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leaked: Government slogans for when we relax to Level 3......

The previous deal was $1.8bn for 5 years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). That works out at $360m per year. The new deal at $2.3bn for seven years works out at $328m. Whilst it's a drop, I think its probably a good deal given the current economic climate. Edit: in fact, on re-reading the article, its only actually for 6.5 years (as it covers the remainder of this season, where I believe the NRL have had a chuck of the broadcast money). Funny that Ch9 are willing to splash so much cash given the way they have been talking the sport down over the last few months - couldn't be that they were trying to drive the price down with negative press could it? ?

I wouldn't bet against our R number going airborne in about ten days

That Halifax/Saints game was a great one - even when you know what's going to happen, it's still good to watch.

The thoughts about international rugby league by many there summed up in a nutshell

Does this deal include any of the international game (Australia fixtures)? We need to be selling all international fixtures separately to the NRL and Super League deals.

Exactly. I tried to run the club website and then my own fan site for a while but the two were just mirroring each other. Bits of code from DTBW ended up in the current Oldham website and bits more found their way into the Heritage Trust website.

Loved that. Well done to Auntie Beeb.

This programme wasn’t scheduled for Bbc Wales for some reason and they have changed their mind and are showing it now...

The world has moved on Colin....

It’s a decrease but considering the current situation it’s long term steady income. I expect V’landys will be brutal in cutting costs and building assets and income going forward. He’s an alpha shark in his trade.

Great video, two questions were those the highlights and did anyone actually score in any of them? As for TWP damned if they do, damned if they don't & damned at all points in between!

The death of the CFL - and once upon a time that was my favourite sport - will not be mourned by me. It is a third-rate game now - a good NCAA team could beat any CFL team, when once upon a time a good CFL team was competitive with a lesser NFL team. I say let the CFL go and its fans can go back to the game's roots and follow their local university teams. Most of which are already on life-support. Besides, the death of the CFL opens the door for rugby. And with teams in Toronto and Ottawa already it would put RL one up on RU who only have the one team and they are part of a league very likely to be killed off by Covid-19 as well.

Week 4, day 3 - 23, 28, 23, 23, 34 Had an extra day off between day 2 and day 3.

I’d dig a foxhole too,the negative police will be all over this. CORRECTION They already are.

Interesting article on the HDM. They've listed the 129 players to play for both Hull and KR, some great names on the list. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/rugby-league-news/hull-fc-kr-derby-players-4117937

Must say I’m very uneasy about this changing message . We’re at a very delicate stage where it can still tip the other way very easily and seriously despite everything we’ve done . Drop the stay at home and you just know there’ll be loads of people who won’t do it because they’re not being told explicitly to do it ... give an inch take a mile . This week out n about will be interesting , it was fraying in areas anyway . This is the most dangerous time

Me neither.

Dunno, they're never seen again... just don't dredge the bottom of the river... and don't ask any building firms about missing concrete blocks...

Also, was a nice reminder of how talented Simon Haughton was... pity he didn't kick on as he could have been one of Great Britain's best for a long time.

Another great show guys, well done today's guest's, great to hear from some of Town's best local talent talking about town's great times in the 90s, keep them coming fellas.

You could always stop off here for a refreshing pint...

I agree. I don't mind if 5 or 6 get into the playoffs, and I suppose there is some merit in rewarding the top couple of teams somehow. But one of the few things I miss from the 8/8/8 period is that we had a proper semi-final round, and it was always a cracker. Last 4 teams standing, all with a shot at the title going for it on the same weekend, and a great lead-in to the GF. Better than the final in some ways. Now we have a dud 'losers final' just before the grand final, which is a really anticlimax, and the favourite not playing. In the same way, in many ways I love the NFL's Championship Sunday more than the Superbowl, two games back to back, 4 potential champions at the peak of form, and it's all about the sport, not dominated by the showbiz of the final. I'd simplify our playoffs: teams 3-6 play quarter finals, with top two having a bye, and then hosting the semis. Would love to see them back to back on a Saturday or Sunday evening, but probably be stuck on Thursdays and Fridays...

Yes.... those are what I've enjoyed about france for the last 40 years. Where we tend to gravitate to in spring (our wedding anniversary is 30th may), is the Loire valley. There is a campsite we've used for nearly 30 years right in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by wildlife, vines and agriculture. We adore it. It is very relaxing. Yes I'd miss the markets at amboise and blois, having an ice cream at chambourd and a coffee and croissant en terrasse in town. BUT, I'd still enjoy a walk around the vines in wide open spaces bird watching and looking for wildlife. I'd still enjoy the solitude of a stroll along the loire and I'd still enjoy the peace and quiet of the campsites wonderful location as long as L'eclerc or intermarché are open and johnny gauloise is in his cabin across from us and can chat from across the road. The memsahib and myself are quite happy in those circumstances.?

