My apologies if this has already been said.

This bloke must be absolutely kicking himself. Why did someone not advise him that taking on Salford would be a massive money pit? Surely investing in a club like Hull FC who have their nice big stadium which with the right personnel and coach at the helm would be a massive draw for new fans (or old ones that have lost faith in the current regime) They would be looking at 15k plus crowds week in week out. They would legitimately be able to spend max salary cap and take their pick of a marquee signing.

A massive brain explosion by the Dr picking Salford just because they were cheap. There is a reason for this and the Maximum 4-5000 crowds whoever plays for them is this reason. Far too much competition in Manchester for this ever to work.

I have absolutely nothing against Salford and I really feel for their loyal fans of whom posts like this must really annoy. But if they are honest with themselves they can do nothing but agree. It was great that he saved them from oblivion but how much longer can he substantiate throwing good money after bad.

If and when he leaves Salford in the mire where do we think he may end up? Also would you want him at your club?

I think he would make a real difference at:

Hull FC- For reasons stated above
HKR - Big fan base, Decent size stadium with a great club history
Cas- Again a good fan base which would be greatly improved with a move to a new stadium. History not so good but a reputation for bringing good local lads through.
Wakefield- As above.

I have left out the big 4 and Catalan as they already have a fantastic structure in place with plenty of spare money to succeed without needing a 'sugar daddy'.

I assume I will get slaughtered by the Salford fans but I can assure you that there is no malice intended towards you personally in what I have said.

Hull FC already have the messiah that is Adam Pearson at the helm, they don't need false prophets like the Dr interfering in their plans for RL immortality.

I personally hope Koucash can succeed with Salford, I think he's finally starting to realise he's got build them from the ground up.

Obviously it would have taken a much bigger amount to get the likes of Hull FC rather than Salford and as you say trying to break into a sporting market in Manchester, literally within sight of one of the biggest sports clubs in the world in Man Utd and very close to another 2 in Man City and Liverpool, is a massive challenge compared to taking a Hull FC with an already decent support base in a sporting market where RL is a significant presence.

However I don't think his choice of club was his big mistake. I'm actually delighted he bought Salford rather than another club as someone with his money is really the only way RL is ever going to gain a foothold in a major city like Manchester.

His big mistake(s), in my humble opinion, was assuming it was going to be a quick fix. That he'd throw a few million in to Salford, buy a load of top quality players and the crowds would come flooding in. He showed a massive lack of understanding of Rugby League and of the sporting market in Manchester.
He didn't understand that you can't just buy a top team in a couple of seasons, especially at a club in Salford's position at the time. Firstly, it's not like football where top players are available on transfers, you generally have to wait until their current contract runs out. Additionally, the environment at a club is very important to players. The top players want to be in a positive, professional environment and be in with a chance of winning things. Things like who the head coach and back room staff are are very important to attracting top players.
Getting Morley was a great move, but he needed another "iconic" player to build the team around and, crucially, a top head coach.

He also didn't understand the mentality of fans and spectators. He took the fans for granted in my opinion and thought they would come flooding back just because he'd said they were going to be brilliant. Crucially, by putting all the emphasis on the on-field performance it put huge pressure on the coaches and players to win and win well. When that, inevitably, didn't happen it was obviously a huge let down. Which sucked any momentum out of the club altogether.

He also seems to have fallen into the RL Club trick of thinking sticking a few signs up here and there is marketing. An RL club has to engage with its community to get people in. He needed to get a top notch marketing and commercial dept in (that's what transformed Leeds' finances) plus plough millions into a Salford Foundation that would send tens of people out to engage with local clubs, organisations and schools.

And obviously he needed to plough money into the youth setup. I understand that can't be transformed quickly but IIRC Salford scored a lowest score on facilities. That can be changed fairly quickly and should be. Salford's Academy should be the most professional in the country.

I'm delighted that Koukash is involved with the sport, but I wish he'd just calm down a bit and be more professional. Things like not paying players, sacking Noble & hiring Harris, massively hyping up average players, hugely criticising the players in public or in the dressing room etc etc added to the mistakes (in my opinion) he's made above have really held Salford back.

This will probably get bumped in 4-5 years time when Salford Win the league or CC and the Salford faithful will mock me.

I don't care where he builds them from they still wont be able to attract the fan base they need to legally spend the full cap and afford a top marquee signing. Am I right in saying that they first need the turnover to be able to spend the cap and afford a marquee signing? Or are there ways around it?

