gingerjon

The thread around it explains the why ...

Thankfully, there is no will. Just as well, it's failed before, and the only 'new' suggestion seems to be, "Surely this time will be better".

How do you improvise in plasticine?

It's just that I simply don't recognise the description of rugby league in this country that you are putting forward.

He’s just a weapon. And, turns out, really not a bright or capable one.

I feel obliged to point out that I had just run round the park for the first time in months and didn't have my glasses on. I'll just correct it now: surprised to see pool/snooker in the same ballpark, I'd figured pool would be a lot higher.

What are you on about?

Surprised to see pool lower than snooker. I will therefore disregard the data in favour of my own pre-established view on the matter.

This tends to make the biggest difference to me. But it's getting quite hard to judge where to be as our numbers just seem to be going up and up. 510 on Christmas Day and 521 yesterday. That's up by 200 on Christmas Day last year.

There is a separate world governing body that claims the heritage of the old BDO. It is, I think, the coordinator of the foundations that are recognised as governing bodies in each country. The PDC runs the profit making professional tours.

Who would have thought that another arch example of "I bought this so technically I invented it and am actually a genius" would turn out to be an absolute incapable chopper. Well, only anyone who has been paying attention. Still, you have to say: the Glazers have played a blinder. The absolute sods.

So, with that in mind, what score would you have given them for the financial section, and what then would have been their overall score?

I tend to go with when they start as that's more the period they are 'of'. I also think far too much current British comedy is essentially a sentimental melodrama with wry smiles attached. Out and out comedy, which is much harder, seems to come from elsewhere. Peep Show, though, very funny. One of the greats.

I think he's saying we should spend more on marketing and developing a framework in which that marketing can be successful. I wonder if there are any articles about the RFL not spending money directly on the game but spending it on such a thing. The writer would surely be in favour.

Peep Show is already over 20 years old. It's older than my kids. The decades to come have already arrived. Not to say that people won't say it is comedic genius but it, like Gavin & Stacey, is already a very old programme.

How many of those 166,000 do you think know the result of the match, the round it’s in (etc)? Nobody is saying the World Championships isn’t a superb social media event and that darts doesn’t produce moments. The evidence we have though is that, for all that, RL has more participants, more TV money and more, across a year, spectators and viewers. Let’s praise RL for achieving that and still being nowhere near as big as it could be.

The one I responded to or another one? Apologies if I've missed one with some explanation. To cover a point you also keep making: the sport very obviously does not best how to sell itself or else we wouldn't have seen two decades of total contraction, which is what we have seen. I'd rather we didn't have to bring in IMG. But if it wasn't IMG then it would have to be someone else - we can't afford another wasted decade like the past ten years.

Not lying, but some understanding of why you'd not use IMG's expertise based on what has happened in your experience with them, would be helpful. Because all that's coming across is a repeated joke about interns and social media hits, and a statement that you'd use them for broadcast deals (as the RFL has in the past) but not for their sports strategy work, for which they are employed by plenty of sports bigger than rugby league. But no reasoning why.

Is it because it has absolutely no bearing on understanding the IMG/RFL relationship but, if you keep it vague, it might sound like it does? Cos, if you're going into the whole "I could tell you but then I'd have to NDA you" spiel, I'll just assume it's as valid as anything that comes out of our Leigh correspondent's mouth regarding what he's heard about North American investment whilst in the LSV hospitality.

And yet whenever anyone asks you to elaborate on the context of this, the question gets deleted.

After 20 years. Would you say the last two decades have been good or bad for the income of top level soccer in England?

But, still, significantly more people will come to rugby league through Australia than northern England. It's not northern England's sport. But, still, bigger than darts.

On the terms that you've just dribbled, RL is Australian.

A rare double header day for me yesterday with Bexhill 0-2 Little Common in the morning and then Hastings 0-2 Dover in the afternoon. Crowds of 400 and 1300 respectively.

I blame Tiny Ginger who, coincidentally, is at Arsenal later.