Clubs in financial difficulties

[Taking The Two]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...-as-woes-deepen-with-new-head-coach-confirmed

So after losing Fev and Salford nearly dying over the winter, Oldham are the first club this year (probably not the last) to face difficulties.

 

[Perth Red]

Oldham have been in difficulty for sometime, they spent beyond their means trying to get into SL. Some clubs will never learn.

 

[RL The greatest game]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...-as-woes-deepen-with-new-head-coach-confirmed

So after losing Fev and Salford nearly dying over the winter, Oldham are the first club this year (probably not the last) to face difficulties.

Oldham say they are financially strong

Oldham respond to Mike Ford departure and insist club is 'financially strong'

"Oldham RLFC will continue its upward trajectory and is looking forward to a strong and successful future."

www.alloutrugbyleague.co.uk

 

[Taking The Two]

Oldham say they are financially strong

Oldham respond to Mike Ford departure and insist club is 'financially strong'

"Oldham RLFC will continue its upward trajectory and is looking forward to a strong and successful future."

www.alloutrugbyleague.co.uk

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...-as-woes-deepen-with-new-head-coach-confirmed

Yet, they’re in court with a winding-up petition.

 

[Perth Red]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...-as-woes-deepen-with-new-head-coach-confirmed

Yet, they’re in court with a winding-up petition.

Isnt it to do with a dispute with the soccer club. which they claim they dont owe any money to?

 

[Taking The Two]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...nd-championship-plunged-into-uncertain-future

Halifax the latest club to be wound up. That’s 3 in as many months. An awful, awful look for the sport here.

 

[Pippen94]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...nd-championship-plunged-into-uncertain-future

Halifax the latest club to be wound up. That’s 3 in as many months. An awful, awful look for the sport here.

..but all the expansion clubs that failed (and didn't receive RFL money either)..

 

[Taking The Two]

..but all the expansion clubs that failed (and didn't receive RFL money either)..

Eh?

 

[Pippen94]

Eh?

Der

 

[marlins2.0]

Ga?

 

[RL The greatest game]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...nd-championship-plunged-into-uncertain-future

Halifax the latest club to be wound up. That’s 3 in as many months. An awful, awful look for the sport here.

Obviously more outgoings than incomings, so the things that need to be looked at here are how much are the players wages, and how much are they spending on overseas players wages to entine them there?
Secondly, how much are they paying for accomadation for overseas players?

 

[Pippen94]

Obviously more outgoings than incomings, so the things that need to be looked at here are how much are the players wages, and how much are they spending on overseas players wages to entine them there?
Secondly, how much are they paying for accomadation for overseas players?

Time to let small clubs become amateur. Focus of bigger teams and expansion.

 

[RL The greatest game]

Time to let small clubs become amateur. Focus of bigger teams and expansion.

And junior development

 

[Taking The Two]

Obviously more outgoings than incomings, so the things that need to be looked at here are how much are the players wages, and how much are they spending on overseas players wages to entine them there?
Secondly, how much are they paying for accomadation for overseas players?

Income isn’t keeping up with player wages but clubs continue to pay these figures to players. I imagine there’s some massive (relatively speaking, of course) wages in some Championship teams.

I suppose it’s possible that it’s to jump the IMG table, as I believe that lines up with central funding, as in the higher you place, the more you receive. In theory, if you put money into a playing squad, you should be able to win games and if you win games, you should place higher and if you’re doing well onfield, you should see more fans turn up, which means you should get more IMG points as well. It’s the age old problem we have seen before with the Championship when these kind of plans don’t come off.

 

[Taking The Two]

We’re in a real odd space at the moment. You’ve got Super League, which on the face of it looks strong, and then you’ve got the Championship, where the model is broken and clubs are falling like dominoes. It’s a real contrast between the two comps at the moment.

With crowds of 1,500 and no TV deal, the Championship is broken. How can these clubs be paying really good money for blokes to be playing part-time? It just doesn’t compute. Yet you’ve got Hull KR in Super League who could sell out an event where someone opens an envelope, growth at places like Wakefield and decent crowds at many places. The two comps are at completely different ends of the spectrum. Do clubs go amateur? There’s no disgrace in that, there’s no shame and people watch amateur rugby league in good number. It shouldn’t be seen as failure. Do we then have Super League and a “development league” for the reserve grade sides? Do we keep throwing money and resources at a black hole?

 

[Pippen94]

We’re in a real odd space at the moment. You’ve got Super League, which on the face of it looks strong, and then you’ve got the Championship, where the model is broken and clubs are falling like dominoes. It’s a real contrast between the two comps at the moment.

