Wellsy4HullFC

It's exactly what I thought. Same with the sudden expansion to 14 in SL - quick way to get who we want where we want them contract again when we get them there. And the exact reason why we need to take the decision making away from these people.

With time, Eddie my lad. Global round will spread the seed!

When they expand to 24 and us to 16, we'll have a 40 team 5 conference world competition with cross group games. That's the future!

Have the clubs chosen this? Or has it been thrust upon them? Because it's seeming more like clubs had no idea this was the system. Fairness sound always be the number 1 priority of any sporting system IMO, which is why I don't like lopsided league tables unless there's a playoff.

I assume that had Barrow won, they'd have retained their "extra life". Their lower ranking would put them as an away opponent, but the extra life guarantees them a home game next time up (if they lose, they'd be at home to the qualifier, if they win they'd be at home in the semi final proper). That part of the system I've no issue with. Rewards ranking by extra life and guarantee of home fixture at some point.

To avoid repeated fixtures, it has created a system that partially doesn't reward ranking. If 3rd plays 5th and 4th plays 6th in the first round, then 4th has an advantage over 3rd. That is an issue in a playoff system that is supposed to reward finishing higher in the table. And, as mentioned, the system is unnecessarily complicated, which can only be forgiven if it actually created a system that was both fair throughout and avoided repeated fixtures.

If the solution creates an even bigger problem, it's not really a solution, is it?

The inconsistency is grating. I've seen videos where players tackle and get straight up without any indication of holding down within about 2 seconds and a ref shouts "6 again". I'm not sure how they decide, but they're clearly being influenced by other factors in the game to have such a wide swing.

What about TV ratings and other digital impressions? Aren't these the future? (Not saying I'm for it, just saying this isn't really the best argument).

Aye. There's a new shade of blue too play with that's apparently a great seller...

Left a lot to be desired in attack at times, but he wasn't ever considered a liability. And not to forget, won Man of Steel 10 years ago.

He's the worst starting hooker I've seen at the club in the 27 years I've been watching full time. I know we've been blessed with the likes of Jackson, Swain and Houghton, but he is so far behind all of them it's not even laughable. Discipline liability, average distribution, slow in attack and lazy defending. I've no idea what Cartwright sees in him.

You're kidding, right?

Bourouh isn't homegrown. Fash is leaving. All the rest you mentioned are incredibly young and are being given opportunity to develop. Litten just sold for 6 figures. The point being, that are given opportunity. Hull's failures to actually continue their development at first team level and actually develop a decent first team aren't really relevant to my point about Toulouse so not quite sure where you're going here.

Yes, the thing that really pleases me about Toulouse is their faith in French players and coaching staff. Catalans don't seem to have the same culture in that regard.