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You really have issues about women don’t you?

A great effort by Sheffield against a faily strong Wigan team. Well done.

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I have decided to turn off the TV so it doesn't take my attention away from this superb thread.

No, I just saw it mentioned that Wigan got a penalty

Sheffield have tied it up, 10-10. Superb effort from them so far.

Course it's a poor attendance, Benidorm is a dump.

I thought you had muted the TV?

He's just annoyed because she knows more about the game than he does.

It's rubbish. Really not good enough tbh. It doesn't look like anyone's interested, fans, broadcasters, clubs.

By getting London instead? Hmm. I agree with the original post but not this one, at all. Saying Fev couldn't afford to take the next step...well, I think getting £1.4 million instead of £80k might have made a bit of a difference! And your comment about "It’s not really decided by performance on the pitch, it’s decided by money" about promotion is laughable, it will be decided MORE by money from now on. Any team that gets somebody prepared to throw big money at a club will be in a very favourable position because so many of the IMG points available are predicated entirely on this. They can literally "buy" IMG points across the board, even through schemes such as heavily subsidised season tickets (eg at Wakefield) to ensure getting high points in that category...they get points for investment...they get points for splashing out on LED advertising boards etc. I'm not even saying that it's necessarily wrong, but let's not pretend that money (and current SL occupancy, with the financial advantages that brings) isn't going to be the ultimate decider in who goes in SL. I don't disagree at all though with the original point that the old promotion system was flawed in terms of how hard it is for an existing Championship team to build a SL-competitive team in the short window available.

Hoping to pay off your huge Championship debts with Superleague money is flawed from the start. You'll need your Superleague money to pay your Superleague players.

New Zealand 2 in Christchurch now please:

The situation Fev currently face provides a justification for the new IMG rules, and shows how a straightforward promotion and relegation between a full-time SL and a part-time Championship doesn't work. Without a very rich sugar daddy available (like Leigh and now Wakey), Fev, if promoted last year, would have found themselves having to use their fresh SL income to cover the previous losses incurred in trying to gain entry to the top table. They would have been at the back of the queue (inevitably) in recruiting a full-time squad, largely from cast-offs and fringe players from other SL teams, hamstrung by their starting financial position. Like Toulouse the season before (but probably financially worse off) they would be odds-on to go straight back down again. Back in the Championship, Fev would then have the task of offloading all the players they signed on two year contracts that they then couldn't afford, which would make their current financial problems look trifling.....

That was a really painful experience watch. Awful tv quality, terrible presentation, commentary was painful - Sharon is a radio commentator and seems unable to adapt her style to tv. So depressing and sad to see what’s become of the once prestigious competition

That's usually on a roped field at Millom or Thatto Heath, not two top pro clubs FFS.

Imagine it being 2024, the top clubs have entered into the Challenge Cup and the only coverage is on the red button with two cameras and the clock 'just a guide'. Depressing.

1 try each at half time, Leeds didn't deserve to be in front. Not a game with a great deal to enjoy so far, hopefully the second half is better. As for the coverage, it compares pretty poorly with the live rugby union the BBC are showing on another feed. Simple coverage with less replays and cutting to fans/coaches etc could work, but you need to employ a director who knows what they are doing. The weather makes the image less clear, nothing they can do about that. The audio was a mess to start with, they turned down the ref mic pretty quickly though. I don't like Sharon Shortle's radio style commentary for a video presentation, Dave Woods is there for the BBC radio, might have been better to swap them round. Although I think some are being a bit sensitive about the "woman" point. the original post that mentioned her was criticising Kevin Brown.

They do if your default perception is that all women are screeching.

just watched roosters v souths in full HD before this - with all the top production that went with it - this is like a amateur student film in comparison

Glad to see everyone's enjoying the game.

Maybe they've finally got sick of that *@!-- drum and trumpet and are boycotting matches. I've turned the sound off again because it drives me insane. I don't understand how anyone puts up with it. I can only hope Saints win by a big margin to stop the inane drumming.

This was not the case last season though because if Fev had of gained promotion they could, if they wanted, just keep all their part time players and bank most of the money which would have more than adequatley paid off these debts without the fear of finishing bottom having much barring on which league they would be in the following year. The belief through the season was that Fev would have been very close to the automatic spots in SL and a lot of people believed that once in there it would be very hard to lose their spot. As it turned out most people were wrong and Fev were nowhere near where they needed to be so even if they did go up then they would have come straight back down like London are doing but again that money would have been a nice sweetener for them. We can't forget just how dominant Fev were last season, personally I feel getting rid of Sean Long was a huge mistake which in my opinion came back and bit them on the bum as I didn't see Ford as been up to the task. Although I think its awful what Fev have done regarding missing payments I also find it hard to really blame them either as last season was probably their last chance at a shot in SL for at least the 3-5 years until this system has run its course and we try something new.

