London v. Toulouse

[WireMan]

Bristol are not in the same league (excuse the pun) as Toulouse. Toulouse already have a decent setup, a long history, are in a major city and are perfectly placed for are good coverage of the southwest of France. The benefits for France would be immense.

Well Bristol is a big city with good coverage of the southwest of England.

A decent setup can happen if they are given the nod now. it just needs the will and the money to do it.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Beckham is on another planet in comparison to other footballers who in turn are on another planet in comparison to other sportsmen, particularly in London.

Much rather the Broncos just try and get their shit together on the field and be competitive at the business end. SBW would get some attention but we all know he is the wrong long term option for any club. Better to spread money on a complete squad.

A little known business man by the name of Richard Branson couldn't make a london team work, at a time when they had Shaun Edwards and Martin Offiah. Vive la Toulouse!

Andy Wilson has some more extravagant thoughts on domestic comp restructuring http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/apr/09/super-league-set-of-six

 

[Evil Homer]

Andy Wilson is a f**king moron though.

 

[RedVee]

Well Bristol is a big city with good coverage of the southwest of England.

A decent setup can happen if they are given the nod now. it just needs the will and the money to do it.

So it's the Toulouse sausage Vs the Bristol City's ???

 

[deluded pom?]

I would of thought there would be more noise about a Bristol team. They have a few games for the World cup after all.

Bristol only has one WC game.

 

[WireMan]

Bristol only has one WC game.

One more than Toulouse though. ;-)


I have no problem with Toulouse coming in. It would be good to see Catalan have a Derby match.

I would not bring them in to replace London though.

 

[deal.with.it]

Seems most fans are happy with Toulouse coming in.
London needs to stay in, purely because of the rising number of juniors playing in the South, and Hemel in championship 1 now.
Bristol will probs enter championship 1 and work their way up that way.

So the question that every Northerner doesn't want to answer:
Which heartlands team/s will be relegated to championships, and would you be ok if it was your team before you start naming others?

 

[TitanBronco]

The answer is both. You want to grow the game you need to go to new places. The south has a junior base. London is full of Australian and Kiwi ex pats they should be tapping that market. The stadium should be in the South West maybe where this population is.

The AFL is the best example of sticking with it to make it work. Both Brisbane and Sydney were basket cases in the 1990s and they have both won premierships.

The game needs to grow in France a 2nd team if sustainable is important. They should also take a game to Paris or maybe the Magic Weekend to promote the Super League in Northern France.

 

[Evil Homer]

London is full of Australian and Kiwi ex pats they should be tapping that market. The stadium should be in the South West maybe where this population is.

](*,)

 

[Saint Doc]

Wynny will be cut hes coming home at the time tolouse are looking to feature in the esl.

I agree should be another french team.

I live in london and hear nothing about the broncos. Id love a go at the footy but never k ow where and when.

You don't get the tube. I used to find the Evening Standard were pretty good at doing write ups, at least Monday/Friday

 

[CC_Roosters]

I have read on RL fans forum that the RFL are going to assist the Broncos financially to get through next season, dependant on them finding a stadium. Just frustrating that there has been no communication from the RFL or club

Toulouse would be a fantastic addition and hopefully they are somewhere in the new structure. Starting in super league 2 wouldn't be that bad?

 

[Evil Homer]

^ Yeah, it would. It would probably kill any chance of them succeeding and TBH I doubt they would agree to being placed in "SL2" aka the Championship again.

 

[hutch]

If Toulouse can come up with their own cash and tv money, why can't they just add them in as the 13th team? It's not like it will affect any of the English teams.

 

[CC_Roosters]

^ Yeah, it would. It would probably kill any chance of them succeeding and TBH I doubt they would agree to being placed in "SL2" aka the Championship again.

Yes but the difference this time being there will be p&r

 

[Evil Homer]

Yes but the difference this time being there will be p&r

If anything that makes it even worse.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Meh, it's not like the South hasn't started to get its stuff together in regards to RL, the whole code up until 2 decades ago hung its hat on the Fulbroncquinbro's being more or less the only Pro/semi pro club, 2013 we see in the structures, four? different teams. May they all grow and may they all create a decent rivalry between themselves whilst spreading the game to the thousands/millions of potential fans/players/owners London wide.

