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A big problem with that however is that most people have eyes

Even beyond the often touted halcyon years of the 80's and 90's we've had a great couple of decades in general. 2000 - Home World Cup 2001 - Home Ashes 2002 - Home series v Kiwis 2003 - Home Ashes 2004 - Home Tri Nations 2005 - Home Tri Nations 2006 - Aus/NZ Tri Nations 2007 - Home series v Kiwis 2008 - Aus World Cup 2009 - Home 4N 2010 - Aus/NZ 4N 2011 - Home 4N 2012 - Home Tri Nations (Fra/Wales) 2013 - Home World Cup 2014 - Aus/NZ 4N 2015 - Home Series v Kiwis 2016 - Home 4N 2017 - Aus/NZ World Cup 2018 - Home series v NZ 2019 - Tour to NZ/PNG 2020/21 - Covid affected 2022 - Home World Cup 2023 - Home series v Tonga It's a travesty where we are now ending up.

Keighley??...

In a sociological study I intend to publish on the mindset of Rugby League fans, I predict that the 'worst game you have been to' thread will end up about 5 times longer than the 'best game' thread.

Hull KR really on the up which is great to see - "year on year growth of over 30% in full season membership sales" The club have done a great job with many initiatives and it feels like they've really connected with the community. A positive RL story!

1985 Challenge Cup final.

Sorry but forgive my ignorance but what's an International?

As Smithies and KPP and the Club World Champions for the last 2 years show, there is very little difference between a good SL and a good NRL player. Our top 100 players would get a game. Sutton and Hodgson perfectly illustrate the point. SL massively undersells itself and its players.

Only Hull KR know that they are sold out. Huddersfield could claim they have sold out too in all fairness.

you dont forget that sort of stuff mate - unfortunately modern life is structured to be instantly forgettable these days

It would be interesting just know, i was going to be taking eight people now there are deffo six as I've bought the tickets and I usually go on my own, even the wife's coming .

Not sure how they are working this. New club Brabant have two home games,one in Eindhoven and one in Oijsterwijk. Round two see all three games played in Harderwijk. Nieuwegein (who don't have a club in the competition) host two games from Round three then host both semi final games. Strange one that A real Mish-mash of venues and fixtures that can't do any good in building a "fan base". All clubs get two home fixtures apart from Zwolle Wolves ,who if they get to the final will play only one of their seven fixtures at home.!!!!!!! With six teams now it can't be very far off until the NRLB aim to get a 10 game regular home and away season. Im travelling home for Easter and will try and get some more information.

When you get to a age where you get your days mixed upit will come to you

Tries from the Knights NSW Cup game here for anyone interested. https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2024/03/24/nsw-cup-highlights--knights-v-bears---round-three/

I watch football home and away every week and I’ve seen far more ‘actual’ trouble (ie scrapping rather than just gesturing and ‘hold me back’) at RL games than I have football. It’s an absolute myth that these things are created because of football fans on a day off.

Looks like Tom Forber will be on the bench as signed on loan from Wigan, he's a really good hooker.

Only 300 spots in the East Stand that aren’t already taken by members? That’s nuts. Just shows it’s what people want to buy. Definitely needs extending. If we’ve 8,000 members, with 1,000 away seats that’s 85% of the home capacity pre-sold for the season - and mostly on monthly subscription so easier to renew. Someone needs to find a few million quid for some building work, trouble is it’s not the right time with the economy b###### and interest rates so high. Sod’s Law.

Same with Ireland. I hope the IRL aren't gullible enough to count players as being registered if they aren't resident in that country. That is a big stick that they should certainly be using with these countries.

Probably, in terms of atmosphere and drama, the 2003 Challenge Cup final between Leeds and Bradford.

It's clear that the camps were to try and meet the number of registered players, and national team piece, but that's a waste of time without teams.

yep... all the pretty words about interviews, consultations, deep dives etc are pointless when everyone can see that the fundamental issue was that they didnt meet the most basic of requirements and that is the starting point.. yes some training camps, letting players try the game etc may be the way to go, but it has to be done in Scotland to build the interest to then set up the clubs etc.. not outside of Scotland. But without clubs or youth teams there is no way back, no matter how many interviews with internal and external stakeholders you want to do that is still the key.

A lot of words just to say nothing!

I see he's still failing to mention the hot dogs used to be quite decent in 2003. Typical.

England being a curtain raiser for Fev would be absolutely peak rugby league.

I think I once made an accurate post so I’m undoubtedly considered overqualified.

You're not wrong. England last played Australia in England at the London Stadium in the 2016 Four Nations. The previous meeting in *England* was in the 2011 Four Nations. We've gone from three games here on an Ashes tour every four years to a game once a decade.

Does anyone enjoy them ? This is rugby league..... You're not meant to enjoy it.

Seems like Haven have managed to get 2 loan signings in from Salford and Cas for the next 2 weeks.

On a footnote Dutch international and Den Haag Knights forward Bonne Wilce has opened his new business in Eindhoven. Bonne also pulled on his boots for Oijsterwijk RU club when he moved south so I'm getting the vibe he is behind the Brabant Bears set up. Saves him travelling to Den Haag and expands the codes footprint. In good hands if that's the case.

The joys of retirement.

1976 Challenge Cup Quarter Final Fev v Leeds at POR. Fev won at a canter by 33-7 and it was by far the best rugby I've seen and against a decent Leeds team at that.

