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- Mushy Peas - Moulin Rouge - Bondi Beach

As long as the solution is perceived to be throw a couple of teams in the UK pyramid, we will never really grow to any decent level. Of course it can form part of a strategy, but there needs to be more development and support from the international governing bodies.

Great to see the positives at oldham, will be a very competitive season in 2025, been to watersheddings and whitebank but never boundary park so looking forward to the 1st game.

Sorry mate I thought I had posted the link. the roosters are setting up an academy in rolleston college Canterbury South Island. https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-sport/star-league/roosters-coming-rolleston-canterbury-college-crowing-over-nrl

More of them should close. They're a relic of the past IMO.

Good the sooner all these tracks are shut and these gentle dogs are no longer abused in this way the better.

Come on my friend, even I dont think Hornets win by a record score

Why?

Seems unlikely, many clubs don’t even want Catalans in and think they offer nothing to the comp.

I think the hope will be Riley Dean learns sufficiently off JD and blossoms into the quality player we know he is.

Hello ITV. We would like you to replace ITV Racing on a Saturday afternoon which gets millions of viewers and lucrative betting adverts with semi pro rugby league. ITV: .....

No, we already have lots of "half decent" players. As has been discussed on here many times, the return is just not worth the huge investment and risk. If it was, the NRL would be doing it already.

Or they could just develop their own domestic competitions and have inter league competitions with nearby countries

Maybe he felt he had donated enough without any possibility of a return on his investment? Would you put millions of dollars on the line without any support or guarantees from your partner?

A Euro League will NOT work, any time in the next century. A Cup format, involving 8 teams, lasting 4-6 weeks, could work. But even that would need a lot of work and investment in order to pull it off. Talk of anything larger than that is just insane. But, none of this is a magic solution to long-term development. Any country looking to grow the game does need to look inward. The more players and teams they develop, the more they are playing year-round RL, the better they will get. It is a long-term, slow process, but it is the only way. And to answer your original question: NO. There is no plan. For there to be a plan, there need to be funds. And ERL is currently downsizing its operations, rather than expanding. So it will be up to each individual nation to succeed on its own.

Robbolution is an amazing word....

If just 3 of the 8 clubs who voted against leaving Toronto back in had voted the other way they could still be there. Then Ottawa would have come in instead of Cornwall and apparently there was a New York team lined up next. That would have all happened in about 6 years. If they got up to say 10 teams in North America over time they could have branched off into their own league and the Canadian and US teams would have become stronger too. Was so small-minded of those 8.

Lots of stories in the Australian media stretch credulity, it's primarily because League is a major sport in the East Coast and get column inches for speculation (or a media beat up as it's known) . As I read the story its not that Farah and agent want to buy the Broncos, it's that they would be intested in being a minor partner in a consortium. As to who would comprise any consortium given all the problems outlined in this thread alone that's anyone's guess. Eric Watson who at some point in time was touted as the saviour of the Broncos in a story no-one ever got to the bottom of in the early noughties, is facing bankrupcy proceedings and hasw been dropped from the Kiwi rich list. Other prior and potential suitors are lack the finances these days. Thev fact that London have been included in the Championship fixture list is a sort of glass half full or half empty situation as without proper funding the side will: a) Repriese the 2012 season andv end up facing Championship one, with crowds dropping to sub-1,000 (935v average in 2022) which in tun will; b) Dissapate any points given under IMG for the season in Super League. Making it unlikely that the club would be any kind of business proposition for investors.

Hope Throw goes well at York.

The ACT has teams in the A-league women (soccer), the Australian Baseball League (men), the Hockey One League (men and women… it’s the national field hockey league), Women’s National Basketball League, the Australian Ice Hockey League (men), Super Rugby (men and women), NRL and NRLW. I think I’ve covered it all. There are also teams in regional leagues and we have suburban competitions in sports like rugby league and soccer where you can be paid to play.

no mention of Des Drummond or Keith Fielding ? - what were their 100m sprint times on tvs superstars?

