I was considering the value of the tour to UK, and whilst I agree it's probably serving as a fantastic team bonding experience, I do question the timing; even if we ignore the concerns of Bristol fielding a B-Team, there's a timing issue of the Reds disappearing from QLD for 2-3 weeks from media coverage in the lead up to the seasons.
It removes marketing opportunities and even things like community days to build excitement/consumer interest leading into the season. There has been a few reports on their UK tour, but based on previous years I'd expect had they stayed and played against other Australian or New Zealand teams in Queensland where the media could attend, then they probably would have generated even more.