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Feel free to have a go as a Ref mate. You can spend your weekends travelling all over the country to be abused from the sidelines by one man and his dog- then if you can handle that progress to SL and get abused by thousands- and no dogs. Let me know when its your first game and I'll come and support you as no one should recive abuse for reffing a game of RL. Good luck to the lad.

I don't see the issue with retaining the majority of a Grand Final reaching squad. You don't see St Helens swapping out so regularly. What we have lost we've replaced with players who are more than capable replacements. As for the Cougars recruitment I'm not really fussed over it. They're recruiting a bit like York did. Those that were big names who aren't getting offers to play at bigger clubs due to ageing and drops in form.

Didn't see this one coming, good news for Salford Reds I think: Super League stadium bought by council as football club expresses ‘surprise’ with Salford Red Devils set for home security – TotalRL.com | Rugby League Express | Rugby League World

I am really pleased to see a new set of stadium drawings out - just in time for Christmas. Things seem to be really moving on with the quality of the drawings these days - much more in line with the drawings that are likely to be required by IMG when they start running the show. I am old enough to remember the drawings that came out back in the Glasshoughton Stadium proposal days when we had Richard Wright as chairman. He did such a good job with those drawings. I'm sure everyone who lives in the houses that were built on that Glasshoughton site really enjoy looking back at those drawings. Time did, of course, move on, and the club stepped up when a new set of drawings were needed a few years later. An entirely new set of drawings at a new site next to the M62 were prepared. Again, these were spot-on drawings of state-of-the-art facilities that everyone will look back on fondly. It has been a couple of years since we saw any new drawings so it is pleasing to see that this important aspect of running a rugby league club has not been left behind. I, for one, am looking forward to what innovations could be included in the next set of drawings in a few years time.

Not necessarily . Some teams prefer a smaller and tighter pitch . Home advantage is exactly that , having a pitch that suits you and your style of play . There was an average of 42.59 points per game last season , with Cas having 41.76 per game , only slightly below average . In 2017 when Cas won the league , they outscored everybody , and played some fantastic , expansive rugby both home and away , despite the size of the pitch at WR .

I'd guess it's facing away from the training pitch which is behind the existing stand, and therefore facing towards the main pitch.

I think a lot will depend on how Callum Turner or whomever else goes at scrum half. If he goes well, then top 2, if not top 6. The lack of a quality scrum half was one of the main reasons we lost our Championship status.

Yes and no. Leeds probably could have found the financing for their respective development, but as with so much involving the shared development of Headingley over the last 20 years or so, Yorkshire CCC is the problem child and they don't really have a pot to pee in. The arrangement with Legal and General is that it would provide the finance for the shared stand, so to say that they "paid for it" would be like arguing that your mortgage lender paid for your house - technically true, but also not contextually accurate. L&G lease the stand to Leeds City Council, who sub-lease it to Headingley North/South Stand Ltd - which is a joint venture between Leeds CF&A and YCCC. The council is involved largely as an underwriter to protect one party from the other, especially given the value of the Test cricket to the local economy. If YCCC were to, I don't know, be involved in a scandal that saw them stripped of Test status and lose all their sponsors (unlikely I know), it limits the damage to the Rhinos if YCCC can't pay their share of the lease.

do you just copy and paste your posts on here?

bet the games you reffed were a right bundle of fun

Was he a good ref/bad ref--- no idea I watch the players not the ref. He never seemed to stop me doing that. Shame an experienced ref is leaving before he should, wish him all the best for his future.