As pre-season is underway and squads start to be finalised, Championship 2025 looks intriguing. Normally you'd expect the side coming down to be a strong frontrunner for the title, if not nailed on. That appears not to be the case with London, who could be pretty good, or may tank. Likewise, teams coming up often struggle. many will tip Hunslet to go down, but Oldham look different gravy and definitely have Top Six ambitions, if not higher. Bradford, Featherstone and York all look at least as good as last year. I think Toulouse will be too. Widnes have made changes upstairs and will hope to make the six. Not sure about Halifax. Sheffield have had problems with Aston, but when that's finally put to bed, they'll be competitive once again. Batley are never easy beats. Doncaster had a solid first year back in the Championship. Barrow go about their business in a tidy fashion. The Top Six play off for the title after 24 matches in 26 rounds. 7th, 8th and 9th finish for the year. 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th will be involved in a protracted playoff system with the Top four of League 1 to see which 3 clubs out of those 8 will be in Championship 2026.

Football is FAR more popular. It's as simple as that.

Two tests on the 4th and 7th of December. (SARL Facebook page)

To hear of a club competition in a European nation is seen as a positive but is that it? Is there any idea of how to expand and improve the standard of the game in Europe? France has its own established comps but it has benefitted France having two teams in England. Wales has one and....that's it. Where to from here? Ireland and Scotland are not prospects, the Netherlands and Norway have some teams and close are neighbours. If a backer or two could be found and clubs from those countries wanted to join an English based comp, would that be rejected? Would a side from Serbia be able to enter a French league on the same basis. Has any effort been made to get a club up and running in Catalonia that could join a lower French league? I can't see another way of lifting those nations to a more competitive standard unless they were able to do something like that. It all takes plenty of money and they would have to pay all the travel costs as per usual so I don't see that ever happening but I wondered if it would be accepted if the opportunity arose.

Here is my personal team of the year after this season, this is based on all competitions including finals, challenge cup, Internationals, Origin etc. FB-James Tedesco WG-Matty Ashton CE-Herbie Farnworth CE-Jake Wardle WG-Zac Lomax 5/8-Tom Dearden HB-Jahrome Hughes PR-Addin Fonua-Blake HK-Harry Grant PR-Luke Thompson SR-Angus Crichton SR-Eliesa Katoa LK-Issah Yeo 2nd Team- FB-Tom Trbojevic WG-Liam Marshall CE-Nene MacDonald CE-Stephen Crichton WG-Brian To’o 5/8-Bevan French HB-Mikey Lewis PR-Joseph Tapine HK-Reece Robson PR-Mitch Barnett SR-Liam Martin SR-Junior Nsemba LK-Elliot Minchella Player of the year- : Jahrome Hughes : Mikey Lewis : Issah Yeo 4th-James Tedesco 5th-Harry Grant

The Copa Libertadores on BBC Three is not disappointing so far. Ten man Botafogo leading 2-0 heading to half time.

Discussion point. Hw would you sell the benefits of playing rugby league to them? - in the UK - in France - In Australia/New Zealand.

Seems to be making a bit of a comeback around these parts, small independents and micro breweries seem to be putting out a "traditional" bitter. Seen it on a few bars.

Some great rule change discussions and agree regarding captain's call and two refs in top division. Glad I wasn't the only one that noticed Becca's Toyland ,was a shame wasn't there for part two but I guess if you've got that many toys you need time to play. Does now explain why my lights were flickering and the faint sound of a diesel generator,but anyway Don't be too harsh on Jordan busting dans Rio trivia ,he's an integral part of the cast and brings loads with his young Joaquin phoenix in gladiator looks and gravelly up coast Chewbacca voice Can't go leaving out Dan and tommo ,your fab,would be like leaving big daddy and giant haystacks out of British wrestling. Thoroughly enjoyed

Well the total lack of development in the Northern Hemisphere is not looking that great. The game has been in reverse for two decades plus. Plenty on this forum have plenty of mouthy comments about the NRL and their perceived failures without looking at the absolute desert in their own back yard.

As the biggest and richest nation in the region by far, Australia can expand its cultural influence. England can't in Europe. It's a lot easier to spread your influence when your target is tiny, poor countries. As with most things when comparing the NRL and SL, they're entirely different landscapes.

