gingerjon

Decent value and set up, that. Just looked at it. I’d be tempted but for the whole six hour drive there aspect.

Oooo.. I do like looking up the hospitality offers of clubs so that’s a new one to check out.

Wigan Athletic, I presume?

It was part of the strategic review about which we know very little. It was at the home of one of the clubs that made no secret of wanting to push the RFL chair out, and were successful in doing so. It is also possible to downplay it too much as well.

Indeed. The NRL are proposing taking complete control and a 33% stake and the debate, led by the RL writers, is whether X will be able to be promoted, not “Holy handshakes, does this mean the entire game from Wigan to Wigan St Pats will be run from Sydney?”

I am disdainful of the statement. It’s clumsy and cheap. Which is not how Batley usually present themselves which is why I said elsewhere it felt performative. Also, as I said, the club owners collectively need to own this mess. They haven’t. I hold them in contempt for that. But I do not hold (most of) them in contempt for how they actually run their clubs. Again, Batley always seem to be a good example of a club who do things the best way in a positive spirit.

The way forward was IMG and the framework. Wrecking that leads to the chaos we are now seeing. I see very few positives from the NRL believing they understand the UK and European market but even fewer from handing everything back to Wood and his cliques. There are no definitely beneficial ways forward and my absolute belief is that it is the club owners themselves who are, collectively, to blame for that.

No disdain at all. That’s projection.

They put it out on the socials with a link back. Maybe public statement rather than press release?

I do think they knew exactly what they were doing with that statement - up to the number for the floodlight fund. That’s more revealing about their ambition than I think you’d choose to give away.

Worth a couple of grand every week of the season but RL’s determination to undermine itself in the name of jokes put pay to that.

Given them a backdated postal order, more like.

Bingo. And it's a joke whose audience is limited to performative northerners of a very narrow and shrinking demographic. Which, I think, says everything.

The RFL Chair will be livid.

It shows how cheaply anyone's fealty can be bought in RL. A cumulative *£250* or a single portion of pie and peas. It's so far beyond embarrassing. Is it possible for a sport to die of cringe?

Love that, thanks.

This is the level, is it? Jesus.

They could be the umpteenth team to be called the Conquerors

Hastings are building a new ground. It's got a lovely artist's impression.

Nah, you didn't.

France.

Slashing the teams in the top tier and having complete control over that level of competition was likely always going to be the NRL's desire. It would have been the same with the Hearns or anyone else. Those who've been wishing for such a thing can now start to see what it means.

Apparently not?

Who?

Straightforward question. Who is it? When were they appointed? How long is their term?