SL Franchise Bids list revealed

[marv]

It suxs that Sky will have a say in the decision.

as other posters have mentioned, they wont want a french team in as it doesn't help their ratings.

Whats good for sky isnt necessarily whats good for the game.

Why would having another french team with x number of Aussies in be "good for the game" when the one we have already hasnt finsihed above tenth yet, lets see the dragons in the play offs first, hopefully they will make it for the first time this year.

 

[deluded pom?]

As much as we'd all love to see French RL thrive, consolidating the position of the Dragons must come before admitting a second French team at this moment in time. There isn't the number of French players of the right calibre to enable two teams to participate in the ESL right now and as marv said all we'd be doing is employing Aussie and Kiwi journeymen. Sometime but not just yet.

 

[nadera78]

Yes it is. But it isn't a conspiracy theory to say that Sky wouldn't be interested in paying more for a team playing in a region they don't broadcast to. That's just basic business sense. And any business (the RFL) that doesn't give significant weight to the wishes of its major funding provider (Sky by some very large margin) is shooting itself in the foot unless it can be sure of obtaining equivalent funding from an alternative source (eg. French television). It may be solely the RFL's decision but the wishes of Sky can't and won't be ignored because they're the ones holding the gun in this room.

Leigh.

There is no chance whatsoever of Sky ditching Rugby League. None!

Sky make an awful lot of money out of tgg. Money that subsidises their other sports coverage. The changes the RFL are planning are of no interest to Sky, as log as they continue to get great entertainment for a knockdown price.

The biggest problem we, as a sport, have to face up to is that we aren't bold enough. Lets back ourselves a little bit and go sell it to the world. All this cowering in the corner, meekly accepting whatever is thrown at us is getting us nowhere.

 

[dallymessenger]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...044561_salford_have_licence_to_thrill?rss=yes

 

[Quidgybo]

There is no chance whatsoever of Sky ditching Rugby League. None!

I didn't say "ditching Rugby League". Can you and Deluded Pom please stop trying to put words in my mouth? The point is that you've still got to fund every club. If Sky only see value in UK based clubs then they are unlikely see any reason to pay more for a 14 team comp with 12 UK clubs than a comp with just the 12 UK clubs alone. On the other hand a comp with 14 UK clubs offers them a wider market and so is more valuable to them. When I point out that if we ignore the wishes of Sky we need to come up with alternative funding sources, I'm not suggesting Sky is going to dump RL. Of course it isn't. But I'm suggesting we need to make up the difference between what Sky sees as valuable to them and is willing to fund (ie. the UK based teams) and what we want to include beyond that (ie. non UK teams).

Leigh.

 

[redunderthebed]

I wouldn't say murdered exactly.

Okay ill rephrased that.....thrashed frequently.

murdered? they made the semis a few year back?

basically this is why they should be in :

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/rugby_league/s/1037869_visions_of_big_red_future

throw in the fact that the BBC are moving their sports department down the road which means more publicity for RL.

the new ground will allow salford to spend max. Salary cap, whereas before the club were spending 1.2 million out of a total sc of 1.8 million.

big future for the original Red Devils.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...044561_salford_have_licence_to_thrill?rss=yes

Interesting read there.

I didnt think that salford would be in the position to do such things but good for them.If they get in ill be happy just hope that they arent cellar dwellers.

 

[dallymessenger]

if it gets built they will be as strong as wigan one day

 

[redunderthebed]

if it gets built they will be as strong as wigan one day

salford fan by any chance?

 

[deluded pom?]

And how strong ARE Wigan?

 

[nadera78]

Most Australian players seem to think Wigan are still the only team in town. It's funny, whenever they sign for them they go on about it as though they expect to be winning everything, and then they get here and find out Wigan ain't gonna win jack. Always makes me laugh.

 

[deluded pom?]

That's the power of tv nad. They still think Wigan win the CC every year.

 

[Evil Homer]

Okay ill rephrased that.....thrashed frequently.

You're thinking of Leigh I think. Salford went alright for a few years and finished 5th in 2006. It was only last year that they were anywhere near the bottom really.

if it gets built they will be as strong as wigan one day

What, a solid mid-table club? I would have thought they would be aiming higher TBH.

 

[dallymessenger]

salford fan by any chance?

nope

rhinos

 

[mightybears]

salford will be there as they'd be mad to not have a mancester presence, unless swinton have a mulit-million dollar backer keeping his head down for now!

 

[redunderthebed]

salford will be there as they'd be mad to not have a mancester presence, unless swinton have a mulit-million dollar backer keeping his head down for now!

They havent even applied if i have read right. :?

 

[t-ba]

They havent even applied if i have read right. :?

I daresay he's joshing you.


Swinton is a pretty tragic club but. They were a huge club until they started yo-yo-ing up and down the divisions. It's remarkable what half a century of mediocrity can do to a clubs fan base.

 

[dallymessenger]

I daresay he's joshing you.


Swinton is a pretty tragic club but. They were a huge club until they started yo-yo-ing up and down the divisions. It's remarkable what half a century of mediocrity can do to a clubs fan base.

sharkies have done ok

 

[t-ba]

sharkies have done ok

They've been competitive in top flight football. Swinton hasn't. They also don't have to contest with the biggest sporting club on the planet in their neighbourhood.

 

[Brycey]

Only a month away, is it looking any clearer?

 

[bartman]

Very quiet on the news front... a few clubs getting their future stadium plans approved by council, but that's it. Not sure if the bids of Widnes, Leigh, Halifax etc will get much real consideration at the present time?

No obvious existing club (I include Salford in that for 13 teams) not meeting the criteria (as best I can understand it), so it will be a matter of how much they meet criteria... as to whether the RFL dumps an existing club in favour of both of accepting Celtic and Toulouse, or whether they keep the current 13 for the next three years and just starts one expansion club.

Someone mentioned on a thread somewhere that "this was franchise week", but I'm not sure announcement is due before the end of June, and after (or at?) the France v England test being held in Toulouse...