228 replies to this topic

[AndyCapp]

Storm by plenty

Edited by AndyCapp, 22 February 2013 - 01:04 AM.

[Paddsy]

Sir Kevin to show why he is the best in the world!!!

[Konkrete]

Martin Offiah just been interviewed about it on the radio. Managed to get England v All Blacks in. No talk about the match itself.

Biggest year in RL since 1895 apparently.

[Saintslass]

Martin Offiah was on the couch on BBC Breakfast TV this morning, talking about the WCC plus rugby league in general. He actually sounded articulate for once!

[Amber Avenger]

Really looking forward to this one! Genuinely not bothered who wins, I'm just hoping for a blockbuster

[High Peak Rhino]

Looking forward to a match being played in nice cold and crisp conditions just like the old days.
I didn't manage to get to Headingley at all last year so really looking forward to this.

[Grinner]

Martin Offiah just been interviewed about it on the radio. Managed to get England v All Blacks in. No talk about the match itself.

Biggest year in RL since 1895 apparently.

Heard the interview too, think that's a bit unfair on Offiah, he was going through a list of big sporting events of 2012, then listed the big RL events of 2013. He wasn't really asked about the WCC as game, but did deal with other british clubs winning it, and the history of the fixture, tehn moved on to the World Cup. Basically he sounded articulate and knowledgable for the Radio 4 audience that wouldn't know much about the sport itself, talking about the actaul game would really have been lost on most of the listeners.

[Konkrete]

Heard the interview too, think that's a bit unfair on Offiah, he was going through a list of big sporting events of 2012, then listed the big RL events of 2013. He wasn't really asked about the WCC as game, but did deal with other british clubs winning it, and the history of the fixture, tehn moved on to the World Cup. Basically he sounded articulate and knowledgable for the Radio 4 audience that wouldn't know much about the sport itself, talking about the actaul game would really have been lost on most of the listeners.

Fair points, perhaps I was falling into the paranioa trap - it usually gets sprung when RU gets a mention in a RL piece.

On a slightly wider note the bit in bold really needs challenge. This is pretty much the exact stance taken by the BBC in broadcasting and schedulting the Super League show. To paraphrase - It's a northern sport and people in the south dont understand it and won't be interested. Radio 4, wonderful as it is, has a far higher concentration of listeners in the south than the north. A wishy washy general RL spout by Offiah would, for me, have been better served with some insight into the match itself. After all that's the event on tonight.

[High Peak Rhino]

Fair points, perhaps I was falling into the paranioa trap - it usually gets sprung when RU gets a mention in a RL piece.

On a slightly wider note the bit in bold really needs challenge. This is pretty much the exact stance taken by the BBC in broadcasting and schedulting the Super League show. To paraphrase - It's a northern sport and people in the south dont understand it and won't be interested. Radio 4, wonderful as it is, has a far higher concentration of listeners in the south than the north. A wishy washy general RL spout by Offiah would, for me, have been better served with some insight into the match itself. After all that's the event on tonight.

Offiah was 5Live a little later on and concentrated much more on tonights game than anything else.

[Maximus Decimus]

I remember it wasn't that long ago that many in the sport used to be quite apprehensive about the WCC. Around the time of Saints defeats of 38-0 and 44-12, it always felt like we were putting the reputation of our league on the line and when we got hammered it basically proved how far behind we were.

I think it says a lot about how our league has moved forward that you don't hear these opinions so much anymore. Personally I'm not deluded, I know the odds are stacked in British clubs favour but I also know that we're almost guaranteed a high-quality tight game. Sometimes we concentrate too much on the negatives around the sport and not things like this where we regularly compete with the best NRL clubs.

If we were to move it to Australia mid-season then yes I think many apprehensions would return, but for the moment I'm looking forward to a high-intensity game in front of a packed crowd with hopefully some magical moments!

[EastLondonMike]

Debut's for Grubber and Steed tonight also..!

http://www.rlwc2013....-and-steed-to

[MattSantos]

Any live streams? Overseas and on my iphone!

[terrywebbisgod]

Rhinos: Watkins, Vickery, Ablett, Moon, Hall, Sinfield, McGuire, Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock, Ward, Delaney, Jones-Buchanan
subs: Kirke, Clarkson, McShane, Achurch

Melbourne: Slater, Waqa, Chambers, O'Neill, Fonua, Widdop, Cronk, J Bromwich, Smith, Norrie, Harris, Hoffman, Hinchcliffe
subs: Ryles, Setu, Vave, Moors

[hindle xiii]

Crikey, Jon Wells is rivalling Daniel Day-Lewis.

[chuffer]

Lol at eddie and stevo talking about how big the storm players are...."Yes well the australians do tend to...err...work out more than we do"

[hindle xiii]

Stevo's tie!

[chuffer]

For the one and only time this season I'll say "gwan leeeds! Good luck and tear the ###### out of 'em!!!".

[shun]

For the one and only time this season I'll say "gwan leeeds! Good luck and tear the ###### out of 'em!!!".

same ere!

[chuffer]

Ublucky mcguire...nice to see them out their 20

[Dave T]

Good tough game so far!