Just watched Boots ‘n’ all and Stevo just said he spoke to David Hughes this afternoon and asked him if he could guarantee that there would be a Quins side playing in super league in 2011 and DH said no, he could not guarantee anything.
Discuss!

Mr Hughes also said he looked forward to facing McDermott next season.

"Harlequins Rugby League chairman, David Hughes, thanked McDermott for his contribution to the club:

"The role of head coach at Harlequins RL is hardest job in Super League. It is a unique combination of coaching an elite team in a fiercely competitive league and being at the forefront of promoting and developing our sport in the capital.

"The Club has made significant progress under Brian's stewardship and he has created a blueprint for how Development Clubs invest in, and nurture local talent

"With his commitment to, and his passion for London rugby league, Brian has done a fantastic job at Harlequins RL and leaves with our full understanding and best wishes. We look forward to our first game against him next season.

"We will now begin the process of appointing a successor who will continue the clubs commitment to fostering and developing local talent to ensure the=#FF0000 healthy future of Super League in London."

I'd imagine it was much more of a "who can guarantee anything in this world" kind of comment that has been paraphrased by Stevo.

[url=http://www.skysports.com/tv_show/story/0,20144,12387_6321010_12387,00.htmlHarsh facts for Quins - Money worries concern McDermott[/url

Stevo's too experienced a journalist to jeopardise a major contact by making 2+2=5 in this sort of circumstance, also Bill Arthur and (more importantly) Jon Wells were taking it seriously as well. It might also explain something that slightly puzzled me about BM's sudden departure as I thought that he'd see out his contract then go. If you've got a family and mortgage and your current employer's looking wobbly, if someone comes and offers you another job with decent pay you have to take it.

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[If this means the RFL rather than QuinsRL, and it's unlikely to mean QuinsRL because DH =#FF0000:1vxq3ow6is ... Decisions such as allowing IL to put more money in?

Although as Chris said elsewhere he isn't putting any money in Oxford FC so why would he for Quins? RFl/SKY perhaps? a News Corp club.

=#FF0000Better not be that one after all those years of (correctly) denying bail-out accusations.

I thought Brian's family had returned to the North anyway, so why would he want to do another season, no one knows what Leeds may have promised him, but I still feel he will not make it Big as a Coach, it would be a real risk for the Rhino's

We as a Club are going through that stage that every other day there is something worrying, yesterday someone said they thought the name Broncos made people think we were American, I feel that was about the best period for us, what about the Bulls???

Every week now we are going to see the letters pages of the rugby weekly press attacking us as the M62 East corridor will stick together with Castleford and Wakefield, that never happened with Widnes and I fully respect the Widnes owner and Chairman how he accepted the decision with dignity (did he blame everyone else?) and was determined to ensure success next time around. The sad truth is a collapse of a London based Super League club would mean the end and no chance ever of a come back. When will be the time to put the cards on the table and if not public tell loyal Quins supporters what is going on?

This has all been a whisper going round for plenty of time now...

It's a shame and I really hope someone with a decent amount money to spare and a sensible vision can come onboard and help DH out here....but we've had this discussion numerous times, so I don't wanna go down that road again.

You can't blame McDermott one bit...anyone else would have done the same thing in joining Leeds, especially with the finanical issues we face.

Not to keen in renewing my season ticket (if I ever get offered one) at the moment.

I may be stating the obvious here, but surely all the hints and vague comments point towards the RFL recognising the work that is going on down south to develop the game and in doing so, a decision is required that additional help and financial assistance needs to be made. I may be wrong, but I believe a large slice if not all of this in relation to Harlequins efforts falls to DH, if additional assistance were provided this would reduce DH`s exposure and help secure the clubs future and maintain the southern development of the game. How IL`s shares in the club factor into this I am not sure, but the window he had to dispose of his shares has long since passed and he ceased any financial backing some time ago. Just to reiterate to our northern cousins.......Quins (and in all their previous guises) have never received any financial backing from the games governing body nor have they ever been bailed out by anyone other than DH and IL....the only loser to my knowledge has been the taxman.

The cost of living in the south is higher than most other areas but we receive no more funding than any other club.....but unlike other clubs our spending power is therefore reduced. I also believe that the development work and promotion of the game in the south has been far greater than that carried out in other `expansion areas` and quite rightly a helping hand for DH and the club is long overdue.

