I would also include our illustrious neighbours in that list. Hudge is already hinting at a move to the KC though there would be little in it for Rovers if they had to merge with us. Over the next 10 years i can see RL in Britain changing dramatically. i would add RU is the same despite the international game. its dying in Scotland and Wasps and Leeds are testimont to how bad it is for them.

I can see the logic in the OP but the reality just doesn't follow. Merging clubs and spreading the game will eventually kill the game. There is no desire to watch RL outside of the heartlands, if a sport that gets the coverage that RU does in the media still can't attract fans who actually turn up then RL has no chance.
The viewing figures touted by sky for none heartland clubs is irrelevant, just because someone turns on the tv doesn;t mean they will turn up and watch it live.

I think the way forward is to actually ditch the international game and as was touted ealier in the year expand the WCC, a thriving international game will be at a detrement to the local game as has been seen in RU.

If a 'champions league' style comp could be sorted out then it would at least generate more interest than a one sided 3 club international scene.

If you merged clubs you couldn't really reduce the numbers as well.

Top post and bang on the money, its not just RL suffering but RU are in many ways even worse, the next 6 months will see a lot of twitchy bums thats for sure, they were talknig about the situation in RU on 5 last week and there are some big names posting massive loses ....... cant go on forever.

As for mergers i think the days of the small clubs are numbered especially those with shocking fan bases , and only time will tell if the RFL react first or wait to be pushed into action on these issues!
Hull and Rovers should merge and would produce the biggest club on the planet with that fans base,,AND would be a force to recon with .
Wakey and cas need to stop bickering and get on with it too
Leeds, Bradford shame for bradford but if they cant hack it alone whats the options?
London just need to be canned full stop, hasnt worked , wont work and who cares
Widnes N Saints etc etc etc

Also heard a rumour Hudds are in dire financial shart presently too, those who understand the companies house stuff can advise better but that came from an ongoing maintainance contractor at the ground.....

never read such claptrap in my life.
Creating a new club which doesn't have the identity of either of the existing clubs ? Whatever.

Sorry, but would never support a combined hull - dobbins franchise. I would expect that with 5 years the attendance of such a ised mongrel would be less than we get alone at the present.

Booger!!!! Double post

Did not kill the game in Aus, and will happen here. Don't get me wrong, I would hate to lose identity. But I would hate to lose the game more.

Can't see Mergers working to be honest.

Hull and Rovers would be the easiest to merge. One City and a ready made stadium. However, assuming the Salary Cap stays the same, could you really improve a combined squad whilst keeping with the cap?

Then woulds the fans embrace it? In Hull I doubt it. You can't assume that a combined crowd of 20,000 fans would turn up to wtach the merged team every week.

Personally, I'd miss having our Noisy Neighbours about.

I think having a local rival increases interest and adds to the season as you look to finish above your rivals in addition to trying to win honours.

Therefore, I'd rather Hull and Rovers to stay as they are.

Sounds the best option IMO.

the only way I'd ever go to a game of the merged team

Jeez, one club goes to the wall and suddenly we should all merge? Nothing like a knee jerk reaction.
The problems at Wakey, Bradford and Crusaders are all down to incompetent ownership. It doesn't take a genius to work out that the bank will ask questions when you sell the only asset and security you had on your overdraft, which in turn means they can't meet their tax liabilities. The taxman, although generally disliked will come to an arrangement with them, anybody that deals with them will tell you they're understanding if you approach them, it's when they have to approach you when the problems start.
Once the RFL start pulling their fingers out and marketing the game properly we'll be in a whole different position. Getting rid of Lewis & Wood would be to the game what it was for us getting rid of Kath. Incompetence, incompetence, incompetence.

Never heard that one before.

The game is strong in Oz, but that has been more to do with successful expansion rather than mergers imo.

There was a spate of mergers around 11/12 years ago in Australia with only the Wests Tigers one being successful. The Northern Eagles only lasted 3 or 4 seasons before Manly were reborn and the final dagger but into the North Sydney Bears. Other than playing a few games at Win Stadium the Dragons/Steelers merger was more like ours with Gateshead and the Hudds/Sheff one over here.

Bradford’s current issues are simply down to mis-management and feck all to do with the recession or missing out on the play offs for the past three seasons as their club statement suggests. Proposing mergers again is a knee jerk reaction and would not prevent mis-management of this scale at any club in the future.

Hull KFC

Sounds good to me, finger lickin good in fact.


Seriously though, it takes away something from the game that you wouldn't get with other games, everyone no matter who they are always look for their derby fixtures, they are special and a merger should only ever be an option if the only other option is complete demise.

I agree to a certain extent, the game IMO is not ready to spread out and try new areas that have little or no interest in RL. I think we should concentrate on the heartland clubs, create a strong base and provide more support to the lower league clubs.

most of the clubs have lasted over 100 years so everyone predicting the demise of every club are well off the mark .the only clubs to have folded in recent years are the newest ones that were nevergoing to suceed anyway and if hull and rovers merged it would just become a team playing in front of 10;000 fans because you cant just add the 2 teams attendances together and assume thats what you will get it wont happen

Being an Hull FC fan ,if Hull and the dobbins ever did merge,that would be the end for me,i do not want anything red and white anywere near my beloved FC

Imagine mergers between

Saints/Wigan
Wire/Widnes
Leeds/Bradford
Cas/Wakey
FC/KR

The game would be dreadful

Agree completely, I just think that the RFL in its present guise, may well pressurise some of this to happen

The only one i could realistically see is Cas and Wakey, not that i agree with it.

And if FC and the dobbins ever merged that would end my attendance at any professional match in the future. History has shown that the "merger" idea in England didnt work and in my opinion never will. Too many people who watch the game are too loyal to their teams for a start.

Its tough e for bradford and the rest of them i remember when hull had to sell all their best players and the sharks came in took them without a thought whether we would exist or not, vaikona, radford mcnamara just a few to mention it wont hurt bradford to spend a few years in the lower leagues just like us and dare i say it the dobbins lets jump on the band wagon and sign whitehead and there centre who,s been playing out his skin we,ll get them for a pittance, thats what happens when you gamble with paying players out of the next years sky money. personally i dont care less whether they survive or not swings and roundabouts come to mind

before anybody spots the mistake i have posted it in the wrong place

Wakefield wouldn't even agree to a feasibility study to see which ground would be the best to share at, never mind merge.