Could end up a long list here, but my shortlist: 1 - @Spidey has already called it, but the 2008 WC Final was unbelievable. Great stadium, city, atmosphere and a brilliant match with the Aussies losing the final in their own backyard. Brilliant stuff! 2 - 1994 - GB v Aus at Wembley. That JD try, Edwards getting sent off, over 50k at Wembley, great day out, superb memories. 3 - As a Wire fan, have been lucky with those Wembley wins, so could pick any of them over the last 15 years, but that 2nd win, when we hammered Leeds was a personal highlight. A special mention has to go to the semi final in 2009 when we beat Wigan, looked like being an easy one and ended up tense!

Wakefield Trinity v Australia in 1990. Not a game of silky skilled flowing rugby league but plenty of excitement, some decent tries (Andy Mason), loads of biff, plenty of red and yellow cards, Bobby Fulton's verbal set to with Harry Gration after the match, all played in monsoon conditions.

In terms of atmosphere, for me as a Widnes fan, beating Australia in 1978. As a small child, I watched the whole game from pitchside over the boundary wall, as the crowd had spilled over from the terraces. Far more people in the ground than the official attendance. Must've been incredibly intimidating for the visitors playing in such conditions. Obviously Widnes beating Wigan at Naughton Park to win the league in 1989, and Widnes beating Canberra at Old Trafford. In terms of an epic struggle, hard to see past Wigan vs Manly in 1987 as mentioned above. Also GB's 8-4 win against Australia at Wembley in the first test in 1994 after Shaun Edwards was sent off. My greatest memory from playing was probably not objectively a great game. We played a cup game in snowy, icy conditions at Runcorn and won by one try to nil, but it was one of those games where the whole team seemed to rise to the occasion and tackle their hearts out. Out of hundreds of games, it's the one that really sticks in my mind.

I was at the Manly game too and I fully understand why a Wigan fan would choose it, it was magical. As someone neither from Wigan or a Wigan supporter, I chose the 1985 final because, to me, it literally had everything as a game, add to that my first Wembley visit as an 18 year old away in London with his club mates. Unbeatable

1990 2nd test at Old Trafford. We lost at the death but it was the most absorbing game I've ever seen.

I was torn between the Manly game at Central Park, the first ever game I attended (the Wigan Saints Lancashire Cup final) and the '85 Challenge Cup final. I think the Manly game was a more memorable event, a night game always provides a better atmosphere and that night was electric. But even though Wigan Manly was a great game, the combination of a packed sunlit Wembley and the wonderful game full of great tries, the 85 game wins overall as the best game I have ever seen. As an added bonus, I was 15 at the time and on the train I sat across from two girls in their early 20's I guess wearing low cut catsuits. That memory is etched in my mind... it was like something out of Charlie's Angels. I try not to think about the fact those girls will be I their 60's now.

Most enjoyable was Sheffield beating Wigan in the Challenge Cup Final . Bought the tickets months before so didn`t know who would be playing , went down expecting the usual Wigan rout ,and really got into being a Sheffield fan for the day .

For the event and the result and after the sheer disappointment of Englands performances. The 2008 World Cup Final

exactly.. you can still do that but that is in addition to actually doing the basics.. Irish Rugby Union has an Irish Qualified players pathway in the UK (I only know because my son is on it) and it has had players playing for Ireland U20s & U18s this year and has players in the provincial set up and national set up that came through the pathway.. but that is in addition to all the things at home, its to find the extra players as kids that qualify and want to play for them. They take players and put them into academies in the provinces etc.. there would be no point doing any of that if those players got good training and just went off and played for England anyway.. Its so simple its ridiculous.. make sure you do the basic things you need to and keep those basic things ticking along, then look outside of those for what can make it all better..

It's confusing as to what Scotland's actual strategy was. If you read the requirements, for full membership you needed 6 clubs, playing 5 games minimum, with an open age and youth team in each club. Scotland were miles off that, and tbh it never looked like that was a focus for them. It feels like they should have been focusing on a concentrated geographical area and tapping into existibg sports club infrastructure to piggyback them. Instead all the activity seemed focused on things like youth training camps in Wigan or similar.

The first game I ever went to I guess. 2013 World Cup, England v Fiji at Hull. Capacity crowd, fantastic atmosphere, really enjoyable game!

It's a personal thing. You're allowed to have as your worst match something that someone else would have as their best. I'm sure, objectively, I have absolutely loved some low quality games entirely because of the result.

Walsh has the potential to be very good for a long time. Much like Darren Lockyer, I could see him moving from fullback into the halves when he starts to slow down a bit and essentially have a second career. It is amazing the Broncos ever let Walsh go in the first place, they were very fortunate to get another chance to nab him - most clubs never get a chance to right such wrongs.

Funny you should say that, I wandered past the ground this morning and took this photo, we're just doing a little light irrigation to promote normal grass growth.

There is merit in having a ground slightly too small, as people see tickets as a great thing to have and buy them early. I’d wager that if your ground was 5k bigger there’d have been fewer tickets sold for the Broncos game at this stage.

Some vids from our gig for your delectation

Got vague recollections of a Radio Leeds programme presented by Dave Woods. That would date it around early to mid 90s. Discussion with a few female players. Brenda Dobek was definitely one. So had to be Wakefield. I stressed the place in the previous post because I'm pretty sure Wakefield Panthers had no link with Trinity. David Topliss was also a guest. They weren't best pleased with him. He wasn't convinced women should be playing RL. Why would an ambitious talented player go to Bradford or Castleford when so many ambitious talented players have left? She wouldn't need to be fully conversant with the minutiae. The salient facts speak volumes.