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I didn't so much find the club, it found me. The same can be said by the majority of Cru fans, as the club was only formed in November 2011, after the liquidation of the old Crusaders club. Despite all the adversity we have been through over the years, we are the longest surviving semi professional club in Wales, something we are all incredibly proud of. We are now down to a small band of loyal supporters and a board who are more like magicians than directors. We don't have two pennies to rub together, and for much of this season we didn't have a home ground, and the team spirit shown by our players this year is something that money can't buy, absolutely priceless. While it would have been nice to see a few more fans there yesterday, and it would be nice to see a few more next Sunday, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, or with anyone else.

didn't the entire Leeds squad retire from playing a few weeks ago?

Like Newcastle had nothing to play for!

Hull KR announced a season average of 8793 at the end of the Salford match on Saturday, our highest in 42 years. That's 12% growth on last year's 7788, and 25% greater than when we first got back into Super League. The higher 1980/81 average was in the season after we'd won the Challenge Cup at Wembley, so quite a benchmark. For those of you too young to remember, I'd just like to take this opportunity to highlight that the team we beat at Wembley that year was Hull FC, and the score was 10-5. Not that at Rovers we ever like to remember it, barely thought about it since, but you know, just as a point of general interest seeing as we're on the subject.

We never seem to have thread yet these players put the body on the line for us and their teams. In addition we should take a leaf out of NRLs book and have a parade of those whose played at the top that are retiring at the Grand Final. The first I've seen.... Steve Crossley.

A convincing win over England’s community lions to win the U16s 4 Nations. Jake Nottingham, Karen Johnson & Junior Westwood (half-brother of Dec Patton) all signing Warrington academy deals this week. Sam Grice at Castleford too. A huge well done to Paul Berry, head coach, who’s worked wonders with this group. An excellent culture and excellent outcomes.

I like the parade of retiring players that the NRL do. Less keen on them also including players who have signed for SL sides.

If anyone's not going, BBC RY covering the game in full from 7pm on all frequencies and online. Be good to have you along....

It definitely won't be nail biting if Haven lose because that means we'd definitely finish above them at least. Even if Swinton and Keighley win, we wouldn't be any lower than third from bottom. You can blame our predicament on injuries but you have to ask why is this so? You could call it bad luck but it seems to happen every season. Is there something we aren't doing with training/conditioning that's leaving players more prone to injuries?

The games just been mismanaged to a staggering degree. Go back a decade Cumbria had three development officers and a referees development officer and in addition Marnie Jacksons great work. That money dried up and now we have none of the above. The lack of progress at the top of the game and the inability to generate money from international rugby has had a trickle down effect and now clubs such as Town are being expected to survive on peanuts from the RFL. One big league below super league would be the ideal solution which no doubt means it wont happen

We made too many silly mistakes, the ref can only give what he sees.

Him getting up doesn’t mean he isn’t injured.

Cheers. Willie Peters' and Paul Lakin's phrase is "we aspire to be a Top 4 club", and that means consistent Top 4 really. So years away, and a lot of work to do. But I think that should be a goal for everyone, and it's not all just about doing it next season eh, or even league position every year. It's about building some foundations. I look at Wigan's club culture, look at how the majority of Saints squad is from their Academy, look at Catalans amazing corporate entertainment base, and I know they're struggling now but I would still look at the professionalism of Leeds' entire operation over many, many years. They're the benchmark, we need more clubs like those 4... that will help the whole sport.

Great news. I still find it bizarre (and annoying) that they don’t announce them after every home game though.

We dwell on all the bad stuff happening in the sport, but I think this is something to be celebrated (although I know fans of some clubs will find that hard!) Hull KR are on the verge of becoming a "big" club - perhaps they're already there. A self-sustaining financially strong club, that can afford a good team year after year - a virtuous circle. Many of us have long said this is is what Superleague needs - more teams that can sustainably compete with the big clubs, improving the competition. Now we're getting there.

unfortunately its a case of 'lions led by sheep'. I have zero confidence in anything the RFL run - absolute shambles the lot of them !! If the RFL have limited resources they should be working with clubs and leagues to help them develop their own programme, which includes part financing a development officer out of the community game player registration tax, you know the one where the RFL charge for a service which was previously provided free of charge by BARLA and came with promises to give the community game a load of benefits !! Absolute shower of s*i*e the lot of them ! I'm sure we are all of the same opinion on here in that the league one clubs will put forward their proposals, the RFL will ignore them and roll out a pointless round of extra fixtures, which no doubt will see Town and Newcastle travelling to Cornwall for the extra fixture and our home loop game will be against Midland Hurrricanes who will fetch a car full of supporters - absolute cloons !!

