So could someone tell us what was said last night, please.

Wasn't taking notes but what I remember

1. DH happy to keep funding club and will keep working to make the money required. £1.5 million loss last year covered by DH. Will be more this year.

2. IL still owns 65% of club. Not putting anything in. Has not disposed of shares nor does it appear likely in short term. RFL know situation. Given losses no one wants to invest not helped by recession. no one gains tax breaks from this situation.

3. Club happy to talk to supporters re squadbuilder/trust

4. Three times the resources put into marketing, particularly aimed locally and at Antipodeans. Will now concentrate more on community game now season started. Historic database poor, but extensive follow up based on Ausv. NZ game last year. Results negligable and PB feels as a market they are just not interested in SL. Feels progress has been made elsewhere but it is tough and home form of team doesn't help. have followed up non renewals, but no specific trend as to why appeared.

5. Relationship with Quins RU improving. We do pay rent but feel it is generous towards us. Mark Evans attended board meeting before forum.

6. PB and DH have spoken to Richard Lewis about promoting game in London. They feel (as does Mac) that it is not fair that all promotion and development down to Quins. RFL have helped France and Wales and should provide simiar help to London. RFL now more aware of problems particularly as they failed to sell 15,000 tickets for Challenge Cup final last year.

7. Media coverage harder to get as papers now often using agency reporters than own staff. London Press pushing more and more to lowest common denominator - ie nothing but football. RFL offered to fund columns in Metro and Standard, but they are not interested.

8. DH believes we should get a licence. Crowds a worry but not the issue some professional northen loudmouths (one named) make out in greater scheme. Sky wants a spread of clubs including Wales and London.

9. No spare funds for midterm signings. Robinson and Wells still had to be paid. Matt James wasn't on much. No one out there to purchase and if any were they would be overpriced.

10. Penny here in shortterm but finances may not allow season long loan.

11. BJB out for minimum of four weeks. He will definitely return to leeds next year. Mac praises him and particularly his defence.

12. Club confident about juniors. U20s struggling but good prospects in U18s and particularly U16s. Mac feels "skill" players are beginning to be produced, which is a great improvement in the time he has been at the club.

13. Mac has discussed penalties awarded with Stuart Cummings. No question of bias from refs, but it is felt they are intimidated into decisions by larger crowds. Purdo confirms easier for team to get up for game before big crowd.

14. Felt double header worked. Impressive crowd noise in comparison to RU. Worth doing again.

15. Mac thanked fans for support and says effort of our fans impresses players.

16. Club surprised at turnout. Further forum to be held at a larger location before end of season.

If I've left anything out it was because I was distracted by the arome of sausage rolls at that point.

All in all as an event thought it was interesting and helpful for the fans. DH and PB were both very open (and impressive in what they said imo). I feel it might be improved if there is a moderator there in future (Chris Warren?) with each of main table providing a short update before going straight into questions. must note that all three participents plus Gerry Bouman, Purdo, Chad and Luke Dorn were all still there chatting with fans when I left at ten, so thanks to them for giving up their evenings.

Thanks Taff, good summup.

Here, here.

Thank you - quite informative as these things go and I'm a bit happier now. On a general note, 15k unsold Cup Final tickets is pretty bad - how about going back to Cardiff [size=50(this has nothing to do with where i live).[/size

One other thing, someone pointed out that Mac was favourite for the Bulls job. Mac stayed silent on the subject and DH said Bulls hadn't approached us and that BM was contracted to 2011.

It was a good evening and good effort by Purdo, Dorn and Chad to give up their time.

PS Not sure I was convinced that the refs don't have it in for us. Four years worth of having such few pens awarded does make you suspicious (or maybe just paranoid.)

I know GF has commented on this, but who actually said that?

Pretty dismal reading that by all accounts.

Disappointed to see comments about Penny. With him in the team I feel he would make us more competitive and consequently better results would pay his salary.
Any fans out there with a few bob to sponsor him?

Thank you Sarf Essex Taff for taking the time to write it up — it is much appreciated by those who couldn't attend and contrary to popular belief I do think that you can get some good bits of information out of the forums.

