Leaderboard

Just FO. Seriously. If Aussie RL was cashstrapped, fine - go with this. But it isn't, and their first instinct is to go with the shittest, cheapest option they think they can get away with. It's disgusting.

Agreed, if it has to be 8 there needs to be a qualification process. Giving some Australians with Lebanese ancestry a place while not allowing France or Wales to even play for one would be insular beyond belief.

From a Welsh perspective this is sickening. There are around 2,300 registered juniors in Wales this year - what on Earth are we giving them to aspire to if Wales aren’t at least factored into a qualification process? There’s huge merits and benefits to an 8 team tournament, I do appreciate that but from a selfish stance it screams of NRL insularity.

All the articles are saying he's an Oldham lad or born in Oldham. Wikipedia says he was born in Huddersfield. But then again it had Moran down as 39 stone

Just announced by town that over £13,000 was raised with the players tops going for approx £8500 , a tremendous amount of money for a fantastic cause, well done everyone concerned , Town take a bow

If Dazn outbid Sky and win SL, Sky can have Champ and L1 for 15M

Having seen that tweet, must say it was an impressive demonstration of Google translate usage the polyglot capabilities of the average Fev fan. Formidable!

Hull KR needed to start this game well to have a chance, and the kick off and the Lewis brain fart obviously killed the chance of that off. The game was won in the middle, Rovers failed to control the ruck and so Leigh got the roll on that they're always capable of doing. Fair play. I was vocal in my p*ss taking around the re-brand pre-season, and I stand by that. Execution was, and still is, amateurish. But I love Degsy's all-in commitment to his local club, and the way Leigh have built a decent squad this season and gone about their business. All power to their elbow, I'm down with it, good on 'em.

Leigh have been unreal this season. It’s funny to think that they hate us but I think Wigan fans are generally happy to see them doing well. They have pushed the boundaries and are showing all the clubs that you don’t just need to survive and you are allowed to show ambition. The C4 game between Wigan and Leigh is shaping up to be some event in a few weeks time. If the clubs go in around their current places, I see no reason why we can’t push for 17/18k+.

It won't close the gap. Without full-time pro teams providing a conveyor belt of international standard players, Wales, Scotland and Ireland are not going to make any progress in terms of being competitive on the international stage. And unfortunately, there is zero indication from anywhere that this is ever going to happen. As such, they're going to be completely reliant on heritage players, and the best heritage players aren't going to make themselves available for second tier tournaments. It's either got be high-profile, top level tournaments including a full England side (or other top teams such as Aus or NZ) in order to attract the best players, or accept that those nations are never going to be competitive and revert to GB&I. As depressing as it is, there hasn't been any desire/will/effort to create the former, so as far as I can see the more realistic option is unfortunately the latter.

The Japanese team might have enjoyed watching a decent sport too.

Best composer of the 20th century?

Just saw some highlights. Anyone got any idea why Giants played in their home kit of all maroon against a side wearing almost all dark red, instead of their ideally designed *away* kit of almost entirely all white? How many times does this unprofessional nonsense have to happen before the RFL get a grip? It just takes a 5 minute check and an email to each club, once per season

Well done Wakey!!!

Easy…

One of my mates who’s never watched rugby league before has just texted and said he’s now a Leigh fan and wants their jersey.

Who cares? 50 minutes. 30-0

What an incredible performance by Town and the local rugby community.

I disagree - the 2 are completely inter-linked. If the European international teams were in a strong, healthy state, playing competitive games in front of decent crowds, then there wouldn't be this talk of retracting the WC to an 8-team competition. It would be a massively retrograde step. But the reality is that since GB split in 2007, those other home nations have made no noticeable progress (and arguably have gone backwards in some respects), and the RFL has seemingly shown very limited will or desire to help them, despite it being part of their constitution. The only time these nations get to play any meaningful games are either in the WC or WC qualifiers, so if that WC drawbridge is pulled up, what meaningful competitions do you expect them to play in? And which sorts of players do you envisage putting their hands up to play? Probably not at the moment, but I think most on here were in agreement that Regan Grace should've been picked for that last GB tour. So if a future Regan Grace emerges in our game, he's either got the option of representing his country in whatever second-rate competition they're consigned to, or opting to play for England in order to maximise his playing career. So, given that Wales, Scotland and Ireland will be unlikely to be playing any meaningful international competitions in this retracted international landscape, why risk alienating potential players and supporters from those countries by playing as England instead of GB&I? My preference would be to have a vibrant international game, with regular high-profile matches involving all the home nations. But depressingly, there doesn't appear to be any will or desire from the powers-that-be to ever make that happen.

