Archie Gordon

Not aimed entirely at new clubs but see https://www.rugby-league.com/get-involved/club-support and https://www.rugby-league.com/get-involved/club-support/best-practice-guides

This is also true IMO. RU players will join, think they already understand 'rugby' and will be harder to coach than someone who is a good all-round sportsman/woman but a blank canvas in terms of RL. We've picked up some decent juniors this year from non-rugby backgrounds and they are sponges in training and develop really quickly.

I think this is really important, especially with clubs that you want to play against. I know loads of club coaches/admins who will tell opponents that, sure, we can get a team out for <insert date> when really it's touch-and-go. When you then let folk down on the Thursday before the game, they remember. I've been both sinner and sinned against in this regard.

I don't care what London call themselves but the Dons is not toxic to AFCW.

Oh dear, oh dear. By all means do this as part of a plan (whatever that might be) and announce it before the season starts but this is just daft. The move to Wimbledon gets better and better.

I too feel that Hughes should be shown the door. Like you say, it's been obvious for a while.

Plus London Junior League Select u18s vs Milford u18s on the Friday. Danny Ward in charge of a London RL team again (I think!).

TO are really patched up. Weaker today than in the Championsip.

That's a fair question. Just about the only thing done right at the Broncos has been their academy/scholarship set up. It that goes - and it's going downhill - something will need to fill the gap.

On the delicate balance between league and union, it is a reality that our LJL teams (or maybe I just speak for my club) are made up of something like: 90% union first, league second 5% league first, union second 5% league only By far the easiest way of recruiting is word of mouth among union lads. But this gives us the imbalance we have above which causes availability issues. For obvious reasons, we need to bolster the league first/only share. But I don't agree with the conclusion that this means development money would be wasted. Increasing the presence of RL in schools would provide the biggest boost as that is where our league only lads have arrived from. Turning union first lads into leaguies is more of a very slow burn - but achievable if there's a thriving club, a good comp and a talent pathway.

But I like this idea. It would worth thinking about for whatever configuration of part-time club(s) we have in London in L1 next year.

Hemel didn't play their SCL-East fixture on Saturday, indeed only 1 of the 4 scheduled games took place. This is the premier Tier 4 competition in the South. Hemel and Skolars junior teams are 2 of the several LJL teams struggling to get games on. This is is not me taking aim at these clubs - they are close to my heart. If you'd brought up 2 other London area clubs up, the story would be similar/same. There will be better days in 2022 but the season down here has started with an almighty struggle to get games on from open age to Primary RL.

The fixation with the coach is all a bit odd. It's the top of the organisation that is rotten. We have now reached the point that Hughes keeping the patient on life support is actively harming the game down here. All for some shiny seats.

And another 58 put on the Academy team. It's depressing. But, as noted, the worst of it is that the Broncos have taken a number of the Skolars team who've in turn picked up several SCL players to fill the gaps. Every part of the game in London is weaker than it was last year.

Speed of thought too.

Ranking Hughes's disastrous decisions relative to one another is so very London Broncos.

I think that the RFL knows that they need to do something like this re. junior development across London - and I'm sure they will. However, that couldn't include any direct involvement with the Broncos without Hughes's say so.

I've always liked him and wondered whether he could have spent a bit more time in Super League. He's been an absolute legend in the Championship over many seasons.

One estimate from yesterday's game at Sheffield (Doncaster) suggest 8 Broncos fans went. I fear that the one or two muppets are probably still part of that 8! But I'm not being helpful. I hope the new dude enjoys Leigh vs London.

I'm a fan of the asymmetrical, quirky and original re. stadiums. I love the suburban and country grounds in Australia. I hope the Western Terrace remains at Headingley. Does this Wheldon Road revamp take away some of the place's spirit? But a revamp is the right thing to do and great for Cas.

Ok, you've lost me. We were talking about 2000.

Too many grounds? No counterfactual and so impossible to learn anything. The random grounds also did as well (badly) as the traditional grounds. There was no regional variation in 2000 - or in 2013. Whatever the lessons learned from 2000, they had nothing to do with the venues. They couldn't have because the data didn't support the claims made.

Awful call for a knock-on.

But what did we learn?

This is my issue. I too can quote rubbish crowds from 2000 at Hull, Cas, Saints, Huddersfield, Widnes.