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Happy April 1st!

Hi all, my name is Lisa. I think Matt calls me Mrs. Goose on here. He is currently running around the garden screaming. I don't think the neighbours are very happy, I have seen a couple of lights come on in bedrooms in the row of houses opposite and I think a window just opened. I better go get him in. Lisa.

She refereed our game yesterday and was probably the best referee we have seen for the last year and a half even if we were on the wrong end of the penalty count. Everything was well signaled and she didn't want to be centre of attention

If you don't mind me joining in, I'd like to tell you the story behind one half of the Manchester rugby league saga. In late 2008 I was working for the RFL in a consultancy capacity along with some of their commercial partners. I was approached by them to help them set up a club in Manchester and I agreed. I asked the RFL at the time which would be the easiest route, an adult team or a children's team. My preference would have been for a children's team but I was advised that adult team would be the easiest route. So along with three other very capable and knowledgeable people we set up Mancunians RL and joined the Rugby League Conference. We had a lot of success, winning a decent amount of silverware, and created some fantastic partnerships, most notably with the City Council the two Universities and crucially many of the local rugby union clubs. We also had a great relationship, or so I thought, with the RFL. We had several meetings with Steve Ferres, who was working for the RFL at the time with a view to joining an expanded Division 3. Our relationship manager at the RFL was the local RFL development manager who I had, or so I thought, a good relationship with. Despite the background of the new Tory government and austerity measures, we raised approximately £50,000 from agencies such as Manchester city council, to fund a full-time member of coaching staff in partnership with the Manchester College. In February 2013 I sat down with the RFL relationship manager and took him through our business plan, our development strategy, our volunteer strategy, everything that I had presented to the RFL in our bid to join Division 3. One week later Manchester Rangers appeared on the scene, with the same Development Manager who I had met with just days before, as one of their leading administrators. Needless to say everyone at Mancunians was incredulous that this was allowed to happen but our formal complaints to the RFL fell on deaf ears. We were even advised by the RFL that they had encouraged the new club to set up as they, in the words of one of the RFL development managers (who is actually still in post) was that they wanted to create a Man Utd vs Man city scenario. I obviously advised them that they were crazy to think that this would work. Within weeks Mancunians had lost approximately 50% of our volunteers, half of our team of players and those who remained were completely demoralised. On speaking to our key partners, who the new team had obviously approached, all of them advised us that the obviously had to support both teams, but off the record told us that there were concerned at the level of duplication. As @Amber Avengermentioned we had a considerable community focus at the time with pockets of activity in several areas of Manchester with regular touch rugby, walking rugby, wheelchair rugby and even some women's activity at one point. Over the next few years we battled on and the even grew our junior section despite the duplication and even interference, but finally hoisted the white flag when the pandemic arrived five years ago. I still work in professional sport and still work closely with many of the agencies mentioned above, apart from the RFL. I still work with the same people I mentioned above and we still talk about the crazy scenario which was created by the RFL and we are unanimous in concluding that rugby league is not likely have a presence in the city of Manchester for the generation to come. The Manchester Rangers thing was just a side show. Even people at the council knew and said that they were aware that's it was smoke and mirrors and no one was really surprised when they gave it up. So sadly this is the background to why Manchester doesn't have a Rugby League club. Mancunians were formed in 2009 and lasted until 2020, the club was created to represent the Manchester community and we did that successfully for 11 fantastic years. The same cannot be said of Manchester Rangers, who along with the RFL ruined all the fantastic relationships that the sport (not me or Mancunians, I hasten to add) had built. I have been approached in the last couple of years to help create another club but as I have had my fingers burnt too many times with the sport of Rugby League, I said a very polite but firm no.

Sorry to disappoint SRD fans who think the transfer fee for Sneyd will change anything in the near future - Warrington are paying for him at £49 a time - it's all they can draw each day.

Well ten lads from all over Africa today watched their first rl game live and loved it. Even better they desperately want to go to every home game from now.

