I have just read this article on the independent website, Must say I agree with this guy, any thoughts? www.independent.co.uk/sport/gene ... 61145.html

I have just read this article on the independent website, Must say I agree with this guy, any thoughts? www.independent.co.uk/sport/gene ... 61145.html

Get rid out of Superleague ASAP. We've tried to expand and it's never really took off. Stick to the m62 corridor for me. Plenty of other teams with a good fan base could come in instead.

My view is that the RFL either do London properly and invest large sums of money (as the NRL/News Corp have done with Melbourne) or we drop them to the Championship or Championship1 and let them grow organically (like Crusaders are now doing) this half-hearted approach just isn't working.

The problem is the bloke who owns London and (literally) his mates that 'run' the club.



No matter how much the RFL/Superleague gave London, the money would be grossly mismanaged, just like it is now.



The RFL have made big inroads in grassroots RL in London, participation figures in schools and clubs are pretty decent now. It'll be a shame if there isn't a clear pathway to get these youngsters into the pro ranks, the same pathway that Dixon, Sarginson, Clubb, McCarthy-Scarsbrook etc have followed.



Personally, I think London should be treat like any other in SL. Flounder at the foot of the table, with poor crowds etc, and you lose your license. Maybe 3 years in the Championship will give their board the kick up the arris it needs.

London bring nothing to Super League and Super League would be no worse off without them.

I would look to strengthen the game in the south of France. So much potential around there.

Expansion has worked, just look at Catalans.



However compare what Catalans have achieved in a fraction of the time London have been established and it's clear that expansion at the top level hasn't worked in the capital.



Drop them down a league for me and let them develop sustainably as others have said.

A Superleague without London could severely impact on our ability to bring money into the sport, especially from Sky.



London have suffered not only from a nomadic existence but also an identity crisis. It's all very well shouting about a city of 8 million people but those 8 million have the very best of anything to entertain them and we can forget sport, we are in the entertainment business and are competing not just with soccer, RU etc, we are also competing for the attention of a generation of couch potatoes, who'd rather play games on an X-box than a field.



Even if we go back to the Fulham days, London has had a relatively short time (compared to the 100+ years of many clubs), to develop and grow a game that was and is, an alien concept for many. I can't claim to have the solution but I do feel that RL will be poorer with London in Superleague

Kinda my thoughts to. Think there needs to a be a shake up with the idea of a team in London and a proper structured plan to make it successful.

You've also got to remember that London isn't really a single place.



I live 15 minutes walk away from Waterloo (the mainline station where you get trains to The Stoop from). In theory, I'm really well placed to go to see The Broncos. It still takes me over an hour to get to The Stoop by public transport (generally the quickest way to get round London). It generally takes me at least as long if I drive.



It's an even longer journey for people who live in most of North London, all of East London, and most of South London. If Broncos attracted fans when they played out in Sth East London, those fans would have a hell of a journey to go to Twickenham every week (albeit that some of them do).



Whereas if I lived in Leeds (it would be rubbish, I know, but), for instance I could probably drive to any other SL ground apart from London and Cats in the same time it takes me to travel from Waterloo to The Stoop.

I do wonder whether there's the potential for a bump down to Championship 1 to do London some good. The gates aren't there now, so it would be hard for them to take a knock, but maybe if they were actually competitive in their league for a spell people might find it more appealing to watch. It's already a hard sell as a minority sport in a non-traditional RL area, it's almost impossible when they are being made to look like a bunch of amateurs who are hopelessly out of their depth most weeks.

I've said for years that playing in Twickenham doesn't do them any favours either. Its a bugger to get to even if you live in London. Plus it doesn't make it attractive to the vast majority of Londoners who don't live in the South West of the city.



Moving more central is unlikely (ground share with QPR?) and I'm not sure that a move to Barnet is the answer (as has been suggested), but they certainly need to do something to get bums on seats, from home as well as away fans