Damien

Tribal loyalty? I'm a Wigan fan and have already said it was an accident and that the ban was harsh. There's certainly nothing tribal about it when it was a Wigan player injured.

It's not really the case though and is a really vague measure. They produce players like any place that play RL does, mostly very average ones.

This really illustrates how much work there is to do even in the areas that are considered the RL heartland.

I know for a fact that if I told RU folk that I know to watch this match on TV they are very likely to extract the urine out of it.

I know it pathetic. Australia do curtain raisers too though. They are hardly the beacon to follow on this.

A great signing and seems a great bloke too. He went up hugely in my estimations after Penriths WCC defeat. He and Nathan Cleary spent an awful lot of time walking round the ground meeting and getting photos took with fans when no other Penrith players bothered. Indeed he had his photo took with my kids and it was the cherry on top of a great night.

Yeah it's not really the win RU types think it is. Manu going to Japan instead of playing Super RU speaks volumes about where that competition now sits.

What brand? Sure Australia always have a quality team but they rarely play and their organisation of internationals is no better.

Even Fev are trolling and taking the Michael:

Think that is incredibly harsh. It is just unlucky and he did nothing wrong for me. If Isa hadn't have broken his ankle then it wouldn't have even been looked at, it was just a typical tackle that we see time and time again in a game.

Oh I'm not doubting you at all, just commenting on it.

I'd be amazed if he does all of that. Those responsibilities are typically split up between 2 or 3 people at other clubs. Indeed I think Wigan probably have 4 people covering this. If Pearson and Hull FC are expecting 1 person to do all of that then it may well explain why Hull FC are where they are and lag so far behind both on and off the field at all levels.

Warrington certainly didn't have a bad team or squad when Powell took over. Powell did however seem to arrive with the preconception that there were issues with the players and that it needed ripping up and starting again. Whether that was based on what he had seen or what he had been told by management I'm not sure. Both are quite plausible to me. Some coaches and managers do think they know better and want to make their own mark. Sometimes it works, sometimes it is a disaster. The example that always springs to my mind is Souness when he took over at Liverpool. Equally the board seemed to back him to the hilt and seemed pretty onboard with his approach and clear out. That is until it became clear that it had failed. I do suspect that it may be a bit of both.

Its the only thing he can say other than the real reason, that he is going for a big wodge of cash. He can't use the challenge excuse, can't use the playing for his country excuse, can't use the international game or the seeing the world excuse.

I didnt mean they would be providing literally half the team. The point was they have two French teams playing at a decent level that between them represent the most of the French elite player pool and they cant choose from one of those teams. Toulouse provided 8 of the French World Cup squad, Catalans provided 13. Toulouse provide a substantial number whatever way you cut it and a French team without them is a lot weaker. Half a dozen regular French Catalans starters and a few average French players playing at other clubs is hardly the makings of a competitive team.

How? Presumably the only other French professional side in Toulouse won't be releasing players. France are up against it anyway without cutting their player pool in half. French domestic league players are way off this level.

In all seriousness has Jones ever said anything that isn't embarrassing?

Fair enough, must be getting mixed up with another England v France game.

Every report I've seen says in excess or North of $1 million a year. That could be $1.9 million for all we know. Even $1.5 million is probably doubling his money and no doubt there are all kinds of bonuses/Perks in place too with no salary cap in place.

Yeah it would be really poor. I'd imagine, or maybe hope, that the BBC will pick this up but let's see. I'm fairly certain that they showed this match the last time we played in Toulouse.

Well the French RL did say as much back in January It's just so RL that it takes 3 more months to officially confirm.

It's just a little odd all round and I'd imagine he is getting way more than that. He is very clearly going for the money and he certainly isn't going for the challenge or any pretence of playing in an elite competition. As with the likes of RTS he will soon be forgotten about and another player will come through. He will probably come back like RTS did soon enough too.

It doesn't tally with a single Latics fan from St Helens that I've met. Bitter Latics fans moaning about Wigan Rugby, to a Leigh fan in a bitching session, doesn't explain why such people follow Latics in the first place and have done so for decades. Yeah sure they may enjoy that when they are there but it's not why they went in the first place, no one is spending a lot of money every other week just to chant anti Wigan RL songs 20+ times a year. Almost every one I have met does so because it was passed down from father to son, and before anything to do with Maurice Lindsay or the JJB, or because it was a handiest professional team to go to whether in the lower leagues or Premier League. It's like you saying born and bred Wiganers support Saints. Again bar bitter Latics fans on a wind up, who don't even like Rugby and simply detest Wigan Rugby out of jealousy, or those who have ties to St Helens it isn't a thing. Wigan born Rugby fans don't do that. Plenty of Wiganers support both clubs and I used to often watch Latics at Springfield Park. I still look out for their results but certainly don't support them as I did now though due to the past hassle with the stadium and the attitude of Latics fans.

Well its finally confirmed so these discussion are no longer hypothetical:

I don't think that's the case at all and is certainly not the impression I have got. Someone from St Helens has to somehow go and watch a Latics game for this to be the case. This has been going on for decades, long before Latics have been on TV or the JJB Stadium days.