Wakefield Ram

Think you'll be in top 5 this season. Good coach and recruited some good players. Barely had to get out of 2nd gear, whereas we only have one year and think we'll be bottom 5.

Well it was a nice day and a very good crowd. Pitch looked good for this time of year. Batley looked like the experienced, well-coached team they are. They didn't need to do anything more than complete their sets to win. And they've got Ben Reynolds to come. And Dewsbury? Some good individual performances from Bentley, Bateman and esp Luke Nelmes who ran himself into the ground. But the team lacks size in the forwards, we spent most of the first half in our own half. And on the few occasions we did, we lost possession or kicked early for no reason. We completed one set in the opposition half in the first 40. We defended well, but offered next to nothing on attack. We had one scoring chance in 80 minutes. Kicking game was mediocre, Sykes is still our best half back, so no idea why March left him on the bench for 60 minutes. I debated whether to buy a Season ticket but the £120 offer swung it. But it looks like it being another struggle this season and think the playoffs will be beyond us. If only we could get a coach like James Ford, some big props and a couple of good half-backs. Until Paul March leaves, it's hard to see any hope of improvement. Hopefully this will be his last season.

Too much management speak and don't really see what his plans for the future are. So there's been a "strategic review" but it's not actually written down in a report. Totally unfit to be RFL CEO. Just a load of meaningless waffle. Anyone any ideas what he is actually saying?

I'd go with your selection but think Dan Coates will be at 6. Don't think Sykes will play. Our shortage of props is a concern. Thought Joe Summers should play at prop, when he did against Swinton, thought he had one of his best games. And Jack Briggs play out wide, he's quicker. Sadly I think it will be a comfortable win for Batley.

£20 and £2 it's on FB but not the website https://tickets.dewsburyrams.shop/ticket/rams-v-batley/

Fev and Salford would have been A last season, not so sure about this season.

No, but just wondering where they have suddenly found money to sign players and whether it is sustainable?

Good in theory but it just doesn't stand up to much analysis though. Hunslet doesn't affect Leeds though it may the other way round. Manchester United and City seem to manage as do Liverpool, Everton etc...

Well they have very few supporters and last season ran a team of University/ Academy players and finished bottom?

Just kicked the can down the road.

In a better place with fewer actual Newcastle players? And possibly fewer actual Newcastle fans? Would you support York if it was just changing Hull KR reserves every week? It looks like a good exercise to run a York Reserves side wearing Newcastle shirts. I look forward to Newcastle publishing their long term strategy - well anything beyond fulfilling their fixtures this season.

RL is so badly run, it's barely believable.

So just a short term stop gap with no long term plan for Newcastle. Just York Reserves playing in Newcastle shirts.

So taking your point, say at the end of the 2026 season, York decide they don't want to continue, where does that leave Newcastle?

Will it help Newcastle develop their own playing squad? No Will Newcastle be likely to develop a support base watching a changing set of York Reserves? No If this is just a stop gap then it's an option - a bad one in my opinion, but where's the plan for Newcastle to become a sustainable club in their own right? York aren't guaranteed to be a SL club if the next TV deal isn't enough, so if/when they get relegated what happens then?