John Drake

Discuss Manly Sea Eagles v Canterbury Bulldogs here.

Discuss Penrith Panthers v Newcastle Knights here

Discuss Melbourne Storm v Canberra Raiders here.

Discuss Cronulla Sharks v Wests Tigers here.

Discuss New Zealand Warriors v St George Illawarra Dragons here.

Discuss Sydney Roosters v South Sydney Rabbitohs here.

Discuss North Queensland Cowboys v Gold Coast Titans here.

We don't usually do pinned NRL match threads on the main forum, but as this is the first Rugby League match any of us will have seen in a couple of months and it's on live Sky, it seems daft not to.

I think the survival of the sport itself should be the priority. That will involve clubs and governing bodies worldwide having to honour all manner of financial and legal obligations to other parties. If the domestic leagues collapse, the World Cup will be fatally undermined, far more than it will be by any of these fixture proposals set out by SL, which is one small part of the overall equation.

Whenever and however the sport resumes, it will be on an imperfect model. Everything has changed now. No one would actively choose any of these scenarios in an ideal world, but no one would have actively chosen to have the current season shut down altogether for months on end either. We are where we are. None of this might even happen at all, as it relies on external permissions being granted to restart anything, but at least it is a visible roadmap of how a resumed season could function. It’s a glimmer of hope. That’s all.

I see a lot of criticism here, but not many alternatives. We’re in extraordinary times. Playing a few games in the winter months as a one off exercise to complete a disrupted season seems like the least of our troubles. What the hell else could they do in the circumstances?

Treat yourself to this instead. The EBU/BBC have uploaded the 1974 ESC, hosted in Brighton, in full on YouTube for one week only. Featuring ABBA, Olivia Newton-John, Katie Boyle, a beardy bloke from Netherlands with a fake hurdy-gurdy, a song that started a revolution, another song that influenced a referendum (allegedly), an incomprehensible scoring system and lots and lots of polyester. What's not to like?

Pertwee picks up speed after the first season. Those early seven parters are hard work. I'm currently watching his final season. Not that well regarded by many fans, but it's one of my favourites as it's the time I became absolutely hooked on Doctor Who as a kid, and the opening titles that year are still the best ever, IMO.

I love it all. The old, the new, the good, the bad and the wobbly.

The Beeb went a bit Eurovision mad last night. Not that I'm complaining! For the record, the votes of the Bradford jury would have been going to Iceland (quirky and contemporary), Italy (top notch power ballad), Ireland (Katy Perry inspired Europop), Russia (mad as a box of frogs) and Ukraine (mesmerisingly strange). Shame we didn't get to hear more of them on the main show, there were plenty of good entries this year, but YouTube has them all preserved for posterity.

It's made lockdown bearable for me. I already own them all on DVD, but it's so much easier streaming them. I gave up on the mission of watching them all in order, as some of those early Hartnell ones are a bit dull tbh. I swear that time actually does go into reverse anytime I attempt to watch The Web Planet or The Sensorites (even though the latter has Peter 'Crackerjack!' Glaze in it) but I'll never grow tired of watching Tom Baker at his best in the mid-70s golden era. I've also watched Hetty Wainthropp Investigates on there, but that's another story.

Is this just an attempt at trolling? Looks like it to me. Locked.

On the anniversary week of one of the biggest Rugby League Challenge Cup giant killings, Matt Shaw is joined by two of the key figures responsible. Sheffield Eagles head coach Mark Aston relives the day they beat Wigan with his then coach John Kear. Also under the spotlight - could the clubs still finish this season with a Grand Final at the end of November? With some people suggesting a Winter season instead, is this really an alternative, considering most playing contracts are up on November 30? And just how did John Kear make falling over advertising hoardings look cool? All this and more on this weeks Rugby League Back Chat, sponsored by TotalRL.com, Thursday 14th May at 5pm on FreeSports.

Thread already on this in Cross-Code https://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/351907-new-america-prto-rugby-union-league/

Full show online now, slightly later than advertised above. 

Yes. Tis done.

Magnificent! The eagle-eyed will notice that if you choose the Liberator from Blake's 7, you get the crew included too.

Another kitchen caper from Matt Shaw joined by two larger than life Rugby League characters in London head coach Danny Ward and Halifax player Scott Murrell. The £16 million loan to the game sounds like big money but just how far will it stretch? Also on the agenda, where is the most intimidating ground now the likes of the Boulevard and Wilderspool are no more? Blocking toilets, getting showered with kit on and wind up tactics make for an interesting menu on this weeks Rugby League Back Chat, Thursday on FreeSports. (It'll also be available on TotalRL.com on Saturday if you can't access Freesports on your telly).

This is another thread that needs putting out of its misery.

Drawing a line under this before it ends up on page 800...