Surely, if you're going to hail anyone, it must be Sezer....

easy!- the union ball is the one out of play - the league one is in play

Breaking off with IMG would be a simply catastrophic look for the sport in the (serious money) corporate and media world. It would be very difficult to find similar partners to come on board in future. I would fully expect the next Sky deal to reflect the change in attitude and focus accordingly. If we want to be a local sport for local people in a relatively small, relatively poor area of the country with average attendances in our top flight comparable to league 1 football then we'll get treated like that. Not just by Sky though, by kids who don't care for the sport anymore because it's not as exciting as the alternatives on offer to them, or by the u35s in our towns who don't come to our games because they aren't cool, and then all the old fogies will be wondering where the next generation are as the terraces get thinner and thinner in numbers. It's annoying yet again because so many clubs are making so many improvements in all the right areas to break out of this cycle. We're seeing the start of some results and finally a bit of strategic thinking.

Been away for a few days so only just catching up on all things Oldham Rugby, seems I've missed quite a lot whilst i was away!!!! Have been reading this forum and the Facebook page and cannot believe some of the comments directed towards the club, it absolutely staggers me! BL Ticket holders and the Toulouse game - yep bit off a balls up on the PR front from the club but listening to BQ's explanation on You Tube he holds his hands up and his reasonings make sense. Potentially you are getting 12 games for a £5 each if you attend them all, pretty damn good value if you ask me. Now with the Toulouse game not included for the extra £20 you have to shell out that works out at £6.66 for all twelve, still not to be sniffed at!!! Yes I can understand some people being a bit miffed at the thought of being mis-sold something but come on, there is a way to complain and make your point known in a sensible and constructive manner which I fully understand and agree you are more than in your rights to do but some of the comments I've seen go way over the top. You'd think the club were trying to rip off the fans to reimburse themselves for all that they have currently shelled out. I think it may take more than a few extra £20's to reimburse BQ & Co. I've been following Oldham Rugby since I was a kid when my Dad used to take me to Watershedding's and we'd stand behind the sticks, its in my blood and as i got older I'd watch Oldham at home and also away as much as i could. However a few years back i got so disenchanted by how the previous regime were running things (appreciate things would have been a struggle but I just could not agree with how things were being ran) that I stopped attending matches and went for about 5-6 seasons only attending the odd game here and there. We then had the takeover a couple of years ago and the fire was re-lit inside of me for all things Oldham Rugby, look at the comparisons of where we are now compared to a few years back:- 1) We now play at Boundary Park and are a couple of years into a 10 year lease - A few years ago instead of being called Oldham Roughyeds we should have renamed ourselves Oldham Gypsies the number of different venues we played at. OK Boundary Park may not be to everybody's tastes but its a "HOME" in Oldham for the foreseeable future whilst the club re-establishes itself and moves forward in its progression. Comparing the match day experience now to what was on offer at Whitebank doesn't even compare!!! 2) Melrose Training Complex - I don't live too far from Melrose and the upgrade in facilities there since the new owners have come in is amazing, it looks fantastic and i believe more is to come. I can remember back in the day Oldham scratching around for any old field to train on sometimes so to now have a fully purpose built training base which does not come cheap is fantastic. 3) Sean Long as the Head Coach - If i remember correctly back in his playing days Sean Long was regarded as possibly the best rugby league player in the world!!! To attract the calibre of someone like him to join the Oldham project takes ambition, guts and i would have thought some serious financial backing. Same also applies to the back room staff that have been assembled, these days its so much more a professionally run outfit on the sporting side of things. 4) Players - Look at the make up of the squad we currently have now, Christ almighty we have Josh Drinkwater amongst other big names in their FFS!!!! Not so long ago the team had to be made up of players from the local amateur scene just at times to make up the numbers, now look at what we have. This current squad has most certainly not come cheap and has required significant investment which BQ and Co will have had to fund a lot of it themselves. Yes the business model further down the line is for the club to become more self sustainable and then tap into the good Oldham lads out there that would otherwise go to your Wigan's, Warrington, ST Helens etc with George Hirst being the prime example of this but for now its a bit "cheque book happy", good in the short term but for BQ & Co not sustainable long term hence the efforts to boost attendances and outside revenue's. 5) Pathways / Women's Teams / links with the amateur game / getting involved in school's etc - I appreciate all this is still in its early stages but at least it is on the agenda and being talked about, previously nothing like this would ever have been discussed. 6) Social Media - George and the team seem to be doing a fantastic job, its really professional and informative with excellent content. It beats waiting till Monday for a little write up in the Oldham Chron to find out what's going on!! As BQ alluded to in his video message mistakes have been made, unfortunate but these things happen and there is a right way and a wrong way to go about things if you feel you have been aggrieved and on this occasion unfortunately I can see where BQ is coming from. Given everything that has happened over the past couple of weeks if you'd have asked every single fan of Oldham Rugby where they would rather be as a club either as we are now or as we were under the previous regime I doubt very much that many of them would say the latter. The current regime have done wonders for the club and rugby league in general for Oldham and i very much thank them for their time, efforts and probably most of all hard earned cash. They are not going to get everything correct all the time, nobody would whoever is in charge (look at Jim Ratcliffe for example ) but as long as the current owners are honest, open, transparent and admit if they have mucked up then that'll do for me Thank you BQ / MF and all others involved, it is very much appreciated - COME ON OLDHAM!!!!!!!!!

