gingerjon

This is the NFL that has also sold rights to other channels and which is covered extensively on TalkSport (who pay for radio rights) and multiple BBC platforms. The one that sells out Wembley a few times each year? But, sure, they have to pay Sky to broadcast their games.

The Finnish conductor in her pyjamas was one of many fine things about the Last Night. Given the restrictions that was a really top drawer evening. Nice to actually hear some of the later-in-the-performance music for a change as well.

I feel that my solitary appearance for South London Storm seconds is being sadly overlooked here.

One man's drain is a full squad's opportunity to be paid to play rugby.

There will never be a rugby league county championship in which Greater Manchester plays Merseyside

Stop it.

England will not pick Ben Foakes. His face does not fit. They have the ideal player twiddling his thumbs as reserve in terms of getting the rate going early: Phil Salt. But he seems destined to carve a profitable career in franchise cricket whilst never collecting an England cap.

Big fan of people who think their ignorance is noble.

Just because a channel broadcasts something does not mean it then owns the rights forever. That's if they even keep hold of the master footage.

Well done to Sam Billings but England lost that game in the first four or so overs of the response. The Aussie total was annoyingly better than England would have hoped for but completely chaseable. However, that wasn't a pitch - and not an attack - that you can guarantee an explosion on so you need to start steady and keep up with the rate. Is Roy really fully fit? He looked completely unlike his usual self.

Too many people involved in BBC Sport give the impression of not really liking sport. That’s not exclusive to rugby league but we do suffer from it because they hold pretty decent rights coverage for us that they just ignore.

BT aren’t doing it. The last TV deal was for less money and was split between BT and Channel 5. They are doing it for the cricket as a goodwill gesture because the ECB had a contract to provide live games to the BBC this season but that tournament was cancelled.

Golden point is dull. It doesn’t provide the drama and we can cope with tied games easily enough. Just bring back draws.

MORNINGTON CRESCENT

I remember David Gower. Cricket fella. No idea what his views on the millennium are or were, nor how that relates to you being confused that a twenty-four hour clock covers twenty-four hours.

Did you ever get your head round the fact that we're in the twenty-first century and yet all the years start 20XX ...

From memory, the BBC would show a match per round from both the Regal Trophy and the Challenge Cup - possibly only the later stages of both though. Not always in full, so you might get highlights of the first half before the second half was shown live (and then you might get cut away from the rugby so the football results could be read out). Plus most GB home internationals. I don't remember them ever showing actual league games - although they did show the Premiership Final (in much the same way as they covered the Regal Trophy). Regional ITV very occasionally showed league rugby. But I don't think they did at all after about 1989.

Channel 5 and the Premiership already had a deal to show live games. Cricket was meant to be on the BBC this year but The Hundred was cancelled. The soccer that has been on FTA are games that are not covered by any pre-existing broadcast deal.

Why are you and @Number 16 having conversations with imaginary children?

That's it. Blame Thatcher.

A side note on women's cricket. Yesterday's live stream between NW Thunder (Cheshire, Cumbria and A N Other Minor County) and Northern Diamonds (Yorkshire, some others to clean boots etc) drew 72,000 views as the Diamonds recorded yet another win. And I wasn't even one of them (although I was following the scorecard elsewhere). There's an audience. There are people who want to play. The ECB are right to continue supporting the development of the women's game just as they are every other aspect of cricket development.

It was never about disrespecting the flag.

I suspect you're right. Which tells you all you need to know about what state rugby league will be in.

Agree. But whilst we still have decent Challenge Cup coverage I won’t complain about a lack of SL live games on terrestrial right now. Especially with so many schedule changes. Is the Super League Show back?

Does Freesat still exist? Is it on that? There are a fair number of people with a Sky package that excludes sports.