More cas fans than Broncos, do they really belong in super league,

More posts than bronco points!!!!!!!

Trigger finger,

Having supported Trinity 40 odd yrs and knowing what it is like to be in the mire, I take no pleasure at all in saying no, London do not belong in th SL. The RFL insistence in a piped deam of expansion to areas with little affinity for the game leaves those involved in the club and the game itself, embarrassed. 120 yrs of evidence says that the League code is for the North of England. Many have tried and many have wasted their time and money. We were pushing on an open door in Catalans, the one exception, but a different country and kettle of fish. If expansion can occur it is by degrees. We had it in Sheffield. Spurious mergers wrecked that. We could have edged by a few miles from Sheffield to Mansfield to Nottingham...perhaps. But remote satellites in London and Wales have a long, long, depressingly familiar pattern of failure. It is time to say enough and face facts...this is a Northern game in the UK and why why why is that a problem?!!

Have to agree. It's time to stop seeing London as the be all and end all for expansion and focus on growing the game step by step from its roots.

Coming bottom is the only reason to be relegated.

Not poor crowds

More often than not the two coincide. London will finish bottom this season.

Fans generate income, don't you think that's more important,

I feel really sorry for Tony Rea, he must be a glutton for punishment, he just keeps coming back for more!
I rate him as a coach, would like to see what he does with a team that is not constantly in turmoil.

Absolutely spot on mate, do it by degrees and we have a chance. I noticed tonight the first cracks appearing in the sky commentary team when it came to Londons future in the game.
On the subject of Sheffield the year thy won the cup they knocked Cas out in a game played at wheldon road. that saturday at about kick off time we found ourselves in a little place called grindleford which is about 8 miles below sheffield. We rushed into a pub and asked in the bar if he would put the rugby on saying it was cas playing sheffield. Not one single person in that bar knew that sheffield had a rugby league team. That says to me a bad neglection by the marketing team.

It is for the club but not for their league position.
That's the whole point of franchising and we have moved away from it.

It's the same for us. Should we be relegated because we don't have a sparkling new stadium?

years ago clubs would have come to the rescue and assisted the club in some way.our games become very selfish. i dont want to see any club go to the wall.i hope the club can kick on at its new location.

Think Jon Wells made a good point about the game in London the other week.
When they were under the Harlequins name, they were going into schools and showing kids the basics of RL and getting them interested.
The teachers thought it was great and took a real interest but thought their next game was at home to Gloucester.
The RL side was doing the RU PR for them because they had lost their identity.
That is one thing that has come to light, how many other poor marketing ideas have been used?

As a Wakey fan, and proud as I am of my club, I see nothing to suggest that we should be poking fun at fellow clubs, SL, Championship or whatever. We are lucky to be here and have the ownership and structure that we do!

I see London as an important area for RL, and perhaps the litmus test for the games success in the future. Unfortunately this current club has had more than its share of problems and has not found the right format for future success. Ironically, I can see them having a bright future if they can build in their new location. Being close the M1, north of the City and with a ground which was good for supporters to watch, it can go down and e-build and come back fitter and stronger. The money to the junior development must be maintained though, or that would be a waste.

Agree with every word there TRB.

The London Broncos aren't inviting people to pay £20 each week to watch, cause one basic Google News search of their name shows nothing but negativity (try it):

- Castleford Tigers inflict another heavy defeat on London Broncos
- CEO Gus Mackay to leave club
- Leeds 54-6 London
- Castleford thrash London Broncos

Those young lads last night. when we ran 3 tries in a row past them I just felt so sorry for. And their 500 loyal fans are as big, if not bigger warriors than any of us are. We have a few bad games and go ape - they're turning up knowing 2/3 wins this season would be a miracle.

With an average age of 22, this team would do well for a year or two in the Championship - I can't see how it damages the club in the slightest. My assumption would be those loyal fans would want to watch them play Sheff, Fev, Fax etc and actually win a few games and see a competition of rugby league every week, and by winning games with a young squad would certainly have no detriment on the crowds.

In the CC they'd not play Thursday games, and fans would travel down for a weekend in London to watch their team.

I can't see the squad being anywhere near the salary cap, so get rid of the Aussie dross, Slyney, Solomona etc and get London lads playing for London.

I;m sure they'd be proud to represent their city and get involved with the community more - the Barnet FC fans simply have to take notice of their lodgers, and a structurally and financially sound Broncos, playing at a standard they're comfortable with, would see people part with £15 or even get a ST.

Their presence in SL is embarassing for the game, their weely opposition, Sky, the fans.... And most of all the poor lads turning out to get smashed every week

I think you are 100% correct.

They certainly should not give up on expanding the game, what they do need to do is come up with a long term plan for the first time in their existence, properly researched, and a funding package established to support any new venture.

I think relagation could be the best thing for them. It will allow them a bit more stability in the lower league and also the opportunity to win some games and grow their support base naturally and allow the London youngsters the opportunity to develop. For this to happen they need to stop being nomadic and get a permanent home and put down some long lasting roots in one area.

I dont think that SL will miss the broncos if/when they are relegated, clubs will be happy for another home game from a team with more than 5 traveling fans.

The grass roots in London is good and needs preserving but the Broncos themselves are doing more harm than good down there. The club has been a basket case for so long they have become an embarrassment, moving around like nomads, playing in front of pitiful crowds and getting beaten heavily every week. They have become a laughing stock and as the focal point for the game in the south it is harming the superleague brand. They need to drop down and start again, re-building the club from the bottom up.

That has to be the answer; I haven't seen any official figures, but junior participation is reported to be good and there are smaller clubs in the vicinity doing well.

It would be much more sensible to go down, focus attention on developing the game from the bottom up and build something sustainable for the long term.

Meanwhile, if we want to develop the game, grow it in a stepping stone way from the heartlands outwards; South Yorkshire, East Midlands, the North East - there are already community clubs in all those areas doing the hard yakka, so the foundations are in place.

The going down bit will prob be the only option open to London. I have said for ages they should look at making Hemel /St Albans the area to operate from, Barnrt aint that far out. Back to page one in many respects, wish them all the best. I just think relegation could be the final nail, hope not.

The grass roots in London keeps getting a mention, but no kid is going to want to play for a team that gets tonked week in week out. The best thing that could happen for London is to drop at least a division, build a competitive team one capable of winning matches. If they start winning the people will start to take interest. They have no local derby to speak of, a team winning games will be easier to market and therefore attract attention.

So for the argument,does London deserve to be in Super League? The answer is yes they do, but on merit not just because some out of touch bureaucrat has a pipe dream. Instead of the RFL pumping money into a bottomless pit the should look to establish a split Championship 1 with a North and South divisions. There are already the London Skolars, Hemel Stags, Gloucester, Oxford and (possibly) South Wales with routes into the championships and eventually Super League. That would be a league with more 'derbies' which given the right exposure would start to expand the support base.