Boris is still looking a bit peaky isn't he?

The Grim Reaper's too scared to try and take Jerry Lee.

Ralph Rimmer, just prior to the bailout being announced: "It has been probably 3 or 4 times a day for the last 3 weeks, they have been unbelievable supportive, they've been fantastic, the DCMS and the Treasury and various members of cabinet as well.." https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/rugby-league/11974776/rimmer-latest-updates-from-rfl Government understands the impact on the livelihoods and communities that rely on rugby league and quite rightly make some time for it and other sports. They can walk and chew gum at the same time. The scientists and medical advisers and NHS work on the outbreak, the police keep order and the economic and social ministries work on the wider impact. Discussing if a return to sport and other activity is possible and fighting the outbreak aren't mutually exclusive, and it seems to be what most people are expecting from their government.

I think the BBC should do a show called Rugby league rewind . Programme based on rugby league highlights of a certain year mixed in with news and music from the same year .

It is a slight decrease. What isn't know is whether Nine got their grubby mitts on the digital arm. If so, V'landys needs to go.

As the prime minster once said, I have never heard such a load of sanctimonious humbug. You know nothing about what individuals want or think and to accuse people of wishing to put others at risk to get their 'fix' is just appalling. I'm sure you'll give it the old predictable "I just say what I see" bobbins but it's just pompous virtue signalling at its very worst. Everyone's suffering from this pandemic, nobody wants people to come to harm, but we love this sport at least as much as you claim to and want it to still be around and thriving in 5, 10 and 50 years, rather than being wiped out for good in the next year. That's what people are debating, like every other sport and every other business. Yes, sports clubs are businesses collectively employing thousands of people. And what's more, you're entirely wrong. Have you not even been watching the last week? The top people in our sport are in contact with government every single day to work out plans for how some of the game might return if and when it's safe. No sport or business is just sitting back and waiting to be told what to do, thank goodness. You don't want to be part of that discussion? Absolutely fine. Take a back seat then. But to come on to the forum and attempt to shut others up by accusing them of being willing to risk people's health is beyond the pale.

If financial ruin does come to the CFL this Canadian for one will be happy. They have gradually turned the great Canadian game which was a precursor or RL as can be seen in the video footage below from the 1920s (when despite the original form of play-the-ball introduced back in 1880 having been sidelined in favour of the imported snapback method of restarting play by that time is easily recognized as being just like RL) into a pale second-rate version of the brain damage ball created by our southern neighbours, so I say a pox on them.

Hello CanadianRugger from beautiful Stouffville, Ontario and a Hearty Welcome back. Given the historical significance of yesterday, I salute you, and all your comrades in the Canadian Armed Forces for the job that you are all doing. I just can't hardly wait for my local Royal Canadian Legion Branch 459 Stouffville to re-open for which of course we await the go-ahead from Ontario Command. BTW, we were -4 degrees this morning with a centimetre of snow, it is currently +4 degrees and tomorrow the High is to be a balmy +8 degrees with rain. As to Rugby League, I, like you, can't wait for it to get started up again. However, I do fear, and it pains me greatly to say this, that I do not foresee any RL happening this side of 2021. Here is the scoop....I'm a numbers kind of guy and I am religiously tracking Covid-19 "Confirmed Cases" on a daily basis for the 6 or 7 hardest hit countries (along with Canada of course), using only the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus dedicated portal and its interactive world map. Just giving my source here, in case the U.K. posters don't like what I'm about to reveal because it's not from an NHS source. I am sorry to say that the U.K. does not fare well AT ALL on this data point....Confirmed Cases. To wit.....since April the 8th until today, some 30/31 days the U.K. has not registered one single day with less than 4K confirmed cases. On April 8th. it had 55.2K confirmed cases, today it has 212.6K confirmed cases, an increase of 157.4 confirmed cases, or about 5,250 new confirmed cases every day on average. But.........the scary part is that there is no hint of the confirmed new daily cases starting to trend down......they just track along at 4K/day or 5K/day. On the current projection, in three days, by May 12th., the U.K. will be in the un-enviable position of being in number 2 position in the world, behind only the USA. Now, a couple of days after that, if Russia continues it's new cases surge it will overtake the U.K. and it will slip back into 3rd. place. So, just following on from "Hela Wigmen" and "RL does what Sky says" above, if the Brits. are disregarding social distancing protocols either because they "think they know better", or "nobody's going to tell me what to do", then on their own heads be it. Also, WRT to the death rate as a %-age of confirmed cases the U.K. are in 2nd. worst position, marginally, behind France. That data point goes....France at 14.9%, U.K. at 14.7%, Italy at 13.9%, and Spain at 11.4%. If you are "into" this kind of thing, I recommend that you check out the Johns Hopkins Map. Anyways, again, welcome back.

