Wakefield Ram

Given the lack of posts, guess some are giving it a swerve. Unless we can manage a win, then next 4-5 games look like little chance of picking up any points, so important to try and get something from this one. Plus point is at least since the arrival of David March, we seem to be able to score points, but ball control, discipline and defence will need to be better to have any chance of winning a game in this league.

I've just been to Japan it was fantastic. You should go if you get the chance. Plenty of people live abroad and enjoy it. And no doubt off-season he can return to NZ or Australia if he wants. But like you say, it's personal choice.

Whilst we support a sport, for many players it is literally a job. They know one injury could end their career, they will likely be finished by early 30s. He's done everything, played internationals won GFs. Maybe he's had enough of media scrutiny in Sydney. I spoke to Joey Leluia and he said he preferred Featherstone to Sydney as he could go out without being hassled by fans/media. So maybe Manu wants a quieter life off field, a huge payday and chance to live in a very different country? In 10 years, no-one will care what he did or even remember if he stayed in NRL or not. Of course, no-one on this forum would change jobs for a huge pay rise and chance to live in Japan.......

Given he was in a leg brace at last weeks game I very much doubt he'll be playing.

Really depends what team we have out.

Have changed the title.

1973 Final https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ehpwrxCChCra9j9E/

One of the strengths of the NRL is that the top teams change. Before a ball is kicked in SL, we know Saints or Wigan will win the GF, London will be relegated. The NRL GF has had 13 different winners, SL has had 4 and Bradford unlikely ever to win it again. In the last 19 years it's 3 teams. The NRL have even allowed new teams to join expending the game whilst SL financially punish new clubs like Toronto and Catalans by forcing them to pay travel costs for the other clubs. The marquee player route is just a salary cap dodge to keep the top few clubs with more money ahead of the rest. Same clubs winning the same trophies.

In my working life, I have lost count of the number of times we have tried to grade products / software etc.. by coming up with a weighted matrix. Yes, it's all open to manipulation. I fully get something concrete like saying your stadium must have xx capacity to be in SL. It needs to be big enough to allow fans to attend and for the club to be able to generate income to compete. Or your club must not have been in administration in last 3 years to show some financial stability. But they have to be yes/no criteria. Anything else is open to manipulation, pure and simple. The points awarded and the weighting is totally subjective. It's made up and any club who narrowly miss out on SL due to whether they have electronic advertising boards etc.. and not due to playing performance will be entitled to go down the legal route. That we've allowed a third party (IMG) with no long-term interest in RL other than making themselves money shows the weakness in the RFL/SL leadership. And before anyone mentions "12 year strategic partnership" the last "strategic partnership" I came across on a work environment ended in the client (think RFL) suing the "strategic partner" (think IMG, but it wasn't them) for a large amount of money long before the proposed end of the partnership. And it was settled out of court. The club I support Dewsbury Rams will never be in SL unless some billionaire decides to put in millions, so I've no axe to bring in that sense. But other than something concrete yes/ no criteria like minimum stadium capacity, then it will cause more long-term damage to the game than any alleged extra income that IMG may or may not generate. And I would expect both sides have exit clauses in the contract, so it's only as long as either party want to be involved.

Deleted

Googled "catastrophic defeat at Runcorn" but couldn't find it....

The tries from Fozard were telegraphed.

Sonny Bill Williams https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/sbw-opens-up-about-his-diet-and-training-during-ramadan-30001/

Didn't remember that tbh

And another one 1966 Dewsbury 13 Wakefield 13 Crowd 6,880 Picture of Michael Hunte being tackled by Jim Naylor and Brian Taylor. Hunte helped Dewsbury out in late 1970s when we had sn injury crisis. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/cNH1apwUS5AkvotG/

Whether leaving out Turner and Rush was a tactical decision but to have neither was a big loss. Bailey was in a foot brace so guessing he's out for a few weeks.

Surprised there was no Callum Turner or Kieran Rush and we lacked creativity and our kicking game was poor. Despite a howling gale, we only tried a 40:20 a few minutes from the end. Their line speed was better and they put us on our backs far more than we did. They just had a bigger pack and they steamrollered us. They didn't have to do too much to score, two tries from acting half. On plus side, Beckett had a great game as did Owen Restall, but we need a lot more than grit and effort to win. We need to play the full 6 on the opposition line.

Lost Bevan French to whom? He wasn't even playing in the NRL.

Think he got injured against Batley. He was limping during the 2nd half.

Only in RL could you bring in s salary cap and then make up ways to break it. Marquee players is just a nonsense. There aren't queues of sports lining up to take our players.

These occasionally have Trinity v Dewsbury game photos / old programme pages on https://www.facebook.com/share/98hf5Xbd6MTdMAY8/

Well all the "tipsters" on the main forum going for a Widnes win......then again they all went for a Batley win last week....

I've worked in mortgages for many years and this doesn't sound right.

Think this will be a good chance to post another win. Think it will be close either way, Widnes have come off a win as well.

Brad Graham was in a leg brace on Friday so not back anytime soon. And yes the Huddersfield players made a big difference, really impressed with Billington in particular.