Quote ="maurice"SL has failed because:
1. Club RU has overtaken RL in crowds - this was not the case pre SL '"
Barely and I trust RU crowd figures as much as I trust their WC viweing claims! Reality is more people now watch top division RL than ever before. How is that a failure?
Quote ="maurice"2. We can no longer attract the gates to International matches we did pre SL - eg Wembley and OT test crowds in 90's '"
Most Int games barely attracted 15k pre SL, one or two big Ashes or WC finals games did attract decent crowds but I am not sure you can balme SL for the failings of the RLIF? I do think losing the ashes and giving up GB was a bad mistake by the RLF and ARL though.
Quote ="maurice"3. Fewer people now see RL due to selling our sole to Sky, as a consequence we cannot attract sponsors '"
Really, enlighten me as to how many FTA games of RL a week where on TV pre SL? At least we now get a decent pay packet from TV.
Quote ="maurice"4. The column inches in the national papers are at an all time low, even though the summer has fewer sports to report. '"
Probably a fair comment though I doubt you have any facts to back this is up. RL generally has always marketed itself poorly everywhere. It is one of the bights of the game.
Quote ="maurice"5. The game is divided, it wasn't pre SL '"
haha, the game has always been divided, it was born out of rebelion and division and it is in our nature!
Quote ="maurice"6. The challenge cup has been devalued due to the rush to establish the GF'"
Agreed but the customer is always right. A combination of the loss of the old Wembley and the same teams getting there every year is what has demised the comp imo. Add in more weekend away options, a changing generation that thinks nothing of juming on a cheap flight for a weekend in Berlin and the annual trip to the big city is no longer the attraction it used to be.
, teams like Halifax, Leigh, Featherstone were around long before franchising and will be around long after franchising the same can't be said for Celtic Crusaders/Crusaders/South Wales Scorpions or Bradford atm
