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PETER SMITH: Rugby chiefs must not give up on Crusaders
WHY are we bothering with Celtic Crusaders when they offer so little to Super League?
It's a question increasingly being asked in the rugby league heartlands following the Welsh outfit's less-than-impressive start to life in the top flight.
The cynical view is that Crusaders were fast-tracked into the elite competition, at the expense of more worthy causes, simply to sell satellite subscriptions – and the evidence so far certainly suggests that they aren't there on merit.
Into the second half of the season, the Bridgend-based side have won just one of their 14 Super League fixtures, away to Bradford Bulls a couple of weeks ago.
They are seven points adrift of Bulls at the foot of the table and already doomed to collect the wooden spoon.
Finishing bottom isn't the problem. Newly-promoted teams tend to struggle – Les Catalans Dragons suffered the same fate in their debut campaign and were third a couple of years later.
But Catalans were, generally, more competitive than Crusaders have been so far and were better supported.
Only 2,089 spectators turned up at Brewery Field last weekend when Crusaders took on Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. Super League clearly hasn't captured the imagination of the Welsh public.
After a promising start, Crusaders' crowds have been poor. The home opener against Hull attracted 5,272 and 6,351 turned up for the next home game, against St Helens. But the gate dropped to 3,009 for the subsequent visit of Harlequins and they haven't broken through the 3,000 barrier in their three games at Brewery Field since.
In total, Celtic have attracted 22,505 fans to their six home games so far, which is an average of 3,750. For the last four, only 10,882 have turned up, just 2,720 per match.
That's clearly not enough to sustain a full-time club and Crusaders are therefore heavily reliant on their backer, Leighton Samuel.
They aren't unique in that, though. Harlequins' crowds aren't much better and they've been going far longer – in the face of similar questions over their value to the top competition.
Of course, 22,505 fans paying to watch a Welsh team in Super League is 22,505 more than did in 2008 or any previous year, so it's a start. The critics, however, will point out that it's far fewer than would have turned up to see – for example – Widnes Vikings in their first six home Super League games had they been granted a licence.
Most heartland clubs would have expected to do better, but they are already preaching to the converted. Crusaders are about introducing new people to the game, both on and off the field and they are doing that – and have more potential.
The bottom line is, they need to produce better performances and improved results. Crusaders have yet to win in front of their own fans this season and the last two home games – against Catalans and Wakefield – have been a massive disappointment following the morale-boosting win at Odsal.
Crusaders were little better than inept against Wakefield, who have been in poor form themselves.
One victory out of the last two games could have been a launch pad for an improved second half of the season, but the performance last weekend gave little cause for optimism.
The Welsh side quite clearly aren't up to Super League standard at the moment, but there are mitigating circumstances. Problems with visas meant most of their overseas players didn't arrive until a few days before their opening game against Leeds.
Therefore, they didn't have a pre-season and are still playing catch-up. That's not an excuse, but it is an explanation.
To suggest Crusaders aren't in Super League on merit ignores the fact that they finished second in Co-op National One last year and were Grand Final runners-up.
Had two clubs been promoted based on their performance in last year's league table or play-offs, Crusaders would have gone up anyway, ahead of Widnes, Halifax and Leigh, who all had a licence bid rejected.
Those three clubs have all suffered well-publicised financial problems in recent seasons.
Widnes were unfortunate to be relegated in 2005 when two clubs went down, but in the season Halifax suffered the drop, 2003, they registered just one win – and had those points taken away for a salary cap breach.
As for Leigh, the mess they made of their one Super League season, four years ago, is why the RFL decided to introduce a licence system. They were appalling on the field and off it.
Celtic are in only their fourth season as a professional club and have made tremendous strides. Yes, they do have a reliance on overseas players at first-team level, but in the lower grades Welsh youngsters are being given an opportunity to play rugby league and they are flourishing.
Crusaders' teenage prop Anthony Symons, from Aberbeeg, will tour Australia later this summer with the GB Community Lions under-18s. He moved on to Celtic from Welsh Premier Division side Blackwood Bulldogs after becoming disillusioned with rugby union. That's an opportunity he wouldn't have had a few years ago.
Aled James and Geraint Davies have already come through to Super League level. Celtic's under-18 side won the Gillette National Youth League and the reserves have beaten Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers this season.