Kick em out and get Salford in there place!!!!!

History repeats itself first as tragedy, then as farce. As a fan of a club that has invested huge time and effort leaning in to the future visualised by the IMG strategy, this is as depressing as it is inevitable. As a fan of a sport that has seen positive metrics across the board in the last 12 months, to see that all being derailed by a load of "back to the good old days", small-minded, luddite dipsticks is a kick in the teeth. What the sport has always needed is a period of stability, and for the clubs to knuckle down and do the hard work required to earn rugby league a better position in the UK sporting landscape. By that I mean over the medium term, as in at least two ideally three TV buying cycles. What the sport has always got instead is a succession of "quick fix" rapid changes of plan, a "exciting" new gimmick based on one idea a club owner has had, or whatever the West Yorkshire Media Cabal (four blokes down the pub) think is important this week. And all happening before the last plan ever had time to get going. Sky stakeholders must just be totally done with us right now. They wanted us to grow up, and work at it. Instead we're showing them we're just the same old Brian Potter's Phoenix Nights version of a professional sport. Coming to a town near you soon, the Middle Eights with a Sammy Snake bouncy castle at half-time.

Ive just returned from Brixton Bulls training - literally walked through door now. Massive hats off to the club. Lads from massive traditional RU schools like Eltham College, Trinity and Whitgift there along with one lad who travels from Brighton. Capturing these and their families is crucial - not helped by a nines festival this Saturday whilst broncos are at home in not one but two different compass points of the capital. The appetite is there. The joined up thinking maybe not. And it’s not all on Broncos.

Countdown for new Oxen shirt I imagine?

Gone downhill since Nigel left.

To be fair, it's distinctly possible that the RFL investigation into this did actually start in 2012.

Ok apart from the cash, new stadiums gifting of land and paying rents what have the local councils ever done for us.

Could be worse! Some members of the forum might well be who they claim to be.

I think it's more likely to be their northern branch, MI62

Warrington tried non-contact in Vegas. It's not for me..

I'm a bit concerned Barrow signed a dual reg with Salford. Barrow signed the deal hoping to gain some players I'm worried due to our current form that Salford are going to start taking ours.

Very silly thing to post on here if you're trying to fly under the radar. Bye bye, before you kick off again.

Dougie from “The Aves”. Put “Roger the Dodger “ through for the winner in the 3rd test at the SCG in 1970. That was the last GB team to beat the Aussies in a 3 test series ( which will never happen again and that includes England ) 5 try’s to 1 by the way . Captained Widnes to victory in 78 against the Aussie touring side. RIP Doug Laughton

Point out any poster in here that has ever said they want rid of Salford, just one will do.

Not sure why he bothers paying any attention to anything on Facebook. It's a place for billy no-mates to boost their tiny egos anonymously. Bill, if you want to know what fans think, limit it to the ground and the bar. Everything else is just noise. From tother side of Royton…looks like you are doing a great job. We need more folks like you in Rugby League.

I see the Salford fans who blamed the RFL for not approving the deal quicker than they did, and Rowley who made his pathetic attempt to undermine the whole competition’s integrity for picking that daft side to play Saints, have suddenly been very quiet this week. The RFL bent over backwards to save Salford, and the whole club responded by treating them with contempt.

WE can expect a call from MI5? Is there something you're not telling us Martyn. Alexander Solzhenitsyn Martyn Sadler

Looks like a merry bunch.

we’ve had A new structure implemented. Every game televised. Video refs at every game. A dedicated streaming platform. Increased/far better social media output. Clubs investing in facilities. Womens, Wheelchair now under the SL banner/branding. I think there’s actually been quite a lot happen in the 3 years to build on. Hopefully this latest ‘reset’ is more about the governance and not ditching a long term plan.

