BARRETT

Can anybody recommend a good insurance company that offers sensible cover for players. Ideally, I'm looking for all cover, i.e. off work through injury, hospitalisation etc, etc, and not just broken bones? Many thanks

According to the Discipline Sheet, Egremont didn't attend for a personal hearing. Why didn't they offer the video of the game to the discipline group so that the Mayfield players' alleged misconduct could be looked at? That surely would have helped them?

If Stewart Prior voted yes, I guess it was a unanimous vote 😁😉

Very sad to hear that Stanley Rangers have pulled out of the NCL. I hope they can re-group over the next few seasons and get back to being one of the great clubs again. The open age game is teetering on the brink just now - with the exception of a few clubs who are doing well. There's something broken and I don't honestly know how, and if, it can be repaired. Clubs travelling away with 11 and 12 players, 6 or 7 people at training sessions, clubs struggling financially. Summer rugby for open age hasn't been successful. Fewer spectators, more expensive coach travel, lower bar takings. How is it all going to end? ☹️

Very, very sad indeed. They're a great club with excellent facilities that committee stalwarts have worked for years to achieve. Other clubs are in a similar situation though, and it's only pride and determination that makes them carry on. Some players don't want to commit to the game - if they want a game, they'll turn up and if they don't fancy a game, they won't. Sadly, I don't think Blackbrook will be the only one to drop out of the NCL (fantastic though that league is!) this coming season.

Blimey! You've only been in the NCL two minutes and you're talking like you know it all. I'll send a PM to the NCL and suggest they run everything past you before commenting on here. A little less of the condescending attitude wouldn't go amiss.

They now have Anthony Murray as coach - and he's a great motivator! Muz knows how to get the best out of players, and I suspect he'll do a good job there.

One club offered us 17 'tokens' for food - which only covered the players. Made a complaint that clubs are supposed to have 25 tickets so that the coaches and other officials have refreshments too. The woman replied "if you think we're feeding the waterboys, you can forget it!". Another club asked me to show them where it said in the league rules that clubs have to give 25 refreshments to the visiting club. Generally though, there's usually lots to go around :-)

Well done to the NCL management - especially Trevor Hunt, who has worked tirelessly to bring some great sponsorship and value to the NCL competition!

How are we all doing with the new registration system?

I thought Queens had disbanded. Obviously not - but what did they win to enable them to be included in the RLCC?

subject to acceptance from the remaining member clubs

An error for sure!

'an amount of money given towards the cost of buses' isn't quite the same as 'free travel'. The amount of travel funding that was given to NCL clubs was based on the mileage that each club had to cover to fulfil their travel obligations for the division they were in. Consequently, many clubs received a far smaller amount than others - quite rightly, as clubs in Cumbria for example travelled far more miles than some other clubs. The travel grant was apportioned fairly, when each club was given a specific amount 'per mile' and it would be fair to say that the grant each club received didn't actually cover the cost of two buses. Hardly 'free travel'.

I can't honestly remember the other incentives, and sadly we were never offered 'free travel' (if only!).