Harry Stottle

Two different topics in one post AB, Firstly, could not agree more with you regarding 9's it is 'Plastic Rugby League' and could easily be rebranded as the 'Survival of the Fastest' as you say it is a fun concept and there should be no place for it midseason, banish it to pre-season if it has to take place, as they do down under. Secondly, hold on a minute with all that joined up thinking, this is RL, what you are suggesting is a much better option other than two foriegn teams with no support being invited to the occasion.

Such is the reliabillity of the DR recieving club on having players that is not part of their structure, surley had your club not took and utilised this option they would have had a bigger squad and presumably with player's having more game time to fill the void. If I was a player at a club who never missed and trained hard, to be told to step aside for a 'guest' from elsewhere to take my place on the team I would be expressing my opinion very vociferously to who it mattered to, in the long run it cannot be good for team morale. The whole system of DR should be scrapped and 'A' teams reinstated in my opinion.

Cardiff.

How are you going with the DR player's from Leeds today, considering the plight they are in injury wise have they released any player's today, that is a genuine question David.

As is the case with the Summer Bash, trouble is 3 of the top 4 teams as the league stands are in the top 4 being TWP, T.O. and London if they collectivley amass 56 (enough to fill one coach) fans between them I will be very surprised. Leigh have sold close on 2000, and a reliable source tells me the next best unsurprisingly is Fev with around the 300 mark, so the top 4 clubs will most probably be less than 400 fans between them. Saturday's turnout will not make a good impression for the popularity of the game on the terraces for the viewing public, Sunday is going to be a complete embarrasment, even if the Bulls and York replace Toronto and A.N. Other, the concept should be really evaluated before doing it again next season, as our friend John Drake says keep the league structure simple, every club playing each other Home and Away, but if they have to have a weekend at a venue where all the clubs will perform make it part of the league structure, OK one team will have to give up Home advantage but surley they can be compensated for that, can't they? Exactly the same should apply to the SL as well.

They did it last week, for the TWP v T.O. game the front man on the ads as these are was Joe Westerman.

Very rare if ever that would happen, the squad numbers are given before the season starts, not only injuries, but form is a big reckoning in selection, for example take Danny Richardson at 18 and Regan Grace at 19 at Saints, can't imagine Matty Smith N° 7 or Adam Swift at N° 5 replacing them except in reverse i.e. if the two incumbents were injured.

I have a ready made argument for those from the "dark side" who deride our game which is:- How many Rugby League coaches have been employed by the Rugby Union both at club and International level to improve and make their game better, answer a lot, reverse that and tell me how many RU coaches have been employed in Rugby League for the same purpose, a nice round figure ZERO, none. But back to Mr Edwards, Yes he has been away for a long time, do you not consider he will have kept up with what new methods such as training and strategies in both offence and defence being those which can be transferred to the RU game? Is that not why they employed our coaches in the first place? It is not as though he has had a lifetime in that sport and knows no different. I may have that illogical nostalgia you say, and for me he was up there with the best player's I have witnessed and he seemed to be an innovator in some of the things he did, I think he would make a good aquisition back in our sport, his spiritual home.

Granted he is playing it seems better than ever this season and he is most probably the best centre we have but that is in SL in position that is recognised as the one that this country is void to fill with quality players. To don the mantle of "World Class" he would need to be measured against better centre's week in week out, then he would show his true standing and "class"

And.................. What about the Challenge Cup, when Leigh are victorious on June 2nd at Leeds second home will we hear of Watkins as being the excuse😜

Two Leyther's, me n' thee breaking news about what is going on at Wigan one of us will be reet, whatever next.

No disrespect oxj but you have no alternative but to take that view of the matter, NA will be reliant a on other countries working hard sourcing, training, cadjoling, and spending no little money producing players for a long long time, till, if ever NA clubs become self sufficient. for you admit that being reliant on others producing players is the norm for the premier teams in your part of the world. When your club was an embryo we were all informed how there was any number of "ready made supreme athletes" who would be queuing up to make the transition from your version of football to RL in fact on this platform we had links to the numerous auditions that were taking place, these trials being hoorayed by those taken in by the information coming out of Canada, pray tell what is the result of that excersize, as far as I am aware the only recruit is a 18/19 year old on loan at the Bulls academy, please correct if I am mis-informed. Sorry but I think that is an audacious remark you make regarding the SL club chairmen, along with the sky funding their clubs would most probably not exist without their time and money, they should make the collective decision in deciding the future, may I remind you that any club including yours with designs on playing in the British Rugby League have or will approach that body for permission to be accepted into the fold, it is not up to you make the rules.

These are reserved for those who climb over the fence without paying😛

Didn't notice your apology to me or my source in there Rupert to my statement last week when you said Your 'someone'... if there really was one ... had been smelling the same stuff as Hardaker was on. You still doubt my source saying he is maybe going to Toronto when Catalan was mentioned, well he is right on the Wane departure, only need Sutton to follow, Bateman leaving for an unknown club at the end of the season, and Shaun Edwards taking over at Wigan for a full house.

Corrections welcome Ant, but not very long ago you stated that the whole quality of the Rugby League had dropped since the introduction of the 8's not just SL, I suggested to you then that would it not be the fact that you supported one of those threatened by the increased quality of some Championship clubs you took this stance. FWIW, had the management at your club had a little more nous and retained at lot of the player's who are now plying their trade at other SL clubs you would have seen much more quality from your team and you would not feel as threatened. But irrespective, I do agree that the game us not as free flowing and entertaining as in the recent past, but I put that down to all the gamesmanship and trying to cheat the referee (which they are allowing) and the opposition that is creeping, nay, that has developed in the last few season's.