Widnes v Warrington 7,011

Wood reviewing the RFL is akin to Shipman reviewing your local GP Surgery.

Because Paul Rowley pulled his childish stunt in Round 1 and most Salford fans blamed the RFL, rather than him. It had the desired effect, but the repercussions surprise nobody who saw it for what it was.

I like the way the club is chugging along right now. They didn't go out and make huge signings in the off season, they've opted to give game time to home grown players and so far so good. At this stage there is no obvious runaway team in the Championship, but based on the first few games if TO can keep their key players fit they'll be in the mix with the likes of Widnes, Barrow, Bradford etc. It seems at though they've made a big effort to increase their crowds and there has been an increase in matchday attendance so far this year which is positive and bodes well moving forward. The club posted nearly 6,000 attending at yesterdays game. The new president Olivier Dubiois has said in an interview last year that he is pushing for the club to play out of a newly developed 10,000 capacity stadium in the future. I'm in agreement with this thinking, the club played at its own ground Stade Minimes prior to its renovation being opposed by local residents, the atmosphere was great and capacity appropriate to the size of the club. Stade Ernest Wallon is a great arena but it's just too big for where Toulouse are right now. Only negative from the game was Calum Gahan being taken off, let's hope it's not a prolonged long term injury.

I didnt but I'm glad I have been shown the way by the faceless oracles on this internet forum! I wish I hadn't wasted the last 30 years of my life on amateur and junior Rugby now and just waited till I won the EuroMillions or sold my business when I could then get all the plaudits and make a "worthwhile" contribution to sport, rather than the many hours every week that I put in in the freezing cold winter months stood outside when I could be inside keeping warm. Oh and spending my own money (so it doesn't go through the business as my business partner wouldn't agree) to pay for sponsorship etc of the teams.. No I shouldn't have done that I should know my place as someone who knows nothing and doesn't spend enough time in the stands (becuase I am too busy actually coaching and adminning clubs) but I cant possibly have talked to people about it the sport and what they think even though I spend most of my spare time at Rugby Clubs.. The irony being we are looking to sell the business, for a not insubstantial amount which could make a nice difference at a club at champ level if I decided that was where to invest some of it, at which point I go from knowing nothing to being a visionary.. it really is quite odd. But while I did consider it as an option about 6 months ago, the last 2 weeks has made me decide that there isnt a chance I would risk my money when long term strategies and plans can get torn up like this, its maniacal and no business in its right mind would act like this, so when/if I do reinvest it isnt going to be in RL.. Some of the attitude is daft on this forum at the moment,... maybe time to take a hiatus.

Similarly my kids should be congratulated for securing some great Christmas presents after persuading me to buy them.

These guys might own the clubs but they don't own the game. Clearly McManus only cares about Saints, otherwise he'd have used his property development and Chinese finance experience to help Salford. This lot act like Victorian mlll owners telling us what's best for us. However. we are not grateful workers doffing our hats and tugging our forelocks.. thank eee sir. Who are THEY to tell ME how it's going to be. We're in the first live playing season under the long term strategic "Re-imagining Rugby League " project...the first in the sports history. And what do these patricians do? What they've always done: screw it up. Clubs (and yes, it includes you, Leigh) have clearly upped their game on all fronts since the project was first thought of. It's nonsense to suggest otherwise. Attendances look good, social media presence is off the scale, more access to live games than ever before. And now, in this first season, already a few games in, the SuperLeague table is looking healthily different to the norm. After 66 years or so following the great sport, I'm asking myself, "why bother....stuff 'em".

11,231 for Hull KR vs Leigh

Saints-Wire: 14,068 Wakefield-Hull: 8,027 Bradford-Barrow: 3,085

6,000+ sold now for Widnes v Wire later, including 2,400 from Warrington. It's a nice day here so hopefully a good walk up can see us nudge over the 7,000 mark. Either way, it'll be the biggest attendance at the DCBL for 7 years.

This is some epic victim mentality. Congratulations.

Sounds similar to the arrangement we have in this country with the RFL and Salford players.

