DOGFATHER

I am on very similar lines to you. I really wanted to put some of the forwards in, as they completely dominated Keighley's pack and set the platform. However, I felt the 3 backs chosen were outstanding.

McGowan White Morton

I don't think they will want him cup tied.

in place of Wakefield, who will be relegated with a parachute payment. Then Wakey will storm the league the following season, Fev relegated, and SL will be back to being a closed shop. Is that what you mean?

Hooley Reilly Flynn

Eh???? Hooley is on a 2 week loan with us. There have been many instances of 1 week/ 1 game loans in the past too. Maybe you should put a call in to Kevin and let him know the error of his ways? I'm sure he'd be delighted to get your insight.... Or maybe, what you read isn't really a rule, but simply a guideline. The word "should" might offer you a clue on this matter?

Meadows Walshaw Manning

Hodson Lillicrop Buchanan

What time did the pitch inspection take place Phil?

I think it depends on who you support If you support one of the teams likely to benefit from going back to how things were during the framing the future days, you will be happy, it is a visionary revolution that the game has so desperately needed for years. If you support a team not likely to benefit from going back to a system that is likely to be as transparent as mud, you will think it is just the same ideas that were tried and failed and we're making the same mistakes all over again.

How many SL sides would be able to spend up to the full cap without a sugar daddy? I cannot think of one, maybe with the exception of Leeds.

Meadows Brown Kibula

You could well be correct, The things in his favour are: He is still young for a prop. There isn't much in terms of fan expectation on him, unlike say Wood. I think most see him as cover, rather than a first choice. We re-signed all of the props that finished last season, and have Hirst and him in addition. If he makes it, great. If he doesn't, we haven't lost anything as we don't look to be reliant on him being in the starting 17. Ultimately, it's down to him to prove he is worth a place in the team. I hope for his sake, he fulfils the potential Wigan saw in him.

You say that, but on Friday, he looked about 2 stone lighter than he was, when I last saw him play. I'm not sure he will really need to do 60 mins either. He might be used as an impact man 10-15 mins either side of halftime... Who knows? Weren't there similar calls from the Dewsbury contingent when we signed Hooley? He didn't work out too badly, if Kibula works out to be as bad as him, I won't be disappointed.

I've heard good things about this lad, he's supposed to be pretty rapid. Can't wait to see him on Boxing Day.

As you are so familiar with my posts (very flattered btw) , you will no doubt be aware I was not a fan of getting 3 times the amount of the teams at the bottom of the table, when we finished in the middle 8s either. I was in favour of a tiered prize fund with gradual increase in funding, the higher teams finished.

I and many others, paid by cash on the gate. There were 4 people in high viz jackets, 3 taking cash and one scanning tickets, and we were let straight through to the stand, no turnstiles or official means of recording how many people went in. It could well have been all above board and equally split after the expenses were taken out. But even you must admit, it is a bit dubious looking, for a game like that with a shared gate. It's not like Fev made Batley get changed in two separate changing rooms, neither of which was big enough to accommodate all the players together, and neither even had the basics of hot running water... Oh, hang on a sec...

I might be wrong, but wasn't the final billed as the MPG? If so, and it was true to its billing then we should have received a handsome payout, otherwise, why not promote it as the £2M Game? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Pound_Game Without some sort of prize, and everyone in the CH gets the same money regardless of finishing position, where is the incentive to do well?

They should have had a decent amount of money from that run, as you point out. But, just because they should, doesn't necessarily mean that they did. The prize money for reaching the final for example, seems to be a closer guarded secret than the recipe for Coca-Cola. I haven't seen it published anywhere. I had heard rumours, but nothing concrete, Barrow, when they came to divvying up the gate receipts, had advised that they had given away over 1500 free tickets for the game, without consulting Batley beforehand. I noticed whilst going in at Featherstone in the semi final through the gate, (not turnstile), that we were all ushered through, lots were paying with cash. Was all of that cash accounted for? Not saying it wasn't, but it raised questions amongst my group when we were going in to the ground.

Genuine questions for TD: - Do you know what the prize money was for reaching the GF? Do you know how much we got from the Featherstone and Leigh once the expenses were taken in to account? Do you know what bonuses, (if any), were paid to the players after beating Featherstone in the Semi Final? I don't know the answer to any of these, so if you could enlighten me, I would be grateful. I suspect once you have answered them, it might point you to the answer to your own question too.

Last season proved to me, I know absolutely nothing about a game I have watched for over 40 years. At the start of the season, I had us pegged (at best) for a 7th placed finish, we finished 2nd overall. Fortunately, we have staff at the club that have proved they know what they are doing

You say that recruitment has been poor, but can any other Championship team boast they have recruited 14 players that played in last year's Grand Final?

The pack is looking very big and strong.

Really like that, top work!