Harry Stottle

1998 Gasnier toured here with the schoolboys, Anasta was not on that tour (don't think) Jamie Lyon was, as was Corey Parker and Brent Tate.

Did you buy into the manifesto of Mr Perez? I mention him because he was the only person we knew and heard from of the Canadian application to join the RFL, he also happened to be the spokesman, spin doctor and we are led to believe developer of the TWP. Irrespective of what you say about what a small minority of people expect to happen in *2 seasons, through documented evidence in script and also in filmed interviews Mr Perez catagorically stated that those contrbutions Mr Parksider highlights would be delivered and would flourish very quickly. I am going to give Mr Perez some leeway here, maybe, just maybe his vision may have been shackled by others in the TWP organisation and he decided other than preside over something that stopped him delivering his vision he got on his bike. Perhaps he set his sights to high, but pray tell what has Mr Parksider asks is the Canadian expierience bringing to the game in the UK, had the picture that Mr Perez sold to the RFL and us the fans come to fruition it would have been great, bob on, superb, the fact is nothing has been delivered. * you say in 2 seasons, yes that is how long the team as been playing, but in fact the TWP concept has been about much longer, given the shortest possible timescale I know of 4 years at least, that is a year of Mr Perez selling it to RFL, a full years preperation being given the "go ahead" (Paul Rowley gave up the Leigh job in Jan 2016, fully knowing he was joining the TWP a couple of months later) and then these last 2 seasons actually playing. If all those who champion TWP over here, are not concerned that all they are likely to bring to the spread of the game for a long time in the future is just a loyal following of supporters in their homeland, and contrbute nothing to the 'expansion of the game' in terms of participation, as seems to be the will of it's owner, by not helping to develop an infrastructure and putting in place an ongoing system to convert those 1000's of befallen ready made athlete's of American Football, then that amazes me.

I agree totally with your first paragraph EW, and would like to expand on it a little by including the suggestions that you follow with: Just think how many born and bred Australians would actually be playing for the 8 leading nations, couple that with other nationals who are employed in the NRL, British, Kiwi's etc plus as you quite rightly say those who "double up" in the SoO tri match series. It is fine that we on this side of the planet suggest, moralize even pontificate what should be happening in the international calander and deride the Australians for their input or lack of it. But should we just not step back and has you say take a pragmatic view of the situation, and consider if it was our domestic game and our clubs that was asked to provide the vast majority of players with such regularity what would be the reaction from the club owners, coaching staff and even us the fan's? I would love a regular structured world wide itinery - especially Southern Hemisphere - where I can go whenever I please, I am fortunate enough that I can finance regular trips and being retired that makes it easy to travel, but I can't help but to take a sensible and realistic attitude based on the practicalities rather than theoretical considerations that the NRL and it's member clubs would have to buy into to make it all possible.

Happy to be of help John, .............of course you would want the existing SC to continue I can fully understand that, you also realise that should a cap in the Champonship be introduced to "level" out the field amongst the competing teams the then successful promoted club would be required to rebuild their team to just compete in SL. This was a problem prior to the 8's system coming into being, because of the timing of the Championship "Grand Final" being the penultimate weekend of the season and that game producing the promoted club who having then secured promotion could only then begin to make a recruitment drive because they were sure of having aquired the available finances, and by that time being so late in the season it could be that a lot of the available talent had already commited to other clubs for the following season. You stop before saying that the Championship was a shambles last season, if you had I would have agreed with you, save for TWP nearly sliping up at Rochdale and Barrow and Leigh really falling down also at Barrow, there was a distinct dividing line straight in the middle of the 12 competeing clubs, in fact 2 divisions, I have no reason to believe it could be anything other than a 7 plus 7 division this coming season. A Question for you John, save for your loyalties to the Wolfpack do you consider it is a worthwhile situation for the Championship to be in or should it be considered to lower the Cap to make the division more competitive?

Just like on the terraces John, one set of supporters agrees with the ref, the other set doesn't all depends on one's perspective, I thought that would be plainly obvious.

Simples, she only needs to start with, "I have been lying to everyone all along, I never really wanted to leave the Union, this will ensure that we never will, after all they will have to agree to us wanting to pull out in the future if that should arise, and my great friend and confidant Michael Barnier says that will never happen.

