No need to merge Wigan and Saints because both are successful-as teams and as businesses. Not the case for Wakefield. If it's within the power of a club to get up to an approx. 15k attendance, then they're probably sustainable. But Wakey haven't done that for many a year, and the likes of Cas, Huddersfield, Salford & Widnes are all much further away.

The only club there's a question over is Hull KR. Because they're nearest to getting the requisite attendances, and because they're part of the only cross-city derby in Super League.

"No need to merge Wigan and Saints because both are successful-as teams and as businesses"

So why would Warrington, who currently off field are better than both, want to merge with anyone?

Credibility?

because Widnes need a merger partner, and Warrington are the most viable club to merge them with.

really?

They're better off than we are that's for sure.

As a viable business or because hey have a richer owner?

Good point

This is where Youane and Rouges will argue the fine detail

You are a complete idiot

exactly

exactly what?

As a viable business or because hey have a richer owner? <---

An idea that will fill the MM weekend stadium, all though it will never happen, 4 games on the Saturday, 3 on the Sunday and then finishing by getting an NRL game on the road.

I like the sound of that, similar to the NFL fixture at wembley

How the aussie TV / clubs etc would receive this is the key to this ever taking off

Anyone want a wigan saints game held in Brisbane !!

Some interesting comments in this thread. I was interested to see one poster listed Bradford as model club for sustainability. Given their recent financial crisis (and ongoing RFL licence conditions), Bradford are about as far from being a role model for SL clubs as you can get. Let's see how they go under Sutcliffe and Khan before lauding them.

As far as media commentary and presenting goes, I think the time is probably right for a change in the Sky personnel. The only trouble is, who would you promote or bring in ? The only people with any hint of credibility for me out of Sky's current regular presenters are Bill Arthur, Rod Studd, Brian Carney. I'd ditch Phil Clarke and Jon Wells; Clarke is clearly not impartial & rooted in the the Wigan glory days of the 90's and Jon Wells is just Jon Wells. I prefer my former player presenters to at least have achieved something in the game before they pontificate and spout during pitch side punditry, that and the fact he has the charisma of a sideboard.

The BBC's coverage is well anchored by Clare Balding (who is freelance and can work for whomever she pleases, which is why she appears on CH4). Most of the rest leave a lot to be desire though. I agree it's time to cut Ray French and Jon Davies free. I'm turned off BBC coverage because of Robbie Hunter-Paul, it's a very personal thing, I just don't like the bloke.

The trouble is, who do you replace these people with ? I don't think we have enough "personalities" to do these jobs unless you make the likes of Shaun McRae regular pukka presenters.

Ho hum.

Surely Balding has shown you need a great presenter who you then teach RL to, we seem to go for RL men who have no presentation skills.

If we are now talking about freshening up the whole of the TV presentation, then sky has to be looked at and the age of the presenters reduced considerably.

If we want to attract a younger TV audience then we need to get sky to phase out Eddie and Stevo as Skys presentation is becoming tired and predictable.

It says something when you can play stevo bingo with his catch phrases, surely the penny must drop on "terra firma" soon

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I think you're right. Brian Carney would be my exception who as a former player has enough charisma to become a good presenter.

I think Mike Cooper of Wire is a future presenter, i've heard him a few times, the first time on the radio i actually thought he WAS the presenter he was that good.

Mike Cooper was excellent in the studio.
That's because the presenter got the very best out of him.
Sadly, that presenter has now left for another radio station.

Yes please, can you arrange it for Saturday 11th Jan as I fly home on the 17th (worst luck!!)

You forgot the spoon for his Pudding

years ago when channel 4 started showing american football they realized no one knew the rules or understood what was going on.
the first few years they ran a program the week before the season that basically explained what would be going on.
As the season started they would explain what teams were trying to do or what the rules were.

My point is that if we want to introduce people to TGG then we need to do the same.
Explain the thinking behind what teams are trying to do and the rules.
God knows there are people who have been going for years who would find it useful as well.

Not sure if they are simply averages over the half of the ongoing 2012/13 season to date and as pointed out the Saracens one includes the Twickenham fixture so you can probably disregard that one, the others are very healthy though.

What is less healthy in RU is the inability of the sport to spread professionally outside of its heartlands (is this sounding familiar), my brother is involved in coaching at our local RU club and I have done some admin for them so I'm well aware of the sort of support that they get from the ERU - its immense support - and I'm also aware of what support the likes of Leeds Carnegie give to their local amatuer clubs, but there is a huge lack of support back the other way.

When Leeds were in the premier league they struggled to get crowds above 5000 which given the number of amatuer RU clubs just in Yorkshire and their membership numbers (most of them run a team in each age group from 8 upwards), was actually quite pathetic - I've been to a lot of Leeds Carnegie games at Headingley on freebies that came via our local amatuer club, yet flooding the clubs with free tickets they still couldn't farm more than 5000 attendances.

Its a very strange situation and one which the holding company at Headingley have basically given up on now having withdrawn a lot of financial support and resigned to the fact that they are a second division team - there just isn't the support in the north for professional RU.