So dissapoiting that the board are being subjected to this attitude /criticism by a group of people who have got a good deal out of the club. Well done guys you have clearly p****d off the chairman to such an extent that he is saying if someone else wants to take it on come and see me. This club is having its best period in almost 30 years both on and off the field. Do people really want to go back to the dire days of the likes of the Hamilton era. Wake up people. Stop this negativety and get behind the club and the great people putting their best efforts and monies into the club.

Some really good audience figures in here. Wigan v Wire was the 2nd best Sky TV Super League viewership of all time. This is the stuff we need to be delivering to reposition us in TV rights negotiations. https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/super-league-las-vegas-clash-sets-sky-sports-viewing-figures-record-as-bbc-figure-also-smashed

Absolute success, I live in an area dominated by football and RU fans. This week I’ve had 4 texts of friends along the lines of, “What’s this Vegas thing about mate?” - they inevitably tuned in. Up the pub Friday, a mate of my old man’s mentioned he heard about it on the news. Watched it in the pub on Saturday, on both big screens - people were pulled in by the presentation, Stadium, location and the likes of Marshall, French, Nsemba, Ashton. Miski’s finish had a few responses of. “Fu***ng hell that’s insane! How!?” Vegas for these punters is big night boxing or UFC. It’s cool and relevant to them - Wembley and Old Trafford is a tougher sell, they’ve heard about it, know about it and have been there more often than not for footballing reasons. Now RL has barged its way in they gave it a similar opinion thanks to Vegas. Credit to both clubs they’ve put league in the eyes of so many more than would usually receive it. A mate of mine has watched a bit of league over the years, he knows enough about it, intelligent bloke pays attention to the details, I thought his analysis was spot on: ”Remember those twins that used to present it like a northern comedy (Barrie & Terrie) it makes rugby league look comical, nobody takes it serious. That studio they’ve got tonight, the stars on show - that’s how you make people take it seriously.” Success

Wakefield have now played Hull KR, Hull FC, Leigh, Leeds, Warrington & Sts, all teams in the top half of the table. We’ve got 3 wins, been in every game with a chance of winning with the exception of Sts which was still a tough affair. We are competitive despite missing an average of around 6 first choice players for each and every game. Well done to the team, coaching staff, recruitment staff and of course Matt Ellis who is a proper owner who can take us right to the top!

Indeed. A strong London club would be a genuine asset to British rugby league, not a threat. It would enhance the sport’s credibility, attract new sponsors, and create fresh broadcasting opportunities all of which would ultimately benefit the northern clubs. Yet, because London has never received consistent financial or strategic backing it has become an easy target for sneering fans and short-sighted chairmen. The M62 mindset prioritises protecting its patch, even if that means the sport continues to shrink into irrelevance. Most M62 clubs are barely keeping their heads above water, clinging to local rivalries and derby gates to stay afloat. With such narrow margins, they see little incentive to embrace expansion when they are struggling to fund their squads. IMG was meant to provide a long-term, strategic vision for rugby league, but so far, it feels more like a rebranding exercise for the same old short-term thinking. The grading system may have rattled a few cages, but it hasn’t forced M62 clubs to look beyond their backyards. Instead, they remain fixated on box-ticking their way to a Grade A rating rather than considering how to grow the sport as a whole. It’s the same parochial mindset that has held the game back for decades. If the NRL were to turn its attention to the UK, it could be the catalyst rugby league desperately needs. A trans-hemisphere competition or the NRL cherry-picking elite British clubs would expose just how insular the sport here remains. The NRL’s financial power, broadcast reach, and genuine ambition for growth would make IMG look like little more than a PR agency overseeing a superficial rebrand. An NRL-backed takeover, even a partial one could finally break through the glass ceiling that northern clubs continue to reinforce. For the sake of the sport’s future, London must succeed. Fingers crossed for a partial NRL/Dolphins helping hand.

This makes me really sad. Doug Laughton was coach of Leeds from 1991 to 1995 and I can honestly say there's never been a Leeds coach before or since who made watching the team so much fun. It was only a sidenote in his career really but it has always stuck with me how much of an impact he made. Some of course (hello Schoey!) view this whole period much more negatively than I do but, if nothing else, he signed Kevin Sinfield. RIP Doug Laughton, one of the game's winners and a real personality as well.

Should Salford drop out I bet it will be a really difficult decision for the new chair of the RFL to decide who to replace them with from the Championship.......

Hands up if you remember Ottawa!