Dave T

I'm not so sure about that tbh. We do get visits from prominent politicians to our sports grounds, and I would expect it would be pretty easy to get the PM (diary permitting). I suspect that we have moved away from politicians (apart from Sports Ministers) on purpose, and there does seem to be a real move to link the CC back to legends of the tournament, wasn't it Martin Offiah recently?

Hmm, you seem to be in a minority with your views on Westwood, it is widely acknowledged that he has been very good for England, in both the World Cup and last season's 4N. He received a fair bit of credit from the Aussie media too. Can't disagree with the rest of your post.

TBH there are quite a few combinations that would work, but I would expect to see O'Loughlin in there, probably with Westwood on the bench.

I raised this a few weeks back after the Wigan v Warrington game, and tbh when compared to this time last year they were very similar. It must be a seasonal thing, I wonder whether plenty of soccer fans cancel during the couple of summer months?

You clearly do not understand the salary cap.

Really enjoyed watching that, thanks to the OP for linking to it. On your above point, it is an interesting one, but when watching it, look at some of the defensive structures. When we talk about the game being different nowadays, some of the defence in those clips was appallingly bad. Some of the runarounds were so slow and deep, yet Canberra still fell for them. Nowadays everything has to be flat and up at the defensive line at high speed. Found it really interesting to watch, and Offiah's second try was scary how fast he was!!!

Also signed Leo-Latu now. Will he strengthen their chances? Never really liked him since his ban for racism, but he seems a pretty dangerous player and lively round the ruck...

Disagree with you tbh. Every shot should count, whether you are 30 up or 30 down. He put a great hit in and it deserved celebrating. Once they realised there was an injury they behaved impecably.

Being honest though, did it ever? There are still shocks that happen though, Toulouse making the semis a few years back, Hull KR making the semis in the lower division, Catalans making the final, it still isn't that long ago since Sheffield won, Hull beating Leeds in the final and so on. Throughout history, it has generally been the better teams that win the cup.

Don't really understand the question, of course it is worth it. There are two major trophies in this country, and two prestigious finals. This game will attract the highest RL crowd this year in this country and will be great for players and fans alike, and a real financial boost for the clubs...

Yep, well said. We can all have our opinions on this, but support was modest in May over BH weekends, plenty wanted this (including the clubs) and it is a great chance to get a real positive launch of the season (Magic Weekend always gets more publicity from Sky and the media anyway), so let's hope it works. I've had my say on it, but now I'll look to book a hotel and get my tickets when they come out...

The fact is that people don't want to be in the stadium for 14hrs over a weekend. When you go to Glastonbury they don't force you to stand in front of the stage for the music, there is a whole experience, and the socialising and mingling around town was a big part of that. Edinburgh was slightly different in that it had a huge complex around it, but to expect people to stay in the ground for such a long period is silly IMHO.

It wasn't just the fact that they were let go, it was around whether the club ever had any real interest in keeping them. Feka has been in and out a bit this year, and we have all seen how his lack of mobility and fitness can cause him and his team problems. Nero can be okay, and maybe he needs a change of scenery, but I know a few fans were worried that their team would sign him, and I just get the impression that he will be another signing like Willie Talau. Patten is apparently very good, don't see enough of him to comment. Wild - I like him, could be a good signing. Anderson - again, I quite like him and has proved his worth as a utility for us this year, but he isn't exactly going to drag a team like Salford to the next level. Out of the five, I think three could be decent, but I just suspect it will take more than this, and none of them are spring chickens. I hope I am proved wrong and they can take a bit of a step up into the 8, as building the momentum going into a new stadium is crucial.

Are these players all good? Were they wanted by their current clubs? I suppose they may be a step up from their current squad (no disrespect meant) but will the likes of Feka drag them up, or will he simply become a plodder?

I know, I know, I'm weak!!! As with Bulliac, I'd also be ###### on a jury panel!

I attend a forum each year for Burtonwood Bulldogs which is hosted by Eddie Hemmings and usually has a ref or linesman there. Often it has been Karl Kirkpatrick, but I also believe Steve Ganson has attended, as well as one of the linesman. They are always by far the most popular people on the panel, even when it has been a proper a-list turnout! I have always found them to come across really well, and you are right in that it does show the human side. That said, Sean Long almost won me over at one of the Q&A's he attended! Almost!!!

Of course the trends aren't everything, and you could argue that the sample is still very small as there are plenty of variables as you point out. I didn't include the Neath games in any of my commentary (hence the 2k fanbase), but they have still attracted less than 3k for 3 of the last 4 games, down from over 6k against Catalans earlier in the year. It will be interesting to see whether they make a firm decision around their matchday etc for next season.

RIP. I have a lot of time for Paul Cullen, and I wish him and everybody affected well at this time.

The trend clearly has to be most important here. The average won't give you an idea of the future crowds, but the trends certainly will, and they don't look good.

Average French players would be a good start, at the moment, most of them play like amateurs, and that has to go down to Walters.

Must admit, whilst the average seems generally positive, there are some warning signs which cannot be ignored. The average was boosted by the opening few games, and despite the team having some good performances the home crowds have dropped pretty much week on week. Their home fanbase is around 2k, which is as low as our worst performing clubs, and didn't increase too much even with the visit of the likes of Warrington and Wigan which surprised me. It will be very interesting to see what kind of crowd they get against Saints, in what may be a crucial game against one of the biggest names around. I hope they can build on this year, as it is a great place to go and watch RL and it does have that genuine Welsh Club feel about it.

edited

Never seen the play, but will be going this month, it's apparently a good production.

People overstate the demands of the broadcasters IMHO. They pay for the rugby, and they got 1 classic and one game with some great tries. They will have been happy with that, and not too concerned about the empty stand at Hudds. The RFL on the other hand will have lost out on money, and would want to impress future fans and sponsors with a full stadium...