HARD lines, Leigh Miners Rangers.
The Twist Lane outfit has made headlines that I suspect they didn’t really want by becoming the first side in the National Conference League to be relegated this year.
Rangers’ defeat at York Acorn, coupled with Rochdale Mayfield’s victory at Dewsbury Moor Maroons on Saturday, means that demotion from the Premier Division, which in truth has long looked nailed-on, is now a mathematical certainty.
I opened this offering by extending by commiserations to the Miners, and I really did mean it (not that I wouldn’t have been sincere in offering condolences to any other club in the same situation).
It’s about twelve or thirteen years ago now that the club with which I was involved, which was a Pennine League side at the time, travelled to Leigh in the BARLA National Cup and pulled off a wonderful win (incidentally, we returned to the same ground at the next stage – you wouldn’t make it up – and prevailed against another top outfit, Mick Fishwick’s Hilton Park).
We had a very decent side under our energetic and highly intelligent coach Paul Handforth. The Miners didn’t (quite) field their NCL team but you wouldn’t have known that in the aftermath. All and sundry at Twist Lane, so far as I could see anyway, allowed our lads to get on with their celebrations without any hint that a few ‘squad’ players had been included by our opponents (not that that especially weakened their team).
It was hugely impressive and strengthened my stance that we were striving to build a strong club more than a top team.
Whether, a decade and more down the line, that’s happened is open to question. What is, I reckon, beyond doubt, though, is that Leigh Miners Rangers remain a vibrant enterprise, regardless of the fact that their first team at Men’s Open Age level will be operating in the NCL’s First Division in 2026.
How they’ll fare remains to be seen but I suspect that they’ll be pushing for promotion; I certainly hope, with all due respect to the other eleven teams that will be in contention, that that will turn out to be the case.
Meanwhile, congratulations are due to the RAF, whose win over the Australian Air Force on Thursday at the RAF College Cranwell, in Lincolnshire, ensued that they closed the Air Force Tri-Series in pole position.
It was a winner-take-all clash and could quite feasibly have gone the other way, even though the RAF enjoyed a 12-0 winning verdict.
There was no score at all in the first half, but a couple of converted tries early in the second period gave the boys in light blue a very handy cushion against their heavyweight opponents.
There were no further tries or goals in what sounded like a ‘proper’ Rugby League game and the progress of the RAF, who have carried all before them in the last year or two, will be very much worth monitoring in the coming months.
Meanwhile, what a lovely touch by Hull KR prop Sam Luckley to show up at Alan Parker’s 85th birthday bash, proudly clutching his Betfred Challenge Cup medal, which was won in last month’s victory over Warrington Wolves at Wembley.
Sam, I think, knew very well that Alan is a long-time Robins fan (not that one of the most sporting men in Rugby League thinks in any way badly of any other club) and the Rovers star stayed at the event for over an hour, I believe, relishing the sight of Parker wandering around with the medal hanging from his neck.
It’s a fantastic story and one that warms the cockles of my heart, as Alan Parker is certainly one of Rugby League’s ‘givers’. So, obviously, is Sam Luckley.
Meanwhile, let’s hope that Parker and his colleagues in the Hull & District League’s committee will be able to run the Council Cup this year. I’m hearing that perhaps seven, maybe eight, teams could be in contention for the midweek competition. Fingers crossed that, come early August, enough local teams will have stepped forward and pledged inclusion.
Looking a fair way further north, Scotland Rugby League’s Grand Final on Saturday week will involve West End Warriors, who are through to the big occasion in their first season, and either Edinburgh Eagles or Forth Valley Vikings.
Saturday’s semi-finals were rearranged following the withdrawal of Glasgow RL, who had to pull out of their scheduled tie at Forth Valley.
Scotland officials will announce, over the next few days, the venue for the game, which is expected to be closely fought.
On a much nearer horizon, it’s the Wales RL’s Grand Finals Day this Saturday (2 August) with several games taking place at The Lextan Gnoll, Neath.
Aberavon Fighting Irish and South Wales Jets will go head-to-head in the JES Conference decider at 3.00pm, while two junior finals will have taken place earlier in the day, starting with the Under 18s clash at 11.00am, with the Under 16s game being set for 1.00pm.
Finally, I was very saddened to learn, on Saturday evening, of the death of Ray French at the age of 85.
Ray was very well known as a former dual-code international, as a fine second rower with St Helens, and as a distinguished captain at Widnes.
He was also renowned as a Rugby League broadcaster, scribe and author.
I was very lucky to have got to know him very well as an extremely supportive colleague, indeed as a mentor.
Ray French was a good man and he will be badly missed. May he rest in peace, albeit with a rugby ball undoubtedly in hand.