JohnM

Leigh, Wakefield, Hull KR, York, Toulouse etc thing you are wrong.

Yes to 14 teams WHEN THE COMPETITION IS STRONG ENOUGH. it's not only a matter of enough players, its also a matter of enough SL quality coaching teams. In my view, we don't have enough of those to support the existing 12 SL teams.

Er.....

I feel cheated in that I can't boycott tennis since I don't watch it anyway.

I don't think that even the Holy Trinity will save Whaki from coming second.

Outcome depends on Michael Lewis. If he's playing, then HKR will win handsomely. However, if he is not playing, HKR will still win handsomely

Deserved victory for Leigh. Saints no idea. Charnley continues to deliver. Saints no idea. Leigh aggression and speed. Saints no idea. Lots of new Leigh fans. Glory hunters I think they'd be called in other sports. Saints no idea. Edit: good interview with coach Lam. Credit to Leigh for locking Beaumont in the broom cupboard at Leigh SV

According to Wood, the IMG era is not over.

Saints don't look like scoring. In fact, they look lucky to have scored zero.

There is so much to go at in the whole situation which is why I've confined myself, if that is the right word, to shouting as loudly as possible about the whole coup - before, during and after. Division of labour. Each to their own, as it were. GJ has perfectly explained the carnage during Woods previous tenure. Currently, my concern is that Wood will not be allowed to do the things that he outlined in the podcast. After reading Beaumont's recent interview and his thoughts on TV contracts for example, I'm concerned that the clubs, or at least the coup leaders will dictate things, leaving Wood to face the music I guess we know the rewards for the junta's success. What we don't know is what the penalties are for failure. They'd better not be £300k payouts again. Lastly but not finally, what do we have to do to purge the view that we the fans must unquestioningly respect and accept the actions of some club owners as the modern day equivalent of the 18th and 19th century northern mill owners in 't big 'ouse on th' 'ill. Having said all of that, if the only way we can see what's going on is a Martyn podcast, let's have more.

Even ownership is no guarantee. If the club were to overextend to play in SL and failed, the first asset to be liquidated would be the real estate.

The issue is, when the New RFL is fully up and running, will this change? When the prime movers of the coup really get going, will Wood have to do their bidding? We've seen what Beaumont thinks and that seems to be in conflict with what Wood said.

Accountants are essential to the running of the RFL, SuperLeague clubs, Championship clubs etc. We need them to provide a picture of how each club is being run, to control costs, to model and evaluate revenue generation ideas, plans, activities. But it's unlikely, though, that they would make leaders, carrying the flag for their club as they lead it to victory. Ditto former players.

Maybe think of the podcast as stage 1. Stage 2 could be a q and a type session and stage 3 could be a Paxmanesque interview calling the RFL to account. I'm not softening by view or changing my mind: I still think the whole thing has been and continues to be a disgrace, a shambles .

1. It would be interesting to re-run the interview before the pubs open. 2. Beaumont has made his money from being a slob... Single line of business manufacturer - ( a piece of manufacturing software and some former double-glazing salesmen. The complexity of the world of Rugby League is an entirely different proposition 3. It's not all about loyal fans. To grow. New fans are needed.

Yes. Really a subject for AOB but ....Sometimes they make a profit. Sometimes they make a loss. There's more, though. Brighton made more money than the whole of our sport did in 10, 20 or more years. Brighton & Hove Albion: achieved a record £122.8 million profit in the 2022-2023 season, driven by strong broadcasting revenue and player sales. Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester City: were among the most profitable sports teams globally in 2025, according to City AM. While some clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United have experienced significant losses in recent years, others have consistently managed to turn a profit.

Radcliffe owns 27.7% of Man U. Some years that are in profit, some years they make a loss.

I've just watched this podcast all the way through from start to finish. It really IS worth watching . At present, it seems to have been viewed on YouTube 427 times, with no indication of the engagement time per view. My position from the outset has been that of objecting strongly to the way the coup was staged and the chaotic aftermath, not the personalities (except for one odious over-imbiber). I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find that Wood was basically promoting and endorsing the Re-imagining Rugby League project, covering these points. - better TV rights contracts, - expansion to 14 or more clubs only when ready - making players more recognisable as stars - improved international programme - etc, etc. Missing from both Martyn and Wood contribution of was any acknowledgement of the essential financial contribution from the fans and overall, it wasn't a Robin Day or Pacman interview. Finally, Martyn rode his anti-IMG hobby horse, as usual mis-representing and down playing their work. Wood was quite supportive of IMG but Sadler would not let go. Just a pity he was not as determined to ask questions about Woods and the other directors salaries. Just too soft. The real giveaway was Martyn revealing he frequently phoned Wood at weekends so more of a conversation between mates than a forensic interview. To be fair, though, Martyn did raise the issue of fan opposition to his appointment . By the way, Man U finances are better than Martyn represented. Manchester United's financial performance is dynamic and subject to various influences. While they have shown recent profits, they have also experienced losses in the past, highlighting the complexities of managing a football club's finances. The club is actively working to improve its financial position through revenue generation and cost management.

I think you got it right when you wrote," we stand with not having a Chair."

".But the RFL must be seen to have made any senior, permanent appointments – like Wood’s – as open and transparent as possible" Stop it ...stop it ...

The 19th century mill owners are back, worshipped on here by their perspiring amoureux. "Eh bah gum Mr Arkwright, sir," he said, "I'm ever so grateful to my betters for letting me prostrate myself in front of you as you pass by. I am not worthy and I know that Substitute the words mill owner with the words club owner and bingo there we are, back 100 years Disclosure: I repeat, I am not criticising Wood personally. I defended him all those years ago when some posters on here were highly critical of his physique. I'm scathing of the decisions and process of those who engineered this coup.

Claims have been made that the New RFL and related appointments have been "democratically" chosen - or some such wording. These claims are spurious. Democracy: for the people, by the people, for the people. Clearly, it could/should not be democratic in that sense.

A true son of the New RFL, trying to shut down legitimate discussion. I'd like to add that in my opinion, your repeated use of the title "Mr" when genuflecting to your Lords and masters is devaluing such a respected appellation. I'd like to, but I won't. But please, don't leave the forum. If only you'd stick to your knitting and discuss on-field issues, I'm sure you'd feel better.

Super-injunction.

I wasn't going to write, but maybe I will, now. Thanks for the suggestion.