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Sports Prophet

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Sports Prophet last won the day on May 12 2023

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    Preaching the Gospel

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  1. How long ago was that and how often were GB playing then, compared to England playing now?
  2. There is evidence to back that theory. You only have to look at the play-off series of years gone by and the more often than not sub par crowd figures. If the Challenge Cup is to remain a feature of the season, the competition needs to remain relevant. If I am not mistaken, the CC pre SL was played at the end of the league season and was the end of season showpiece feature match, where now the SL GF has taken that role and the Challenge Cup has become an event which culminates in the halfway through the obviously more relevant league season. I like the idea of SL clubs joining the competition for the round of 16 teams and Magic Weekend hosting all 8 fixtures. That would leave the RFL to work on making sure the QFs and SFs are events worthy of large crowds.
  3. I can appreciate that opinion and I am certainly not saying CC is necessarily a better option than any of those other locations. I am not saying it’s worse either. What I want to see are some fantastic bids to drive up the standards of any newly selected club and I think a CC Bears bid could have some very strong backing, support and it would be more immediately sustainable than any of those other cities you mention. I would be happy seeing CC added with Perth and NZII for a 20 team comp.
  4. And with all that, I can say, Covid cancellations aside, I think we play near enough international RL a year. Four games a year would be plenty for me. Personally, I think three match test series are less appealing than they once were. I would rather see some diversity/variety in the end of season match ups. For what it’s worth, I think England should cut their losses and start negotiating their way into convincing the Pacific Nations to finish 2024 with a Six Nations tournament, rather than bringing Samoa over for what will undoubtedly be another underwhelming series.
  5. I lived there as well and can tell you N Sydney Bears were the overwhelmingly most popular NSWRL side. I standby my comments, it is a very good fit.
  6. For the life of me, I just don’t understand why the Bears are not focusing on their own project and bid to base themselves in Gosford as the CC Bears. It would be a strong bid and be so much more relevant to North Sydney than any of these other ridiculous merged bids.
  7. Post Covid we have seen a Men’s and Women’s RLWC in 2022 and in 2023 we had two men’s Pacific Tri-nations tournaments, women’s test matches and an England v France test as well. I don't think this constitutes “Covid appears to have ended the international programme” does it?
  8. As the NRL succeeds so do its clubs and in turn so does the NRL. Cronulla Sharks AGM was this week. Sharks group annual revenue - $27m despite a closed leagues club and only 50% of corporate space open during the build. No loss. Assets: - $21m bank balance. - additional $5m gift from New York. - Shark Park EMV $40m. - Sharks club EMV $30m. - Sharks @ Kareela (golf course and club) EMV $13m. - Cronulla mall commercial property EMV $8m. Pre-approved for $18m loan for Leagues club fit out when ready. All major sponsors/partners retained for fourth consecutive year. Sharks leagues club likely to open early 2025. No plans to improve stadium without government funding. For anyone who thinks the Sharks are on borrowed time, or would be best moving to Perth or wherever have it very, very wrong. Up Up Cronulla.
  9. For something different, my favourite international was Malta v Norway sometime around 2009 or 10 I think. A quick search for the date found an unmistakable short video of the game. The crowd were eager with lots of energy, music, flares and I think the romance of experiencing that game when almost every RL enthusiast did not, has always remained with me.
  10. I invited my future brother in-law to join me at the 2008 CC Final. Being from Central Europe he had little appreciation of live rugby. We were both in High Wycombe and we went to a couple of Wasps games. They were still a force at this stage and regularly filling Adams Park. I promised him we would go get a game of RL. That opportunity arrived to take him to Wembley for a big turnout for Saints v Hull CC Final. Wikipedia tells me there were over 80,000 there that day (how far are we from those days now just 15 years on). Great game and everything to play for when Hull came within a converted try of equalising Saints with 5 minutes to spare. The place was buzzing and what a great game it was. The best game and experience I’ve had watching RL in Europe. After it finished, I triumphantly asked him, “so which one do you think is better then?” I mean how could anything at Adams Park have come close to such a spectacle and such a crowd. At the time, I didn’t realise what a toff he was. Son of a staunch capitalist who suffered through communist oppression, my brother in-law grew up a bit of a white collar snob. It says it all when he supports Slavia instead of Sparta. Knowing the history of the two codes which I taught him and the blue/white collar aspects of the two codes, he answered “ohhh, I think I prefer Rugby Union. I think the fans are not as crazy and the game is more strategic”. I told him to “get farked” and he should consider himself lucky I would still give him a lift home. We’ve mended the bridge since, but it’s hard to overcome such snobbery
  11. Easy for me to say 2016 Sharks GF win, but I probably enjoyed more the Prelim Final the week before. We were facing the Cowboys who belted us 30odd nil in the 2015 KO semi final, so it was great to get some payback. Then it was the performance. We slowly but surely dominated and increased the lead. When Maloney went over, the 99% Sharks crowd were in hysterics knowing we were on our way to the GF. It was a great performance in front of a vocal audience. I was almost ejected by cops for continually berating the cowboys players on my side of the pitch.
  12. Well that is understandable as the women’s fixture is the fixture which will bring in the most attendees and television $$$ for the event.
  13. I do speak tongue in cheek there @Damien, whilst I enjoyed the Kangaroos allowing me to return serve for all the banter we endured pre-match from those around us, looking back, I really wish we lost that one.
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