Developing the domestic competitions in other European nations has nothing to do with this statement

I got married and divorced in 2013 if we're talking about irrelevant things from 11 years ago.

It's a tough one. I think RL needs more fully professional leagues and more semi professional leagues. I had hopes that something may have developed through Toronto, and the talk of Ottawa etc, that may then spin off to start a small North American league but alas its largely gone by the wayside. The step up though between having 6 or so teams, and the sort of setup we see in many places, and even a semi professional league like France is huge. Maybe the RLEF/IRL needs to look at why we often seem to stall around that level in terms of numbers and often struggle to get to 12 teams never mind a couple of leagues. I think the Balkan league idea is the way to go for teams within regions in Europe. That way countries can pool together resources to develop elite clubs, hopefully leading to a semi professional competition, while having a domestic league to develop smaller clubs. Setup similar to that in Scandinavia, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. I think 1 or 2 teams in the English infrastructure is limiting and not the way to go. The step up is too huge and it is far too costly. The exception I'd make to that is France because of their history and current status. As bad as they may be they are still streets ahead of most other places in the world when it comes to teams and playing numbers and can make that step up. It's also a quick win for that country internationally and to step up from what they have domestically. Bolting teams in Australiasia onto the NRL or NSW/Queensland Cup makes sense given the size of places in that region and seems to work well.

I stand by my answer, but of course you could explain who sticking a franchise in Oslo for example is going to magically transform the fortunes of Rugby League. Leading to an increased UK TV deal from SKY and attracting new fans from places like Belfast, Avimore, Newquay, Llanelli and Lowestoft without their being professional rugby league nearby. The floor is yours

With which country?

Plus Moston Rangers who were members of the Oldham League. Heyside was another club from the late 90’s too.

I spent many years attending suburban soccer in Canberra. My local suburban soccer club has around 15 to 20 teams in the youngest age group and then 1 (sometimes 2) team in the early teen age groups. It’s an absolutely massive sport for tiny kids. The drop out rate is huge as they lose interest. The kids generally supported non Australian soccer teams and NRL teams. The club would even have a “Go Raiders!” sign up occasionally.

Surely by definition a template is the first thing created, from which subsequent copies are made? On that basis it's French rugby league's template, that both Wakefield and the Roosters have used for their own designs. Sorry, I've just turned into Mr. Logic from Viz

The club now has an amazing relationship with Oldham Athletic. The two clubs are growing in unison. There is a 10 year lease agreement in place.