As I said the other day we are a club that are suffering a slow and painful death or that's how I feel, no amount of money will save us. The Salford public won't get behind us and I don't blame them, as for the original post Salford have a rich history also but it counts for nothing the fact is it's a football mad city and years of rubbish have hindered any chance of getting people on board.

If I could go back in time I'd kick my 9 year old self in the face, years of misery.

The way he has treated Kevin Locke is terrible. Who would want to sign for Salford ? More players wanting out - who can blame them.

I also feel Dr Koukash will have a positive influence in the game and agree with most things HIM says. Club chairman should be banned from making negative comments and airing their dirty washing on social media. It just comes across as very unprofessional. I still feel he wont be patient enough to wait the 6-7 years necessary to see the youth system bearing fruit.

Wasn't it just purely circumstantial in how Marwan became involved with Salford?
IIRC they were the only club where the current owner wanted out around the time that Marwan and Nigel got chatting on that flight. I really don't think there was much more to it than that.
As for being warned about potentially losing money, who would be giving him a heads up? Big Nige? John Wilkinson? Not likely.

That's possibly true Notus. What beggars belief is that such a renowned shrewd business man would take over a club with very little potential money wise when there were other clubs who would have suited him better. I do hope he sticks it out now and stands by his words because it would be a disaster for the loyal Salford fans if he didn't.

Koukash is a self-publicist, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. He's certainly not unique in either sport of business in that regard and in many respects, he is the sort of character the sport has sometimes missed. Unfortunately, some of his actions and comments are extremely misguided.

What HIM says is pretty much on the money. Salford was never going to be anything but a long-term project and I think misunderstood the scale of Salford's issues and the nature of the sport.

I like Koukash. I think he says a lot of positive things about the sport and I'd much rather listen to someone like him talk passionately about the game than some moaning windbag like Neil Hudgell. But there is no doubting that he has made some catastrophically poor decisions and treated some people extremely badly in an attempt to get his way - Tony Puletua for one.

I hope Salford can work and I hope that Koukash can be a positive influence on the sport, but I suspect that he may run out of patience before that can happen.

Quote ="Super cas"That's possibly true Notus. What beggars belief is that such a renowned shrewd business man would take over a club with very little potential money wise when there were other clubs who would have suited him better. I do hope he sticks it out now and stands by his words because it would be a disaster for the loyal Salford fans if he didn't.'" Just because he is rich doesn't automatically mean he is a shrewd or even competent businessman. His public track record on running businesses in the UK certainly isn't great. Anyway, having let people in for £5 he has now dropped his price even more and is going to let people in for free against Catalans. www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... rd-9416755

Quote ="Super cas"That's possibly true Notus. What beggars belief is that such a renowned shrewd business man would take over a club with very little potential money wise when there were other clubs who would have suited him better. I do hope he sticks it out now and stands by his words because it would be a disaster for the loyal Salford fans if he didn't.'" Just because he is rich doesn't automatically mean he is a shrewd or even competent businessman. His public track record on running businesses in the UK certainly isn't great. Anyway, having let people in for £5 he has now dropped his price even more and is going to let people in for free against Catalans. www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... rd-9416755

The guy is a complete tool. His rants are embarassing (albeit entertaining). IMO he came in with the expectation of throwing a few quid at the club and making them instantly successful. Like others have said, he is now realising that he needs to build the club up from the bottom and his treatment of players seems to be atrocious

I really dont think he will last until the end of next year and its the Salford fans I feel sorry for

The history of Rugby League in Liverpool I think backs up your point. Eventually Liverpool City/Highfield/Huyton/Runcorn died through a pitiful lack of support. I spent a few miserable Sunday afternoons at Alt Park in the 70s, where you parked your car at your peril. It just wasn't sustainable to have semi pro RL there.

I know the Doc lives in Haydock and has business interests in Liverpool and has ties to JM University where he lectured and got his doctorate from. I think he saw Salford as having the potential to attract massive crowds but he misunderstood the real roots of Rugby League - they are not in the big cities (Leeds apart).

Liverpool and Manchester are soccer mad cities. The Wigan and Saints lads go to Liverpool on the end of season 'Mad Monday' jaunts and never get recognised.

I like the Doc. I hope he succeeds. He may have to get away from that dreadful venue first though.

Yes the stadium is awful, the access is ridiculous for a professional sports stadium. There was a bad crash last Thursday just outside the ground if we were the game that night it would of had to of been postponed.

In this day and age that is ridiculous, add to the fact most of our support are from suburbs of Salford that have poor public transport links to Barton it really is god awful. I and many others will never warm to the place, no chance we will move anywhere else though.

