I could certainly take a very well educated guess.

I guess you know the answer, but to confirm David Hughes covers London's losses and has committed to do so for the duration of this franchise. After that, who knows. I guess he is entitled to spend his money as he sees fit, and I am sure he has a vision of a strong and viable London club come 2015.

It isn't a press release.
It was sent to the other Chairpersons.

If this guy cares so much why hasn't he been to a meeting for two years to press his case?

I can see his point. Most clubs run at a loss, it is not a sustainable way to do business.

The RFL have managed to get more money from SKY and the BBC but seem to have passed very little extra onto the clubs. The prize money has decreased for the cup and the RFL pocket the money for play offs. The Magic weekend has been an embarrisment to the game and a massive failure but the RFL pocket money from the local tourist board and give nothing to the clubs so they are happy to keep it up.

The RFL then hire a small army of people at Red hall (no one quite knows what they do), have expansion officers all over the country and announces large profits. The issue is with the accountability of the RFL, they do not seem to answer to anyone, they are a financial black hole, who do not have to pay the price for their poor mistakes.

I really do think that at some point there will be another break away when the Superleague clubs have had enough. I just hope that when it does happen that the damage to our sport will not be too severe.

I noticed that as well.

Self-publicist in self-publicising shocker.

For someone who makes his living off the back of chasing ambulances, he's got a nerve to be lecturing anyone.

No it's not. It's a press release merely presented in the form of a pretend letter to other Chairmen. If Hudgell's concerns weren't supposed to reach the press why has he put his concerns into a letter rather than picking up the phone or talking face to face at meetings?

You seem to be seeing what you want to see so carry on......

I can understand why clubs could fall in financial trouble in a P+R situation. But isn't the franchise system supposed to help control the Bulls type situation amongst others.

I prefer the franchise system over P+R, however according to the letter Hudgell says it's the RFLs fault, but surely it's the fault of the clubs if they run their businesses at a loss. If a clubs income is £2.5m for example but outgoings cost £3m per year then the following year reductions should be made of £1/2m at least to try and get it in a stronger financial position. If that means a couple of years battling for the bottom of the SL but puts them in a stronger position then so be it. I think fans will understand if a club turns it self round from year year making losses to making profits.

When I see a "letter" that, by it's content and tone, is quite clearly not a personal letter to fellow chairmen addressing in-depth concerns about the sport, doesn't go into detail, doesn't propose solutions, proclaims the author as some kind of Humberside Mystic Meg, and it somehow mysteriously finds its way to the press (not just the content btw, but an actual scan of the letter itself) and it talks about issues that the authors club suffer from then it makes me a teensy bit sceptical about who gave it to the press.

Why, what do you see in it?

We are a joke sport, led by clowns with joke policies and operate a joke system that sports fans across the UK laugh at.

Bring back P&R on merit, move to 2 divisions of 10 and let clubs find there level whilst not destroying ambition.

Is this even a real letter?

Who starts a letter with "Good afternoon"!? I know the Royal Mail is bad, but that's some assumption, to think it won't reach everyone until after 12pm!!

I see a letter that has found it's way into the hands of the press that wasn't written for them.

No matter how you twist it is not a 'press release' as you previously stated.

What about the ambition of the clubs you haven’t decided are part of the 20, why are we allowed to destroy that?

Its because his club is in the 20 NEXT.

Actually i had someone come to me the other day disillusioned with football and took a keen interest in RL's policies and how we go about things. By sports fans, you really mean Leigh fans

Agreed.

Lewis and Wood (Wood being there full time) have presided over 2 farcical ownerships of the Crusaders inside 3 years. They went through an administration AND we have the 11th hour withdrawal. Then we had wakey going into administration.

Now we have learned that during 2011 the RFL gave the Bulls loans of £725000 without ever telling other clubs. They bought odsal without telling other clubs. They bought cougar park and have an interest in spotland ..without telling other clubs.

By all accounts the rfl recommended stobart deal has only 50% of the SL trucks on the road and we are 9 games intothe season.

Dicky and Nige treat clubs like mushrooms. Hudgell is right to question their competence.

You think that the RFL should be disclosing confidential commercial details of one club with all the others?

Really?


You realise that SL is run by the SL clubs and not the RFL, right?

Seriously? You can't possibly be that naive. Hudgell is the only person who would think he could benefit from this letter being leaked. It's no co-incidence the only people on this thread who thinks it wasn't leaked by Hudgell are Hull KR fans. Why did Mr Hudgell not pick up the phone or wait until the next meeting to talk face to face with his fellow chairmen? And why is the letter in that format? If its meant for fellow chairmen only why doesn't he go into detail over issues and propose solutions? Why doesn't he ask for fellow chairmen's views or support and why is he mainly addressing RFL issues? Why not send the letter to the RFL?
Of course it's not.


Good afternoon

When the RFL are bankrolling SL clubs with RFL, not SL, money and when they are buying clubs assetts with RFL money then the clubs should vote on it first - same as P&R, keeping London in SL etc

This is a big no confidence vote in our leaders, as stakeholders how do we get rid?

Not that big - it's just the one fella using the Bulls situation as a convenient peg on which to hang his own grievances; much like Dicky Wright used it last week as a jumping off point for attempts to appease Cas fans.

If that club wants an advance of £700K and to sell its ground to the RFL for £1m+ then I think other clubs DO have a right to know. In fact they shouldmake the decision and not Dicky and Nige. If the Bulls or any other club do not want RFL stakeholders to know their financial business they should look elsewhere for the money HTH.

I also realise that SL clubs are RFL council members. It should not be the job of the RFL executive - Dicky and Nige - to pump money into one or two SL and championship clubs without the express permission of the stakeholders.

Hudgell is right to raise these issues. They have overstepped the mark.

How do you know it doesn't? How do you know thats not just the first page & NH doesn't go on to propose any solutions later on? How do you know he hasn't sent a copy to the RFL?
Answer is you don't.

Can't see what benefit either NH or HKR will get out of it TBH.

I would hope the champiosnhip clubs are wanting a similar debate. When John Kear says the Cougars are the Man city of the championship can there be any doubt that the rfl getting involved with cougar park has helped? Were the other championship clubs invited to vote on whether the RFL bought into Cougar Park?

It is time dicky and nige stopped tampering in this way.