gingerjon

Yes. That’s the thing they say, isn’t it? No passionate fans in Port Moresby.

Are there many geographic areas funded by the ARLC where there are no well supported clubs but there is a decent pipeline of professional standard players? Also Wales isn’t in England. Different governing body.

Because if there aren’t people coming through the turnstiles then there won’t be the money, interest or opportunity to keep developing the player pool.

North Wales Crusaders were Wrexham people keeping a club going after Celtic Crusaders failed, London Broncos have been kept going for forty years by Londoners, Midlands is local people keeping the club going after it couldn't work in Coventry. Only Cornwall was an 'outsider' and even then the guy was also supporting local football.

I swear Tommy and I are different people who just somehow seem to have written the same post.

No, we amalgamated it, because the RFL decided to abandon an existing strategy to equalise the divisions and put 14 teams in Super League, thus further unbalancing the tiers of the game they don't think about. If Super League stayed at 12, a single division underneath doesn't happen.

That’s fair. By and large, Wales do a surprising amount with very few resources. But I don’t see how it’s enough to sustain a semi professional RL team in two separate places so far apart.

Thanks, Nigel.

The MIGHTY BLACK AND GREENS (Aber Town) have had their match tomorrow postponed. This is because their hosts, Ynyshir Albions, can't use their ground. They can't use their ground because Rhondda Cynon Taff fire brigade need it to use as a base for tackling local wildfires.

This goes wider than rugby league but I think a lot of our cultural touchpoints are stuck at points in the past so people still believe south Wales is some unique hotbed of oval ball action and there will be a wonderful pipeline of players ready to drift over from union. That era is gone. If we want RL players, we will have to make them ourselves. Pretty much from scratch.

Everything we try lasts two seasons.

Because I believe, broadly, the top tier seems to work best on a week in week out basis when it has 12 clubs at this time. I think you can just about stretch a properly competitive second tier to eight teams if you include the two who have dropped out of SL. And then I didn't really think too hard about the remainder because the options get fiddly and it's only really improved by either finding some way to raise some park pitch sides from outside the M62 corridor or persuading some strong amateur sides in that area so you get to a more workable number for division splits. But, for the good of the game, I think you start at the top, where the sport is most obviously 'product' for a wider market and go from there. I did also say I'm open to anyone else's ideas but the most important bit, really, is consistency and, as others have said, having people at the RFL really focusing and delivering on the lower sections of the game.

To be fair, it’s not something most broadcast deals are taking notice of.

If he’s not interested in a partnership then, no, he won’t be involved.

Then he'll have no involvement in UK rugby league.