Blind side johnny

I love the way that so many RL fans come out with "the only way ", followed by their quick fix. However, truly the only way is to get more money, much more money, into the sport. There are no quick or simple ways of doing this and it requires a strategic approach. Whilst such strategic approaches are being developed many clubs could easily fall by the wayside. There are those in the upper echelons, and aspirational middle echelons, who woulld shed few tears over this. Sadly, many solutions proposed start in entirely the wrong place.

I prefer facts. You do realise that DRLFC was still ultimately a members club at that time? This meant that, had the club actually gone under then every member would have been liable, severably and jointly, for the debt. Every season ticket holder was a member so, had MS not have stepped in, then members could have been in danger of losing their homes. Your dream might have been others' nightmares. You also know, of course, that Uncle Bob was struck off for many years from becoming a company director. Why might that be, do you reckon?

We were within 24hrs of doing so, all thanks to your hero.

So sad, a true Dewsbury RLFC legend. We shall all miss hearing those gently proffered words of encouragement to the team. I am sure that she enjoyed every minute of her involvement with the club going back so many years. RIP Elsie.

Well, I shall be missing this one. I do like to see us beat Keighley but dislike the journey there and will be otherwise occupied at the time. We should win, I reckon, although not as comfortably as we did at home. On the other hand, as NickD says, who knows which Dewsbury will turn out on the day - Dr Jeckyll, I hope. Keighley 16 - 22 Rams FTS Collinson MoM Coates Att not many

This seems to make you happy. Why is that?

Dewsbury, Midlands, North Wales and Swinton but any of these games could go either way. It should be a good weekend of L1 matches for a change.

If you were to be offered the opportunity to win the Championship once again but the club would close down within a year, would you take it?

Aye, on a decent contract until the end of the 2027 season. Money to burn, some clubs.............................until it runs out, that is!

Sheffield in disarray, some players wanting out, some not wanted by the coach. Surely this must be a real opportunity to gat those two points that might make all the difference? Dogs by 10.

Oh!! Really, really poor by the Giants. Some decent players simply looking uncommitted and lost without any sort of system. Sadly only a change in the coaching set up will change this and Uncle Ken doesn't do that sort of thing.

Counter to my earlier supposition, at a supporters meeting of Sheffield Eagles last week their chairman said that in 2024 their income was £394k and expenditure £1.3M. This is a huge deficit for what is, in reality, a small club. Apparently their backers are prepared to carry on but want the club to become more sustainable. This might explain a few recent departures and rumours of unrest amongst the players - nobody likes their gravy train to dry up, do they?

Exactly!

I would expect the council to only take account of those signatories that come from Kirklees. Any others are quite irrelevant to their area planning decisions.

A simple question: how do you "pre-submit" a question?

Only with permission, which the RFL have generally turned down, citing difficulties with availability of officials etc. As far as I am aware next season's fixtures and structures for Championship and L1 are still under discussion, once they finally decide upon the future structure of SL. Don't expect an announcement any time soon.

My understanding is exactly the same as yours. L1 clubs have little clout.

Unfortunately family commitments will prevent me from attending. Even in my absence, however, I'm sure the rest of you will manage to enjoy yourselves somehow. Have a great evening.

We could always have started the season later but why bother about the lower leagues? The whole L1 structure is farcical and it will be joined by at leat one more lucky club next season.

There are no L1 fixtures scheduled for this weekend - can anyone tell me why?

I made no such suggestion, simply referring obliquely to the fact that many once-regular fans are now staying away, for whatever reason; I didn't link their antipathy with any single player. Even whilst we all bathe in the glory of a win I doubt that anyone would say that what we are watching is attractive. This is not a recent phenomenon.

I believe that Keenan has been our most consistent player so far this season. He works hard throughout, often unnoticed, and probably isn't flashy enough to gain the plaudits. Hookem is definitely a Marmite player amongst our dwindling number of fans.

By the end of the game it seemed like an easy win yet with only 20 minutes to go most of us felt that we were going to lose ignominiously once again. It is hard to tell what turned it around but it did seem that the haven team dropped off quite dramatically. We still do too much barging; many of the players, large and small, seem to go for glory close to the line when their cause is clearly hopeless. Our line speed is non-existent - we are standing back 10m letting them run to us after their ptb and this means that we defend too deeply in our own half much of the time. In the opponent's 22 we really have no clue at all. Coates finally gave a glimpse of his quality with the scoot through a gap and the neat pass to Garside (better than the 50:50 of going on his own CF). There was plenty of effort on display with much of it is being wasted by poor decision making. The walls of Fortress Owl Lane were in danger of being breached once again but we finally repelled the invaders. Top 4 is still going to be tricky.

I need more clarity, please.

Even though it is a significant money-loser for participating clubs? Fans are only interested in the final; in all of the fixture iterations attendances at earlier rounds have largely been woeful. The competition was dreamed up as a sop to lower league clubs as compensation for SL clubs being able to avoid them. That structure has now been altered so, in my view, this competition is unnecessary.