Oh thank god for that. Even if it's half hearted interest it should hopefully be enough to stop the Sky offer dropping too low.

I think they've only just been told that the ground will be off limits, hence not having an alternate in place. I don't like the fact that the other two matches in August are equally affected, makes no sense to me. They should have a contingency in place anyway I would have thought... just in case... normal business resilience etc.

Yes, that sounds like a proportionate reaction

He is in the club shop every day , go and talk to him , I have on a couple of occasions. Jon Flatman was a one off , people run clubs in different ways.

Could be, that they didn’t know, but if they did, they should forfeit home advantage for these 3 matches and reimburse costs for any fans who have booked flights etc. Like I said, maybe it’s not their fault though.

Hull FC armed forces shirt. Well be worn in 2 weeks against Cas. Similar colours to last year's away shirt.

Middle one is class.

One home game in Wales in five years might be a decent starting point.

Who were the sponsors at that time? I'm absolutely baffled by Oxen doing this as if you couldn't ring up whatever sponsor (if they're even still going) and say, do you want some free advertising? When football clubs do this they almost always use the old sponsor because for whatever people think of them they're part of the shirt looking like that shirt!

It's happening far too often, it's almost like they don't give a damn, it's embarrassing and totally unprofessional. It should be mandatory that every club has either a light or dark home strip and a change kit which is the reverse of that. Absolutely amateurish.

Well, after tonight's performance by Leigh I might have to change my mind about them. Well deserved winners and well-deserved second place in the league. A shining example to other clubs that you don't need top class coaches and players and a professional marketing operation, as long as you've got a team that plays as a team.

Not while David Warner has a discernible pulse he isn't.

You could say it’s good that more French players are going to English SL clubs but that’s only valid if Goudemand is replaced by another Frenchman at Catalans.

Yes, I've noticed that. On a serious note, when I first started going to Swinton in the early 80s the chats and banter with opposition fans, most of whom were Yorkshire lads and lasses, was an integral part of the enjoyment. Wigginton Road was a particular favourite away trip.

Just had a message from TOXIII on Twitter. Fev game will be played somewhere in the city. Panic over. Hopefully it’s Blagnac, nice little ground and a couple of nice bars on the way in.

I'm so angry at this England performance.

If we are to be honest lets start by dismissing this notion that larger tournaments than 8 team are not financially viable. Larger tournaments are financially viable. Every World Cup since 1995 has had more than 8 teams and every one has made a profit, apart from the disastrous 2000 event. The outcome of RLWC2021 remains to be seen but if it doesn't that is entirely because of a once in a lifetime event and the associated delay. Either way the overall package for that, with the hosting fee paid for the first time and all the Government funding, contributed far more than just the end result.

Not sure how many would have already booked for a match in mid-september. I'm not sure what is happening to be honest as looking at the matches in Toulouse for the WC, they only start 10th September so the Featherstone match should really be the only one truly affected. As it's Stade Toulousaine that have the final say, then all I can think of that the Japanese team get priority over the whole of the stadium from Mid-August, which is a bit ###### to be honest.

Makin some progress then. Sorry.

Given Wire fans hopes of a title always go up in smoke the Vaughan Williams signature piece "Fantasia" seem appropriate

Wigan prop Harvey Makin has joined on loan. 19 year old who apparently runs and tackles hard. Played for London last week against Batley.

Bit harsh advocating for the coach to go. The team were crowned chapions only 8 weeks ago

What does the ancestry of the Lebanese team have to do with anything?

8 teams doesn't feel like a WC. It sounds like a great competition, but it's not a WC. If we're not going to have a proper WC, just call it the World Championships or something of that ilk and do a proper WC the year after. You shouldn't be allowed to go into this half-*rsed. I think an 8 team comp below that level (hosted anywhere) would be interesting. The likes of Wales, France, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Cook Islands could have a great tournament.

Yest somehow, just one Premier League club, any Premier League club, earns more profit from shirt sales than the total revenue of our entire sport. We need to learn from soccer, not scoff at it.

You've slipped under the radar for quite some time until that comment Mr Grifffin.

David Browns Gears Perrys Skandia

For his prospects of getting the best of his ability maybe, for his earning potential maybe not. It's just as big a risk staying put in a sport like RL because injuries could hit at any moment. If someone in the NRL wants to throw big money at him I wouldn't blame him in the slightest for going.

Super Coach Schofield! Do people actually read his opinion pieces?