York play Batley tonight. Win that and they'll be 1 point off the playoffs. Depending on tonight's result they could have everything to play for

Leeds have been bad over the full season, that is why they are 8th.

I think the key point is that Catalans have been successful despite the RFL/SL organisation (they even tried to charge them a bond to enter the Cup!), and everything else listed is due to the success of the NRL. Northern Hemisphere strategy and performance has been woeful, hence why I for one was pleased we were bringing someone else in to help with it.

Heavy defeats happen to all teams, we (Wigan) lost 62-0 at Wakefield a few years ago and won the grand final that year, Leeds got a similar spanking at Cas in 2017 but went on to win the GF that year. Any internal review should have been going on long before the last two results and I expect it will have been. If it wasn't then some people at Leeds just haven't been paying attention as this downward trend has been in motion since at least the end of the treble winning season in 2015. It perhaps had begun even before that given some of the mediocre regular seasons during Brian McDermott's tenure. Leeds much like us in the mid 2000s have failed to properly manage the transition from an ageing squad that was competing at the top end into the next generation. They have also displayed the same trend, of having an upturn in form late season and a playoff performance record that to an extent disguises the deficiencies that were on display through most of the season, that we did in the first half of the 2000s. The club as a whole then falls into the trap of thinking "we got to/ came within a whisker of the GF there" and comes to the conclusion that not much needs changing. They change little or continue with the tack they had been following and the downward slide continues. For Wigan this culminated with the 2006 relegation battle after which under new ownership (which probably helped with the change in thinking and process) we stabilised and rebuilt to a position where we have been competing regularly for honours again since 2010. The shock moment for Leeds came, or should have, in 2016 with their bottom four finish but the occasional good campaign since then such as 2017 (2nd and GF winners) and last year's late surge to the GF (which was almost achieved by Salford too) have seemingly allowed the club to forget the turmoil, deficiencies and issues that had gone before. Those issues have then gone unresolved and the gradual slide has been able to continue. Had they got two or three more victories Leeds could have scraped into the top 6, won a playoff game or two and thought everything was rosy again. Maybe missing out will be a good thing longer term if it wakes the club up about the issues at the heart of the slump.

The problem for Newman is that his approach is almost tailor made for the likes of Wigan and Saints to pass him over. Those two clubs more than any others have realised that attitude is every bit as important as talent. Catalans finding consistency has coincided with them giving up on their quest to sign as many talented but hideously unprofessional players they could lay their hands on. Players who spend most of their time screaming at their own team mates as if they aren't worthy of playing with you isn't top of the recruitment hit list at succesful clubs. In his own head he probably thinks he's some sort of Roy Keane and doesn't realise he just comes across like a toddler rather than someone leading by example and being demanding. He should look to someone like Mark Percival in his position who is the epitome of professionalism and hard work with arguably much less natuaral talent.

Biggest game for the club in a long time? Not confident we will win but I know the lads have it in it to do it. We need a big crowd in to get behind them. Maybe it won't be so nail biting if Haven lose on Saturday. COYR!!

Stories like this make a mockery of international rugby league. Guys giving a different international team a try each season. I really wish the game could just make guys choose one team, and if they want to switch force them to have a stand down period of 2-3 years. https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/09/18/hammer-and-tongs-hamiso-eying-kangaroos-spot-alongside-foxx/

For a change of direction I thought it'd be good for fans of both Dons and Cru to speak of how they found their clubs, neither of us being particularly traditional. For me in all honesty this is my 30th year properly supporting the Dons. The promotion season sucked me in when I was 17. My family had always supported the club but as a kid I spent most of my time in the sandpit at Tattersfield! Players like Vila Matautia, Jamie Bloem, Sonny Whakarou, Rocky Turner etc drew me in. I've seen some great players since then.

Im going for Bradford 3rd, Sheffield 4th, London 5th, Fax 6th. Fax to beat Bradford in the 1st round and Sheffield to beat London then Fax to beat Fev and Toulouse to beat Sheffield giving us a Toulouse V Fax final.

Don’t you just love this game? think we just about deserved the win but if it had gone the other way wouldn’t have had any complaints, considering what we had to put up with at the start of the season the back end has been remarkable. Still not the finished article but going forward things looking good.

Just out of the ground... great game, thought York just deserved it. Batley looked tired at various points of the game, but almost nicked it

Exciting or what.