Still it's a fairly depressing, picture painted. That said I'd rather know the truth than a lot of spin, which to me is what it sounds like you got (the truth).
No money (1, 2)
No money for signings (3, 9, 10)
No money for loan signings (9, 10)
Money for marketing, but it's not working as well as hoped (4)
No assistance from the RFL with marketing (6)
No help from the media (7)
RFL appointed referees still useless, Cummings not interested (13)

Alternatively you could look at it positively

Using up the full salary cap
No debts
Good relationship with landlord………..

but we dont do that do we

A couple of addenda based on this. DH was clear that the club has no overdraft and is not in debt (as he clears that). He said this is not the case for many clubs (overdraft wise) and, given present economic circumstances, this may bite them in due course.

I note I have downplayed (icon_cool.gif (not wanting to cause another tedious rageathon on VT if it gets out) - DH was far more positive on this issue than I have made out. Change believe for stated and should for will.

Where is that mentioned? If we are using up the full SC and that is the best Mac can muster we are really up the creek.

Well as I was unable attend and those two facts weren't mentioned in Sarf Essex Taff report, I don't think it's really fair to say that.

Thank you for adding those two points. And it does solve the mystery we were trying to decipher earlier re: salary cap. So when people were saying “we don't have the money to spend on players like the big teams” (as was quite frequently trotted out as an excuse) they were basically making it up.

Obviously the cost of living in London is still a huge factor, but at least we know we can at least compete on wages.

Good effort there Sarf Essex Taff.
You forgot to mention though how many times the air con unit cut in and the attendance


Biggest attendance of the season according to Mr Blanchard though

I don't recall the salary cap being mentioned. My impression was there is no more money available in the club's budget. I would note that both DH and Mac said they didn't feel there was really anything available playerwise on the market. What there is is no better than we have and are asking over the top wages because a mid season signing is seen as a desperate signing.

Sounds like there is some conflict in reports re: salary cap then.

Cheers for the clarification.

Thank you Sarf Essex Taff. That's all I wanted in the first place.

Interesting that the demographic of the target audience is still proving hard to put a finger on. I never said the marketing of the club was easy, but surely there should have been "trial" campaigns to small areas (bush/local/regionaletc before any cash was wasted on massive campaigns)

Still, good news that we should tick all the boxes that we did last time and therefore get a licence and very good news that our Union brothers still see the potential of 52 week Rugby at the stoop.

After the event, I was walking behind DH, just as he got in his car.

I heard hims say,

that was a disaster
thank god that man, Gutterfax wasnt there, he's a marketing bigot.

I challenged him on this, he said, he stood by every word.

Now there's a Job title I could be proud of



Marketing and Sales is not a popularity contest...it's a results driven business and the old saying about you can't make an omlette without cracking eggs is very true.
On this point...
2. IL still owns 65% of club. Not putting anything in. Has not disposed of shares nor does it appear likely in short term. RFL know situation. Given losses no one wants to invest not helped by recession. no one gains tax breaks from this situation.

....surely it is in IL's (and the RFL) interest that we do well both on and off the pitch and as such, IL should be allowed to contribute whilst the recession is still biting?

Another [url=http://www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=201622&st=0&p=2018395&#entry2018395good write up[/url which is good is on “another” forum.

Moderators — remove the link if not allowed.

No probs with TRL links

As far as the licence renewal is concerned, given the number of Northern clubs now reaping the consequences of having been, shall we say, economical with the truth about their new grounds in the last round of applications we shouldn't have too many problems.

Last year in an interview in RLW DH stated that Quins were towards the upper reaches of the Cap. One must presumme that is still the case.



The one issue for Quins is crowds or a lack of them. Won't stop the flatcappers sounding off about "expansion pf a local sport for local people" in the League Express letters section, though.

if DH is prepared to bankroll the club then small crowds are only 2 points lost in the licence application. Regardless of how much money we lose every year, we are solvent, as he just pays the bills for us.
Whilst not ideal, this makes us solvent......so I can't see the club not getting a licence renewal, but I would suspect it will be with a warning about crowds in the future......