Far be it for me to have a go at the Rugby League about trying to spread the game but is it really working. Every time London come (same for Catalan) the atmosphere with having only a handfull of away supporters is terrible games need both sets of supporters. This experiment has been going on for a long time now and while the french have good support at home is it really worth giving these teams a place at the top table at the expense of teams like Leigh. Know it takes time to build a team of super league standard i.e. Widnes but these teams don't appear to bring that much to the table.

Consider ourselves lucky that we don't play in Spain or Australia where hardly any away fans go to games. We just have to take it one on the chin. Even in the Premier League, the likes of Fulham dont travel well up north.

If London Broncos, or Quins as they were, pulled healthier crowds I would generally feel a little more upbeat about Rugby League in the capital. However, I've not seen enough in their long reign thus far to convince me it's working down there. I appreciate there will be many fans with far more knowledge of the ins and outs, and granted, you do hear about schools getting involved in our sport now etc etc. But I'm still not convinced whatsoever. Just look at the crowds for the games this weekend which were superb. Just short of 9k at Hudds and Wakey was pleasant reading. And whether people like it or not, up north is where Rugby League lives. And I just don't understand why that is such a problem. If there are some talented pools of players in the south, or Wales, or Scotland, jesus why not - the Isle of Skye, that's fine. However, does it justify a Super League club which rarely delivers? In my opinion, no.

Simple.....for rugby league to expand, it has to expand outwards from its heartland. Lets try Stoke, Preston, Nottingham etc before London, Bristol etc. I still think Crusaders MIGHT have work ahd they been formed in the North rather than having to move from the RU heartlands of south wales.

Are we talking about an expansion of Super League or Rugby League? Either way it's a complex issue, for example should Cumbria have a representative/be supported more by the powers that be and would that be dependant upon amalgamation (would never be accepted) before we really move out of the game's heartland? Are there enough quality players to go round, does anyone outside the area, Catalan apart really have the appetite? I would suggest stick with what we have and let's make the competition better is more appealing

Catal Dragons on and off the field are one of the top six sides in this competiton yet we want them out for Leigh centurions.

its absolutely incredible......

the only way this ridiculous non expansion policy of some fans would stack up was if all the M62 teams were playing in front of 20 plus thousand crowds week in week out, in purpose built stadia fit for the 21st century but they arent.

If they were then we could say to Catalan with their Wembley appearance and superb ground and 8,000 plus home fans, and their stack of local french players, sorry but weve got Wakefield Castleford and Bradford playing in ultra modern stadiums in front of 20,000 fans every week so you'll have to go back to the french league thanks for coming...

Weve been here before with Leigh and Widnes, great historical names but they arent as good as Catalan, they are a million miles off in fact. We as a sport can not have a weak premier competition. That will kill the game off not london or Catalan in the league at the expense of two crap teams that simplpy have more fans we can flick the v's at when we win.

Look at Salford, in the heartlands, new stadium and only 5500ish there for the opening. Not every heartland club is good enough either

If you notice I said teams like Leigh just using them as an example I was just commenting on the lack of atmosphere every time they come. Been watching Rugby League since the 70s so feel I am qualified to remark about the atmosphere, I have witnessed it every year since the London experiment started, all I want is a better stronger product. I am not against the expansion of the game just feel in London's case we are not moving forward we are all allowed our opinions.

The London experiment is so so, they aren't competitive, they don't pull great crowds and it's debatable how much the game has grown down south.

Catalans are the wrong experiment to give, you can't expect the French to be traveling across Europe to watch their team, it's not like football where they have millions to their fan base.

However, the point has been made, the only way the game will ever grow is if it's promoted in different areas, attracting new crowds. As they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, Catalans have shown the game can grow and they have an awful lot to be proud of down in France, the RFL should continue trying to grow the game in different areas, be it counties or countries, the game has potential but it will never expand in the heartlands.

Ask yourself this; how may away games would you attend if you had to travel 200-plus miles to attend every away game. Or in Catalans case; 1,000 miles.

FWIW I don't think Catalan should be in SL they should have their own French league and bring on the French game and maybe have a European cup ! You don't see any French teams in the premier league or Scottish or Irish ! The English SL should be for English clubs that meet the relevant criteria not rule bent so we can have a Cornwall team or London or Edinburgh team there's not enough cash injected by TV to allow it to leave the heartlands but if SKY want to inject as much as is does into football into rugby maybe a rethink would be on the cards but I doubt that will happen !
We have a good sporting product that's more entertaining that RU and Wendyball added together but it's not as nationally recognised as the two and never will be so I say improve what we have until TV revenues allow it to change but at the moment we are miles away from the amount of funding required to make a nationwide Super League viable IMO you would need a minimum of two SL divisions to make it work and the cash and players just are not there !

Padders, comparing RL to football is pointless. The sport of football is the biggest in the world, Catalans wouldn't be able to grow competing against French sides. RL is such a minor sport that we're viewed as a hemisphere, or a continent, if you will. We can't pick and choose who competes in our league, any chance of the game to grow should be grabbed with both hands.

Padders, you say improve the league when TV revenues increase and allow. Take London and Catalans out of the Super League and I garuntee the price of our TV deal will only go one way and that is down. I believe I read 50% of Super League viewerships are in the South? Many will take in interest in London I am sure of that.

