Quote Of course there are good points in the game, perhaps 30 years back may have been the wrong time, but when the Sky money came in for the first time where did that money go? the majority in players high wages, yes they deserved to go higher, but I know many average players who were being paid wages well above their availability. When Sky came on board it was money like the game had never seen before, but did they spend the money on grounds that were many derelict, No!
More Youth playing than ever before, Yes mainly in the South and expansion areas that is not the case in all of the heartlands of the game, yes it is great and I am so pleased about such as Oxford but that is not the opinion of a majority in the North, they are more concerned about their Hunslet's etc
The disaster or serious errors made by those who run the game are such as the Stobart sponsorship, add to that the lack of major sponsorship for such as the Challenge Cup how much do you think a Leeds University pay? crowds growing, but we can't even fill Wembley for a Challenge Cup Final, and look at the crowds for the end of season Mickey Mouse Premiership, did you see the attendance figures last weekend? or the empty terraces all around the stadium in Wigan? Look at the money Union get for their Premiership sponsorship and what BT are talking about for TV coverage £150 million for 4 years!
So yes there are some good points but I don't see the report over the past year being A * plus! and that is the responsibility of those who run the game, the top man being the one to shape the future, sorry but No! that is not the way forward for me.
interesting to see what Bryn Hargreaves says today to the Bradford Argus as he announces his retirement to take a better paid job out of the game.
"We could talk all day about what’s wrong with rugby league and that affected my decision too. It’s a short career and we don’t make vast amounts of money but the segregation of wages in the game is pretty bad and it’s getting worse."
He also spoke out about the licensing system and the infamous Stobart Super League sponsorship deal, for which the clubs did not receive a penny, but instead saw their brands advertised on the side of Eddie Stobart lorries.
He added: "The sport is on tenterhooks at the moment and the people in charge of the game need to do something about it. I thought this whole licensing process was supposed to stop things like this happening. But it’s happened to three clubs now – Wakefield, Crusaders and Bradford – in such a short space of time and there are other clubs that are on the verge.
It’s a downward spiral and there is no way of raising the cap to sign players because the clubs don’t have any money.
The Stobart deal has to be the worst sponsorship deal in history. How can it actually be a sponsor if there’s no actual money for it? It’s obviously not worked and things need to change."'"
Hargreaves is just throwing a few ill thought out hand grenades on his way out of the door. He has taken another job with another organisation. We all do that.
What does he know about the Stobart deal? Do you know what goes on in the boardroom of your company? (Its even higher than that in this instance-the RFL boardroom which is one above the Bulls). He is an end user, no different to a gas fitter working for British Gas. He hasn’t got a clue what is going on other than what he reads in the paper.
Wembley never used to fill to the numbers watching now even in the halcyon days you seem to refer. Not forgetting we have a recession and alternative options now for fans such as the GF, France, London away, Magic weekend. Wembley used to be the one day out a year for us northerners, hence the reputation of it being for all fans. I’ve stood on the terraces at Wilderspool in the rain, with a 3-4000 crowds, in a run down stadium watching semi pros play the game. The game has moved on so much since them days it’s incomparable.
Do some research on Wigan crowds over the years, including Central Park? Look up CC crowds and see if they always got 20K or is this just your fertile imagination strengthening, in your own mind, your argument.
The game can improve but is in great shape than that compared to 30 years ago.