I will not be signing for 2024, but will buy a season ticket. I feel that fans need to know this early in case their hopes are raised too high. On another note, we have only just appointed the coach; the C1 season has not yet ended; whatever some fans think about it we strive to maintain the honorable stance of not announcing new signings from any other club before they have the chance to make their own announcements. Talks with our own squad players are currently underway and some offers have been made. Some of our fans, especially the aged ones, need to develop some patience and remember when all they could hope for was a teasing sentence in the Reporter or a terse comment from Tom Clarke. I expect our PR team to drip information out as it seems appropriate; concentrate on Strictly in the meantime.

We've only ever seen bans for somebody lifting a player lay injured. This is where the Saints player was when Vaughan grabbed him. He was getting up off his own steam. I have no issues with bans for these offences tbh, but if he is banned, I think it'll be at the lower end, and I do think he has a far more defendable position than other players where they have lay down injured.

am not really sure what a spreadsheet is truth be known

Because a player could be banned for something they know not to do?

Don't believe what some Leeds fans say about Leeds not spending money, it's simply not true and repeating it is a distraction.

Stingy Gary's tactics now looking like costing Rhinos plenty of money in non renewals and probably lost corporate Maybe once the bottom line starts to take a bit he'll realise it is counterproductive and start spending

Great club who will 100% be winners again down the line. There are 12 clubs in SL someone has to lose get relegated and get the odd hammering thats the nature of the beast. No point having a go at RS or Gary who has RL running though his veins 100% they will 100% know what's needed. Panic not Rhinos fans Paul

Thats true

Indeed - also wrong to say that we have been languishing at the bottom of the league for seasons. Also generally our crowds stood up to the average for league 1 even though we are out of the heartland. It sounds trivial but I think sums up the relationship that Skolars offered Bronco fans half price tickets to see us but we never had a similar offer. Of course a number of factors created this situation, most outside of the control of the club. 300 or so people watching Broncos, plus the end of All Golds, Oxford, South Wales (WWR), Hemel and now Skolars presence in L1 leaving just Midlands and Cornwall (for the time being) strongly suggests all is not well with the game outside any actions of these clubs. If the game is going to take its future seriously and the IMG recommendations it needs to think very carefully about how to scale and sustain the sport outside of a handful of northern towns and a couple of cities.

I think this is the key point people need to bear in mind, there are reasons for these results. Next season, and I mean the full season not some panic after 2 or 3 games, is the time to judge the new regime and plan. Any other thoughts from the fans at this stage won't help the cause, need to rally round the team and coaching staff you have.

It's one thing having the expectations and another thing having the financial clout.

Each to their own and I understand what you say but personally I'd rather be painting my shed or washing my car or just sitting in the garden with my Mrs than working. I must reiterate that work has been very important for me and I've worked extremely hard over the years, it's just that I've had enough of doing so and am happy to take a back seat and do an easy 'numpty' job with no responsibility or anything.

Just watched the try on the highlights. The ball was pulled out by the TO no 19, and so it was play on. The ref may well have had a better view than the touch judge.

Yeah, they will. Most of them don't expect to be promoted anyway but they still play. What you're suggesting is ridiculous.

Oh I don't know. It definitely raised a titter from me. Then again it doesn't take much.

My dad grew up a short distance from Tattersfield. By the time he started watching them, The Dons had been in existence for around twenty (mostly lean) years. I began going to games around the time the club were changing from perpetual also-rans to something more competitive. My family had moved to West Yorkshire by this point, so we went to away games almost as regularly as home fixtures. I now live in Finland and rarely get to games, but I'll be cheering us on from my sofa next weekend.

Presumably you all came on this one?

Yeah I felt protective over him too. Its ok bagging him commentary wise but majority of big money seniors would of rated 3/10 4/10. Any leeds loss is a welcome one far less whino merchandise sauntering round heavy woolen for next week or so till they win again

Meh. Hull smashed Saints in the cup in the next round, then beat Leeds in the final. Weren't that good! Neither won the league either. Bradford dominated the playoffs.

It doesn't help itself. There are loads of things it could and should do better but it constantly looks for shortcuts. When kids in Ireland want to play and ask for more sessions etc but instead camps are held in England and English lads are picked then something is seriously wrong.

Indeed. Wales should really be the model for Ireland, and Scotland to follow, but for 20 odd years both have done nothing but look for shortcuts. Having herirltage kids play at that level is just a sham and pointless.

To be fair I'd have expected Wales to win convincingly. Even Ireland drew at this level with a team made up almost exclusively of English amateur heritage lads (something that totally summed up the attitude of Ireland Rugby League and its complete failure to try and grow the game in Ireland).