1. Quins as a club do not have loads of debts (unlike some clubs who are desperately trying to buy glory) what bills need paying are picked up by DH.

2. Yes we have a benefactor in DH, just the same as many other clubs in SL have there own.....we are not unusual in that regard nor is it unusual in many other sports.

3. I think what is being said/suggested is that DH wants to reduce his level of expenditure and this might be achieved by finding an additional investor (we had one but then he went and bought Wigan, his hometown club) or the RFL might consider providing funding for the marketing and development of the game down south (an expansion area) thereby helping the development of the game as a whole and reducing DH`s funding of that element. The RFL and SKY might also want to consider the level of funding provided to each respective club as it more costly to operate in London and therefore our allocation does not have the same buying power as up north.
I am not suggesting that London is unique, just that the RFL need to invest in the genuine expansion areas if they want the game to grow and not leave it all to the respective club.

4. `A team of aussies`........Jesus wept, where have you been the last few seasons? Most weeks we field more Brit`s than just about anyone......nor are we big on recatagorising foriegn nationals in order to get round the quota allocation like a number of other `established` clubs.

'The RFL and SKY might also want to consider the level of funding provided to each respective club as it more costly to operate in London and therefore our allocation does not have the same buying power as up north.'

Amazing, and I do believe you're serious as well!
You're the only SL club for 200 miles in any direction, in the most affluent part of the country and you think you're hard done by? Get a grip.

Perhaps some people may think it is a disgrace that Hull were allowed to take over the place of Gateshead?

Could you tell me the percentage of people who support Hull FC in the City of Hull, the figure in St Helens is 5% so does that mean the residents of St Helens do not want rugby league, the unveiling of the Cunningham bronze statue attracted about 40 people, that was with Council members, Saints representatives and family of Cunningham.

Please tell me that you do understand the irony of your own post?

Hence why the new stadium will make us a profitable club.
KR is losing money left,right and centre the sooner we are in the new stadium the better.

Anyway going back to the subject of Quins going under I personally hope the club come through this as RL needs a presence in the capital plus can't Quins RU not help you guys through this situation.

Homer, Its quite clear that being located in the capital, the only club for miles with a catchment area for support bigger than the rest of the league put together is at a huge advantage compared with say, Cas, a town down on its luck since the early 80s with high unemployment and a population of only 40 thousand who have to compete with Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield for support, not to mention the Championship clubs like Featherstone, but who even when in NL1 were attracting better support than you. You might think you're clever trying to score some minor point but the fact is that the your club is not pulling its weight and there's no-one to blame but yourselves.

Unfortunately, the awful attendances that Quins attract are not sufficient to sustain the club, particularly if/when they have to pay rent for their home ground. If DH pulls out, the club are screwed.

marketed right with a clear vision of the end result Quins Rl could be very sucessful. Look at the union mob. They have grew their crowds massively these last few years from less than Ours are.

The club have had since 1980, what makes you think Quins could improve in the near future despite thirty years of failure?

to assist players with living costs............so it matters not one iota whether there are 3000 or 30000 in the stadium, we can still only spend up to the cap.

Player A from a northern club is valued at £80k
We offer him £80k as do Cas.
He knows in real terms his 80k is worth closer to £72k in spending terms down South.
Is that fair?

In essence agree, but how many of those 30 years have had any stability of tenure? so is it the club at fault of the general public for not buying into the sport?

I don't blame the club at all, selling RL in a non-heartland area is the definition of an impossible job.

, note not London as that is akin to asking the Tigers to become the only club in Yorkshire and be supported as such by all from Hull westwards.

Whether deep in Union territory is a good or bad thing for this to take root is another question but I will stick by my own fact that we need at least 2 decades in the one place for it to even begin to work, the question is how do we get those 2 decades without external support?

I would normally be pretty happy about being proved right, but this is just depressing.



Simple facts are that DH can't afford to prop the club up any longer, so 1.5 million has to be trimmed off the operational costs. Community team....gone. Sorry, but if the RFL want to develop the game down here, then pick up the tab.
Re-negotiate the rent with the Union lot. If they get 400k a year from us, then squeeze them. They won't want that to become a hole in their finances.
Trim the back office. Do we really need a General Manager? What has he done so far apart from getting a hotel and an SMS marketing firm on our shirts? Sack the marketing team and employ an agency. Use the saved wages as a retainer and pay a bounty on every new fan they attract.

