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Foxtel's viewing numbers are up 18% compared to the same period in 2019. https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/08/19/foxtel-records-record-viewing-numbers-for-nrl/ Note that the round 5 clash between Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels wis a record for any rugby league game on Foxtel.

Tony Collins just Tweeted this: Northern Powerhouse by Edward White. I think people on here will enjoy it.

I read a while back that they were being pressured into paying for it. It's yet another bush league move by the so-called "Super League".

Graham was in fact the judge , but was keeping us informed as well

No , Leyther Matt is the LSV ticket office manager I wanted Toronto to get central funding , still do , if you're in, you're IN , I want clubs to enter or exit SL based on on field performance , including Leigh To me , any other option is second best , I'd accept it as a one off given the crazy situation we are currently in , but not long term

In all seriousness what is the whinging about. They're a relatively well known company (though not the biggest) associating itself with the sport. It might not be for loads of money, but lets be honest that's our fault not their's for our lower market rate.

Bernard Gausch deserves a medal.

The Leigh mob will be along shortly decrying this as another North American threat "our" game.

Good sponsor. Will they introduce a Super League-themed range of pizzas. 'The Wigan' - double pie barm topping 'The Catalan' - good to eat in the restaurant but doesn't like to be taken away 'The Warrington' - looks good but falls apart at the crucial moment 'The Wakefield by Michael Carter' - No toppings, just the base. This is Yorkshire, yer know. Etc.

Noticed the inclusion of Papa Johns on recent SL highlights footage. Decent sponsor to bring on board, especially if we can build and produce some entertaining and witty content with them. Think about how well the KFC/NRL partnership worked with their sponsoring of the TRY/NO TRY big screen. Excellent work.

Heard a rumour we’re in discussions with Danny Kirmond from Wakefield for next season. Be a right signing that, some of the names we’re been linked with just show how far the club has come. Also, I’ve had wind of a young Aussie lad called Terry Evans or something like that might be on his way.

Doncaster

On the 15th day of August a public holiday here. Paris and Lyon make the Champions League semi finals for the first time. On this Saturday Catalans are on top of the Super League and Toulouse Olympique lead the Championship. Interestingly PSG formed in 1970 whilst their German opponents Leipzig - arrived quite recently in 2009.A changing world.

A £1million bond, not sharing TV funds - deja vu for Gateshead and Toronto. Classic SL extortion technique.

How sad that the immediate reaction of so many people is to deride this and assume it’s a ‘free’ sponsorship.

Everybody wants the game to expand , as long as they are part of it

Only the names are different. There are a multitude of issues behind RL's problems with expansion, but the self interest of the existing clubs is always a consistent theme.

I'll quote the book 'Tries in the Valleys - A History of RL in Wales' for this. It appears that the RL Council accepted the clubs application for membership of SL, but at the beginning of September, the RFL Board of Directors refused a final endorsement of the teams place in SL. A £1million guarantee of support was deemed 'insufficient'. A couple of days later, a meeting of the clubs decided to place the South Wales team in the First Division for 1997 (2nd tier), but the club decided that it would not be financially viable and the 3 weeks later the club was closed altogether. Maurice Lindsay

I imagine he runs a tight ship at Guasch Viandes and is not short of a euro or two. However, perhaps his love of the game comes through in this sort of context. And I specifically mean love of the game from a player's perspective as - and I think I am right in saying this - he is one of the comparatively few SL chairmen who have, in their younger days, been a player of the game. I think I read that he was a half-back with both XIII Catalans and St Esteve XIII, the two integral parts of the Dragons, in his time. As a slight aside, which SL chairmen have, like Bernard Guasch, played the

Thanks Manfred. I think the NRL just needs to hold its nerve on the free to air figures and they will come good. The transformation of the game as a viewing product this year has been nothing short of astounding. You can tell something is working when the other codes are continually comparing themselves to it.

That was their mistake. I explained the maths to them very carefully and they nodded their heads sagely, but the daft 'apeths struggled to follow the logic and ended up spouting rubbish. The halo was awarded to me by the Australian Special Society (ASS) for upholding the values of respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, Parliamentary democracy, equality of men and women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need, oh and a fee of $250

Yeh I think that was mentioned on the match coverage . Really did make me sit up and take notice , that’s a huge expenditure . Outstanding backing and doing the game a service by definition . I’m surprised mind that he has to take all that on himself

I listed to it this morning, was surprised to hear that Cats are picking up the whole cost of travel (c.£50k) every week, the other clubs and SL itself should be helping out imho.

