Dave T

I get that, it was the positioning of your post - saying that the benefits that other people suggest, wont happen. You are giving your opinion, no more no less, taking a factual stance is arrogant imho. Especially when your cup v relegation point doesnt happen in the real world of sport.

a bit like football I suppose. You'd never get a small club in a relegation battle bothering with the cup.

Both Cas and Wakey CEO's seemed supportive on p&r and changes on BnA.

thats a pretty arrogant stance. You know best eh?

Nope, you were reading something that wasn't there. I was commenting on what has been written. There was no mention of a 2nd division Magic Weekend - if this was mentioned, I'd have commented on it. I have no idea whether the NR Cup would be retained, it hasn't been mentioned.

What are you mithering me for? I was just commenting on the specific things that have been called out. I don't care whether we have 1, 2 or no Magic Weekends, let the RFL/clubs decide. I am not commenting on the whole game, as to be quite honest, no details of anything other than the 2 x 12 has been reported, so without making a load of stuff up I have nothing to say on them. Not really any need for your style of questioning about my points which are in response to things in the public domain. As and when we hear anything about the teams below 1-24 then I'll give my opinion.

1 - It's not my theoretic system, it's what has been suggested and reported on. I'd prefer the split to come after the full home and away system with 10 teams in each division. On the Magic Weekend question, suppose that's up to the clubs, there is none currently in the 2nd tier, it's up to them. 2 - They are playing for a trophy. 3 - They can call the divisions/tiers/conferences what they want - the name championship may not even be around.

It is also too easy for people to say things like 'our game is undersold'. We hear this a lot. We have had some pretty well qualified people in charge of the governing body and individual clubs. What have they done about it? Maybe it isn't actually that easy. Maybe they are trying to do this by making games as intense as possible by getting teams into tiers that suit their level. They will have a few key points of the season to market and get the media interested: 1 - The cut after 11 rounds. There will be games in that 11th round which will probably determine whether a club plays in the 1st or 2nd tier, or 2nd or 3rd tier. If this was done at Magic Weekend, we could see a much bigger crowd at an event which is always one of the bigger events of the year. This could be brilliant sporting drama in front of massive crowds. 2 - The end of the regular season. a ) Tier 1 will see the battle for the playoff spots - top teams playing top teams. Great stuff and surely where the focus should be? Tier 2 will see teams clamouring for that top 4 which will see them make it into SL1 for the next season (and I assume the playoffs) 3 - The playoffs and Grand Final series. Where the champions are decided. So based on the above, I suspect they will have an easier job selling those games. We hear everybody banging on about meaningless games in the regular season, this solution goes a long way to addressing that. I do agree that strong leadership is needed and get the challenges around allowing clubs to rule the game, but I don;t think the proposal is a bad one at all.

TBH I don't understand your system. So if no team goes into administration, the SL just keeps growing? Or does a new team just get added each year?

They changed the rules on that a couple of years back. If a player is in the process of scoring then you can steal and simply a penalty will be given for a two man steal. God knows why, I agree with you, it should be a penalty try as only foul play has prevented a try.

Well played Pies, controlled it from the first to the 80th minute. Outstanding GF performance.

I'm sure we could have come up with better than Sykes, but Riley has done very well for Wire at fb on many occasions, so that is hardly a shock, considering the top 4 teams were taken out of this squad.

Well Grand Final Day is here. I'm off out early to get a pub to show it for me, hope all the Wigan and Saints posters here enjoy their day, as well as all the neutrals from here, gutted I'm not going now, hope it's a classic. Also, hope it is a perfect minutes silence for Terry Newton.

Since that year they have opened up the corners due to the new quadrants, so that may have helped and make you feel more part of the crowd in the stadium. I haven't sat up there since.

TBH I hate that third tier, but if you are on the front row it won't be too bad. I sat near the back of that for the Wigan v Bradford game a few years back, and I may as well as sat at home and watched it on TV.

Riley does a lot of good stuff, but I agree about the defence thing close to the line, which I have highlighted a few times on here. Not seen enough of Goulding to compare the two. It will be interesting to see how he goes at 1 on Sunday, as that is one thing which could go in his favour is his ability to play well at 1 which could be valuable on tour.

The Saints v Hull game attracted 72,582 in 2006, and this was not a sellout. I suspect the screen does not take out 4k seats, not sure if any others are blocked out anywhere in the stadium. Either way, if we could get 70k then it will look full on TV, as the empty seats are usually up the top in the dark.

Couldn't agree more. Whilst he is a great talent, sometimes you just have to write off these players and accept they are not playing and move on. If he was in there, there would be an issue as to how long he would last. Wasn't it a couple of years ago when Long was brought back for the final after injury and he was way off it? I also agree with your comments about taking the game to Wigan early on and trying some daring stuff, although that's how I like the game to be played anyway! Both teams are capable of winning a wrestle, but also both are capable of blowing the other away. This could be a brilliant final.

Since I moved home 12m ago I haven't subscribed to Sky or read thee mag, but I always used to find a decent RL presence in there. Wonder if the editor has changed?

The Wigan v Wire game was excellent in 3D, it is the only thing I have seen by Sky yet, but well worth going out of your way to watch it (providing it is on in 3D - can't find it mentioned anywhere).

I asked this on the match thread, and it doesn't look like it is, despite earlier in the season it being suggest it was. There is no mention of it on the Sky 3D thread, with the Ryder Cup golf being this weekends attraction.

To be fair, he has only actually missed two games. Admittedly they were two of the biggest of the season, but he has still been playing.

Even as a Wire fan I wouldn't take Riley. Wouldn't be too unhappy with Lynch, Langley, Harrison, Shenton and possibly LMS on top of HappyDave's list. Think the forwards I mention may have too many others in front of them though.

Yeah, I think it was ultimately injuried that did him. Warrington had a half decent team at the time (late 80's) and had he reached his potential we could have been better. His career with us was interrupted and then he signed for Wigan, and I'm not sure whether he was always just third or fourth choice or whether he had further injuries.

Didn't Crompton play for Warrington and Wigan? IIRC it was his injuries that was the issue.