NHS England is not the NHS in England, it’s effectively the head of the commissioning side that “buys” care in from hospitals, GPs, dentists, pharmacists and so on. It is not a provider of care but it does set the agenda and strategy. Its power over the providers mentioned comes overwhelmingly from it controlling the money. Most hospital Trusts are legally separate organisations. PHE was moved into local authorities to give a separation from the NHS and hopefully provide a voice for local areas and also at a national level. It drives the health and safety agenda and is technically in control of coordinating public health emergencies. Again, a commissioning body, not a provider of care or services. Both have faults, especially that they’re often so far from the provision of care that they have no clue about how things really work. They tend to make one-size-fits-all policies for everyone from the wealthiest to poorest areas, and then have endless meetings about why health inequalities still keep rising. NHSE is learning though, it invites folk like me in to rip apart their documents occasionally these days. In an ideal world, the blockers and incompetents would be being noted down for rapid retirement or “managing out” rolling some truly imbecilic decisions. In the real world, they’ll all gather round and protect each other like a modern day Masonic Lodge for fornication-wits.

I have thought that Toronto could open an Academy/operate a Reserve team here under their name and I wonder if this is going to be the start of it? It can only be a good thing for the game and for Toronto as a club in the short term, while investing in Canada for the longer term.

This is more serious than a season cancellation as the whole league faces financial ruin. Unlike most NA sports, the CFL does not get the majority of its income from TV, it relies heavily on gate receipts and community support, with the result being some pretty precarious balance sheets. They have appealed to the Federal Government for support, but most people on the street disagree, especially as Canada’s economy, like the rest of the developed world, is taking a battering, and CFL isn’t exactly a sport loved by everyone. The big issue is that if you look at the reopening plans for Canada’s provinces, only one, BC actually has some form of timeline for professional sport, that currently says sport behind closed doors from September, with fans is not until a vaccine is found. Every other province seems not to want to disclose their plans. The one thing that remains consistent however is that all provinces have an international travel ban and a 14 day quarantine period for arrivals, so I would agree, no games in Canada this year, and until we know how any second wave scenario has played out, I would guess none in 2021 either.

Braaiiinnnsss... brraaaiiinnsss....

Always felt Phil De Granville, as an England union international had plenty to lose, like Guscott, by playing in this match, but despite the obvious distance in talent in the centres opposite him, he gave his all. He was one of the players that came out of the game with respect.

It was nice to be taken back to my youth with FEV in 73 and see some of the FEV lads who are no longer with us watching pauls dad scoring two and cyril kicking 8 out of 8 interesting to remember cyril's straight on kicking style no round the corner for him which brought him a career total of 1749

They make for nice training shirts

Especially from someone who just didn’t have a slower ball !

A touching tribute, right at the end.

Heart still thumping watching our win over Leeds, what an atmosphere there was that day!

We're due to go in September, however Id be more than happy to take the money and leave it for this year.

I understand that but 7 years is a long time to be doing that. The constant obsession with consolidation is part of the reason that Rugby League has barely expanded in the last two decades. Its also frequently used as an excuse by the status quo looking to protect their own interests.

Lets go back to the old days and have one league. Where the Yorkshire clubs and Lancashire clubs play each other and then a few others from over the borders Then a top 8 play off. It would save a lot of arguing and messing about. Financial rewards all round with extra for the leaders of the League and winners. Playing it as shown means there won't be too many games in a season Cumberland clubs in the Lancashire set up. If I remember rightly we played 4 Lancashire clubs and the ones we played were in the same region of the league as we were. Ok a lot of people will be against that idea but it would be better than all this arging and barging about promotion and relegation..

The article is not particularly clear as this $2.3B deal includes the remaining years on the current deal which lasts to 2022 with a 4 year extension. The current deal is $1.8B over 5 years to 2022 which (as philipw says) is $360M a year. The referenced deal is 7 years but in reality it is the current deal plus a 4 year extension. If the remaining years are paid at the current rate then this is $1.08B leaving $1.22B for the 4 years so this is $305M a year. As others have said. In the current climate, a deal well worth taking I think.

Having a clean car prevents CAR owner virus

I would like to see those tests again. With the loose forward being a position that lacks specialism now it would be good to see a team made up almost exclusively with them.