Yes a sport that without Sky in this country would be still playing in the dark ages to the same old flat cap (this is my sport so FO) brigade.



The same attitude that held the sport back for decades.



I tell you what, give me a Sky decision anytime over that era of no progression, no new followers of the game, Christ, it would be like watching Batley every week and nobody deserves that.

The very same.



I gets me how s like the OP can spout this crap with nothing to back it up.



Also Salfords crowds are prety much on a par with Celtic. Wheres thier thread?

Because that is a Rugby League Old Skool hotspot of Rugby League action with HISTORY

I hope you are being sacrastic Loz. the very mention of the words Salford and Franchise in the same sentence has me reaching for the Sniper rifle and looking for the highest tower block in Halifax!!

of course







Halifax were rightly not awarded the franchise IMO, Yes the academy and team set up are very good but behind the scenes had only just settled down



next time around should be considered

Nottingham Outlaws for SL 2019!

The AFL has gone national by transplanting teams from Victoria to Sydney and Brisbane. The Brisbane Lions (formerly the Bears) used to be Fitzroy I think. In any event these transfers of teams (which basically means the previous team dies) have taken advantage of the huge number of southern 'expats' in Queensland and Victoria, for whom 'football' means AFL and the existing player rosters of the transferred teams.



In fact the new Gold Coast team will be the first genuine 'new' AFL side, and it will be interesting to see how they go, as they won't have the advantage of an existing squad to start with when they kick off. They also get given cash handouts by the league to start up, player draft benefits and a higher salary cap (to attract interstate players) than southern/western sides.



It's also interesting that the Sydney Swans are sh*tting themselves over the thought of a second Sydney team, as this will dilute their appeal considerably.



Just thought you should know - SL is having to expand within its means by using finance raised by the new teams themselves, so everything is quite different. About the only 'advantage' I can see that Quins have had for example is in the overseas quota. Imagine the hue and cry if say Celtic had been given wads of cash and poached the likes of McGuire, Long etc to start up.

Would be good for the game if it got the crowds in, I liked the suggestion from an aussie coach a couple of years back that each club be allowed a marquee player who stays outside the salary cap, ie; sinfields contract stays outside the cap, but wakefield might tempt mcguire as they can offer way more than available under the cap, would also keep the better players from being poached (the aussie coaches reason for suggesting this when the gasniers etc left the NRL)

I can see the rest of the squad being delighted at one of their team mates being designated the "marquee player" and paid far more than them. I can see what he was thinking, but in practice that's a horrible idea.

Look...the rules were simple.

Get the welsh in and fans will point the finger at them and leave us alone!

Keep up at the back



P.S. Who exactly is throwing money at us in London?

Who's throwing money at Quins? Certainly not the citizens of Twickenham and West London.

Nice sidestep but he's already pulled the rug from under your argument.



There's more to life than average attendances, and in many respects Harlequins punch very much above their weight in terms of strengthening the game.