Quote HatedAndAdored="HatedAndAdored"What is killing the game is people's attitudes to life outside of Super League, particularly certain fans of certain CC clubs. We have a vibrant, competitive and ever improving league here. It's about time people recognised that and got on with enjoying it rather than whinge on about Super League franchising. We've simply played to the RFL's rules. As a club we are best placed regardless of on field performance. We've met the criteria and we've laid long term foundations for success at the expense of ramming our 1st full of top class players. We've done what we had to do to plan for the long term.
In any case, 2 grand finals, 2NR cup wins and a NR Cup final isn't a bad record and we may surprise peope this year with the squad we've assembled.'"
Can't agree with that mate... I'm all in favour of franchising at is suits our purposes at the moment but the prospect of staying in this division isn't one I relish for the simple reason that it will always be overlooked by the RFL as anything other than 'the other leagues'.
How the RFL can continue to subsidise the leagues so unfairly and expect the lower divisions to flourish is beyond me. The amount of money given to teams on TV is one example of this. It's evident that you will get lower attendance figures because some people will opt to stay at home or in the pub to watch it and that's fair enough, but the money handed out should go some way to recompensing for the lost revenue especially as it's the non-season ticket holders more likely to stay away.
I still enjoy my RL but I won't forget the feeling of getting knocked out of the last two play-off series and just not caring. If it doesn't go our way on March 31st I'll still go along and watch and pay for my season ticket every year but I would be worried for the future of the club as it is. I don't think Championship RL is quite the spectacle it could be which is a crime and even more so considering how relatively easy it could be with the support of the RFL.
I think it will definitely make for a stronger SL comp in time but it will make for a very weak Championship unless the clubs can entice money men to spend their pennies for the licensing dream.
All the rest of what you said about us doing what is necessary is absolutely spot on.
We have been very fortunate indeed. It seems unreal looking back at what could have happened if either of the other two parties had won their bid.
