M j M

Lots of people underestimating this Leeds team. I like it. It's only a couple of months since Leeds saw off Catalans at home and Smith has already coached the team to two wins at Gilbert Brutus in his two years in charge.

They do suggest this is only a short term thing until they can find a commercial sponsor to pay them money. I wonder how much the DW deal was worth.

Leeds by 7.

Does that just leave Brian McDermott from their short list?

Hull FC agreed a sponsorship deal when P&O Ferries were a large local employer of good standing. Hull KR agreed a sponsorship deal after P&O had sacked all the local workforce in scandalous circumstances. Trying to equate the two is amazing.

A reminder of this advert P&O's security company placed just before the sackings indicating how they planned to approach the job.

It's tricky, there are no direct alternatives so what do you do? I'm sure there are people in Hull who refuse to use them and others who have no choice. Hull KR on the other hand had the option to say no.

What on earth are you talking about?

Oh yeah, making the owner understand that they need to behave differently is crucial. However he's probably still reeling from the Gus whatshisname era when he let him run things.

Is there any reason Souths aren't at the SFS? I thought they were moving back there?

You will never find someone willing to put anywhere near as much money in as the current owner. Without him London wouldn't exist. What use is made of his money is the question, an experienced guiding hand for on and off field decision making is vital.

Of course it's Myler's fault for Warrington not following the rules It's very hard to look at Sam Burgess and not think he is very much a tool as well. But you do you.

Leeds should win comfortably. I'm away for this one and am sort of glad I am given the hostile environment towards their own club the moronic minority of Leeds fans will no doubt again generate.

I know NRL 360 is a bit of a toxic mess but I'd love something similar in this country. I can't imagine who could be on it though, almost all our pundits are either unwilling to operate in anything other than cliches or not smart enough to really give it an edge.

I disagree, it's the sport's decision (maybe not the RFL's) to focus everything on the twelve or 13 current or recent SL clubs. In fact that's probably giving everyone too much credit: it's probably not even be a decision, it's just neglect, allowing the SL clubs all the power and lack of a central strategy. The SL clubs include three, four or five who are genuinely big ones and the rest who happened to be in the right place at the right time and are no bigger than a bunch of other clubs who have been cast to one side over the past 20 or 30 years. That's the biggest problem with the IMG stuff - we have a load of teams who in the long run are all probably much of a muchness Grade Bs. But incumbency is now so huge that we have effectively permanently written the rest off, with the consequent decline in interest and engagement in Rugby League in those places. The sport's core strategy should be AFL-like: as big and strong as possible in the north of England with strategic, long-term expansion plans into select new markets. Rugby League isn't really a northern sport any more. It's a sport that is strong in 11 or 12 towns in the north with a rag-tag bunch of other places where it used to be a dominant force and is now secondary or worse.