Hasn’t rugby league always been in the same narrow corridor ?
it’s not like league has ever been popular in the Union loving south or any where else in the uk.
its the same as it ever was.
Sheffield made a challenge cup final
Games In London have always gotten good one off crowds going back to the 1930s
A huge chunk of the tv viewers are from down south
Clubs like Gateshead had decent success in super league with no tv money
They do stupid things like bringing in expansion teams and not give them a share of the tv money (Gateshead Toronto)
There’s no real effort put into expansion bc the game has no money
Part of the reason it has no many is small minded thinking
The best example was Toronto asked for a share of the tv money and the English game said no
The club that replaced them in super league, Leigh (a suburb of Wigan) were given 500k from the tv deal reverting back to full amount whereas Toronto didn’t receive a cent and had to pay accomodation and travel costs for itself and all traveling teams
If the English game wasn’t so insular there’s loads of places in England it can expend too
Even in its own tiny heartlands outside super league the game is dieing
Every year a club needs a bailout or they go broke