gingerjon

Indeed. It will be to allow two halves running to 50 minutes (100 minutes) plus the possibility of extra time (say another 20 minutes once everything is factored in) and a half time of 15 minutes. Then 15-20 minutes for presentation and lap of honour. Nudging three hours I make that. Starting at 11.45 means they can have that kind of game and not get too much squished in terms of main build up and the men warming up.

The gripe is less who qualifies and more about where they play, where they are based etc. And then intangibles like long term commitment. For example, I believe every member of the starting XI who helped Curacao qualify for the World Cup was not born in Curacao. But Curacao definitely play the vast majority of their home games in their home country - and the benefits of that success will go towards football *in* Curacao. Not sure what this all has to do with Origin - it's a domestic fixture that can make up whatever rules it likes.

You missed that we have the groundbreaking development that both sides are committed to the idea of things improving in the northern hemisphere.

Bridge of Don Thistle win 6-5 on penalties.

Are we also doing this for countries and colonisers, or just sports federations? Either way, the key issue was raised earlier: there’s no inventory to check against.

I doubt there's been a backlash. I just mean, per many conversations had on here, that if that's what's being pitched to most casual sports fans (as opposed to the small number in the UK who will recognise, without context, a banner saying "LEAGUE TAKES OVER WEMBLEY" as being for a rugby league event) then it's not going to really land. They're not going to really take it in as rugby league or Challenge Cup. But it if it's only being seen by RL fans then that's a bit different. I don't know if I'm seeing it because I live in the south east or because I follow RL (or both).

But your point is wrong. Papa John's was a decent deal, undermined my people who deliberately chose to misunderstand and play the fool. Stobart was not the only deal on the table. It wasn't even the most obviously valuable of the two.

They're doing it on the socials to sell Challenge Cup final tickets as well. I'm really not sure it works.

Fair. Regardless, the years since, under everyone who had led the RFL, has seen us become less and less appealing to sponsors with no sign that is changing.

You are allowed to admit that Nigel Wood agreed with this and was the public face of getting it through. Because that’s what happened.

Nigel Wood recommended clubs vote for the Stobart deal over the £750k per season cash alternative from Betfair.

Stobart was a decent idea but poorly sold to stakeholders and then badly delivered.

Kingston meaning Kingstonian? Played Salford in the Cup there once. It's now Kingsmeadow. Chelsea women play there.

Yes, they basically had to start shutting off whole sections at a lot of grounds because, even by the standards of the time, bits just couldn't be stood on safely. I didn't go to a huge number but the terracing at most was shallow with very occasional deep steps. The exceptions were the ones like the Kop at Liverpool or Holte End at Villa where you didn't go as far back and they sort of rose up more.

We're far enough away that most people who really get nostalgic weren't there. The terraces were either full and dangerous, or empty and dangerous. For some games, the atmosphere made up for that These days, it's only the cost that makes me nostalgic for old grounds. Most of the new ones are better in pretty much every way. Wembley is a bit of an exception in that both old and new were/are rubbish - but the old one at least looked good.