38 replies to this topic

[John Drake]

Welcome to Rugby League World. Our latest issue (355) is on sale from Friday 1st October.



If you’re going to take a risk, make it a big one, that’s my motto. Planning a cover photo shoot that involves not players, not coaches, not even professional models, but readers of this very magazine from far and wide larking around with painted faces to promote our Four Nations issue was courting potential disaster. Luckily, as I think this month’s stunningly unique cover demonstrates, sometimes a risk is worth taking. I’d like to thank Emma Broadhead (England), Sarah Harper (Australia), Andy Dean-Lee (PNG), Teresa Dean-Lee (NZ) and Chris Waywell (referee) for entering into the spirit of it and making the day we spent together at the Gillette Heritage Centre in the George Hotel in Huddersfield such great fun. Andy & Teresa travelled all the way from Portsmouth, Sarah from Newcastle, Chris from Warrington and Emma from Dewsbury to take part.

Our ten-page countdown to the Four Nations includes former England coach Phil Larder assessing the challenges that will face Steve McNamara’s team as they head down under, plus Steve Kilgallon provides insight from a settled New Zealand Kiwi camp while Steve Mascord has more worrying news from Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Also in this issue, Chris Irvine of The Times discusses the alarming decline of Rugby League’s presence in the national press, Leeds Rhinos legend and internet entrepreneur Keith Senior contemplates life beyond a playing career and we meet up with Bradford Bulls rising star Elliott Whitehead whose career is only just beginning. Plus, we ask is Martin Offiah Britain’s most famous Rugby League player, in the presence of the national treasure himself.

We have some great photo spreads from the Co-operative Championship Grand Finals and a whole host of end of season awards ceremonies, and we chat to Terry O’Connor about Widnes Vikings progress towards a Super League licence.

For those of you with an artistic leaning, we have a special feature on the art of rugby, a look back to the 1926-27 New Zealand tour of England, an analysis of Wigan’s historic dominance of the Championship title, plus our line up of top class columnists and much more.

As ever, we hope you enjoy it and please do tell us what you think. You can contact me on my email address at john.drake@rugbyleagueworld.net or on Twitter @rlworld

John Drake – Editor

NB: You should be able to find a copy of the mag on sale in all good newsagents in the UK from 1st Oct – if they don’t have it in stock, ask them to place a regular order for you. You can also order a single copy or a subscription to be delivered by post to any address worldwide by clicking here.

[hindle xiii]

If I find any swearing I'll be banning it for a day.

(Where was my reminder to read the last one?! Jeez!)

[Dave T]

Welcome to Rugby League World. Our latest issue (355) is on sale from Friday 1st October.



If you’re going to take a risk, make it a big one, that’s my motto. Planning a cover photo shoot that involves not players, not coaches, not even professional models, but readers of this very magazine from far and wide larking around with painted faces to promote our Four Nations issue was courting potential disaster. Luckily, as I think this month’s stunningly unique cover demonstrates, sometimes a risk is worth taking. I’d like to thank Emma Broadhead (England), Sarah Harper (Australia), Andy Dean-Lee (PNG), Teresa Dean-Lee (NZ) and Chris Waywell (referee) for entering into the spirit of it and making the day we spent together at the Gillette Heritage Centre in the George Hotel in Huddersfield such great fun. Andy & Teresa travelled all the way from Portsmouth, Sarah from Newcastle, Chris from Warrington and Emma from Dewsbury to take part.

Must admit, I like the cover.

Will be looking out for this over the next few days...

[deluded pom?]

No international content other than the 4N John? The lack of any international features outside of Australia, New Zealand and France was one of the reasons I stopped buying RLW.

[ckn]

No international content other than the 4N John? The lack of any international features outside of Australia, New Zealand and France was one of the reasons I stopped buying RLW.

I just had a flick through this morning and there were other international bits including a few pages on the Alitalia European Cup and other nations. Admittedly not a huge amount but still more than mentioned.

[John Drake]

No international content other than the 4N John? The lack of any international features outside of Australia, New Zealand and France was one of the reasons I stopped buying RLW.

