gingerjon

Given they are the soft power projection of a foreign state, I think they have different priorities.

Buongiorno?

I think a lot of people didn't realise that the Premier League only really introduced a 'light' version of VAR last season. They tried to not have to put in the full version - the one that those of us who saw it introduced at the Women's World Cup in 2019 looked at in horror. However, they have been leaned on (I think by UEFA) to standardise with the full on version. The referees have no room for manoeuvre here. They have to implement the rules to the letter.

We've already lost one club from Super League.

It would be. That's why Notre Dame scheduled it and South Florida will have taken the payment to play it. Whoever scheduled it for Sky did so because either they don't have access to any other rights (they're on BT), there was nothing else available in the time slot (not true, I don't think), or because they simply didn't know and thought Notre Dame would be a good game to show (quite possible).

Political.

We need to spread the word somehow

Anyone on social media, don't forget to tag comments with #bbcrl so they know we're watching

You're good at this. Convincing anyone. But, anyway, London was fifteen years ago and, I write this as a London supporter, utterly ridiculous. I was glad from an entirely selfish point of view it worked out how it did but, ultimately, it set in train the rushed failure that was Quins RL and the many subsequent problems. The rules were sorted out subsequently. Widnes and others have been docked competition points. Twelve seems to be the starting point. If Toronto start next season in Super League then, by recent example, they should start at -12. As for paying players. I am still struggling to understand supposed rugby league fans who think this should be an optional extra. Widnes, in the example above, found ways to ensure players were paid. Still, I'm sure all good business make it clear that their drones will only be paid if the owner is feeling happy and there should be no expectation otherwise.

Deducted 12 points? That Widnes? How many times were players not paid in that process?

Nah. This isn't business. This is sport. And even if it were business, Toronto are selling nothing to the RFL that doesn't rely on trust. The sport argument says pay your players. The trust argument says pay your players. Only the licking the boot argument says the players who play the game you profess to care about should be happy to be unpaid collateral damage.

Interesting (ish) to see Sky showing college football this evening. BT also putting on a couple of games.

Just checked - Live at the Apollo is SRO Audiences, who also do The Last Leg and others. You pre-register for a ballot. You then get told if you've got in. You do not get told in advance who the guests will be.

There is a BBC ticket mailing list. Anyone can get on it. Most of the live comedy TV shows are massively oversubscribed and go to a ballot.

Imagine if someone pretended they could run a Europe-wide competition using park clubs and a twitter account. But, anyway, do tell me more about the Bahamas. I may need to go on a factfinding mission.