gingerjon

My two best mates and I now live miles apart and life gets in the way of that. So, for the past *far too many* years, we've had a letting off steam / talking nonsense little Facebook Messenger group. It has been remarkably therapeutic many, many times even if, quite often, we're not really talking about the issues but performatively overreacting to Aber Town's latest performance.

It's like the two blokes running away from the bear. Do I need to run faster than the bear? No. I just need to run faster than the other bloke.

Time to get learning then

Launch event going on right now. 128 matches, I think they said, across 40 centres and 4 tournaments. (Men's, Women's, Youth and Wheelchair).

But not your rugby boots? What services are you planning to offer the team?

I actually don't know. When I've time and I remember I'll look into it. I do know, because it's responded to all the time, that the upcoming 'Blue Monday' has no basis in any meaningful facts at all.

It's going to be hard to top this for 2022's worst post. Strong opening candidate.

The rates are about the same as always so it's always been there. I think we're a lot more honest now though so there's less pretence that things might not have been suicide. I think that's a good thing generally but it can also make individual cases tough on friends and family. Sorry to hear your news.

We bought a new build in 2006 - and, thankfully, every move since then we've been able to steer a gazillion miles away from them - but the fad then was for three-pin light bulb fittings and no TV aerial installed. I can't remember the official reason for the latter - we were all going to have cable probably, despite Chesham not being cabled at the time - but the former was some nonsense about energy that actually made no sense once you looked at the various bulb outputs (being very dull, I did). A single replacement light bulb, not available in any local shop, cost £13 (in 2006). It was, by miles, cheaper to get 'a man' in to put some proper fittings in. So that's what we, and everyone else, in the road did. All these initiatives always seem to only be for new builds and then only for a short time - and all they really do is add value to existing houses.

This goes right to the top ... if they can lie about this ...

Boreham Wood is the older name for the area and still used sometimes.

The FA Cup magic starts in the first weekend in August. By the time of the third round there are no genuinely small teams left. Even the minnows are full time by this stage. Leicester are the current holders though.

It's a very, very hard league to get out of once you fall into it.

I mean, they are quite easy to mix up what with them both playing in Wigan and wearing red and white hoops but, yes, that was an entirely accidental error on my part. Genuinely. I'm not smart enough to do it on purpose.

I think we're going to need to split the draft off from the 'B' teams debate or else we're going to have more confusion over what people are responding to. They are two completely different ideas after all.

I'm sure this is the second time Leigh have had to move a fixture date because of a wedding? Or was it that they just had to close a section of the ground?

I think there's a lot in this as well. There's a kudos to playing the big teams even when it's just their academy and fringe players turning out. Conversely, just think how motivating it would be for players located well outside the heartlands to be able to put themselves in the shop window by playing against those same academy and fringe players. Have to say, in spite of myself, I'd not object at all if something like this happened.

Familiar story for anyone who has even been involved, or tried to be involved, with London Broncos TBH.

The Aussies were properly humiliated by only taking 19 of our wickets in a rain affected match. It's going to be an interesting last Test - not least because those who came good in this one are broken and presumably won't be playing in it.

It's Welsh for 'family'.

And, yet, when the deal was announced in late 2020 (to start this year), this was one of the good bits: "The BBC’s ground breaking online and digital coverage of the early rounds of the competition featuring teams and clubs from all sections of the Community Game will continue and will sit alongside the RFL’s additional digital and highlights rights allowing the opportunity to promote the sport to a wider audience."

My first instinct is to be very soundly against the idea but I can't actually think of a genuine reason why it would be a bad thing for the handful of teams that would want to do it to enter 'B' teams into League 1 - subject to the rules mentioned above about not entering the Challenge Cup, not being eligible for promotion (etc). There are a few examples of reserve teams dotted around the lower reaches of the football pyramid. (I'm very much against for further up.) It really doesn't diminish the leagues involved.

Denver, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Tennessee, Indianpolis, Minnesota, Washington, Arizona, New Orleans, Buffalo, LA Rams, New England, Tampa Bay, LA Raiders

It's done. Our Australian correspondents have nailed their colours to the "being almost as big in Australia as AFL" mast and that is now the limit of their ambition for the game.