Martyn Sadler

You're right. Well spotted!

On the very odd occasion I've had a bet on Rugby League, I discover that the bookies know more than I do, so I would be reluctant, although those odds of 16/1 for an all-Hull final would look tempting, I would think. With 14 clubs in Super League there are 156 potential Grand Final combinations, which would mean that, other things being equal, every combination would be priced at 155/1. On the other hand, if we believe that only the top 7 from last season have any chance of making it, then there would only be 21 possible combinations, meaning an average price of 20/1. In the circumstances 16/1 looks a good bet when one of the clubs has made it to the last two Grand Finals.

I'm sure that everyone on this forum would like to join me in wishing all the best to Max for a full recovery and a change of fortune. I hope that one day he can put these injuries behind him.

I'm delighted that Steve reads this forum and I hope he continues to do so. I'm sure he'll learn a lot. And of course he is perfectly entitled to his own opinion.

https://www.totalrl.com/talking-rugby-league-could-this-be-the-year-of-the-hull-clubs/

Mascord is presenting speculation as fact. I'm presenting speculation as speculation, but based on a clear conflict of interest.

You make an interesting comment about Steve Mascord, who I have long admired as a Rugby League journalist. Nonetheless, he has recently posted the following on his website. "NO-ONE is saying it out loud but there is a fear - in some quarters, a belief - that Sky won’t bid for rugby league at all beyond this year. Certainly, as previously reported here, IMG told the NRL’s Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo that TV rights would be “soft”. How soft? So soft as to be invisible? Maybe something was lost in translation but plenty of officials in Australia now believe Sky won’t even enter a bid for the rights beyond this year. If that was to come to pass, given the information we all have right now, you would have to think the British game would be driven into the arms of the NRL. But Nigel Wood is no duffer. He must have something up his sleeve. It’s got to be more than hybrid rugby. We await the silver bullet with bated breath." This is speculation of the most tendentious kind. None of us know what Sky think about a potential bid to extend the Super League contract and to suggest that "officials in Australia" believe that Sky won't enter a bid for the game is on a par with speculating whether or not "officials in Australia" believe in God. The people who matter are Sky and unless Steve has a mole inside that organisation I think it's potentially damaging to indulge in speculation about Super League's value to them. I also think that IMG have a conflict of interest here, trying to represent two organisations that have diverging interests. IMG had a meeting with V'landys and Abdo after the first Test at Wembley the day before they met the RFL. With access to privileged information about the RFL's operations, a more useful speculation may be to wonder whether they disclosed any of that information to them that would be useful if they were to progress a bid to buy into European Rugby League. It's interesting to note that the piece came out at the same time as a RFL release revealing that 50,000 tickets have already been sold for the Magic Weekend. And, just for the sake of clarity, the RFL tell me that there are several broadcasters and streamers who have expressed an interest in a contract from 2027. But it's too early to say how a new contract will look and for how much money.

In this week’s episode of the League Express Podcast, Jake Kearnan and I react to Rugby League news as the Championship season gets underway. We discuss the London Broncos’ first win under new owners Darren Lockyer and Grant Wechsel, before turning our attention to the decision by the RFL to part ways with England head coach Shaun Wane. We debate who should take over the role and what direction England Rugby League should take next. The conversation also covers the controversial exclusion of Featherstone Rovers from the Championship, the significance of almost 5,000 fans attending Salford’s opening match against Oldham, and what it says about the club’s future. We analyse key player movement and transfer news, including Matt Dufty signing for South Sydney Rabbitohs’ NSW Cup side, the ongoing Zac Lomax situation, and the Perth Bears’ recruitment drive with the signings of James McDonnell, Tyran Wishart and Nick Meaney.

The two of them kept their dispute largely under wraps but it appeared to be a vehement one with accusations of financial commitments not having been fulfilled. I doubt whether either of them had a collegiate mindset.

Ian fell out rather drastically with David Hughes. It wasn't a marriage made in heaven.

I'm slightly surprised that no one has mentioned Wells Cathedral. A stunningly beautiful building in a fine setting.

Jake has put a new version of the Podcast on YouTube.

Darren Lockyer was interviewed on Radio 4's today programme at 8.30am this morning. And it was quite a decent, lengthy interview. When was the last time a Championship club owner was interviewed on a programme like that? London has a vital role to play in the future of Rugby League.

I suspect you are right about them wanting to put in dates for the additional fixtures before making an official announcement. Meanwhile in League Express we have gone with points difference separating the teams. On that basis the top five are Oldham, Barrow, London, Newcastle and Keighley. I'm sure the RFL will decide before too long that that's the way to do it. I thought it was a good start to the new season with some very competitive games.

Steve Mascord reckons it was 4,380. Not bad!