If they (Broncquins) can't compete in the SL, let them compete where they bloodywell can, there looks to be other Southern based teams these days that know what they are doing, they'll get their stuff together when they feel the time is right and give promotion a shake.

The Skolars are starting to do some good things now, I remember all they ever done was lose up until last season, now all of a sudden they are playing in finals and looking for promotion. What I'm saying is, RL in the South does not have to rely on this one team to survive anymore, there are more and more clubs and organisations popping up each season now at all different age groups. The best run will find their way to the top eventually.

And as for all the BS about Sky and all that, I don't think they actually give a fluff, subscriptions and ratings count to them, they couldn't care less where their $1,200 or whatever it is a year comes from as long as they get it.

As for Toulouse, if they can prove they have everything in place, yeah why not, if the French can get a TV deal like the Warriors do in NZ, even better.

In saying all that, if someone or some organisation offers to give the Broncos one last decent crack, yeah let them have a go, they couldn't possibly do any worse could they, I think the London Broncos have finally hit rock bottom.

 

[bowes]

I'd be sad to see Broncos go all together but the time has come to let them drop a division as the current situation does noone any favours.

As far as Championship 1 expansion goes Coventry Bears os all but a done deal, the only question is whether they enter next year or if entry is delayed to 2015 to wait for the restructuring.

The RFL hope for the next 2 expansion teams (possibly after Manchester) to be based in Medway (just outside London) and the east midlands (Nottingham or Leicester are more likely than Northampton, whichever it is would be closely linked to Loughborough University) though have no time limit on either. Bristol is close to Gloucestershire All Golds so might not step up any time soon, the Sonics are doing well currently in their league though

 

[expansionist]

Cant we have both?

Isnt it better for the game to have both?

Considering the RFL was willing to step in to help out some solid heartland clubs over the last few years surely they must act to support London?

Surely also any rational person also recognises the value that Toulouse would have on the game?

Longer term and for the greater good, London and Toulouse are worth more than most of the existing teams.

 

[deal.with.it]

There is no doubting the benefits of having both London and Toulouse.

There are many small-minded RL fans in England and Australia who would tell you that London is a waste of space. The same ones that say nothing when the league has a title sponsor, but complain when they don't have one in tough economic conditions.

The potential increase to sponsorship revenue, access to MNC as sponsors, increase of TV ratings, increase to TV revenue, and the improvement of the international game is exponential.

A sport with the likes of big name places like London and Toulouse, adding to the likes of big population areas like Leeds, Bradford, Hull etc., and followed by strong big town clubs like Wigan and St Helens, would be very strong.

It's time the money spent supporting clubs like Wakefield, Castleford etc. is spent on marketing London. Direct RFL marketing, not just giving the Broncos a heap of money and saying "go for it!"
There is nothing stopping Wakefield or Castleford from regrouping in the championship and implementing sound financial management.

The crowds at the recent northern rail cup and bowl show what is possible in the championships.

 

[Evil Homer]

Cant we have both?

Isnt it better for the game to have both?

Considering the RFL was willing to step in to help out some solid heartland clubs over the last few years surely they must act to support London?

Surely also any rational person also recognises the value that Toulouse would have on the game?

Longer term and for the greater good, London and Toulouse are worth more than most of the existing teams.

London are done. They have no first-grade players, no stadium and most of their staff have been made redundant. I don't know what they're going to do next year but if they do play it will almost certainly be the worst team in SL history.

The RFL can give all the support they like but ultimately it's hopeless if the club can't run itself. The only hope for London would be if some millionaire took the club over, fired pretty much all the staff and started again from scratch like has happened at Salford. The drawback being of course that at least Salford have a stadium and some infrastructure, right now all London have is their coach, a hapless CEO, a kitman and a bunch of junior players. Barring a miracle there's no chance of them being in SL come 2015, I just hope the great junior development work in London can be salvaged somehow.