I can understand why teams are against this deal. The amounts of money involved are tiny, and for all that people like to quote evidence that televised games don't affect the attendance, not all of those surveys are done based on second-tier games in the north of England during a cost of living crisis at a time when concession entrances are being phased out. If the games were being broadcast on BBC/Channel 4 or even Sky, you could at least make the case that there would be increased exposure, but on a subscription channel such as Premier Sports you're largely preaching to the converted.

Are you not aware of the 1911 FA Cup winners, Bradford Large Town FC?

I think, given our horrendous injury list, I’ll be quite pleased if we can put out a competitive team. It sounds from Muzza’s interview on Cumbria Crack like the vast majority of our injuries incliuding Burns, Ecclestone, Bickerdike, Walker, Stephenson, Saunders, are long term. Given there’s also Scholey, Steel, Thomson, Archer and Macpherson injured, Grant Reid and Chris Taylor seemed to be limping towards the end of the game, it doesn’t leave a lot! A real shame for the club so early in the season but I guess it’s part and parcel of rugby league. Might just have to reign in our expectations over the next few weeks, although I’m sure the lads that put the jersey on will give it 100%. UTT

But that is not how they read, they put obligations on everyone who signs up. That includes the originators. You should find another sport to hate. The RFL has been recognised as a leader in sports governance, it may get up your craw but it is a rare thing RL is respected for. Perpetual whingers like yourself, who whinge with no reason, or evidence, do more damage to the game that the RFL has ever done.

RyanAir have a carry-on weight limit.

Judging by many comments, TRL member would rather have been watching a roped-off field at Millom or Thatto Heath. But if the BBC had shown that, they'd have whinged about something else and/or said it was a disgrace that the BBC weren't showcasing two of the biggest clubs in the game.

This Miller fella is certainly an evasive runner. If he went forwards he'd be a real danger.

He has always been dreadful for it ....and rarely plays the ball at the place where tackle was called

Youmay be on the wrong medication.

Just on the Challenge Cup, I've waited ages to see a mention of what the prize money is these days and here is a comparison between now and 1999. It makes for pitiful viewing even before you factor in 25 years of inflation:

I’m really not sure in what reality the Yorkshire accented Sharon Shortle sounds anything like the very scouse Cilla Black

Good angle to see the kick from there ….

And they managed to show the crowd before Newman grounded the ball. FFS!

No tackle count, can't hear the referees whistle, a cameraman who seems to be on work experience. I honestly think OurLeague and The Sportsman do a better job than this.

Why? Are Fev relying on them for this year's salaries?

This is a very amateurish production for Saints Leeds in the CC.

The Roosters are eating rabbit pie and I am eating humble pie This spells the end for Jason Demitriou as Souffs coach jeered by the wabbit faithful as he came on screen. Only Latrell,s sin binning 15 mins from the end got a bigger jeer from the crowd. The scoreline does not lie in this game but reflects the Roostets dominance in a performance that, at times, resembled a training run. JD has lost the Souths dressing room as evidenced by the entire team wanting to get off the park before the half-time hooter had sounded Souths were appalling, dropped balls, missed tackles, easting possession and giving a general air if indifference which has surely been noted. It matters not if ( and its a big if)Souffs an beat the Doggies next week for powerbrokers at the club must surely know the minute they come up against anyone half decent they will be second best under JD I would be surprised if he lasts the week, certainly he is now a lame duck coach. I cannot explain why I felt it in my water that the wabbits could win this (apart from a URTI) for having tipped Souffs to win against the Roosters. I am going to sleep on a bed with sharp nails on it tonight in penance...

I think we've supposed to have forgotten that bit.

It's also the equivalent of what Leigh did in 2018, when Beaumont admitted that he hadn't envisaged that the club might fail to reach the play-offs and couldn't honour contracts as a result, with the club going into special measures. Harry, you were spectacularly wrong in your assessments about Fev last year from start to finish and it does you no credit to be doubling down now.

The Ireland-based board is most likely in place precisely because it does what it is told by the people with all the power in England. I have no doubt that most of the people in England involved in Rugby League Ireland did not have malign intentions but they have effectively hijacked a national sporting organisation and are using it for the benefit of English Rugby League players of Irish descent and to the detriment of the sport and it's players in Ireland.

Planning application submitted:

In all my years of watching RL I have never seen a team winge and moan after every tackle as St Helens do. Especially Warmsley !!

Thought we struggled in the second half against them in the 1895 cup. Andrade caused us a lot of problems and we have to remember they did not play Ridiyard and McNally, also they now have Emmy Whittle with a point to prove. Could be a big test for us.

I spoke too soon.

I believe it is a joint venture. The majority owners of both clubs are the same people.