del capo

Whether the World cup made a profit or otherwise financially I believe it can be put down as a qualified success. On the pure finances didn't it stand alone as a seperate company thus immunizing the RFL itself from any cold winds ?

Thats about right. A number of clubs now travel to their more local away games by car but the overall bill for NCL travel is in the region of 300k - 400k. per year. The price of ONE marquee player in SL ? Makes you think....... Priorities ?

Speculation in Wigan that Will Pryce may be joining them before ( if at all ) any move to the NRL.......

Yes. The England pack was competent enough. It's the backs that let us down.

We missed Lomax and Percival more

I thought this was a thread about one particular player acknowledged as one of the best RU backs in the world. Even at 31 he would make most SL squads after a decent pre season , especially one with his back pages......

I thought that they were going to be playing on the smaller but purpose built 'warm up' facility next to the main stadium? A bit like when Manchester Rangers played on the Arena next to the Etihad itself, ( Great venues both by the way)

Owen Farrell played his last RL game for Wigan St Patricks in the U16s National Cup Final and within a year or so appeared in the Saracens RU first team as a 17 year old. That may say something about his skill sets prior to his unionisation. I know little about genes but do believe that the best racehorses are only bred from quality stock. In RL terms the Farrell / O'loughlin dynasties are probably as good as any. Owen Farrell was a much sought after Wigan prodigy on the level of an Edwards or a Welsby. He was always going to be a star. Tomkins pre dated him by a year at St John Fisher HS. and saw a lot of him on the park. His assessment of him as a player even today cannot be far off the mark.

So how many 'extra' tickets were do you think sold after England failed to complete their otherwise 'nailed on' route to the Final ? I suspect none. Those tickets were sold well in advance on the hype of England getting there via a pre-determined easier path,,,,,,,,

Letting the locals' secrets out WN83 ! St Cuthbert's ARLFC on Montrose Ave - 10 min walk at most from DW - also a decent shout.....

Here's a development that could sort it all out. Gilbert have produced an A1 techno Smart Ball with a chip in it that will measure all those awful RU passes so that coaches can improve players handling skills. Weight. direction. pace. length - all of that as well as speed .direction and distance of carry. A bit like having GSM in the ball just like our players wear in the backs of their shirts. Far more interestingly it is anticipated that it will be able to mark touch , 40 - 20's in particular and- wait for it - forward passes.!!! The system is already in use in RugbyX to help on kick heights ( where there is a limit ) and is intended for the Gallagher Championship this season once the 20 or so field sensors needed are installed....... Check out their website. Robo Ref's next ?

Dudley Hill have moved to YML. Likewise Batley Boys. Hunslet Warriors understood to be merging with Hunslet Club Parkside for next season. Elbra move up from Carla - hence my previous reference to a 46 club comp for 2023.

There are in fact some 18 former NCL clubs from the last 20 years or so now playing in NWCL and YML So it's a two way street. They largely met the NCL criteria and often still do. But they all had differing issues that took them in to regional rugby. Probably the 2 single problems were playing strength over time and dwindling volunteer numbers. Some clubs have returned to NCL after a time regrouping. Would most League 1 members survive if say half the Championship clubs joined them ? Of course not. Would it be a similar disaster if current NCL clubs were parachuted en bloc into the regional leagues ? It would certainly be messy. and the community game definitely doesn't need that at the moment. Does it need a complete shake up ? Perhaps. But you need to identify who or what you are shaking before you do, and have in mind the personnel needed to replace what exists at present Most of our present volunteer corps are over 50 and fast exhausting their shelf life....in many cases literally !! But as for Tier 5 upping it's game , maybe start with sorting out the high number of walkovers and seemingly ( according to what I hear from some quarters ) laissez faire administration when compared to those run more tightly by Associate leagues such as the NCL . And identify what a club needs from its competition structure - and do your best to deliver it for them.....