Run with the local talent......big name signings haven't attracted fans in the past...why would they now.

It is depressing and somewhat annoying that it has come to this........it's not like they couldn't see it coming.

Homer Cas can't spend anywhere near the cap, we haven't a sugar daddy ploughing 1.5 million quid a year into the club, and don't get an advantage in the franchise applications for being 20 miles from the nearest club. Is that fair? I'm well aware of the expenses issue- I live in the South- but I really think giving Quins some sort of special dispensation to spend over the cap is taking the mickey, and its not the answer to your club's failings.
I'd be delighted to see Quins making a go of it but not at another clubs' expense.

Do you attend Quins games out of interest? You are obviously one of the 1,000,000 people that the RFL have told Quins Marketing manager live in the south and are interested in League.

agrred
...no shi7 sherlockicon_wink.gif

I believe that the Championship beckons for London RL.......as long as you get bricks in place by next summer, Castleford and Wakey will be safe.

More of a London allowance, such as they have in the NHS and multinational companies that operate throughout the country. They recognise that it costs more to live in and around London. I say we should deal with that when Quins begin to spend anywhere remotely towards the cap, even then I say tough, deal with it, one rule for all.

Comments like this make me sick! I am london born guy, 28 and have loved rugby league since I first saw it on sky when I was 11. Rugby League is not a southern sport just like it isnt a northern sport. Rugby League is a worldwide sport, your narrow mindness does nothing to get rid of the sterotypes we all as Rugby League see on a regular basis.

I for one do not want to see Super League just contain the M62 clubs. This great game has to expand. Harlequins RL, Catalan, Crusaders are great for the sport and competition.

Do you get comments like yours from people in NSW and Brisbane when people talk about NRL expansion into New Zealand, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

I really hope not!

The only positive to come from Quins going bust would be watching the expressions on the flatcappers faces when Sky reduce the TV contract and the RFL throw two or three heartlands clubs overboard so that they can reduce SL to a 10-12 team competition and share what funds remain between those clubs. Even then the only positive would be a spiteful 'I told you this would happen'. Without a doubt I think that if Quins go bust, we might see a handful of M62 clubs follow come 2012.

honestly these london/expansion haters are living in some kind of dreamland. Thinking things will be much better with just the M62 clubs is pure madness!!

RL is a northern sport, yes its played worldwide but in England its a northern sport, Catalan do well crowd wise (at home) because traditionally the catalunia area its played in is a French RL heartland, wales isnt neither is London, jesus Sheffield 35 miles away from cas cant get decent crowds, they won the challenge cup not long back and they have gone backwards, you cannot force RL or any other sport onto areas/communities. it has to grow, London has had a fair crack of the whip and if they cannot survive on their own now, its time for a rethink.

I remember one of your young guys - Lamont Bryan I think it was - featuring on Boots'n'All earlier in the season. When interviewed, he said he [igrew up[/i watching Quins RL (in its various guises) and had [ialways wanted[/i to play for them.

Many RL supporters in my general neck of the woods do not appreciate what a turning point that is for rugby league in London. In the north we take it for granted that young people are routinely exposed to rugby league and the aspiration to play for your local club is the norm in many areas. To have achieved that in London should shout loudly to RL supporters everywhere that far from failing as a club, Quins RL are actually succeeding in a way that many northern clubs are not. And it is the reason why the RFL should, I believe, step in and provide [iwhatever[/i assistance to Quins RL that they need to take them forward.

The first generation of RL supporters are coming through. A generation is measured in 25 year spells, I believe. If Quins RL is allowed to fail now then that would be a serious case of negligence and stupidity by the RFL because such good work should not be allowed to unravel.

If your chairman needs financial help either to attract additional investors or to tide the club over until such time as they can become more competitive on the field, then the RFL should supply it. Not because Quins are failing but because they are doing quite the opposite.

And, as I've said elsewhere, they should enable the club to invest in a damn good coach who will take the players to the next level and buy a couple of seriously huge Samoans for the front row as Quins are sadly lacking in that department.

And you are embarrassing.

with the progression in Junior development and Rugby League played in London/South East Schools are people ready to just close the door on this?

Quins have played a huge part in junior Rugby League down here so no matter what happens I hope the RFL keep investing in youth development down south.