ruggerbeleeg

Pretty restrained mate. All the best Griff

So what. Exactly that's just what the RFL are thinking. I refer to the rest of the post in the context of the OUT OF TOWN MENTALITY (Richard Lewis is from Surrey, which is just about as far away as you can get). 2% You could use those type of stats with any traditional rugby league town and come up with the same percentages they don't mean a thing, is Featherstone for example not a rugby league town because only a small number of the population goes to games at the moment. Halifax was and still is a Rugby League TOWN in the context of those that follow sport. If you were to speak to the sporting fraternity of Halifax they would talk about and have an opinion on rugby league both at profesional and amatuer level so it's not just about those who pay to watch. That would not be the case with Sheffield that only have a few hundred home supports and even less to away games so stats again is a false argument ,how would the same statistics work out in Sheffield? There are 200 people where i work and many of them are from Sheffield and surrounding districts i speak to them often about the game but not one of them watches or are interested in rugby league. There are a number of reasons why people don't pay anymore but one of them is because they ARE from a traditional rugby league background and don't like what they see happening to the game it's changed so much it's not the game they once loved. Because of this if Halifax were to go out of buisness i and many others would walk away from the game tomorrow and never look back and so would a lot of other teams supporters. In fact it would be good to ask that very same question on the other teams sites and see what answers come back. The question. If your team were to go out of buisness how many of you would walk away and not look back with the state of the game at the moment As regards Halifax being a rubgy league TOWN, still just at the moment but not for much longer, as each successive generation comes through the interest is getting less and less and it may end up as a town with no proffesional rugby team at all. Sheffield never has been and never can be a rugby league TOWN in comparison to the traditional clubs from both sides of the border simply because they were not around at proffesional level when the game started and developed. That does not mean however that they are some lesser club or their fans are some lesser supporters in fact it means the opposite, to put a competative team on the field like they do with a small yet loyal and passionate fan base and limited resources tops many other sides and is in place now not because what happened decades ago in a completely different time. Speaking personally and for all the Halifax fans i know Sheffield are thought of as a tough quality side that can beat any side home or away and will be there or there abouts come the end of the season and deserve and command respect. As regards Sheffield being in the West Riding, Wings and Griff can talk about that because that's who raised it in the first place and not me.

Double sigh. Of course not but Batley is in the West Riding hence Wings reference to being a Bulldog if he was still in this part of Yorkshire. You are the only one who has ever mentioned Sheffileld being in West Yorks and your getting your wires crossed. Get some specs and re read the posts.

How does da work that out de is getting mixed up da doesn't know de ridings from da elbow de dunt.

Good point Wings. Let me try and explain why being a decent championship club does not equate to being happy as you put it. Up to now there was a small glimmer of hope that clubs such as Halifax who had a good history and were once in super league and a strong force prior to it could get back there. Halifax is a founder member of rugby league and is very much still a heartland rugby league TOWN as well as a rugby league club. No dissrespect intended but Sheffield is not a rugby league TOWN but it has a rugby league club and that's maybe why you don't understand. You would have to be brought up and live in a rugby league TOWN to understand but could you see St Helens as a club or a TOWN settling for second best. Everything goes in cycles and at the moment Halifax are not in as strong a position both on and off the field as they once were but it does not stop them trying to get back to the top. It would be like saying to Sheff Wednesday and Sheff United just stay where you are and be happy don't try and get back to the top flight. Would that be right and how do you think that would go down?? The better players would not be interested in coming to that type of club,the gates would plummet, less cash coming in and even staying at that level would soon become unsustainable. The very nature of league and division based sport is promotion and relegation you can't be content to stay still, stagnation leads to oblivion simple as that mate. Another point is that the not a cat in hells chance is being imposed by the RFL on it's own clubs of the lower leagues under the banner of expansion. Why should there not be a cat in hells chance. Have a look at what i think of the whole franchise system in the thread "Franchise Farce" on the Barrow site. Soon the money will stop being spent at clubs like Barrow, Halifax and the rest because no one is going to drive down a cul de sac and the competion will be of such poor standard no one will be going.

Rumour has it that Fax are chasing Tel yer papa before his new contract runs out, oooops sorry i meant as soon as his new contract runs out (almost another law suite on it's way) but part of the deal will mean he can't play against the Eagles until he decides to change his mind because he did, didn't, did, didn't, did did did x 10 agree to it in the first place, AND. Mr Calland does rate a certain J Woodcock so could be a scoop story breaking here.

Yes and going to Bradford rubbed it in However he did get a standing ovation and a thunderous "There's only one SHAD Royston from the Fax on Sunday. If he were to break his leg in his first match though, well