I've been waiting for L1 prediction thread to pop up... my thoughts as it stands, starting with the team I support. The rest in no particular order. Keighley - Retained 17 of last seasons squad and have added what appear to be quality signings in key positions. Izaac Farrel in the halves and Harry Bowes at hooker are probably the 2 most eye catching. We've added Brad Holroyd on the wing which could prove to be a good bit of business, he is prolific at this level and still young. We've also recruited some relative unknowns in Leo Aliyu from Leeds, Oliver Whitford from Huddersfield and Tane Bentley from Leigh Reserves. There is also currently 2 trialist in pre season training with club, Elliott Cousins from West Bowling & Will McCardle from Heworth. With the trialists we only have a squad of 25. Our first 17 at this moment probably picks itself and whilst it's strong for L1 we do appear to lack a little depth, especially in the centres and at prop. That said, it's pointless spending a fortune and having good players on good money sat not playing, there's no automatic promotion and this season is most definitely about how you finish rather than how you start. We have an new coach in Jake Webster, but the players know him as he's been with the club a while. We've also brought Jordie Hedges back onto the coaching staff after he had a season in SL with London Broncos. Should be top 4. Swinton - They've obviously come down and have lost their coach and a lot of experienced players. They have a new inexperienced coach and have signed lots of young players from SL academies. They've retained some strong players such as George Roby, Ant Walker and Gav Rodden and have added the experienced prop Adam Sidlow. I think they'll get better as the season progresses and will probably be top 4. Dewsbury - You guys have obviously come down and have had a bit of an overhaul of the squad. Looking at your squad there are a few familiar faces but also a lot of players i've not seen play, so can't comment too much on the over all quality of the squad. Similar to Swinton i think you will get better as the season goes on and i'd have a guess at mid table in 2025. Whitehaven - Third and final team that were relegated. Everyone is aware of the hardship they've gone through and the impact on the playing squad. They've signed primarily from the community game, with a few from a below average Workington side from last season. No doubt this season is about getting their house in order and building for the future. I still expect they'll win a few games against Newcastle and Cornwall, but other than that, it could be a struggle. Rochdale - A team that improved as the season went on in 2024, and have a top player in Lewis Else, so you wouldn't be shocked if they beat anyone on their day. Looking at their incoming and outgoings, i'm not sure if they've improved on 2024s squad. They've lost/moved on both 9s who i thought were good players, and have replaced them with Oli Burton from Batley. I've never seen him play so can't say if that is an improvement or not. Again I think they'll be challenging at the top and are likely to be top 4. Midlands - Another team that improved as 2024 went on and came close to knocking out the promoted Hunslet in the play offs. They looked to have improved their forwards ahead of 2025 in signing Morris, Wood, Kenga and Roden and with that I think they' improve again. As it stands I have them just missing out on top 4, but it'll be tight between a few teams. Cornwall - Great that they're continuing and will participate in 2025 with a new owner. On the field they've lost a few of their better player to northern teams and as far as I can see haven't announced a squad as of yet. With that in mind you can probably only see them beating Newcastle, if anyone, in 2025. Newcastle - Same as Cornwall, great to see them continue and start to announce some players this last week. Overall you imagine it would again be a struggle but hopefully they can win a game or 2 against Cornwall. Goole - New boys of the league for 2025. They've made some eye catching signings, Jamie Shaul being the most obvious. I think people saying they will be competing at the top are probably a little bit premature, for a a brand new squad with a new coach to hit the ground running in their first season would be impressive. Looking at the squad announced so far they look to be a bit light in the forwards and I think that will prove to be their downfall. I think they'll beat the likes of Cornwall, Newcastle and Haven, and may upset the odds a couple of times but I have them about 7th or 8th in 2025, which would be a decent start. Workington - I think Workington have improved their squad quite dramatically from 2024. Incomings include some big middles from Haven, which is where I think they struggled last season. There is also a couple of unknown quantities from Australia. According to their forum they are still talking to 3 players of championship quality, if they sign and are of good quality, you can easily see Worky being a top team in 2025. Top 4 will no doubt be the aim. North Wales - It's really hard to gauge where they are at the moment. They've gone really quiet on social media the last couple of months and i'm unsure what their squad will look like. They have a new owner and some of the players they've already announced appear to be an upgrade on 2024. For now I think I have them missing out on Top 4, but that could quite easily be a mistake! As mentioned above, I think this season is about improving as you go. Clubs will be looking to add players throughout the season to improve their squad and come to peak from ahead of the middle 8s. The dates of fixtures are interesting too. Keighley don't have a run of more than 4 league games without having a free weekend of some sort. I'm not sure if that's a good thing for keeping the squad refreshed or a bad thing with having a stop/start feel to the season and not being able to gather momentum. I guess that will be the same for all clubs though. In terms of the table I'd have a guess at: 1: Keighley, 2: Workington, 3: Rochdale, 4: Swinton, 5: Midlands, 6: Crusaders, 7: Dewsbury, 8: Goole, 9: Whitehaven, 10: Cornwall, 11: Newcastle.

Because reality intrudes when you run out of money and IMG points don't pay the bills?

To be fair, the fact that we don't have the logos of all the SL and England RL sponsors is pathetic. There are a range in there. And where we do have the England ones the have old ones and miss out current ones. It's just poor quality execution, why on earth would a sponsor go near us with that shoddy approach? When times are tough, you really need to uphold your standards.

Absolutely not, a good way to get £10 million out of RL is to start off with £50 million and invest it in a club

https://www.intrl.sport/article/344/opportunity-to-test-ourselves-rhinos-prepare-to-host-usa-series

Always enjoy Oldham as a game and club 2002 semi finals of the NFP play offs was the game I will remember along with the trans pennine cup

South Melbourne v Fitzroy GF 2024. Great to see two of the smaller Vic clubs enjoy a moment of glory.

I just googled S E I N S in French , I should have guessed