I always like the Willows. I liked the fact that you could park your car for free a few minutes from the ground. The atmosphere was good and the facilities just fine.

I think you are looking back with rose-tinted glasses there - I loved the Willows too, but the reality was that the reputation of the area (justified or not) was seriously discouraging many away fans from attending. Stories of vandalism to cars, harrassment etc abounded - don't know how far back the RLFans archives go but there were plenty of such stories after every game.

The RFL made it clear that franchise renewal was dependent upon moving to a new stadium so for better or for worse we did. The financial woes of the old club are well known, the development company initially set up to do the move went bust and the club was left with virtually no option but to accept the Peel Holdings/Council take over of the whole project and now we are where we are. All in all a sorry tale.

Not like a Castleford follower to start yet another anti-Koukash thread.Must make a change from the Twatter drivel.If you are not happy with your owner;unlucky.As for the other clubs,in Jan 2013 they all had owners in place and are geographically some distance from St Helens.



Does your opinion also extend to his interest in his other love;horse racing? Did he expect to throw a few quid at horse racing and become instantly successful? Do you also expect him to last until the end of next year with his horse racing?

You're probably right. Though I never had any problems, doesn't mean others didn't. I've been to the new ground a number of times now including pre season, internationals , the world cup and the Super League games and I can honestly say it's my least favourite away ground. The parking hasn't stopped me going but I'm always amazed that there seems to be twice as many cars as punters! When you get in - the ground is empty!!!

Such a shame. Anyway back to the Doc. I like the guy. He thinks outside the box and does things differently. He has been a success as a racehorse owner, so it seems a bit odd that he should throw his money into RL. But he seems genuinely smitten with the game. I think people need to cut him some slack. I would hate it if the game lost him. But really, why does he need the hassle?

hmmmmm, i may be wrong here but horse racing isnt rugby league so is completely irrelevant to my opinion on him and his ownership of Salford.....

I don't mind the Dr he really needs a pr person of some description to calm him down sometimes, and I always wonder why would bag happended if he had bought Bradford during their decline ofr if his wife had been given the charge of the club when we went into admin last year.

His choice of Salford was probably to do with timing, HullFC weren't available back in 2013, Adam Pearson bought us at the end of 2011 and back then we were dreaming and spending big, if he was just entering the game now I reckon Pearson would be tempted with the right offer for Hull. He could have also have got Bradford (multiple SL winners lets not forget) on the cheap last year too, but he didn't and he's stuck either gambling on Salford working, or pulling out and probably leaving them to collapse.

I have an oft repeated theory about the failings of clubs on a commercial footing, stemming from a failure to attract fans. Obviously, London and no Salford face massive competition for the interest and cash of the local public, but there does seem to be a one-eyed attitude that was displayed by David Hughes at London and is to a certain extent, being copied by the Doctor. It's not a fault that you can blame either man for having, but it is the root cause of their respective issues.

It's quite simple really. They LOVE RL. They want RL to grow because they LOVE it and they are prepared to sink cash into their clubs to make them grow, but neither understand the principle that:

"JUST BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYONE ELSE WILL"

I have also referred to this as "field of dreams" marketing scenarios......as in, if we build it they will come......well, Like Hughes discovered spending 15+ million over 6 seasons, if you don't spend a fair chunk of that on engaging your audience and repeating the message, instead splashing out on coaches and players, then you'll reap what you sew.

Simply put, a club with 4k fans playing in a stadium that looks empty will not attract either corporates or sponsors, but a team playing to 10,000 fans, screaming their lungs out in support of their team will attract sponsors and corporates and media interest and then more fans.

If you doubt my theory, Dr K has splashed cash on players and coaches and yet has less fans than before and nothing to show for it other than not being relegated and a trip to Sheffield in the middle 8 this year.....

Tbh with the whole "competing with football" thing. Whilst true obviously as it is the number 1 sport in the country, right now you can hear the discontent of football fans. Their is a lot of fans seemingly falling out of love with the game because of the feeling of clubs becoming businesses and ticket prices going higher and higher and a general feeling off not caring about the fans along with a growing dislike of the 'modern' premiership footballer.

Those reasons are things RL clubs should look at and try take advantage of to perhaps attract fans from football to RL. I'm not saying it would be easy but at the same time I don't clubs should just accept that they couldn't steal some fans from football at this point in time.

I agree to a degree. I think we've often thought that Union is a natural place to entice fans from whereas I think football clubs and fans are a better fit.

However the problem the likes of Salford face isn't really in enticing football fans per se its in competing with football for media in Manchester and getting noticed by the people of Manchester when, understandably, it's dominated by football.