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And it hasn't come about because it is the competitive option but because it is the cheapest.

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.

Nailed on. Reminds me of the 1956 Grand national they are so far in front of everyone.

We absolutely are not certs.

I think as Odsal Outlaw states, there would need to be some fta stuff too to offset this. Interestingly though, sponsorship doesn't appear to be too much of an issue in France where TV and media coverage isn't great. Our sponsorship portfolio isn't amazing here, so maybe it isn't the huge sticking point we build it up to be.

Yeah I agree and enjoyed going to the 2 finals we got to but it should be the curtain raiser not put to the back of the queue when 90% of fans will have gone.

Today’s result Vipers 20 St Albans 20. Cracking game, respect to both teams. Attendance (I counted) circa 120.

Whereas on my epitaph itll be how can one person do so little and do it so badly

Surely nobody better used to this sort of stuff than Widnes fans. And seriously hope everyone enjoys the trip.

We KNOW lol.

It only takes one game, just one️

Doesn't matter for now anyway. Fev are certs.

It looked and sounded good on telly though Loving the Leigh march this year ...would be great for the game if they won the GF

Looking at the crowds so far, we're averaging 7085 with 4 home games to play. We've got Cats, Hudds, Wakey before what should a decent crowd against Wigan in the final game, if we match the 2017 crowds against those 3 teams(5612,6001 and 4938 which were 3 of our lowest attendances that year), we'll still be averaging more than the 6.5k we got in 2017 with Wigan to come. For me anything above 2017 crowds was fine for year 1 and a good base to build from off the back of a lean few years and post covid. 7k average would be very respectable for a newly promoted team.

If the home nations aren't going to be allowed to qualify, I wouldn't be averse to a GB return just to maintain a modicum of involvement. However, as with GB last time, it entirely depends on the coach and their approach, against increasingly difficult odds for non-English inclusion. I would make a set of home nations matches compulsory that year firstly as a trial for GB (&I?) and so that each maintains a presence. In any case it would carry more legitimacy than a Maori or Indigenous Australian team.

I think Wigan had either free or discounted tickets for 'blue-light' workers last night.

Ah the mythical Confederations Cup which was a great idea and which the 4 Nations was scrapped for. That on a 4 year cycle in between World Cups and Northern and Southern hemisphere tours either side and you have a cracking regular international schedule. It really is grim what has happened, or not happened to be more precise, to the international game over the last decade or so.

Only because their stadium is bigger tbh, anyone that has been to Toulouse knows it is primarily a rugby city

Presume this is trolling. The fact that Toulouse have options to move to at least two alternative stadia within the city makes part of the case for why they are an asset to the game (including to the Championship). I like Halifax but they hardly have an iron grip on the Shay.

This just shows why Toulouse should not be in SL.

Indeed and it is completely at odds with the approach that has been taken to grow the World Cup, going from 10 to 14 and then finally to 16 teams, which has long been the goal. Slashing the number of teams in half when we finally get to 16 has nothing to do with a strategy for growing the international game.

His finest work

Who cares what Australia do? Give nations consistent competition including against the best at World Cups and watch them develop. Instead it's the usual reactionary ###### from the international game.

I’d be happy if DAZN got the rights with one game per week on FTA with Channel 4. DAZN have boxing as well and for £10/month probably better value than sky. The drop in viewing figures vs. Sky is less of an issue if its on FTA

Yes. Today is 1st July and our 56th wedding anniversary.

Third fiddle, Toulouse’s football team get bigger crowds than the union team.

Personally, I think we’ve managed DR well this season. We’ve hardly used it at the expense of our lads and players like slater have had plenty of game time. Cameron’s mostly been serving bans! Hes probably played half the games he’s been available for. the club needs promotion this season. Pointless being idealistic

Must admit i always liked them shirts, the away one was simply a reverse of the colours

None at moment for Fev. Because it is all about getting in Super League.

The view from Headingley crowd wise doesn't look great

Yes big Ben had his best game for us and for the first time showed his world Cup form. Having Hughes back is perfect timing with O'Donnells ban, its like having a new signing with how long he's been out and I'm looking forward to him proving some of the doubters wrong as Mulhern and Charnley already have.

I admit it. I probably am a bit rattled. The pests doing better than I thought. It won't last though.

I honestly just find it hilarious that a week ago you posted about Leigh fans being obsessed with Wigan and you've spent a week since obsessively posting deranged criticism at a rate even the most prolific trolls would be proud of. Properly rattled you are

Why believe the rest of the article if you don’t believe that line?

It makes lots of sense. A further money making opportunity for the IRL whilst allowing for more competition for more teams. And I note our direct competitor is pushing ahead with a 10-team competition…

The odd person must have a real anti-france bias if they are preferring to blame Toulouse instead of the evil union lot. That can't happen too often.

Rain may come to England's aid but given the length of the tail and Engalnd mind-set could they bat out for a draw or we we see a seriues of a series of cross batted swipes. Usman Khawaja for me is already man of the series for he remembers:The openers job is there to stay at least until the close of play

One of those where you look back and wonder how one person could do so much and do it so well.

It's a very large city where the two sports co-exist fairly easily besides when there is a union world cup on, which is once every 20 years. Glad to hear this mini drama has been sorted.

Anyhow back to the thread, even if the World Cup was reduced in numbers those teams should be representative of the World, as happens in other sports. World Cups aren't just a case of a host nation cherry picking 7 teams that are made up of players from your own competition and then adding the second biggest RL nation. That is just a glorified 4 nations.

Matt Shaw suggesting DAZN are in the mix https://t.co/1FWw2AMw67 https://twitter.com/m_shaw1/status/1674805531846881280?s=61&t=ieYgdvSQ-gg3Hh61UVikAg

Whoops!

I don't know about others here, I can only speak for myself, but I get annoyed because it gives our sport such an amateurish image. No other sport chops and changes the format of its premium international tournament as much as we do.

Such a shame to see a team in a major city that were breaking record levels of attendance in the Championship before they were VOTED out of existence now unable to participate in meaningful games, and therefore unable now to help provide the desperately needed expansion of the sport with it's knock on benefits to all existing teams, with the increased glamour and media attention that they did and would again have provided looking to a better future. But hey ho, let's look at a few quid lost next year instead of a sport dying in the next 5, 10, 15 years.

In my experience of frequenting the auldarse pubs of the city centre, lots of people who will claim a passing interest in Saints but don't really know when the season's on. They might have a general sense of whether they're winning stuff but that's about it. If, like me, you tell people you're from Widnes after getting called a wool you might get some recognition of the success of the 80s. Warrington to be honest I've never heard a peep on but it's a small sample size I admit. As it happens I was in the Dispensary before Christmas and there was a bloke in a Saints hoody, someone in a Wigan top and me without colours in there. I imagine it's the most concentrated RL support that's occurred in city since Liverpool Stanley.

Looking at this list is a good advertisement for a bigger top flight, if you take the 12 teams here and add Bradford, Toulouse, Sheffield and London, that would be a fantastic top 16 with a 30 game league season and no loop fixtures.

Telford Raiders tweet an official attendance of 164 for yesterday's 52-10 Midlands Premier League win over Birmingham Bulldogs at Hinkshay Road, Dawley.

Lovely place, Villefranche, probably the most attractive RL town in Europe. Quite a long way from any other RL club these days. Great to see them doing well.