But again it comes back to accepting mediocrity. Where is the combined effort by supporters to oppose the continued inadequate running of the game by Red Hall?

What the RFL and SL are missing though is having cut off and dug up the roots of the game where will the next generation of players come from?

Many will choose another sport and those that stay will be playing at a standard too low to be able to step up to current SL levels.

Even now the standard of play across the board is hardly breathtaking, it all has to start somewhere and as the starting point shrinks the standard will drop further.

They got all carried away when the cap was raised and the marque players were voted for, "We can compete with the NRL and Union to keep or bring in the best players" while at the same time working towards removing the avenues for players to come through.

It's all been seen before in other areas, if you do away with serving your time and apprenticeships you end up with a shortage of skilled tradesmen, or in this case players.

A lot of people aren't accepting it, just look at the drops in crowds. I just don't think there's the energy or desire to mobilise something bigger to push change, most fans will just find something else to do (I'm one of this group now).

Very fair point. However, it is easy for Red Hall to pass this off as changes in society. The cost of living going up, etc. Whereas a strong and united voice would leave them in no doubt what the issue is.

An honest answer, the combined effort doesn't exist and those in the game know it would be a waste of time and effort.

The fact is that SL and the RFL take no notice of the Championship clubs or their supporters, they want them to become feeder clubs so what can they be threatened with?

It's not the same as football but it would be like the conference clubs and supporters trying to get the FA to favour them over Man U, and the likes.

Wigan are behind a lot of this, even one Wigan supporter said to me that the likes of Halifax should know their place which they described as them being top dog and us as a flea on their backs.

One big rugby league family, yer right, it's just patronising words to make them feel good about themselves.

And there lies my point.

Yes I get it and I have answered why marching on Red Hall is pointless.
To make an argument it needs to come from a position of strength and we have none.
All the power is with SL.
All the Sky money is an arrangement because of SL.
All the changes are made by SL for the short term benefit of SL.
I don't lie down for anyone but the game is owned, like it or not and the owners have their own agenda and a few future friends who will be let in by special invitation.

The RFL have done a decent job of spoiling this once great sport. The funding is not there for clubs like Halifax. No TV coverage for championship. Dropping crowds for uncertainty surrounding promotion and relegation. Its a farce. We are nothing but a feeder team to Salford. Why do we insist on playing 4 players from Salford when we have a reserve setup. Is the club obliged by dual reg agreement to play players from Salford? We let a halfback go and have not replaced him. is there financial problems, if so the board needs to be honest. We as fans need answers otherwise we wont turn up to games.

Agree with all and i know it's not the point but these DR aren't gamechangers anyway and no better that our reserves by and large.Watson was at the game yesterday but even that was hardly inspirational to the DR on show.Evalds,a Halifax lad,totally unnoticeable for us turns into Billy Slater on his return.It's as though Salford use DR as a punishment to players not ripping it at Salford.

Agreed. Salford players wont play there heart out for a club who doesn't pay their wages. These players want to be playing for Salford and see playing for us as a backward step. The reserves are hungry and driven to succeed for Halifax RLFC. Just see no point in playing 4 players from Salford unless its written into dual reg agreement.

There's no hard and fast rule but loan and DR players generally collect win bonuses. There is something tangible to play for.

Saddest part of this thread is that not one person mentioned the disgraceful personal attack on Michael Steele which Tony Fax opened up with. A man who has spent more of his own money, given more of his own time and fought the Club's corner more than probably anyone else in the last 10 years, in the pursuit of delivering stability and success so that you lot have something to bleat about.

Despicable.

I guess he is entitled to his opinion no matter how wrong it is.

I did.

Where? You simply said something about Tony Fax being a moaning whingebag. Hardly condemning the content of the post.

Correct. I was replying to a post he put on here concerning myself and was referring to his disgraceful slurring of Mr Steele without wanting to get into a tit for tat situation. I should have been more specific. Without the likes of Mr Steele there possibly wouldn't be a Halifax RLFC as we know it and I would like to state here and now my thanks for all the hard work, and money, he has put into our club. Up The Fax.

Our good friend Huddshay retires tomorrow,not from this board unfortunately

.Anyone wanting to buy him a drink and discuss the merits of DR,Percy Shaws from 430pm.

Unfortunately the perfect storm is brewing, 2 years of falling short on the field, and several years of slow decline, with the odd on field peak, and a new minibus.

If the money isn't in place, the infrastructure and players need to be bang on, if none of it is in place, were in do do.

Let's not be too kind to the players here, we've given away some soft points this year.

For me we need to cut our cloth even more and have a large cull of the first team, not up to it for a second year in a row.

The reserves have been better than some of the senior pros this year, do yer catch my drift?

Keyboard Bashing an old man like Michael is'nt right, he's been consistently prudent, and im sure if he had 20 million to spare he have spent more on us. It's not his fault the game is unattractive at our level to all but Des and few local businessmens egos.

There's not enough exposure at our level, Fax TV is limited at best, an opportunity being missed, but while the performance are rubbish, its probably better fewer people see it.

Why would anyone but a fan want to give up their time for little success and a load of stress. We're very close now to being only diehards left.

And for what its worth, Tony is right about the Shay, both clubs need a proper home, not a rented match day pitch and a couple of offices, with a bar. Don't underestimate a thriving social club or a proper training ground set up.

Threadbare...

I have to say some rubbish and some good in this post.

I'll leave it at that

You've never liked me Office Boy. I know that. But to dis me in this way is despicable on your own part. Where have I mentioned Michael Steele? Then you go on about me putting in more of my own money and time than anyone else during the past 10 years. Thanks for the plaudits, O Boy, but I won't take the praise because I haven't a clue what you're on about!

Are you on summat?

It was in your original post that you edited nearly 48 hours after posting



Take me to your dealer.

To quote your original post... "Michael Steele, for example, has been as much use as a chocolate tea cup.".

I've had the pleasure of meeting Michael a couple of times, albeit fairly briefly, and he has the good of HRLFC running through his blood.

Just because you edit a post, it doesn't mean that you didn't say it in the first place.

The purpose of my edit was to correct a spelling mistake. Anyway, I'm not taking jip from Office Boy whose early involvement at the club with his "buddy" Nigel Wood started the slippery slope to where we are now. The Chuckle Brothers would have done a better job. And (on another note?) they also most likely would have spent the combined Thrum Hall proceeds and the lottery grant on actually "completing" the Shay Stadium rather than leaving it half finished ............... Hmmmmmm, that stand was expensive