Michael Bates

Needing an investor to prop them up isn't the same as them growing the game though is it?

How did that work out? Assume the London club are a big player in Super League and their support and commercial presence is massive?

The NRL is a much more commercially attractive league than Super League. It's a major sport in the area it operates. Rugby league in England is not. Completely different situations. If London being in Super League would attract investment that would grow the game, why didn't it in their previous attempts?

Running Super League on "it'll just happen" is why the game is where it is. London won't just get investors until they stop moving grounds at the drop of a hat, or have a recognisable squad from year to year. Same thing as when Toulouse were promoted and the game's ills were supposed to be solved as they'd magically bring in additional sponsorship and a TV deal. Cherry picking sides into Super League based on where they are because "it'll just happen", isn't the way.

Granted we beat them without Whare (who I don't think played yesterday) and Norman, but the thing that struck me from both times we played them was how poor their defence was. If they've firmed that up then they'll definitely be a stronger test.

I think naming it anything other than "Supporter behaviour" lessens the severity. These people are Featherstone supporters whether we like it or not. The club needs to continue taking steps to eradicate it.

Nonsense. I agree with Simon's point that it's the victim "no one likes us" mentality that makes people think it's acceptable to "rebel" for want of a better word. It's not acceptable, it happens too regularly and it needs to be stamped out. There's no RFL conspiracy, we've been found guilty based on the evidence provided.

I thought we were excellent yesterday. The second half was as good as we've looked with ball in hand all year. I think Widnes gave up in the last 10 but I don't think we allowed them to play in the second half anyway. I'm still torn on Aekins or Lacans. I think Lacans has been excellent the last few weeks but I don't see how you can not select Aekins. Ford is a certainty to play. Leilua was superb yesterday, glad he was able to overcome his injury and come back on. He's a handful for anyone in this league 1 on 1 and Ford, him and Hall / Briscoe combining on that edge will terrorise any defense. I'm uncharacteristically optimistic about our chances of promotion. The only side that can beat us is us.

You see it in American sports often where there's no relegation. Teams that think they can't win simply don't / won't try to win. If Super League teams are happy enough that they outscore Championship sides everywhere else, then the scoring for on field success becomes an irrelevance. Why spend on a team that would be expected to finish mid table when you can save a wedge and finish bottom with no consequence?

Yes it's a large chunk, but the difference between finishing fourth and not winning Super League, and finishing eighth and not winning Super League is negligible in terms of retaining your place in Super League, therefore, if you're not going to win it, why bother? Pocket the cash or spend it elsewhere.

Why does Vaughan need to touch Mata'utia in this situation? Knowing that people have received strong punishments for similar instances? He doesn't. No one to blame but himself.

Castleford seem to have understood the grading and have acted appropriately. They've seen their current squad doesn't have a chance of winning the competition so might as well run their squad on a shoe string budget and focus on more important things like padded seats and roped off areas for their directors. Super League, as an on field product will be poorer as clubs realise on field performance means very little to IMG.

It's been a ban all year, you can't touch a man on the floor who appears to be injured, whether you think he's faking or not. You only have to get it wrong once and you've potentially massively affected someone's life.

The problem we face in terms of signing current Super League players is that if any other Super League club wants them for next season, they'll already be signed for 2024. We're left picking from the players that are unsigned, coupled with the fact that there's no guarantee we're in Super League next year, makes it difficult to sign premium free agents.

Yep, 2nd place can't play 6th with how it works. 1st can't play 3rd. Until the final obviously.

Round 1: 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 Round 2: 1 play lowest ranked winner left (so could never play 3), 2 play highest ranked winner left (so could never play 6) Final: Each winner

No haha!

Mick Gledhill headline incoming. "Brutal Featherstone maim star man Shorrocks in hunt for promotion"

Finally someone that understands what happened rather than throwing juvenile statements about "bottling it". This season is the first time we're favourites and would be the first time I'd be bitterly disappointed to not win the grand final.

Indeed, it was more of a point in jest that Toulouse have to play on Saturday afternoons for some reason.

Inconvenience Toulouse? Surely not? I mean, they're only full time, they could play at 3am on a Tuesday morning if they needed to.

Yes, they've run out of steam for me.

Fev fans in disguise. Gledhill fuming.

No one forced us to pick an understrength side did they? If it was through legitimate hardship with injuries and suspensions I think I'd be less negative about the points conceded. I assume we'll do the same again at Toulouse next week as I'm sure they'd look to injure a few. I think we'll then go full strength against Widnes. It just worries me that we have 2 games left before the playoffs and we don't seem to know what our best 17 is.

Are we just hoping that come the playoffs Ford and Chisholm can play together and it'll all be fine?