Willzay wrote:
Why doesn't he set up his own league then?
Be careful what you wish for. A successful North American league could blow Super League out of the water, given the nature of the TV sports market across the Atlantic. That would would mean that we wouldn't just be losing talent to the NRL.
At the end of the day, we have two parties that can complement each other to create something bigger than the sum of their respective parts. The RFL has structures, a talent pool and established clubs, but poor commercial reach and a limited audience. Perez is offering new audiences and new commercial opportunities, in exchange for tapping into what we already have.
Chorley's Jean may have said it a bit abrasively, but the sentiment isn't far from the mark - this sport can't grow and it can't improve without expanding to new markets. What I worry is that those who oppose this sort of expansion aren't so much worried about the sport failing, but are in fact worried about it succeeding.