With crowds of 1,500 and no TV deal, the Championship is broken. How can these clubs be paying really good money for blokes to be playing part-time? It just doesn’t compute. Yet you’ve got Hull KR in Super League who could sell out an event where someone opens an envelope, growth at places like Wakefield and decent crowds at many places. The two comps are at completely different ends of the spectrum. Do clubs go amateur? There’s no disgrace in that, there’s no shame and people watch amateur rugby league in good number. It shouldn’t be seen as failure. Do we then have Super League and a “development league” for the reserve grade sides? Do we keep throwing money and resources at a black hole?

UK can't support 32 pro teams. Bigger one need to be focus the rest belong in lower tier. We have it here with NSW and Qld cups.

 

[Taking The Two]

It’s vanity projects. I have immense respect for anyone throwing money into a lower league club. It’s not a business decision, it’s a toy. You’re losing that money but there’s no future in it. No TV deals, small crowds, low viability and paying players a weekly wage. It’s just such a poor business model and it’s little wonder it’s going this way.

Super League can’t go giving millions out to the lower leagues, in the way the NRL does to QRL/NSWRL. They don’t have the money to do so. The RFL does not either. The clubs aren’t propped up by casinos and income producing assets in the way some are in Australia. Most here rent football grounds, council facilities or rugby union grounds. They’ll likely make little to nothing on beer and pies sold and income will purely be ticket and merchandise sales.

It’s sad. There’s so much history in the lower leagues. You’ve got unbeaten seasons, multiple Challenge Cup winners, some have even been Kings of England at one point or another and won the top division. They are proud clubs built on communities and local identities. The issue is what was once present is now history and that’s the case with the lower league of rugby league.

We simply don’t have the central funding, clubs don’t have the revenue to pay players and we have a whole competition that is almost invisible to the world - barring the odd club who shows games live online. Things need to change. It’s going to be tough conversations and time for massive change. Most clubs would fail to meet the criteria for taking part in the National Conference League set up but that has been taken over by The RFL by force, so maybe the entry requirements could be changed to accommodate the Hunslet’s and Rochdale’s of the world?

The immediate concern is the fixture list. I haven’t looked too deeply into it but I know London had lost two fixtures with Featherstone when they went, they are also due to play Halifax twice. The two Featherstone games were to be replaced by games with Hunslet but what now? More replacements?

 

[Pippen94]

It’s vanity projects. I have immense respect for anyone throwing money into a lower league club. It’s not a business decision, it’s a toy. You’re losing that money but there’s no future in it. No TV deals, small crowds, low viability and paying players a weekly wage. It’s just such a poor business model and it’s little wonder it’s going this way.

Super League can’t go giving millions out to the lower leagues, in the way the NRL does to QRL/NSWRL. They don’t have the money to do so. The RFL does not either. The clubs aren’t propped up by casinos and income producing assets in the way some are in Australia. Most here rent football grounds, council facilities or rugby union grounds. They’ll likely make little to nothing on beer and pies sold and income will purely be ticket and merchandise sales.

It’s sad. There’s so much history in the lower leagues. You’ve got unbeaten seasons, multiple Challenge Cup winners, some have even been Kings of England at one point or another and won the top division. They are proud clubs built on communities and local identities. The issue is what was once present is now history and that’s the case with the lower league of rugby league.

We simply don’t have the central funding, clubs don’t have the revenue to pay players and we have a whole competition that is almost invisible to the world - barring the odd club who shows games live online. Things need to change. It’s going to be tough conversations and time for massive change. Most clubs would fail to meet the criteria for taking part in the National Conference League set up but that has been taken over by The RFL by force, so maybe the entry requirements could be changed to accommodate the Hunslet’s and Rochdale’s of the world?

The immediate concern is the fixture list. I haven’t looked too deeply into it but I know London had lost two fixtures with Featherstone when they went, they are also due to play Halifax twice. The two Featherstone games were to be replaced by games with Hunslet but what now? More replacements?

Superleague doing great crowds and ratings tho..

 

[Taking The Two]

Superleague doing great crowds and ratings tho..

Great, perhaps not. Improved, definitely. Still not in a position to be giving out millions a year to prop up clubs in the way the NRL does.

 

[Pippen94]

Great, perhaps not. Improved, definitely. Still not in a position to be giving out millions a year to prop up clubs in the way the NRL does.

Supporting large number of championship teams doesn't help