Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 7:37 pm  

The Ghost of '99 wrote:

Leeds are in a strong position because they can both afford to take a broader view of the overall sport (Caddick is happy for them to just break even and not need his funding but Hetherington keeps posting profits). Plus, obviously, SL can't exactly ignore them not only because they are the largest club but also many of the key Super League corporate contacts and sponsors tend to start at Leeds before moving onto the wider sport (Tetleys, Engage etc).

The problems in Rugby League are very little to do with the clubs in the Championship - they are a convenient smoke screen, as to a degree are the RFL who have for the past few years provided central funding greater than ever before to the SL clubs but most of them still can't make their figures add up. Local factors are always much more important than what the RFL is up to in terms of club performance. Wigan lose hundreds of thousands of pounds each year because they have ever-falling crowds and a poor infrastructure which isn't helping them generate profits - that's not the RFL's fault and it's not Batley's fault. This lot talk about taking responsibility but will any of them admit to why their crowds are poor or why their clubs lose money?

I don’t think you get it. SL clubs are 11 vs 1 on key issues with that 1 being Leeds. Leeds are definitely not in a strong position, they’re on their own and everyone has had enough of the Wood-Hetherington dictatorship we’ve had to endure for so long. Also, how is it the Chairmen’s fault if crowds are low? What are they supposed to do?

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 7:51 pm  

AS108 wrote:

Although it’s obviously sarcastic, with that first paragraph you’ve, rather stupidly, backed up my point. The point is Hetherington only cares about Leeds and himself, he couldn’t care less about Super League or the game in general.

If Hetherington only cared about himself and Leeds then he'd be sat alongside those other 3 chairmen wouldn't he. More money for themselves and reduced chances of relegation are what interest the other 11 chairmen, being against these is the exact opposite only caring about themselves. You think Wigan or Saints really care about teams at the bottom worried about relegatio....not for one second but they need them on board, you scratch our backs we'll scratch yours.

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:16 pm  

ThePrinter wrote:

If Hetherington only cared about himself and Leeds then he'd be sat alongside those other 3 chairmen wouldn't he. More money for themselves and reduced chances of relegation are what interest the other 11 chairmen, being against these is the exact opposite only caring about themselves. You think Wigan or Saints really care about teams at the bottom worried about relegatio....not for one second but they need them on board, you scratch our backs we'll scratch yours.

I don’t expect any Leeds fan to openly criticise Hetherington but at the same time I don’t understand why it’s so hard to understand? Hetherington has had power and influence that no other club has had thanks to having his mate at the helm. He’s no doubt used this for the benefit of himself and Leeds. He’s hardly going to like losing this power at the expense of other clubs gaining it is he? That’s why he’s had a big tantrum not because he cares for any other club.

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:22 pm  

AS108 wrote:

I don’t expect any Leeds fan to openly criticise Hetherington but at the same time I don’t understand why it’s so hard to understand? Hetherington has had power and influence that no other club has had thanks to having his mate at the helm. He’s no doubt used this for the benefit of himself and Leeds. He’s hardly going to like losing this power at the expense of other clubs gaining it is he? That’s why he’s had a big tantrum not because he cares for any other club.

Go on then list all these bad awful things he's done to benefit Leeds at the expense of other clubs?

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:38 pm  

Looks like McManus has knocked the ball firmly back over the net.
Over to you Gary.

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:47 pm  

Lennagan, McManus, Moran & all their followers want to take £1M of the Central Funding away from the lower tiers of RL & distribute that extra pie between themselves, they will then raise the Salary Cap to *random example* £2.5M thereby ensuring that no lower tier Club will ever be able to compete. Those outside of SL at the change will wither & die as their ambitions will be cut stone dead.

I don't pretend to know too much about Hetherington but surely his condemnation of the plans which would benefit a Club such as Leeds *sharing the extra £1M, demise of lower tier Clubs & therefore having less mouths to feed etc* so why would he vote against more pie ?
My thoughts are initially that he knows it will kill off the roots & foundations creating a house of cards with no solid underpinnings !

