gingerjon

I almost went with no mentioning it all, specifically to get a rise out of you!

Don’t claim anything more than a superficial understanding of Oz. The thing being, Oz is quite small, not connected to many places, and pretty straightforward. The UK is straightforward in one obvious way - football accounts for three quarters of sporting coverage twelve months of the year - but more complex in terms of how it relates around the world and how those smaller sports rise and fall. Neither the NRL or AFL are getting an international deal worth more than other professional sports domestic deals. The EPL does that for breakfast.

It is always: “The NRL, who are perfect, will do the things that I personally want to happen and there will be no downsides because reasons.”

Know what? That enough Aussies consistently misunderstand the UK over and over again? It's not exactly a new observation.

As opposed to two clubs from outside NSW/QLD/(ACT)?

We won't get 90k. A decent target would be "more than the Challenge Cup final and with higher prices".

Almost, but thankfully enough of our Australian posters reveal they don't understand it - for example your post, Father Gascoigne's interminable waffle - to make it accurate enough.

You always tell the mark what they want to hear.

Indeed. Grandad was a regular at Gloucester. It was informal but he, and everyone else, knew who they were comparing against, and which games mattered.

No, we understand it pretty well. What I don’t think the Aussies understand is that multi sport in the UK means a variety of soccer competitions.

Americans’ attachment to their college is quite eye opening. And, should anyone need to see a visualisation, just type “fighting Irish” into Google. Rugby union is a very minor sport even in college terms.

No, but it shows how our ambition has declined in 26 years. For this, though, Wembley is the ground to use. My argument boils down to 'it just is' but then that's sometimes all you need. In the same way, Headingley is so obviously, "it just isn't" that no more needs to be said.

Yes. My suggestion there aged like a fine wine glass of milk in the sun.

Completely agree. You either pay players or you don’t play and they can go elsewhere.

I found it quite compelling and am hoping for a four part ITV series out of it.

A women's international opener between USA v Canada would make sense.

There's a whisper they might announce something by the end of this week. That's it.

Can be up to 72 hours, going on previous replies.

In which case, you should be very supportive of EDI/DEI, whatever letters you use.

He won't be closing anything off but I don't see any real prospect of a breakthrough - but I'm sure the bookies of Las Vegas will now be more aware than ever of how absolutely addicted to gambling Australians are. Even if all he's saying, "Look, Vegas, there are going to be 20,000 people whose relationship to betting makes the English and booze look like Puritans, here every year for four days" it'll be picked up.

That's fighting talk in these parts.

I'll take everything else but this is actually nonsense. The NRL appear to have believed that the world followed the Australian process of bookies having to buy betting rights and the like. They do not. There is no equivalent payment in the US. Agreed, though, this is all about Australian domestic shenanigans and, as I remain a firm believer that a strong NRL is essential for rugby league, I am very comfortable with that.

A rare one in depths of the Sussex County Women's League this afternoon where AFC Uckfield Town beat Newhaven DS 1-0 with their only goal being scored by the goalkeeper. Not a goalkick blown in or a last minute header, it was a well taken penalty.

Until this season, Cardiff City were one of the (surprisingly not that uncommon) sides where a club schism had created on team called Women and one called Ladies. One of them played in Wales, and the other followed the men's template of playing in England (with due confusion, the latter one was not the official Cardiff City team). The English playing lot have become Gwalia United this season and moved to Newport.