*Gary McKee joined by rugby legend Kevin Sinfield* A Cumbrian man was joined by a sporting legend on his 354th marathon of the year. Gary McKee, 53, from Cleator Moor was delighted to be joined by rugby stalwart, Kevin Sinfield today (20th December). Gary who is commonly referred to as Marathon Man, has been running a marathon a day since 1st January 2022. McKee has raised over £350,000 so far this year for his two chosen charities; Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice At Home West Cumbria. Kevin Sinfield is the defence coach for the England national rugby union team, a former professional rugby league player, captain and director of rugby for the Leeds Rhinos. Sinfield is also well known for his fundraising feats most recently running 7 ultra marathons in 7 days for charities associated with Motor Neurone Disease. Speaking of Gary’s achievements and challenge Kevin said: “ INSERT KEVIN COMMENT … With 10 marathons to go, Gary said: “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over the last year. I’ve seen people believe in themselves and run full marathon distances with me, something they thought they’d never do and that’s simply fantastic. “Watching the JustGiving page go up each day has been inspiring and seeing the amount of people supporting me has been incredible. Having Kevin with me today has been great, we share a lot of common interests and it’s been great to catch up with a likeminded chap. Gary, who has supported Macmillan for over 18 years, he continued: “The reason I’m doing this is that I’m lucky enough to be able to take on a physical challenge of this scale, and every day I think about all the people going through cancer treatment who face their own physical and emotional challenges. “If I can support people going through cancer and other life-limiting illnesses while inspiring people to get out there and fundraise themselves, then every marathon I do every day is worth the effort.” Gary was inspired to start fundraising for Macmillan after his father was diagnosed with cancer in 1997; his father died from an unrelated illness in 2003. He turned to running as a positive way of keeping his father's memory alive while helping millions of people suffering from cancer. He has been hugely inspirational to those who follow him. He added: “If I’ve learned anything this year it is that time is precious and the important things in life aren’t things the important things are our friends and family. “It’s either one day or it’s day one, the choice is yours. Be brave, take the first step and only look back to see how far you have came.” To sponsor Gary, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/threesixfive

Looking at Widnes being shorter than Batley, Tom Gilmore must be an even better player than most of us have given him credit for! Gilmore and Hooley will be big misses for Batley, but they have a strong pack and a good coach and should be very competitive again.

No let's rip out those scummy blue seats!!!

Salford not moving to that tin shed at Moor Lane has to be good news.

Not the news of impending doom you were hoping for eh Bully Boy? Merry Christmas old bean!

Surely the provision of a full sized pitch should be incorporated in the development.

Seriously though, in these times when we are trying to improve all aspects of our game playing on pitchs maximum size (or as near as possible)should be a must for all top tier clubs. It enhances the games spectacle and promotes expansive tactics. Would not cost a lot to push back the railway end, and what a better time to do so when the stadium is to undergo a major upgrade

I don't know how to tell you this but the stadium already exists. And, in a real novelty, it's owned by the club which will continue to be worth marks for Cas in gradings vs less secure lodger clubs.

Fulham maybe ?

Good luck to Cas

Especially when they are chilled to just the right temperature....you know the temperature where finding things gets difficult just before peeing

I'm pretty much just going with what I expect to see. I like Byrne but I personally would pair him with Cooper as starting props and then you have a good mix of defensive grunt and good go forward. I don't mind Singleton tbh but him and Byrne don't offer enough go forward to pair them up. Havard is a guy I'd also like to see step up as a starter but to do that, he needs to really put a marker down early doors. He's so talented and has some games where you think he should be an international but he does then seem to have a few quiet games. He just needs to push himself a bit harder IMO and he could be anything. Mago is Mago, I don't think we'll ever see anything more than the odd moment unfortunately but he might surprise us. Ellis is another I'd put alongside Havard in that he needs to push himself harder every single week. There is the making of a really good player but he plays within himself for me. I think the two bans he got might have put him in his shell a bit. I really hope we see more of Brad O'Neill this season. If we look at that home game against Saints before the play offs, he was excellent and offers more threat with the ball than Sam Powell but for some reason, he seems to be seen as back up and no more. I'm not a Sam Powell basher by any stretch but I also don't see him as a guy who has to start every week and has to be play long minutes. He should be sharing that role as more of a 50/50 or 60/40 split with Brad O'Neill in 2023 for me (but I'm not at all convinced we'll see it).

Looks from the photo they have the stand facing away from the pitch- is that intentional?

Hang on....what do you mean the Queen is dead???

If Leeds can afford to service the debt, then they can afford it. Unless you're saying I can't afford my house because I didn't pay for it in cash

It's the only way he would get his knighthood.

I'm sure this has been said before, but have a look at an aerial view - there's actually a fair bit of space on the western side, so when the time comes I think something 'substantial' could be done (though would probably have the right to light surveyors and solicitors salivating. Seriously, I think there's a weird effect at Belle Vue where people go expecting a dump, and actually therefore don't see the potential of what they're looking at. I've experienced it myself - the western side feels cramped when you're on it but if you got your tape measure out and looked properly at what's available it's basically just a dreadful use currently of (quite a lot of) space. In the fullness of time, it'll come good.

Bread and dripping is ace. I love it personally.