Flat cappers can whinge all they like but if we want the sport to develop and grow the sports governing body have to invest in the expansion wherever that may be.......fail to do that and the game will become/stay a local northern curiosity.

What Mac has said regarding finance can only be common sense and are we any different to any other RL club? Why should DH have to pick up the sole bill for QRL, that is what Mac is asking and quite rightly? It is common knowledge that crowd levels need to grow, IL has to move on and alternative financial sources are of urgent need. This financial debate has been around for a long time now and next year will happen. But who knows what the future will bring, nobody can answer this question. Although one thing is for sure we need more through the turnstiles and fresh sources of income to survive.

If the RFL bail you out again it's a disgrace, if you can't attract decent crowds and create revenue yourselves you have no place in Superleague, you have to stand on your own two feet.
Lets be honest rugby league is not a southern sport, when i visited your ground a couple of seasons ago i spent the weekend nearby and spoke to regulars in the local pubs all of whom agreed that rugby league has no place in London .

Ffs dickcheese, get your facts right for the 100th time of asking otherwise you get a ban from this board, no issues with other clubs supporters joining in the debate, but to keep trotting out rubbish is wearying to say the least.

It is being discussed on other boards about this news.

Would it not make sense for Quins to drop down to the championship to relieve some of the financial burden? and also help concentrate money to building up your support and youth structures?

I for one am not a fan of expansion for expansion sake (crusaders!) I feel the goals the RFL are asking of you are only attainable with a solid fan base for your income.
As for the RFL putting money in to help RL in the south this is not their job to keep clubs afloat, you say this hasn't happened, their money should be used in promoting the RL game and name in the south and not a RL club singularly.

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Sensibly and constructively in the main.

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Not really sure I see how this helps? the costs reduction probably would not offset the revenue decrease from not being in SL, given the fanbase would stay constant or even diminish in the early stages. We are not like Cas or the Vikings who had a great supporter base when they were relegated the majority of whom stuck with the clubs in the championship.
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Agree fully that it's not their role to fund clubs, and I doubt they would do so, but, if, and it's a big if, if a London club in some guise is important to the sport longer term [Sponsors/SKY etc, there should be a massive amount of guidance, marketing support and networking from the RFL to assist in the [i:4yl496glSports [/i and finally a decision to assist IL in either being able to stay as co-owner and part fund the club, or divest his shares would provide some clarity to possible future partners.

Dropping down to the Championship (asuming we could find a ground, as the Stoop wouldn't be an option) would at least enable Phil Jones and his elves to continue their excellent development work, not something that I imagine to be feasible if there's only the Skolars left.

I see, so a neanderthal from Hull conducts an extensive survey in the local Twickenham Wetherspoons and establishes that a group of cheap skate old age pensioners have no interest in rugby league. Well, your statement must be true then.

I doubt that. We (Wigan) aren't exactly rolling in it, despite what some might say. Any money Mr Lenaghan is able to put into a rugby club will be going into Wigan.

Coming from a supporter of the club reportedly £3 million in debt and rising. Haven't Hull KR recently asked the council to 'bail them out' with regard to the redevelopment costs of Craven Park?


And I bet you conducted that conversation with your pants round your ankles.

Even St Helens can't make a profit and turnover is down half a million, Quins allowed to fail and then Crusaders and Catalan, that would please the flat cap M62 brigade, followed by Sky withdrawing, BBC TV are not interested and the sport will be back to part time again, how closed minded these people have sadly become!

firstly i dont want quins or london rl not to have a team in super league long term,however its pretty clear that they cannot be sustained in their current format of losing money hand over fist,it has to be a viable business.

now for me the sensable option would be to take a gap year or two in the championship and rebuild the brand from scratch.if you are confident that they are producing good quality kids then you should be able to field a near full southern english side without having competion from other championship sides,you then need to find a venue that is accessable to the london public without been too far out,ive travelled from inner london on a few occasions to the stoop and its a logistical nightmare especially when trains and undergrounnd are shut for works over a weekend and then with this hassle you understand why you get little support.

onething thats certain is that a couple of bennefactors are keeping you alive on a lifesupport machine and im sure that david hughes wont want to pull the plug but he cant continue indefinately bankrolling the club,what quins need is a period of sucsess without having to field a team of aussies and then and only then would people who only have a interest start to go to games and the only place i could see this happening would be the championship.

I'd say that was a polite way of them asking YOU to leave them alone.