[urlhttp://www.rugbyleague.com/rugby-league-news/us-league-pioneer-looks-to.html[/url

The man behind the Jacksonville Axemen and successful pre-season games in Florida says the proposed American pro-rugby league competition does not need NRL or Super League stars and should not be played during the NFL season

Defintley do not go up against the NFL, RL would work very well as an off season alternative to NFL and the Americans would enjoy some hard hitting action when they are missing their beloved NFL.

As long of course that it's made clear this is a sport played around the world and not something like that Wrestling crossed with NFL rubbish or whatever it was.

Where did the nutty idea that the season would run from November to February so NRL and Super League players could guest with the franchises come from? That's just crazy -- no American TV network would touch it during American football season, and as Spinner points out there are no NRL or SL players any Americans have even heard of. No one would invest in a franchise on that basis, without a TV contract it would never get off the ground.

Pro RL could work well in spring, filling in for American football. It would then be a great fit for American TV, if the logistics of commercials and such for live RL telecasts can be worked out. Teams would be far better off with some former NCAA football players who are known in their communities -- bear in mind that Nate Smith, the MVP in the recent Atlantic Cup, was a punter at Louisville a few years ago and there'd be hundreds of former NCAA players just as suited to RL -- than with NRL or SL players no one there's ever heard of.

Sounds like the bloke in charge has his head screwed on, which gives it a chance of getting off the ground at least. Was Mascord in LA hiding from Bobbie Goulding?