I'm a rugby league fan. I've been robbed by the BBC. I subsidise snooker, Sue Barker, The One Show etc as I pay the licence that finances these things but have no interest for me.

I think anyone who says its unfair if Cats get the chance to play infront of their own fans need to listen to this. Great stuff from Cats.

I thought that I was a Rugby league fanatic until I joined this forum. I watch it on TV (no fox), listen on the radio and read a bit in the papers. However some of the lengths that some people go to on this forum makes me feel like a novice. I was watching your and Grahams coverage of proceedings last night with much enjoyment and interest, however like you I was becoming increasingly intrigued where Graham was getting his information. I became convinced that he must have been at the judiciary, that they must have a public gallery. I was thinking middle of winter, leave home to watch a

The problem for the Broncos is simply that West Ealing has a professional soccer team nearby, ie. Brentford with an average gate of about 10,000 , and about to enter a new stadium. That is the problem all over London for any sport trying to establish itself aiming for a five figure attendance turn out. It ain't happening. There's a soccer club for every part of London. There's one area that is soccer's no go area, where pubs display " no football here" signs during world cups, yep you guessed it, Twickenham. I don't know why Broncos left The Hive, but that looked promising, nice stadium,

Another thread with people swearing and getting all angry because their narrow little geographic area with a club that's not going to win Super League anytime soon is not being treated the same as another narrow little geographic area with a club that's not going to win Super League anytime soon. 4 posts removed. Come on folks, when the subject is clearly wider, why not look wider.

When the standard of debate is that low Harry I really don't see where it could be raised sadly. May as well start counting empty seats at Huddersfield (or Wigan). Its just a willy measuring exercise

Parramatta will wipe the floor with League One.

Barnsley main no2 Shaft. I worked here for 2 years. The coal board and latterly english estates were declined permission to demolish. It is now assigned grade 2 listed building status.

Pathetic , obsessive

Think this is the link you meant to add https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08nzb20

Fairly big name. Good news for the game.

i'm echoing Liverpool Rovers good wishes. Its great that you are making the game a truly national sport. Please keep up the good work?

I wish you the best of luck with this venture. The more clubs from around the country the better.

November 2018 v Ireland. We've got some lined up for this Autumn. Whether they'll take place is anyone's guess. Just looked at the "Elite Squad". It's got Caleb Aekins of Penrith Panthers in it. So he'll be a decent fullback. We've two good wingers and Elliot Kear as a good centre. Three good halfbacks. Plenty of multi-positioners. We need another prop and some luck with injuries.

I wish James Bentley could find a Welsh grandparent as well as an Irish one.. Failing that, I would be really upset if he clattered Morgan Knowles in their game.

We'll stuff 'em anyway.

Leigh are keeping this seasons to pay the sponsors back for there loyalty.

As he's the best pundit we have I assumed this was language people would understand.

Is that you Tez?

All negative so far, I assume they will complete another test this week before returning to the normal routine

You reckon he was tapping away on his phone under the bench.

A drop in the ocean compared to what NFL marketing men earn.

Is it , really ? , Wow I'd never thought of it that way ,

Absolutely not... I'm saying it's ridiculous to expect some paybacks (like a french TV deal) when nothing has been done to grow the market over here for the past 15 years. You need a very long term strategy and a full commitment from both sides to do so and expect results not in years, but in decades... For the moment, the Catalans bring nothing to the table and will continue to do so unless such a strategy is put in place.

A thread moaning about folk moaning.

To be fair, a lot of sports commentary reinforces stereotypes. For example, Rugby Union is seen as the sport for smug, privately educated, stonewashed denim wearing bigots, and the BBC gave them John Inverdale.

Its a long time ago, now but when we started our club in Wales, we deliberately avoided Union players. We found enough real athletes who just weren't excited by Ra Ra but whose curiosity was aroused by TGG. Here's something (in my experience) that a lot of people just don't get (even RL fans). Rugby League is more satisfying, more enjoyable, more demanding, more every bloody thing. There's a whole (ignorant) population out there, for whom Union is somewhat lacking, frustrating, boring, just plain unsatisfactory for many reasons. Those are the blokes to go for. But, just like the ''