Why should that be? We have had now two negotiators working on behalf of the will of the British people in exiting Europe, both scuppered by Theresa May and her policies, it does not change the vote of 2016, it means we need another PM who is man enough (or woman) to stop pussyfooting around and get the job done.

But, those Labour guy's would be staunch Brexiteer's, this is not Brexit by any shape, means or form.

Only from those who have no principles whatsoever, given this "halfway house" as a third choice on the referendum ballot paper, I would say it would have accrued no ticks in it's little box at all, no one would have voted for it then, I honestly can't see why anyone should vote for it now.

Mrs May has acheived what no other PM has done since Winston Churchill and that is to unite cross party agreement in both the House and the public nation wide. BUT ALL FOR THE WRONG REASONS She has or should have as much chance as snow ball in hell of getting through this week with just superficial wounds, she has appeased not very many with her plan, with the exception of Michael Barnier, I bet he went to sleep with a big grin on his face last night

Well one of us is wrong Davo, I remember Mr Parksider making noises regarding Mr B wanting equity with SL clubs on the Salery Cap issue, but then again being a Leigh fan it would resonate with me as I would take particular interest in comments relating to the club. Quite rightly Mr B said how could any Championship club compete with those SL clubs who were allowed to spend twice as much when they were competing in the same competition, if he did that for personal reasons for the Leigh club as he himself could finance it he was in effect not doing it to compete with the other Championship clubs but to compete with those SL clubs they would meet in the qualifying 8's and that ultimately was to the benefit of all Championship clubs, especially the one's with rich owner's, Toronto more so than any other Champ club (Leigh being the exception) have benefited from Mr B's protestations to the RFL. The question now should be, would it be ethical and fairer for the Championship to revert back to a more affordable Salery Cap for all the clubs it had prior to Mr B having as you term it "forced the increase", Championship clubs are only competeing against each other, no clubs from the SL are in the way causing any obstruction to promotion? It would make sense both financially and for a better more open competition not just being a foregone conclusion between a couple or three clubs! It would even be to the benefit of those League 1 clubs who having gained promotion to the Championship they would have more chance of staying there. So, it was not hypocracy as your "likes" and yourself suggest Davo, it could be very good for the Championship and League 1 as a whole, even West Cumbria, unless your heart is in Canada, that is!

Love you last sentance John, Isn't a democratic vote useually acceptable, until the next 'scheduled' vote has the opportunity to change it?

You are most definatley correct Shadow, we are at a state of conflict amongst ourselves and nothing more than an overwhelming majority for either side would shut the other lot up, but as you say we ain't going to get that! The fact is that of those who cared to voice their opinion by putting a cross in the box of their choice in June 2016 came out in favour of those who believed that after 40 years of being a member of the European club we could benefit by severing those ties. As you say the outcome of leaving could go one way or another it could end in cheers or tears, both sides have ridiculed the others, lies and forecasts have been wrongly delivered from the NHS funding from the Brexiteers and George Osbourne and Mark Carney's financial meltdown immediatly follwing the vote, and continue to do so. Yes we know where we are at and relativly what the future holds by staying put, but I seemingly have more faith than you do in thinking we are capable, we can look after ourselves, we can govern ourselves, we can make our own laws, you say let Brexit happen but you are also appear so very dismissive of any positive outcome, in fact you seem to have already dismissed it, I am also quite willing for brexit to proceed, and I would like to put some positve energy into making a success of it, on the other hand your intention is to campaign for a return to Europe as soon as possible, why would that be, simply because you disagree with it without first observing how it is proceeding.

Very correct John, and I suspect that Mr Cameron also had that observation within the hallowed halls, that is why he took it to the country for direction, believing it would follow his own thought process but that it did not, he was man enough to accept the vote and did the honerable thing by resigning, pity is others or not that honerable.

But most of the whines John on the other thread are from those consoling each other, those who do not believe in democracy and can't take no for an answer, those who continue to kick and scream and stamp their feet till mummy relents and lets them have their own way, how wonderful it would be if another vote was held with the same resulting outcome, albeit I suspect mummy would have to say "I have already told you twice, no, and no means no" but I suspect the very same noise would still be eminating from them.