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:48 pm  

I seem to remember there was a lot of bleating about the 'smaller clubs' were holding the game back, but maybe, just maybe, it's actually the power struggle between the bigger clubs?

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:51 pm  

AS108 wrote:

Although it’s obviously sarcastic, with that first paragraph you’ve, rather stupidly, backed up my point. The point is Hetherington only cares about Leeds and himself, he couldn’t care less about Super League or the game in general.

Every club chairman is looking with their own club's interests first. Any that tells you otherwise is lying.

So you’re suggesting that McManus, Lenagan and Moran are at fault for the demise of SL when they aren’t even in charge of the game? You’re just as much of a fool as Hetherington. Wood, Hetherington and the rest of them have all have presided over the demise of SL considering its collapsed under their watch.

You're vastly overstating GH's influence over the RFL, and you're rather lazily blaming the RFL for the games ills.

I'm saying that as stakeholders in the sport, every chairman carries responsibility for the failings and successes of this sport. One of the three you mention has recently spoken of a "special club culture", only to fine two (and effectively sack one) senior players barely more than a week later for abusing two female bar staff. Another one of those men associates his club with a pay day loan company. Another of the supporters of this new structure is currently running around town advertising that this sport is not worth paying to see, whilst others can barely sell tickets either. Another club that supports this idea has to raffle off its stadium sponsorship. None of these are problems created by Wood or GH, they are problems created by the very people who support this structure, who are using the Super 8s as a convenient excuse for their failings, and are criticising the man who runs a very successful club and the only profitable club in the sport.

I don’t even know what to say about that third paragraph. Are you seriously suggesting Leeds could break away from Super League? If true and clubs are 11vs1 on key issues then Leeds don’t have a leg to stand on. Hetherington’s power is diminishing, now his mate has been ousted, and he can’t handle it. You are well and truly deluded if you think that he had a big tantrum for any other reason.

No, but what I am suggesting is that GH is not shy of a bit of brinkmanship. Even from this position, do not be surprised if he ends up pulling some very sizable strings. After all, he has a good track record when it comes to bitch-slapping rival club chairmen who bear a resemblance to Eric Pollard. Just ask Chris Caisley how well taking on GH worked for him.

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 8:57 pm  

bramleyrhino wrote: Congratulations on taking a comment out of context. Look at the parts of the sport that get people excited - that go viral - it's not the big bruising plays, but the flair, the skills and the trick plays. That's what gets people talking about any sport - be that Gridiron, basketball, RL or soccer. It's the Ronaldos and Messis of this world that kids aspire to be, not Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier. And not withstanding any of that, the NFL reaches hundreds of millions of people in some of the world's biggest media markets. They can afford to be slightly more resistant to change than we can. SO.......to be totally clear, you are of the ilk that prescribes that "watch it once and you're hooked'? Here....in sleepy NZ.....we have a sports show that is the ONLY sports show on FTA.....and tonight......Friday, they have a regular segment.....https://youtu.be/y4J836eVV_o nuff said...

bramleyrhino wrote: Congratulations on taking a comment out of context. Look at the parts of the sport that get people excited - that go viral - it's not the big bruising plays, but the flair, the skills and the trick plays. That's what gets people talking about any sport - be that Gridiron, basketball, RL or soccer. It's the Ronaldos and Messis of this world that kids aspire to be, not Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier. And not withstanding any of that, the NFL reaches hundreds of millions of people in some of the world's biggest media markets. They can afford to be slightly more resistant to change than we can. SO.......to be totally clear, you are of the ilk that prescribes that "watch it once and you're hooked'? Here....in sleepy NZ.....we have a sports show that is the ONLY sports show on FTA.....and tonight......Friday, they have a regular segment.....https://youtu.be/y4J836eVV_o nuff said...

Re: SL1 + SL2 : Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:00 pm  

AS108 wrote:

Also, how is it the Chairmen’s fault if crowds are low? What are they supposed to do?

They're supposed to market their clubs and attract new audiences.

Seriously, is that question a wind-up?