Just been reading that now Barrow are the latest team, and one with an illustrious history, to be falling on hard times. Thats now about six or seven this year.

The size of some of these debts are nowhere near the likes of some of the super league clubs that have been in debt in the past.

Is this an indication that the salary cap rulings for championship and league one clubs isnt working?

Maybe theyre stetching themselves to the limit and beyond, just to compete with others

Wonder who decides whether a championship or league one club can efforts yo spend the full cap, an ambitious chairman or RFL accountants?

Thoughts?

No grip by the RFL that lot are just on a gravy train, time for dome leadership at the top!

Sad to hear of traditional clubs struggling when RFL are mainly interested in expansion abroad. If Toronto and Toulouse get into SL, how many fans can afford 2 trips to France and 1 to Canada? There has got to be better allocation of funds to the lower leagues.

STOP THIS SO-CALLED EXPANSION NOW!!!
It's clubs like Barrow, Oldham, the Cumbrian sides et al that we need to look after. If Toronto, New York and whoever want to be part of a Rugby League let them form their own governing body and generate their own finance. The RFL and Super League have delusions of grandeur without the resources to back them up.

I know Toronto pay clubs dir their travel over there, but in reality, how long do you think they would do this for.

I bet the expense for a 19 man squad, plus coaching staff etc, would cost around £10k+. Heard that flights alone for middle 8s varying between around £400 and £700, and thats without accommodation and expenses.

Expansion within our own country wasn't exactly a success was it. Who remembers the great glory days of Scarborough Pirates, Mansfield Marksmen, Southend, Kent Invicta, Cardiff etc?

I don't see that expansion is the problem at all.

I'm ok with RFL supporting teams like Barrow but if no one wants to come and watch they are going to have to close. Same as Wakefield would.

The three clubs up there should put a franchise together when they had chance unfortunately.

The point of expansion is to go to new places with new crowds.

....and to think that we moan about attracting new fans....

Are you saying the Cumbrian clubs should merge?

No issue with expansion wharsoever PT.

If we want to get the media recognition we want, we need it to be played beyond the M62.

I do think, that if done logically, and if plans are thought out and well structured, that this can be done, side by side, whilst at the same time, continuing to be there for, supporting our heartlands clubs.

I think what they did a few years ago when about 4 new clubs came in at the same time. Slow and steady wins the race. Bring one in, help to get the infrastructures in, both on and off the pitch, work with the club and its grassroits, and dont move on to the next project until all the boxes are kicked. When they are, move on to the next one. Just as an example very little local marketing was done to promise Coventry and the Tests head there.

Also, I dont think the league structures help, you could have a new side thrown in against a side relegated straight from championship. Look at the likes of Wales against York and Bradford earlier this year. Does nothing to aid team morale.

Moving onto Toronto, having teams like this do nothing for the sport over here, but that said, id an American league was created, say initially of 10-12 clubs, coveeing North, Central and South America, given the money Americans invest into sport, could give the sport a real global shot in the arm, long term.

My thoughts also regarding expansion

Worth nothing that Whitehaven are in financial difficulty also

One of the podcasts had koukash on about 3 months it may have being BBC manchester and he talked about Cumbria and the SL players that come from Cumbria
He said that two of the 3 Cumbrian clubs could be involved in a joint venture and to watch this space

Sad for Barrow, but unless fans, like us and Bradford and Salford, have gone through something similar, most of SL fans won't give a damn, especially the snobs up the M1.

As for Toronto, I wouldn't have a problem with them if they were in their own league and not forcing clubs to pay uncessary costs for flights and accommodation

What an overall thought by some of sod em if they are struggling & were let go
With possibly eventually no RL in Cumbria because the RL couldn't be bothered to re-generate RL in Cumbria !
We didn't do this in London !
Oh dear, on dear !

Toronto pay for the flights and for the accommodation
They are completely self funding and take no money from sky

My only issue is will they bring young Canadians through to create an actual Canadian team

If they are going to do this I have no issue and completely support them and believe they 'could' help enhance the game

I've had friends that don't have an interest RL that have being asking me what it's all about

So it's obviously advertising our sport outside of the normal viewing areas

I'm not a sod 'em fan at all.....What exactly are you regenerating?
London has massive potential. Lots of avaable people to convert.
Barrow does not have a massive community and I think are struggling industry wise. Regeneration needs to happen but if rugby is the answer it needs to be on a bigger scale.
It's known that the offer has been there a few times but the teams can't agree how to do it.
Same issue as we'd have if we needed our local rivals like that but if that's the only answer you've got totality.

Poptart what are you on about? Fulham formed in 1980 first game against wigan! They play in the championship if you've not noticed! Rugby league is a northern game and always will be until the money men with bright ideas of expansion kill off the game all together and it will happen! 1st season of super league teams from oldham workingon sheffield even tried paris! Where are those teams playing now?

Two ways to help strugging clubs like Barrow ! Bring back the county cups Barrow actually won the Lancashire cup in the 83-84 season ! Even thow there are no more teams left in Lancashire there is teams that could play in it, And the challenge cup stop this seeding farce let the lower league teams have a chance at a home or away draw against a higher league club with a chance of a bigger gate reciept.

And yet more people play rugby league in the London area than ever before. It's not always about the top club and even if it is there is nothing wrong with playing in the champonshp.
To sustain a cub someone either has to pay to watch or pay for corporate sponsorship. Barrow isn't in a good position for either.

If be ok with expansion targeting Manchester or Liverpool but getting outside the heartlands is important.

Aimed a few comments but just because people have tried to expand RL down south before (20-30 years ago) and failed, doesn’t mean it won’t ever work. It’s a business at the end of the day and there is the right time and the wrong time to strike. Personally I don’t think it’s the right time yet but I think some things will be forced at the wrong time because of clubs like Barrow being in a difficult position financially.

I don’t agree with Toronto, let them pay for American clubs travel and accomodation. They currently have two Canadians in the team and both are out on loan, or were the last time I checked.

This shouldn’t be the case for a club that has only just formed.