The NCL remains in rude health and will run with 46 clubs next year. ( 12 x 3 + 10 ), Most clubs do not want to revert to Tier 5 regionals , preferring what the NCL has to offer them. It's up to those RFL run competitions at Tier 5 to up their game and make themselves more sustainable / attractive / less volatile for their member clubs. NCL constantly review their offer to their members and will be consulting ( as promised at last nights club's meeting ) with all clubs individually on many issues including overall playing structure as they move towards 2024 season. What IMG have in mind for the top of the Community Game ( if anything ) may become much clearer as 2023 progresses.

It's badged as England Community Lions U 17's. The English players will be selected from regional community clubs. Academy players will be too old and mostly professional , some scholarship lads likely to be involved as Scholarship players in England officially remain available to their junior club and are not contracted. I'll be doing my best to get down to Wigan St Patricks on friday 4th November K O 6pm. when you meet the Regional West side. Should be a great craic. I can certainly recommend their Guinness. Followed by the England QF at DW the day after....?

Have the Warriors then notified the NCL of their withdrawal from that competition ? Has the new entity explained and sought formal permission for their new arrangements from them ?

Correct. Though I doubt they all abstained. This is a whole game solution but at least most clubs ( and some posters ) are taking a holistic view. It often amuses me how some of our posters still don't understand the voting composition of the Full Council. The Community game hold 7 votes that in the 2018 settlement went with the proposal that still runs till end 2023 season and effectively thereby avoided an immediate breakaway. That's why there are 42. I don't think Toulouse or the Dragons can vote ( stand to be corrected on that point ) I have little doubt that this IMG offering now accepted by all parties is contractually binding on everyone as well. Suggestions of breakaways in the mid term are a touch wide of the mark. IMG now control the income streams from 2024 for 10 years and would be unlikely to let go for anything south of a billion.

I'm happy with the England selection process. Radley's dad ( not his grandad or a more distant relative ) was born and bred in Yorkshire. Oledski came to England as an 8year old ( unlike the Aussie hoovering of Pacific Islander youngsters ) and played his junior rugby with East Leeds . Mcilorum born and bred in Leeds and ex Queens Junior. Farnworth and Young both born Englishmen , starting their rugby journeys with Wigan St Patricks and Dewsbury Moor respectively.......

You would be in the wrong place. Headquarters moved to the Etihad Campus last month....

The Community Game have 7 votes in any vote at Full Council. None of them are privy to IMG proposals. I doubt that re-organisation will be done and dusted tomorrow . RL politics is always intriguing........ A ladder of 16 clubs in SL anyone? Given SL needs 4 votes from the Championship to get it over the line ( unless there is a total breakaway) top 4 in the Championship promoted together in 2024 followed by NRL style expansion thereafter would get enough support.......especially with new IMG media deals due by then.............

Play offs are 10th September and !7th september for all divisions. Div 1 play off for promotion to Premier will be 17th september as well and will be on Our League. Grand Final again to be at Featherstone also on Our League. fixtured for sat 8th October. Last League games tomorrow 3rd Sept needed to finalise all clubs involved

Sorry Damien but I cant do linky stuff. 20th century IT only. Circulated to all Council members at least and shared elsewhere.. Somebody on here will have it and the skills to share. Gubrats ? Martyn will I am sure have it but may be saving it for his Trade press. That reference to RFL and Worcester RU could well relate to Covid loans as well as Noreen Dorris' department....Martyn has raised this on another thread

Chair summary of RFL Board meeting on 31/8 certainly interesting . Around 20000 fans for instance responded to IMG requests for input. And the terms of the Governments monies put into admin threatened Worcester RU being raised / queried by RFL on behalf of our own pro clubs......

IMG conclusions and recommendations to be presented to clubs on 28th September at a special Council meeting according to RFL Chair.

I'll leave you to argue with the Marras on that. RL is the go to sport in Cumbria. No other game competes. RL rules there. Wigan for instance has more than 10 clubs with clubhouses within 5 miles of each other. a smaller area than you talk about - but they still recruit - it can be done but financial intervention from the RFL with day to day expenses across the board would make it so much easier.