Agree with most of that Marty.
Though maybe someone like Sinfield stands more chance than most to institute change.
I have some sympathy with the clubs on the number of games front. They do need those games. Most clubs will get around 15 home games including the cup. That isn't a huge amount on which to run a full time club. Which is the dilemna the RFL faces. Reduce the number of games and you reduce revenue to the clubs. But vice versa is the workload on the players.
To try and deal with that we have to increase revenue from other sources. Whilst improvements have been made I still think RL clubs are god awful at selling themselves for both matchday and non-matchday activities and for using the stadiums as event venues. I'd like to see the RFL co-ordinate some marketing and development for these activities across the sport.
But that would require the clubs working together.
I think far more can be done to increase participation at youth and junior level too.
In general my attitude is that we have to get away from the old-style, football model of where every club is an isolated business/club/entity run totally on its own because I think that inevitably leads to 12 clubs pulling in 12 different directions at once. We have to consolidate our strength and work together. Things like joint academy setups, sharing stadiums, sharing facilities, sharing staff and expertise etc. I'd also like to see an idea I've floated on here before of, instead of a club season ticket, a Rugby League season ticket that gets you in to the home games for the club of your choice (as a normal ST does) but also includes an additional charge that would also get you in to a variety of different RL events for free too.
We've got to start thinking as a sport rather than a set of individual clubs.
