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That subject has been done to death on this forum. Please can people stop arguing about it and derailing this thread. If you want to argue about that then please start a separate thread on it and do it there. On the subject of WWR we should get an indicator of the strength of the squad they have assembled so far in relation to the stronger League 1 clubs tomorrow when they host Swinton in the cup.

I think Cuthbo will do a good job for you the problem at York was we were always down to the bare bones with injuries so he was maybe playing when he shouldn’t have been and not getting the chance to recuperate. With the squad you have got I’m sure you will get the best out of him and able to rest him when needed unlike us last season. You have some squad there now hardest thing will be to keep them all happy but a nice problem to have and great to see players of that calibre in the championship I will be looking forward to seeing them on Monday especially leilua obviously hoping you start the season slow. You should be favourites to win promotion now and if you do get promoted and build on the squad again you should have no problem staying in super league best of luck after Monday obviously

It`s interesting isn`t it because that`s exactly what I`ve been thinking all through this ` no one is going to turn up because it`s on t.v. ` debate. I`d always thought that televised games attracted better crowds for two main reasons, a) to get on t.v. it is one of the better games that weekend and more likely to draw a crowd anyway, and b) the fact that it is the televised game then has the habit of convincing people, especially casuals who then think well it must be a good game because it`s on t.v. to go along or even take the family or go with a friend. Of course the weather can make a big difference in these situations because as we all know you`ve got to be a die hard to go if the weather isn`t much chop, too easy to stay home and watch it on t.v. But yes certainly I always thought your first sentence was pretty true.

Isn't it acknowledged that if a game is on TV the attendances are generally better? Do we know who the presenters are yet? Hopefully not George Riley.

Channel 4 have a 12noon to 2.45pm air time for its first Super League broadcast of Leeds v Warrington (12.30pm Kick Off) on Saturday 12th February (via @rugbyleagueontv on Twitter)

Can we get this thread back on to West Wales Raiders? Looks like a lot of their signings (along with London Skolars and Cornwall) are from the student/community game. Can’t seem many pros from the north being enticed down. The reality of funding cuts hitting? These three are going to get some serious scores against them this season.

I don’t think Super League would be on Channel 4, without Channel 4 moving to Leeds. The city carries the sport on its back in the UK.

Lets be honest, the whole system is set up to be as protectionist as possible towards the position of each already existing club. The culture is "bite and hold" onto any scrap of advantage you can get. The worst excesses of this are naturally felt most by newcomers. Across the Sport, are they welcomed, encouraged and supported? Not generally, no. West Wales are expected to succeed on the same basis that Hunslet or Rochdale are. Toronto or London are expected to be able to operate and succeed under the same financial constraints as Wigan or Castleford. This has been the attitude for decades; Glasgow were rejected in the 50s iirc for example because it was "too far" to travel. The sport is more open now to letting new teams in (though not inside the heartlands, Manchester Rangers), but seems completely incapable of proactively supporting that growth from then on. No measures, initiatives or otherwise are put in place to support new clubs. What a shock that the one time they ever have been (Catalans initial relegation exemption), we have seen the first example of the introduction successful new team into the top flight. Even for heartland teams in Super League, are newly promoted clubs allowed to spend beyond what is openly acknowledged to be a too low salary cap to boost their chances of survival? No. So less attractive clubs have to spend more to attract better players but are then limited by the cap which weakens them. The sport is ran by self interested parties who have no money anyway.

Not everyone's cup of tea, so do feel free to tune out at any time, but... Bassetlaw Bulldogs (bassetlawbulldogs.co.uk) , in Nottinghamshire are starting their first all-girl RL team at the club this season, at the U12 age group. This spans the Y6 (end of Primary School) and Y7 (Start of Secondary) age groups with a hope of finding a niche in the local sports scene. There doesn't seem to be many all-girl teams across the sports in the area and it is hoped that the first attempts will be successful. Who they will play is another matter. Time will tell, but feel free to follow the journey here.

Just looking at their squad, the backs are as good as any in the SL but the pack looks like it could be their weak spot, any thoughts? Some real quality all over the backs, shame about the forwards, looks the like guy who goes to the gym and never does a legs session!!

Let battle commence!

She often apologises for being an insufficiently wicked stepmother.

And you of her?

It's just crying out for a deep level of cooperation between the two teams.

Broncos reserves. This team made some sense when the first team was full-time but much less sense now.

Why do you call it a joke? Do I think the Broncos will challenge for promotion to SL this year? No. But do I think they'll stay up in the Championship? Yes, and probably with a bit to spare. Heading to New Plough Lane tomorrow for my first live rugby match since the pandemic began, a bit nervous but excited!

Tonight is pie night. Partridge breasts, mushrooms, black pudding, shallots, celeriac, sage, parsley, cornflour, salt, pepper, white wine and a teaspoon of mirepoix glace for the filling. The new knife, an effortless joy to use. Fried up and smelling good, so into the fridge to chill before I start the the pastry work and apply the first egg glaze.

When I saw the Skolars squad for today, I had wondered why a couple of players hadn't been named. Now I know. It appears that there are more Skolars juniors in that lot than other Broncos juniors, which makes one wonder about the much vaunted academy. It seems destroying one club isn't enough for them.

The damage that will cause across both sides is pretty huge.