A commissioned feature on Serbia didn't arrive in time for the print deadline. Feature commissioned on Tonga expected for next issue. Planet League in current issue includes a preview of the European Cup and news from Italy, Ukraine, Lebanon, Canada and Fiji.

It's about striking the right balance. I also get emails from people telling me there's too much international coverage in the mag these days.

I can't guarantee we'll cover absolutely every aspect of the game in every issue, we only have 84 pages to play with and my editorial judgement has been that it is worth covering something well, rather than just including tokenistic stuff for the sake of it to tick boxes every month. I do feel confident in guaranteeing that Rugby League World these days is packed full of well written, interesting, varied features that are more than worth the £3.50 cover price and that any Rugby League fan, no matter what their particular level of interest in the game, would find something in each issue to satisfy their curiosity and justify their investment in a copy.

Give this issue a whirl and feel free to tell me if I'm wrong.

[Amber Avenger]

No international content other than the 4N John? The lack of any international features outside of Australia, New Zealand and France was one of the reasons I stopped buying RLW.

Can't speak for this issue, but the content has been massively improved this season - I've read reports about the game in Canada, the US, Russia, PNG alone in the past few months and I'm sure I'm forgetting loads more.

Not sure if you have picked up RLW since February/March-ish (and apologies if you have) but it's vastly improved on this front and many others compared to the past few seasons.

This general sort of statement seems to come up in the thread every month - and it's not a dig at you deluded pom - but it begs the question if a lot of RL fans are even aware that RLW is almost a completely different magazine these past few months. It's a damn shame if not.

EDIT: Forget me - what John said!

Edited by Amber Avenger, 01 October 2010 - 12:16 PM.

[John Drake]

EDIT: Forget me - what John said!

Not at all, it carries more weight when it is a reader's independent opinion on the mag rather than a plug from me, as I could be said to have a vested interest in saying all that. Even though it's true.

[ckn]

I noticed this lunchtime that Sainsbury's in Ipswich (Warren Heath branch) have started to stock RLW but placed it partially out of sight behind the union monthly mag. I helped them with their obvious mistake by placing a few copies of RLW on top of the union pile giving RLW the advantage of a prime display location.

Been years since I last did that.

[hindle xiii]

Last issue polished off since my last post, I'll search for the new one when I go out in a few minutes. I'll then try and read this one by tonight.

Now, can I have a free binder please?

[deluded pom?]

Can't speak for this issue, but the content has been massively improved this season - I've read reports about the game in Canada, the US, Russia, PNG alone in the past few months and I'm sure I'm forgetting loads more.

Exactly why I questioned the lack of any mention by John of some international content other than the 4N

Not sure if you have picked up RLW since February/March-ish (and apologies if you have) but it's vastly improved on this front and many others compared to the past few seasons.

Yes I have and I totally agree. I can't believe that some people think there's TOO much international news in RLW. What do they think the magazine's name means? I want to know what's happening in the big wide world rather than what's happening in the usual suspects.

Edited by deluded pom?, 01 October 2010 - 04:07 PM.

[hindle xiii]

I've got it, had a quick flick, it'll will probably take me longer than tonight to read it. I did wonder where Sean Long's Guest Room appearance was, but I noticed the line or two mentioning it for next month.

More 'Red Hall Diaries' I see. I'm beginning to just accept this bag of poo will be around forever, even Keeping Up Appearances knew when to call it a day. This is our Last of the Summer Wine.

[Maximus Decimus]

Yes I have and I totally agree. I can't believe that some people think there's TOO much international news in RLW. What do they think the magazine's name means? I want to know what's happening in the big wide world rather than what's happening in the usual suspects.

There's a good reason why it's only a few pages. Basically the fact that league isn't played that much around the globe.

I'm all for international stories but there's only so much you can write on competitions with 4 Union sides playing League in the summer.

I'll always remember the first ever issue of Open Rugby I bought as a teenager, I bought because on the front it said it had a feature on RL in Italy. I had little idea about RL outside of the UK at the time and was wowed by the idea that RL is played in countries like this. I was not surprisingly underwhelmed when I found out that it isn't really.

