JohnM

Why goes 14 mean worse games? It may be that the inclusion of more teams in the way it has been done, some sort of vanity project for the New Republic, means some clubs are under resourced, but that's s more the way it's been done, not that it's been done at all.

Went to watch a game at Roanne around 2002 (well ..between 2000 and 2005 iirc) . Arrived in Roanne, no posters, no idea where the ground was, none of the locals knew anything about it. Finally found the ground but there was nothing happening. Miraculously, 15 mins before kick off, a guy turns up and starts selling tickets from the boot of his car. I doubt the club exists any more .

We've got to have something to comment on, discuss, argue about between games so it might as well be referees and refereeing. It's easier than discussing playing skills, strategies and tactics There are issues here that will never be resolved, so the debate will outlast me and no doubt others.

Under 8s girls teams, too!

Injury is bad enough but out for the season musr be devastating.

In my opinion, Wire never recovered from the initial HKR onslaught. They just could not get their act together after that. Yes, they attacked, but there didn't seem to be any proper structure. Always on the back foot. I'd have expected a reset after half time but it did not come. Confidence seeped away.

Yes. As a neutral I thoroughly enjoyed it, although from the start, it looked to me that Wire would lose.. Such a contrast between the two playing styles. Sure, the VR took too long with decisions and could speed things up considerably if they cut out the gaps and pauses, for example. Although some fans think the games gone, the days of old when Tim Street used to wander round the pitch looking for opposition players to clout have long gone ..and the sport is the better for it. It's now a game for mesomorphic athletes not endomorphic plodders. And that has to be a good thing if we want youngsters to take up our code and aspire to a career in the sport.

Michael Lewis. ... the poor man's Andrew Gregory. But he's young yet. and he's learning, developing that cocky strut, inciting the fans (pro and anti) as well as improving as a player. Great value. One to watch.

I think point 3 is worth considering when it comes to union. MJMs point 4 has more relevance, in my view. Rugby union is established across the UK as a network of social clubs that happen to play their code. These clubs serve as community hubs, in a way, as wedding venues,18th birthday party venues, youth clubs etc and far outnumber the equivalent in our code. They aren't really a force deliberately acting, but a force filling a vacuum.

David Clayton-Thomas of BST fame. I could have sworn I'd read of his demise but no, he's still active at 84.

Really? Aren't we forgetting the silent majority?

I’m interested in how many spectators have attended past Challenge Cup semi‑finals, ideally going back to around 1950. I’d like to see whether attendances changed at key points: before televised matches, during the 405‑line era, the 625‑line era, the introduction of colour TV, and then after the start of Super League. My impression is that semi‑finals were never major crowd‑pullers, especially compared with the final. The final has always attracted fans from many clubs, with large numbers of tickets sold before the finalists were even known. In contrast, semi‑finals tend to draw mainly the supporters of the teams involved. I enjoyed both games on TV this year, but if I’d been able to attend in person, I would only have paid to see one: Saints vs Wigan.

No. You have no class becuase you are a Loiner.

KR have to be favourites to win the final after this high octane legitimately aggressive performance. Peters has done a great job transforming them into an NRL look-alike.

I'm watching the game now. I'm happy with Jiffy, Kear, Shortle, as are of course the BBC.