Traditionally, a team's first home match of a season attracts a better than average crowd. With Leeds playing Warrington, it being the first match, Leeds having made some great signings and a big following from Warrington, I anticipate that that match will be close to a sell out. The second match, again, Hull FC will get a larger than average home crowd for this one. With a weekend game for Saints and discounted travel, I would hope for our biggest following to Hull for many years (which have been poor for a while now, but expected with matches on Monday's and Friday's generally). Both games look good prospects too. The Warrington v Wakefield and Wigan v Salford matches after that are probably going to be the tougher sell.

Broncos squad for Widnes looks lightweight for the Championship. More than half have recently been at the Skolars. Hadn't fully grasped how many 2021 Skolars had followed Coleman across the city.

They are thinking what if 1k of our fans don't come down and buy a pie and a pint.....and TV doesn't work out. They are fearful. But for every single fan they loose through thr gate could get 250+ watching on TV in their place if they do their bit in promoting TV games. From that fan not turning up 1 time and spending £10 inside the stadium they could get Sky 5 brand new sports Subscriptions.......could get 5 online club shop purchases etc etc etc.....

Clubs don't advise these live games because they don't want them effecting ticket sales, from their point if view its like advertising to stay home, watch it on TV and not visit the stadium....they don't see that getting eyeballs on screens will bring ever better TV deals and sponsorships......they mostly hope / expect other clubs to do they hard work in making TV a success and take the hit on their own ticket sales......appalling business model.

Of course they do. Leeds are the centre of the Rugby League planet.

Leeds extensively market their home games, I’d say better than any other Super League club. They do this for every Super League fixture, be it on Channel 4, Sky Sports, or a non tv broadcast game.

Both Warrington and St Helens have had free/reduced price coaches laid on. As the away side in these fixtures, they’ve both done something. Not sure if Leeds or Hull have done anything to fill the home end. Super League clubs are pretty poor on the whole at marketing and advertising anyway and I don’t really expect a lightbulb moment now, in all honesty.

Not just security but structural integrity., mabe. Batts are heavy. Compatibility between brands. There'd have to be a standard of some sort, I guess. I read somewhere that some guy with an early Merc hybrid was asked for £17 k for a set of batteries. His failed set was just out of the 7 or 8 year warranty. The life of an IC -engined car is around 13 or 14 years, I understand,and yes, a replacement engine for an E-CLASS could be £10k. Nevertheless, a used EV might be a risky buy. Won't bother me. Best bit? I have a mate who is a huge fan of Teslas. Been banging on about them for years. Despite being well able to afford a Tesla, he has a Skoda Superb Estate with 125 k on the clock.

Real colic is SO f €£¥%#$× painful. Frightening. Feels like your kidney is about to explode. Doesn't respond to pain killers. If it happens again, get to A &E. That's what I was told by the people in Huddersfield when it happened to me 28 years ago!

The story about the death of the English Rose and the inflatable ET always makes me laugh.

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Curly might!!

Why can't we attract the Super Wealthy? Number 1 reason why: We don't allow them to spend their money. Elon Musk could own Hunslet or Whitehaven and he wouldn't be able to use his wealth to improve their position drastically. The Cap protects the status of the already big clubs and cons a few others into supporting it by saying that it is their only way of being competitive. That doesn't stop the communitarianism you describe above being able to take place. I also think that there is often a hostility or suspicion towards outsiders which is not endearing. Football has it too, but it is big enough and rich enough to shoulder those problems.

I think Channel 4 have already done more promo work in a couple of months than Sky have done in the last 5 years.

Leeds....

First home game in 2017 , home to HKR - first and second favourites for the Championship with the bookies, ended up 1st and 2nd that season. I remember it being bitterly cold, and had there been another 5 mins we might have levelled the score! Was standing in the corner where we got our two late tries. Happy to be corrected but I think the crowd that day at TSC was in the region of 1,600. Would be great if we could pull in that sort of number on Sunday.

How many other clubs would have gone to the wall had it not been for the furlough scheme? I suspect a lot.

Such huge debts that they were asking to be able to pay MORE wages. Anyway, it is normal for big sporting clubs to have debts - look at the huge debts of Barcelona, a massive club. And none of this is the point anyway, the fact is that a new team was set up very successfully a couple of thousand miles away and after just three years already had crowds in the Championship that embarassed most of your ideal lock-off-the-heartlands-from-civilisation world where your dream is non-expansion and steady overall decline of the sport. Others, including myself, welcomed those many thousands of new Toronto fans to the sport. And to say covid hasn't had an impact, blimey where do you start......

That's not quite true. Post-1895, most 'rugby' clubs in Cumberland and Westmorland switched to the Northern Union - it just took until the Forties for a professional club to emerge.

Aparently so. Take York as an example. A basket case club for a number of years. Rebuilt in league 1 and look at them now. Using some people's logic they wouldn't exist any more

I wasn't mate no,was told by someone who was though.

Cornwall are also recruiting a lot of students I personally would rather have the british army and the british navy in that division

Des Drummond 63. Awful news.

Current London squad is a bit of a joke and I really fear for the team tomorrow. I really fear for that team vs Widnes, first game at the new home and looking like they going to get a bit of a thrashing. Hopefully however with some folks getting tickets for a pound, the attendance will be pretty good.

There is no London strategy, if there was we would stay at Trailfinders and move from a position of strength and not expect a football club to supply us with some new fans.