On the original post, to take Catalans out of the Super League for Leigh is just an absurd idea.
In good form Catalans can average 10,000+ fans in a mediterranian climate with as good an atmosphere as anywhere in the league, not to mention the city as a whole throughout the day. If anyone has been and wishes they had gone to Leigh instead, then God help them.

Research the club before the Super League days and you will see them averaging 2,000 on a good day. You cannot simply say let them play in the French competition to grow the game in France, what is the strategy behind that? In Super League they have the platform and exposure to grow, which they ultimately have done and a recent TV deal with a major International news channel signals that.

It's up to the clubs own fans to generate an atmosphere, if you took the time to watch a Spanish La Liga game on Sky you would realise this is achievable. I went to Malaga vs Valencia and there must have been around 50 Valencia fans maximum but the atmosphere topped anything in Super League. Focus on barracking for your own team rather than staring bluntly at the away stand without insults to hurl.

and Roddy B, I don't wish to take this off-topic but that avatar makes me sick. Why he has any support at all is beyond me, before he was found guilty fair enough, but after, he's a proven racist, and then to not shake hands with a man he abused who has offered his hand in forgiveness is incomprehendable. Rant over.

Good job I never taken time to read your post above that one. You're clearly devalued of a respectable education, either that or you're just commenting on something without making any effort to fully understand the entire situation?

I've read the full document, I've read the antics from the media and I've taken more than enough time to divulge the situation and garner an opinion on it. The fact you say he's a proven racist gives me the platform to pass on you and your pathetic post, as you simply aren't worth debating with when you clearly cannot grasp a situation and its outcomes. I can accept opinions opposing mine, I can't accept sweeping BS that is clearly one-sided.

Basically,Rob struggles with the truth. Always the victim.

Fact, he's just served an 8 game ban handed out by an independent comittee for racist remarks to another player. You have him as your avatar. Make of that what you will. This isn't even a football forum so I don't even see what the point of it is on this forum other than some sort of pride you have in a man guilty of racism that you wish to show off to everyone else. And no, I can tell you my education was not sub standard, hence I can see through my own opinions on clubs to make a considered judgement.

It's up to the home team to provide the crowd and atmosphere, the away support is a bonus.

If your education was so brilliant, you'd clearly see that he wasn't found guilty of racism. The man has done far too much in his life to be a racist, he has ethnic relations, he was massively active in charitable work whilst out in South Africa for the world cup, so much so he set up his own foundation there. How much work for the 'other race' do all of these proud, anti-racist Brits do? If you want to debate the merits of the word 'negro' (pronounced negg-ro), I'll happily do that with you via PM, but if you want to tell me I'm wrong for supporting somebody who was found guilty on the basis of probability and alleged reliability, then please, don't waste your time, I have dozens of posts in the football thread arguing my point on there.

In fact, save yourself the time of replying, your idiocy in your first couple of posts show you clearly know very little of the situation to debate it.

Still waiting this PM of yours giving me the knowledge that an armchair fan like me simply cannot possess...

Back on the original topic, I've got a lot of respect for those Broncos fans who seem to travel to every game. There's always a solid group of between 10-20. Credit to their club.

London deserve their place in SL much more than Leigh. Your only case could be for Featherstone who keep winning the Championship, but are their facilities suitable for a SL licence? Obviously funding is a major issue and stumbling block for them due to the lack of money in the 2nd tier but that's a different issue altogether.

As far as Catalan are concerned, well if a top 6 team with solid home support, great community work and expansion of our game dont deserve a licence, you might as well say goodbye to Cas, Wakey, Salford, Widnes, Bradford & HKR too.

Evra/Suarez = other sports viewforum.php?f=30 ta

Evra/Suarez = other sports viewforum.php?f=30 ta

Think one or two of you are missing the point I was trying to make, I can remember when teams such as Leigh visited and brought a good number of fans and this generated a far better atmosphere than when London come and also maybe the Catalans. I was never seriously proposing that Leigh replace Catalan or London for that matter. Yes Featherstone have a better case than Leigh don't get hung up on the Leigh/Catalan issue it is all about the atmosphere or lack of it having witnessed it for the last 20 years or so (not sure how long London in one form or another have been in existence).

Based on that I was asking if the London experiment has been a success or not and yes we do appear to have given up on Cumbria, not sure if everyone will ever agree on this subject but at least the post has shown there is a lot of feeling out there maybe the Rugby League should canvas supporters more what am I saying Rugby League talk to fans never happen.

So let me get this straight. The success or otherwise of a particular club and for that matter the desire to expand the geographical spread of the sport can be measured simply by the atmosphere at a Warrington home game? Is that what this thread is about?

I was going to provide some sensible response but I fear it would fall on un-hearing ears. So I'll set a challenge to the doubters - can you think of other ways than atmosphere that a club might be contributing to the sport?

It's becoming fairly obvious to me that we have people on here who think that SL success should be measured by either the atmosphere they generate at the HJ, or the number of drums they have.
We need to spread the game as far as we possibly can. If we don't, it will die. Maybe the doubters should take a good look at what is happening in areas outside the heartlands at the moment. RL is being played in schools all over London and there were several Southern born players in the London team on Sunday. When every away game means a 500 mile round trip in a day how many people would you expect to come from the South?