Wakefield to stop up.

stuey

Good news. Toulouse going down.

What do we supporters want
-- spending 100's on going to watch Toulouse in France in transport costs or a fiver in transport costs to watch Wakefield.
The income from 6000 Wakefield supporters visiting us or the minimal income from 100 Toulouse fans.

What do the club want

1000's spent on transport and hotel fees for a trip to Toulouse, or zero cost to play Wakefield.

Maturecasfan

stuey
not what the club wants, more of what the ESL/RFL want.
Though it does look like Toulouse as gone.

If they have gone, any players from them who would fit into out squad.

pirate

stuey
6000 wakefield fans? you would be lucky to get 600 travelling polecats

Matt

Would have been nice to see them in the Championship for at least a season just to give one back to the years we went down however it’s a stronger league with Wakefield.

I’d really like the RFL to start putting more of an effort in to help bring French RL up to the point where they’re able to support a league of their own - would help the international game and the wider picture too.

Swagger

Rather spend hundreds going to Toulouse than a 5er to Wakey. Simple. Nevermind. Will spend it going to Perpignan instead.

Jackknife

I wouldn't of minded a trip to toulouse, couldn't afford it this year though unfortunately n probably won't get the chance again now unless they up the league to 14 after next year.

yorky

or the rugby league could increase super league to 14 teams & stop these stupid loop fixtures & the 2 games in 4 day weekends!!

TamworthTiger

yorky I like the idea of going to 14 teams and getting rid of loop fixtures. It wouldn’t necessarily stop 2 games In 4 days though as it’s still 26 fixtures and they won’t get rid of Magic Weekend because it justifies the playoffs. If everyone plays everyone else twice the Champions would clearly be the team with the most points.

Shameless

I think we will see Toulouse staying in the top flight next year when IMG announce their grand plan. My guess is Leigh and Featherstone to join a 14 team SL next season.

TheMachine

Toulouse offer much more than Wakey do

Better chance of better TV deals with

Shown alot more ambition than Wakey who's plan seems too be just survive every year

One less local team in super league would surely give us a better chance of attracting more local young talent for the academy?

If a club is relying on away fans then they're not doing it right

TheSheriff

6000 Wakefield supporters? What? They can't even get that many fans to watch them at home!

The RFL should make Toulouse immune this year so Wakefield can go down from 11th, so they can know what it's like.

Jackknife

Id be all for the 14 team SL but hasn't Ralph already said thats definitely not happening next season?

HuddsTigers

I couldn’t care less about away fans. I care more about building a club for a generation and if that means losing our local rivals so we can profit from the local player pool, which is shrinking, as well as growing our fanbase too from new fans, so be it.

Similarly, I want the sport to grow financially and that means pursuing the projects with a real plan - which the game and RFL don’t have or don’t support - plus ignoring self-interested clubs. The game will grow from improving the quality of the game, removing stupid rules and making the game easy to understand, making a visionary league system that allows clubs to invest, develop and brings in non-heartland clubs securely, and that drives commercial income. It is sponsors and large brands that is going to grow the game, not chasing local small businesses. They may passionately love the club and it is great they do so but we are in such a parochial mindset as a sport it is going backwards at the rate of knots.

This goes for CTRLFC where we have seemed to fawn over keeping local derbies because of revenue instead of doing things to improve our club to improve our own fanbase.

I couldn’t care less if Wakey go down - I want us to show them no mercy and want to beat them every time, want to see them in the lower leagues. After all, they never showed us mercy in the past (2006 they couldn’t). But they still didn’t care about losing us and I highly doubt the majority of fans would care in the future either.

Hirsty

HuddsTigers

I have a question relating to your post, where you appear to contradict yourself.

"Similarly, I want the sport to grow financially and that means pursuing the projects with a real plan - which the game and RFL don’t have or don’t support - plus ignoring self-interested clubs."

and

"This goes for CTRLFC where we have seemed to fawn over keeping local derbies because of revenue instead of doing things to improve our club to improve our own fanbase."

I just wonder - you say you want the sport to discard the self-interested clubs, but then suggest that's exactly what we are.

As much as I love the club, I personally fear that we fall within the "self interest" category and we therefore run the risk of being penalised in the eventual masterplan.

HuddsTigers

On the plan, I’d also say there seems to be no Commercial strategy for France. No Commercial team over there? No collaboration with the FFR. No real drive to target businesses in France who want to sell in the UK or vice versa. No seemingly long term plan of how to drive the player pool in France to benefit the brand of Super League. Nothing. The RFL are sat with their heads in their backsides and have been for years hoping for a miracle solution.

Matt

HuddsTigers No seemingly long term plan of how to drive the player pool in France to benefit the brand of Super League.

This has always been a problem. I have no problem with the French teams being in SL and Catalans over the years have shown that it’s possible to build a successful club.

The issue is there doesn’t seem to be any drive from the RFL to improve the sport in France. They’ve had a presence now for a long time and while Toulouse have come up the ranks there’s nothing behind that - where’s the player development and marketing to get the future generations in to the game.

To survive the sport needs to grow and the odd club from Canada, France or America isn’t going to cut it. The French project has been going long enough now and a long term plan needs to be put in place on how it can spawn a new French league.

With the right people on board RL could thrive, we have a great sport but years of neglect and chasing whatever the NRL does hasn’t helped. Stop with the constant rule changes that confuses not only long term fans but makes it near impossible for those that might watch the odd match a season and focus on what actually matters - improving the sport from the ground up.

TamworthTiger

Hirsty the reality is though that every club is self interested. Some just seem to have more clout than others to protect their self interest.

Pat

For me we need more English based teams in the league do away with the loop fixtures and for magic week end have a sevens tournament with the men and women at a ground we can fill. Has for the french tv deals that only goes to the french teams has I believe they do not get any sky money. Just my views

TheMachine

Pat what is this fascination with a sevens tournament for magic? Do that and may aswell just scrap it altogether

Matt

Pat For me we need more English based teams in the league

We need to have a championship capable of supporting at least 12 full time teams too. Then we'd start to see some more quality come through both in terms of the teams and players. Dropping one league down and suddenly playing against part time clubs isn't helping the sport either.

Jackknife

I dont agree with the magic weekend it gives some teams an advantage over others depending how hard their fixture is (we've been lucky getting wakey most times) same with the loop fixtures it should just be play each team twice end of.