Tobacco companies don't sell cigs hoping people will get addicted to nicotine then? What are they hoping? That people will only smoke once a month or so? Alcohol companies hope for nothing more than people to have one or two drinks, once a week?



Your psychic knowledge of the intent of payday loan companies is interesting. Where did you develop those powers?

Sorry but this argument is inherently flawed ...



Most, if not all, companies hope people will purchase their products or services as much as possible. That isn't the point. It's the ethical issue of the type of product/service they are offering and how they choose to carry out their business. Providing people with a service they cannot afford without any concern for this is the problem...

They rely on people feeling they don't have a choice and exploit them mercilessly. They're like the people who scavenged around after a battle, slitting the throats of the wounded so they could rob them.

So how ethical is selling the addictive products alcohol and tobacco? How does that compare to giving people the choice of borrowing from a FS company, rather than Knuckles the local loan shark, or not taking a loan at all?

Are you talking about banks or alcohol and tobacco companies?

I see little difference between payday loan companies and most other financial institutions. We're maybe all quick to condemn but we're quite happy getting interest on our bank savings without worrying about where that interest comes from. What is scandolous is the the third world debt which banks, governments and ultimately those of us in the so called developed world are profitting from.

It's obvious from the way they operate and how their profits are made. Over half of the income for a particular company came from people who didn't pay on time, leading to the massive, overinflated charges and fees that they then apply.



Alcohol and Tobacco are different, because they are not set up in this way. Also people have drunk and smoked for millenia, only recently are we seeing the decline of both of these industries, whereas payday loans companies have been set up in this more enlightened age, and how they are allowed to operate as they do is ludicrous.

Have you got data on those profit figures? Were they hidden from people taking loans? Have you compared them how much of tobacco cos profits comes from addicted smokers vs casual smokers? Are you saying people haven't borrowed money for millenia? Why am I asking more questions when you haven't answered the last ones so indicating you won't answer these ones?

Is this not the long and short of the debate? Can RL afford to have morals at the moment?

Of course we should have morals, this is sport we are talking about and it should be seen as entertainment and community not a cold hard business that all sport seems to be turning into now



I think the comparison between the payday loans companies and the traditional tobacco and alcohol sponsorship of pervious years in rugby league (and wider sport) is a valid one. Ranking them as evils is probably the best way. Alcohol in itself is not a problem (moderate alcohol is actually proven as beneficial in some circumstances) but the abuse of it is certainly is. What I would question though is whether the blame for the problems in alcohol abuse in the country should be laid exclusively at the foot of the breweries etc or the cheap deals provided by supermarkets/bars/clubs or the simple fact that British people seem to equate getting hammered with having a good time



The tobacco industry on the other had has known for years that they have been selling a product that kills and have pretty much used every under hand tactic they can find to try and persuade people their product is fine



Pay day loan companies are the new parasite on society – preying on the uneducated and vulnerable. Of course the argument exists that these services only exist if people are prepared to use them and nobody is forcing people to subscribe but the fact is they are exploitative and calculating



The question I would ask myself is this, would I work for one of these businesses and the answer is this...



Alcohol manufacturer = yes

Tobacco company = no

Pay day loan company = never

Retail banks underpin the financial integrity of everyday life. I would hate to have to travel to pay my gas bill, my council tax, tv license etc etc - and I'm old enough to remember having to do just that, with the worry of carrying large sums of cash around. They employ large numbers of workers who genuinely split a gut to help their customers.



Investment banks have been behaving like casino's, except its been your pension funds they've been gambling with, and its high time they were strictly regulated.



Much of the blame for the financial crisis lies on greedy banks allowing and encouraging people to take on debts they could not service - nobody made people take out 120% mortgages on homes that fell in value. Which shows just why many people need protecting from themselves - to keep the circling sharks at bay.



If SL fails to get a suitable sponsor for next year, they should offer the benefits to Citizens Advice and other support agencies who help people who have fallen into what must seem to be a deep, dark hole.



I know of someone who was offered £70,000 a year to leave his £45,000 a year job and work for one of these companies in the Goldthorpe area - he turned it down on principle, and the RFL should do the same if the situation arises.

Although there must be some reasonable payday loan companies out there, the interest rates quoted by some of these companies are scandalous.

Nearly 3000 % on a short term loan and there is a credit card being advertised at the mo with an APR of almost 300 %.

Some people may get some benefit from these services but, screwing people into the ground that have very few options is lower than low and is a reflection on the state of the economy.

A life without principles isn't a life, its just an exsistance !