[saintsbird]

I've got it, had a quick flick, it'll will probably take me longer than tonight to read it. I did wonder where Sean Long's Guest Room appearance was, but I noticed the line or two mentioning it for next month.

I only bought it for that then it wasnt there....thats an extra £3.50 LPL have, I only buy it dependant of who is in it hence buying it for Longy......robbing buggers

[Northern Sol]

There's a good reason why it's only a few pages. Basically the fact that league isn't played that much around the globe.

I'm all for international stories but there's only so much you can write on competitions with 4 Union sides playing League in the summer.

I'll always remember the first ever issue of Open Rugby I bought as a teenager, I bought because on the front it said it had a feature on RL in Italy. I had little idea about RL outside of the UK at the time and was wowed by the idea that RL is played in countries like this. I was not surprisingly underwhelmed when I found out that it isn't really.

I remember buying one and was amazed to find out that Kazakhstan had a national rugby league team. God knows how long they lasted or whether they ever played a game.

[Northern Sol]

I noticed this lunchtime that Sainsbury's in Ipswich (Warren Heath branch) have started to stock RLW but placed it partially out of sight behind the union monthly mag. I helped them with their obvious mistake by placing a few copies of RLW on top of the union pile giving RLW the advantage of a prime display location.

Been years since I last did that.

I get mine at a service station on the M5; it is not always available and it often requires digging through Rugby [Union] World to find a sole copy. This month (and at the beginning of the month no less!), there are as many copies of RLW as the union mag.

[indomitable]

For years I always bought mine at one of the Smith's stores in Wales, working on the premis that they would know there are some customers who actually read about league. I have finally now gone on to annual subscription, and it is really great to actually get it on the day of issue, rather than having to check when the stores have it in.
Plenty of good reading this time, but the problem with being in ones dotage, I find little coverage of the past. Reminds me of the stores who sell objects from times past, and you find you were born before the times they cover. I was rather shocked to realise it was 45 years ago since I left Bradford, but at least I had seen Northern reborn.

[hindle xiii]

So far up to the New Zealand Four Nations feature, everything up to it so far is pretty bang on. That Steven Mullaney piece* is especially good.





*(written by l'ang?)

[ArmchairRhino]

Moans:

Does Richard de la Riviere have to shoehorn his "bring back GB" agenda in to every piece he writes? Why does the editor allow it?

Bit of a balls up not offering the promised Sean Long guest room but I look forward to it next time.

Praise:

Still looking good on John Drake's watch. Some good, meaty reading in each issue.

Good PNG article. You understand why we see so little of them when you read about all the squabbling.

Moving piece from Chris Westwood. You always know you'll get something a bit different from him.

Mike Rylance is an able replacement for Cliff. But we knew that anyway.

Gavin Willacy's piece was a good 'un- I'm sure I'm not alone in having tried to piece that together for myself before. Reminded me that I'd like a book with all the tables, cup results and such like. I'd like an Rl equivalent to the Phil Soar football books I've got.

Despite above moan, I did enjoy the Offiah interview. RDLR's done a few good interviews with some of the game's biggest names. His strong point in my opinion.

Questions:

Is Caplan getting two pages now?

Is Dave Hadfield saying the 64-10 defeat was GB's last game in Sydney? He must have had some night in 2006.

Edited by ArmchairRhino, 03 October 2010 - 10:37 PM.

[timtum]

Read it in one sitting today. Quick comments (as I passed it on to someone else on the plane):

I'm with Hindle Xiii the Red Hall Diaries are an embarrassment bordering on a disgrace

John Drake's editor's piece was absolutely spot on and he should be proud of himself

Westwood's article ditto

I could happily read Dave Hadfield's musings until the cows come home

I enjoyed again the JJB / Keith Senior bit

I struggle with Steve Mascord's writings......

Overall, splendid. Nine out of ten. Silver star. I'll try again with the online subscription (which pinched my last £3.50 btw).