Crusaders have fielded four teams this year – senior, reserves, under-18s and under-16s – with three of those being made up primarily of Welsh players.
And they are developing regional youth squads designed to provide quality coaching for the best youngsters throughout Wales.
Obviously it's going to be years before Crusaders can field a Super League side drawn mainly from home-grown players, but they are taking the first steps towards that – and the code is thriving at schools and amateur level in Wales on the back of the work being done by the full-time club.
Clearly, at a national level a healthy club side in Wales can only be good for the game.
England/Great Britain struggle against Australia because of a lack of strength in depth. Bringing Welsh youngsters through will increase the player talent base.
When British teams have done well against Australia at Test level, they have traditionally included a significant Welsh contingent.
Yes, Crusaders' performances on and off the field this year are a concern and maybe they were promoted before they were ready. But it's too early to say that the Welsh adventure has been – or will be – a failure.
Crowds will pick up if coach John Dixon and his players can get things right on the field. But already the community development work being done in south Wales is bearing fruit and interest in rugby league down there is growing, even if that's not being reflected in gates at Brewery Field.
Rugby league has a habit of ditching anything that isn't an instant success. Crusaders were always going to be a long-term project and their early problems mean they deserve more support, not less.
The key is not to panic – and to look at the bigger picture. One victory out of the last two games could have been a launch pad for an improved second half of the season, but the performance last weekend gave little cause for optimism.
The Welsh side quite clearly aren't up to Super League standard at the moment, but there are mitigating circumstances. Problems with visas meant most of their overseas players didn't arrive until a few days before their opening game against Leeds.
Therefore, they didn't have a pre-season and are still playing catch-up. That's not an excuse, but it is an explanation.
To suggest Crusaders aren't in Super League on merit ignores the fact that they finished second in Co-op National One last year and were Grand Final runners-up.
Had two clubs been promoted based on their performance in last year's league table or play-offs, Crusaders would have gone up anyway, ahead of Widnes, Halifax and Leigh, who all had a licence bid rejected.
Those three clubs have all suffered well-publicised financial problems in recent seasons.
Widnes were unfortunate to be relegated in 2005 when two clubs went down, but in the season Halifax suffered the drop, 2003, they registered just one win – and had those points taken away for a salary cap breach.
As for Leigh, the mess they made of their one Super League season, four years ago, is why the RFL decided to introduce a licence system. They were appalling on the field and off it.
Celtic are in only their fourth season as a professional club and have made tremendous strides. Yes, they do have a reliance on overseas players at first-team level, but in the lower grades Welsh youngsters are being given an opportunity to play rugby league and they are flourishing.
Opportunity
Crusaders' teenage prop Anthony Symons, from Aberbeeg, will tour Australia later this summer with the GB Community Lions under-18s. He moved on to Celtic from Welsh Premier Division side Blackwood Bulldogs after becoming disillusioned with rugby union. That's an opportunity he wouldn't have had a few years ago.
Aled James and Geraint Davies have already come through to Super League level. Celtic's under-18 side won the Gillette National Youth League and the reserves have beaten Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers this season.
Crusaders have fielded four teams this year – senior, reserves, under-18s and under-16s – with three of those being made up primarily of Welsh players.
And they are developing regional youth squads designed to provide quality coaching for the best youngsters throughout Wales.
Obviously it's going to be years before Crusaders can field a Super League side drawn mainly from home-grown players, but they are taking the first steps towards that – and the code is thriving at schools and amateur level in Wales on the back of the work being done by the full-time club.
Clearly, at a national level a healthy club side in Wales can only be good for the game. England/Great Britain struggle against Australia because of a lack of strength in depth. Bringing Welsh youngsters through will increase the player talent base.
When British teams have done well against Australia at Test level, they have traditionally included a significant Welsh contingent.
Yes, Crusaders’ performances on and off the field this year are a concern and maybe they were promoted before they were ready. But it’s too early to say that the Welsh adventure has been – or will be – a failure.
Crowds will pick up if coach John Dixon and his players can get things right on the field. But already the community development work being done in south Wales is bearing fruit and interest in rugby league down there is growing, even if that’s not being reflected in gates at Brewery Field.
Rugby league has a habit of ditching anything that isn’t an instant success. Crusaders were always going to be a long-term project and their early problems mean they deserve more support, not less.
The key is not to panic – and to look at the bigger picture.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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