Amber Avenger

Laughing at the comment that some clubs are still hoping we'll go it alone producing the non-sky games solo on SL+. We can't agree on a format for the league season four months away, I doubt we can get a broadcast quality streaming service done without the help of Sky in that time.

Double post

I get where you are coming from, and there is a logic to that but I don't think there is much evidence of many clubs thinking this is as bad an idea as many are now before implementation though is there? At a guess a lot of clubs we are complaining about where they sit in the grading (bottom half of SL and top third of the championship at the time of implementation) probably thought they had more to gain than lose in terms of retaining/gaining a SL place through things "under their control" rather than the more risky side of earning it on field.

We don't know as the deal hasn't been finalised - but Sky doesn't have every NRL game now, just a few a week. If you want everything you'd need WatchNRL, so one line of thought is that the new version of WatchNRL will be owned by DAZN, probably rebranded and will have all NRL games and the non-sky SL games

And those people would have been wrong as well

I find the sport's current relationship with IMG as an entity really fascinating. The fact that everyone - including the clubs and journos - call them the IMG gradings when they are, according to the press release from SL, called "Club Gradings" (which from a branding perspective makes more sense). I know language is correct through usage, but it's so revealing that nobody even makes an attempt to call them the proper name. I think the flaws with this system are plain to see, but just the way language works, by referencing IMG constantly it really shows the kind of them and us mentality that has been created over "outsiders" having an opinion over the past few years (which we paid for and asked them to do). I know it's been covered before, but to me it just plays into a narrative that lets people who were already in the game before and will continue to make decisions off the hook a little bit.

The Challenge Cup is a protected "group A" category sporting event and has been for many years. That means it must be broadcast one of the traditional tv channels that are the most widely available The list of channels is here Statement: Listed Events

I don't doubt that's true, but OFCOM would have to amend it's own legislation to allow the cup onto YouTube as it stands as it does state specifically it needs to be on Free To Air Terrestrial TV. We're probably benefiting that the list and the legislation is slightly behind the times

Has to be on terrestrial tv, not streaming

Wise after the event perhaps but given how Warrington barely got past an under-par Leeds and Wakeys performance last week I half suspected tonight. As a competitive final - it was poor - but given the competitors It doesn't matter really. Of course Wakey fans will not give a toot and why should they? Made up for each and every one of them - utterly deserved and that's what makes the play offs so amazing

You still occasionally see some touts at the Grand Final shouting that -I'm sure I have in the past few years - not very busy ones mind

She'd probably say "have you checked the terms of agreement with the bloke who is driving that ford fiesta around the garden? I've been bringing it up to you for the past two hours but you seem to be ignoring it"

Especially if your mates coming round was your primary source of income and you had sublet your garden to a stranger to drive a Ford Fiesta round it 20 times a year.

Don't worry, how much you hated that pre-match entertainment is coming through loud and clear! I don't disagree the pitch needed to be addressed - since we're just repeating our last posts, I'm not sure how they could have done that 12 months ago given the occupancy of stock cars last year. I have no sight of that agreement, but presumably there would have been a financial consequence in addition to just the adjustment works. This year, that problem doesn't exist, so there is no excuse.

Well at the start of the season they couldn't have because the stock cars were still there - neither were we exempt from relegation, no more explicitly than anyone else because nobody knew what the rules were. By the time the Vegas announcement came around to "confirm" we'd be in SL in 2027 and the stock cars were given the boot - both in May - the commitment to the playing squad was already made. I'd say one of the primary objectives of the club this year was to try to win back lapsed fans - that's why you invest in the squad and the pre-match stuff. If it's worked or not, it's debatable, and I'm not sure sticking the boot in on some of this because it wasn't to your taste is a particularly convincing argument of the state of the club when there are plenty of pretty decent legitimate examples elsewhere - mainly the one we probably agree about in that the club should be addressing the pitch before 2027, like they said they would, but aren't.