Wakefield Ram

Completely neutral fan here. It's a very close one and it depends on the point of initial impact. If it's chest then head, just a penalty. Russell went in at chest height. If it's neck/head first then, it's a red card. Doesn't matter whether you're carrying the ball or not. I couldn't tell from the angle exactly which it was.

IMG's key objective is to make money for themselves as I understand it's a revenue share agreement. It will be interesting to see what the RFL do when they start invoicing for what they see as their share of any revenue.

It was never proposed not to happen until March 2024. Budget decisions were being made last summer. He's backed the club for 20 years and takes a long term view. It's his money. He's decided not to spend money to gain a few token wins and that assumes players would want to sign.

SL won't expand to 14 as it would mean sharing the Sky TV money out with 2 more clubs. Not sure having the same 12 teams playing each other year in, year out will work longer term.

Spot on

Think the plan is to help the club do the communication, in similar way to other volunteers help on social media etc .

If you're going to spend, you need to go whole hog and spend enough to definitely stay up not just being competitive. Maybe £100,000? No point spending an extra £50,000 and getting relegated. And no point spending £100,000 and going into L1 anyway based on IMG grading. Mark Sawyer said at the beginning of the season that the rugby side was budgeted to lose £150,000 this season. This was the same as £150,000 loss in L1. This will be offset in part by off field income but Mark Sawyer has been doing this 20+ years so think he knows what he's doing. Despite spending a lot more, York were next to bottom till very recently.

Someone's had just that idea https://www.facebook.com/share/p/xZFfvFdN8joGzx1A/

I have worked with consultants for decades. They have delivered exactly what the big clubs want, which is immunity from relegation under the guise of gradings. The weightings of the gradings is arbitrary, believe me I've been involved in this sort of categorisation many times. You change the weightings and get whatever result you want. Given SL clubs have much higher revenue then it will be much easier to gain points on electronic advertising boards, social media output etc...and it will become increasingly difficult if not impossible for clubs outside SL to exceed them. At worst the SL club could divert money into gaining more likes/tweets. There is no evidence that giving SL clubs immunity from relegation will make the game stronger or even the SL clubs stronger. As far as I am aware, there's no plan to increase the number of SL clubs. If that were the case, then it would be good. But it isn't.

Never suggested we ever would be. But Leigh, Castleford, Hull KR, London, Wakefield have all been in the Championship. It will become near impossible for Championship clubs to have higher gradings than SL clubs.

Just think that the year in the Championship has revitalised the club and its support more than if they'd stayed in SL. Relegation has given Trinity a chance to re-group, win trophies get to Wembley etc...

Correct. A lot of contracts were being agreed last summer/autumn and yes Dewsbury would have had to spend a lot to have a chance of staying up. Mark Sawyer has put his money in for over 20+ years. There's not been any winding up orders, players not being paid, bills not being paid etc ..and the club has its own ground and some excellent facilities. But not paying your bills and your players doesn't seem to matter in IMG grading. It's not that many years ago I remember Leigh turning up with just 13 players when Beaumont decided to stop paying the players.

Australia will struggle to pull out of this WC

Living in Wakefield there's certainly a buzz around the team this year. Not sure that would have been the case if they'd stayed in SL. Think this season has been a big boost to Trinity. Admittedly they've got a new stand courtesy of the council and a new benefactor putting money in which would have helped, but they wouldn't be anywhere near a trophy if they'd stayed in SL. How many Trinity fans would have preferred another season in the bottom half of SL compared to the season they've had in the Championship?

Grading not funding and that whether we'd be in L1 regardless of playing performance.