they are allowed to set the agenda the game will die or worse merge into RU.

How has it shrunk? The game has spread at amateur level all over the country (I think I remember reading that every county plays the game). It has spread at schools level, college level and university level. More money is being pumped into the grassroots than ever before because of more investment. Saying the game has shrunk is a complete and utter lie.

It has taken all this time because the game has had countless barriers to climb. The free gangway between RL and RU being the major one. We are now getting more investment from the government than ever before so we can now actually afford to get into expansion more.

The game hasn't shrunk at all.


And what is your proposed alternative? All you've done is have a pop at a club for trying to spread the game a little further than it was before. I'd like to say I was exaggerating, but I'm not. How can spreading the game (no matter if it's a new area 10 miles away or 100 miles away) be a negative? Whether it should have been done before or not is irrelevant. It's a positive that it is being done.

Whilst i'm fully in favour of expansion, if we ignore the heartlands and put all our resources into expansion the result will not only be the same but come much faster.

It doesnt have to be about putting all our resources into expansion or the heartlands we should be doing both, people like yourself are holding the game back just as much as the most parochial flat capper.

Good post.

Should I bring out the Wellsy13 rugby league opinions continuum and see where he lays?

So, because Hull KR are only expanding interest and participation of the game of Rugby League just a few miles away from Hull, it's worthless?

Is there a mileage figure you could give us all, whereby it becomes worthwhile?


Does this mean that Widnes should stop their development officers going into schools in Runcorn and South Liverpool?


This is like flatcappery in reverse.

Now where have I said that? They should have been doing this years ago instead they want us to pat them on the back now and say well done.

The patented Wellsy13 rugby league opinions continuum:

|----------------------------------------------------------x----------|
Pro Heartlands.................................................................Pro Expansion
(a.k.a. "flatcapper"icon_wink.gif...................................................(a.k.a. "expansion*zi)

The x is where Big Graeme is looking. Regardless of whether you're for expansion or not, if you aren't up to that level of m, you're perceived as a flatcapper, parochial or insular.

I think this thing has come in handy to describe things the last few days! Especially during the many Crusaders debates recently!

Would you rather them do nothing?

Often said but not actually true.

It's hrad to analyse given the total mess English counties are in but Cornwall definitely does not have any rugby league at all. Neither does the "Isle of Wight" (a county in its own right) nor Rutland. I'm pretty sure that Herefordhsire doesn't either. Sussex has only just got its first team.

Still we are getting there.

Yeah I wasn't sure it was the case (which is why I picked my words carefully!). There are 48 ceremonial counties in England. We've probably covered 90% of them.

He's said time and time again that hes happy they are expanding it.
Just that they've had years and years to do this, and they do it now, expecting people to say well done for it.

Where is this expectancy for a pat on the back and a well done though? Has anyone actually asked for it? It's like he's complaining that they're doing something. We can't turn back time, and we can't hold ourselves back because we should have done something before. It's got to start somewhere, and it doesn't help when you start somewhere that someone comes along and says "well you should have done this before". What does it achieve being negative about a positive?

[url=http://www.cornwallstudents.org/sports/content/24611/reports/rugby/Cornwall College 12 - 7 Strode College[/url

Wow.

Just this once I am quite happy to be corrected.

I like that. Perhaps it could be done with a points system as well, and we can have some sort of league table?


I'd place myself about here:
|---------------------------x-----------------------------------------|
Pro Heartlands.................................................................Pro Expansion
(a.k.a. "flatcapper"icon_wink.gif...................................................(a.k.a. "expansion*zi)

So, is what Hull KR are doing not a positive thing because of when they started it?

When should they have started this, in order to make it a good thing?

Because Soooooperdoooper league fans do?











and the RFL are quicker to bail those overspending clubs out!!!

Might go some way to explaining it

whoosh.

my point is the RFL dont owe any favours to NL1 and 2 clubs that arent expansion clubs. they arent in SL cause they dont derserve it

you could learn from places that expand succesfully

but hey, i doubt that you are actually interested in expansion at SL level

how did australian clubs manage to spread the game in their areas?

i guess we mustve had better transport systems back in 1908

so to sum up :

heartland clubs couldnt expand the game more than a few streets from their home grounds for 70 years because transport systems were so poor and these clubs are only doing it now because of the RFLs franchise criteria.

yeah some of these heartland clubs are the bedrock of the sport