You've got to be up early with the Larks to beat BB......DD.......CB....has tried and failed many times

Sounds pretty good to me, could I also please suggest that we move back to Winter Rugby and every team runs out to Dvorak's Going Home Suite from the New World Symphony whilst the stewards hand out bread 'n dripping butties and mugs of Oxo to the shivering masses huddled together to keep warm. Them wer't day's when men wer men, they didn't wear boots just nailed studs ter bottom of't their feet. I'm going all emotional thinking back, does IMG have a "suggestion box"? PS, could you please open up with your grandfather rule, mine were Tommy and Nobby, does that mean I can't get in?

Kaye signs on again - BB you beat me by seconds.

Simply dreadful news. Terry Hall was a bloody genius, wrote some of my favourite songs and was a fantastic stage presence in his own inimitable way. "Deadpan" is a descriptive word that might have been invented for him. Saw him fronting the Specials on several occasions, the last time at Sheffield in the not too distant past. I was in a pub quiz only last Wednesday and a question was asked : "What song was co written by Terry Hall and Jane Wiedlin in 1981" and they played the intro to it, which I didn't need to hear to know the answer.

This really is not the place to be repeating rugby union lies, least of all lies directly arising in reaction to the breakaway of what became Rugby League. This was a story they made up after 1895 to pretend the origins of of the sport lay with public schools rather than with working people. It shouldn't be something people are posting on this website of all places.

I do wonder how sustainable full time referees are and I don't mean financically but from an attracting the best talent point of view. He's not the first to give up to pursue his chosen career and won't be the last. Maybe a little more flexibility would make the role more attractive.

Must be something in the bank account, more like. If only our game could afford to pay these guys what they deserve.

Schrodingers stadium?

Those celebrating his departure will be the first to lament the subsequently declining standards and will also be the last to read the rule book and get a whistle in their mouths. It’s been like that for years.

I generally found him to be a bit pedantic as a ref, which often disrupted the flow of the game. However, he was fair and consistent in how he reffed - the same rules applied to both sides, which is all you can ask from a ref. He perhaps didn't have the aura/stature on the pitch to maintain control of games that became heated.................however, my view is that it's the players responsibility to control their own actions and therefore this isn't really a fault of the ref. Players should also learn to adapt their game when Child was reffing - you know you cannot get away with some things you do with other refs, as he's very much by the book - so don't push the boundaries. He certainly got a lot of unfair criticism from fans, and whilst he probably won't be missed by many, I think he was generally a good ref and hope he stays involved in the game in some capacity

As with all referees they get stick but without them there's no game and if fans ever looked at games from a neutral point of view they would see they make far less mistakes than players.

Aw mate, nothing you do bothers me. I like Derek, he's amusing. I also think he knows he's amusing, he plays up to the image he's created for himself. Doesn't mean we can't enjoy winding you up when you don't have a website for months, your owner suggests some sort of leopard cosplay outfit for a mascot, or even that I can't take the mickey when another poster suggests websites are going out of fashion

If it is working as he says it is then fair enough, he alone as the present custodian of the club has taken the gamble, would he still be there if it had blown up in his face by the people who matter I don't know, those who matter being those who support the club, everyone else is just simply insignificant in this matter and their comments carry no weight whatsoever. I can live with the Leopards brand it is no more stupid than a Rhino, Tiger, Panther etc, but that shirt is were this lifelong fan of the club will draw the line, I have an array of Cherry and White Hooped (hoops Derek, not Stripes) Shirts in wardrobe which have been worn with pride and will continue to do so - with exception to when we play that lot from down the road so as to avoid any confusion, my pride being a replica with just the town crest no sponsers logos and I suspect that we will still see a number of 'past' shirts on the terraces and in the stands as not everyone can afford to just ditch them. I will still get my season ticket and be involved as much as ever in the games making the big hits and feeling the hard tackles albeit from the safety of North Stand as I have always done irrespective of what the players are running about in, I am immensely looking forward to an interesting season and hopefully we can maintain SL status I know that will upset a few if we do so and that will in itself be very pleasurable.

They just need to add 'dooper' in between Super and League, that'll sort it

Ah well, at least this isn't a subject that will engender a massively long thread of people endlessly repeating their entrenched views on what the name of our sport should be, right?

They can't even use the royal mail strikes as an excuse as they use Evri for deliveries, although that's probably worse

Well said them who call and lambasts referees haven't got the b...s to have a go themselves. James Child on and off the field was a credit to the sport good luck to him.

Ferguson isn't returning and it's very much the clubs/coaches decision from what I understand.