MrPosh

I don't need to be patronised because I don't share your opinion.

Ooops

Yes, the thread had been about big games, so my comment was focused on these - I thought that would have been obvious, but I apologise if not. I agree with Dave T's point about glory supporters coming out - it happens from every club in every sport and will never change. My comments related to the other 'half' of the crowd. In rugby this is mostly made up of fans of other clubs who come to the big occasion, no matter who's playing. In union, a much higher proportion of the extras are guests corporates. I'm not actually criticising either code for this - one suggests a stronger community within the game and the other makes much, much more money. I know which I'm happier liking, but I accept that doesn't pay the bills.

No it wasn't.

Why?

There were approximately 1.8m at the Odsal match in that case.

In that case, I absolutely agree. Interestingly, though, we do quite a lot of events and the like at work and I am on every hospitality mailing list - I have never once been offered tickets or a package to the Challenge Cup final (to buy, I mean, I'm not important enough to be given these things). I could though, get a VIP package to the local mental hospital sevens at union.

It isn't the same at all. Union's big crowd's are disproportionately corporate and much more bandwaggony, where as the Challenge Cup final is an event for all of the rugby league community - who turn out in big numbers for this event, no matter what the tie.

I look forward to the day when a French Prime Minister (or President, I'm not fussy) agrees to speak to a rugby league interviewer on a prime time French rugby league TV show. The day when that happens, we will know that rugby league has finally made it in France.

Section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 makes it illegal - technically for football, but could be equally applied to any sport.

Leave it on here and then report the feckers to the police.

It is just you. Everybody else thinks it's very misleading.

Saints v Wigan Wire v Saints Not going to work

Mick in Caerphilly.

Two reasons - whilst most of Wire's English players would be perfectly at home in the NRL, non of them are really 'star' players and one would assume that Morley was being asked for players who could follow Burgess and Ellis and dominate the NRL. Secondly, there may be the potential that some scouts actually listen to what he's got to say - and I doubt he'd be too popular at the HJ if the club lost a couple of players on his say so.

I thought that at the time. Shows that strength in depth that you guys have.

Mathers Riley Bridge Atkins Penny Briers Myler Morley Higham Carvell Westwood Grix Harrison Clarke Wood Cooper Blythe

Claire Balding with Ray French and Jiffy in the studio. Damien Johnson will be sent to Aus to provide a flavour of the atmosphere and we will get Ray Warren commentating - which will be a blessing.

I haven't really seen enough of Ellis at Wests to comment. I understand that he has been better this year than last, but I haven't seen anything in his game that suggests he is a better player now than when he went to the NRL. Burgess, I think, is not quite the same player as he was. At Bradford, in his breakthrough year, he was in a very strong pack - in 2009, when he needed to carry the team, he was not quite capable of this. He is in a similar position at Souths - in a pack with old men, trundlers and fatties, and his game is suffering under the weight of expectations. He is committing many more unforced errors than he ever did at Bradford and there doesn't seem to be an improvement in his game - although I accept that would be hard, with him having reached such heights at his young age. This would be similar to suggesting that Andrew Johns improved himself during his time at Warrington (and I'm sure PJM will tell you he did ).

Have they? I think that the only difference is that the Aussies have heard of them. I haven't seen anything in Burgess' game that he wasn't doing at Braford and Ellis has been amongst the world's best second rowers for years. Burgess and Ellis were two of the world's best players before they went to Aus and they still are. Just like Graham, Peacock, Roby and others are - and Eastmond, Tomkins and many others will be (or indeed, already are).

I always thought that Eddie was a Wire fan.

No chance. Thaiday is nowhere near the class of those two.

Union country, eh?

Could two miles from Cleck and near to Brig not actually be the same place?