Cofi

Good post.

I'd like to reiterate Paul's comments above. Best of luck to both sets of fans on the forum. This game is the culmination of my first 'proper' season as a RL fan. Right from the first game (and my first game of RL ever) in Wrexham, I've enjoyed every single game I've watched - and I've watched every live game much to my wife's indignation. It's been a brilliant season. This truly is a wonderful game. I can't think of any other sport where I feel such an overwhelming sense of admiration for the athletes taking the field. To paraphrase Nobby: RL players belong to the Warrior Race! Let the battle for the GF begin. I'm not going to offer a prediction because I think the script for this game has been written beforehand: KC - the Welsh International - will score the last try from a metre out and win the game for the Saints! Wigan need to tear up that script before they walk onto the pitch...

What sad news, what a tragedy. My condolences to his family and friends.

In my first season as a RL fan, this is whom I've been cheering for: 1. The Crusaders 2. The Wire 3. The South Wales Scorpions 4. The Rabbitohs

Or we could get rid of it completely and be truly radical and different!

I've thought about suggesting this but was too scared to do so! The scrum, as has been mentioned already, does get the forwards out of the way for at least one play. Is an uncontested scrum the only formation that's able to do that or can another formation be devised behind the tap ball if the rules were changed?

Cywilyddus a rhag eu cywilydd nhw/Shame and shame on them.

Has anybody else read Coslett's book? If so what did you make of it? Anyone here see him play?

Here's the link.

Good post.

I haven't felt this disappointed for a long, long time. Totally gutted and utterly depressed. I'm off out for a pint... Yn falch o fod yn gefnogwr y Croesgadwyr heddiw/Proud to be a Crusaders' supporter today.

Agree.

So if I've understood correctly, the 1895 Club played an important role in establishing Open Rugby, which was the forerunner to RLW. Right? If that's the case, then the Club's contribution across various aspects of the sport was really quite significant. You guys should arrange a reunion and celebrate the Club's 'radical' achievements.

Ah, okay. It's just that they spoke about the player living in a council house (not a terrace house, mentioned by Morgan), family member running a pub, him being an international full back, I just thought it might have been Coslett. Mind you, those Wigan directors may have gone down to see Coslett but failed to sign him. Saints obviously offered more money than Wigan!

I've just read Coslett's life story. In it he describes the occasion "when Basil Lowe and Lionel Swift came down from St Helens to tempt me into signing and my mum had food at the table and a few glasses of whiskey for them". Interestingly, in the documentary I watched on BBC 4 the other night, The Game That Got Away, these two gentlemen men were describing the art of signing players from Union. One of them said "I had four thousand pound in five pound notes in a brown paper parcel" in order to tempt the player into signing. The offer was refused. The details of the rest of the account seem to match the details of Kel Coslett's early life in Pen-y-Graig in Llanelli. In his book he says that his eventual signing for Saint made the News at 10 headlines and that he signed for ' decent sum'. "I've never told anyone what the figure was and I'm not going to break my silence now" he says. Okay, we may never know the final figure but at least we know, if I'm right to think that the player they were talking about was Coslett, what the offer was: four grand! Were those guys Lowe and Swift talking in the documentary or have I got it wrong?

Thanks SB. College and University RL is played the length and breadth of the country today (If I'm correct) so it would seem that the club made a significant contribution in this regard, fulfilling one of its main objectives. When you mention Harry Edgar's magazine, was this the club's official magazine? It'd be great to have a look at a few copies.

I really enjoyed reading this article! "By qualifying for an elimination match at Huddersfield, the Crusaders have given British rugby league its most successful expansion story for more than a decade." Wow. I just wish that Noble stays. Here's to turning the North into a heartland of the game - the north of Wales that is.

Thanks for this Saint Billinge - interesting stuff. So it wasn't the type of coverage that the club was concerned about but the quantity? Is that what you mean by 'poor coverage'? It must've been exciting being part of that first 'historical' meeting. Were you mostly Saints fans because I'm sure the guys interviewed on the documentary were Saints supporters. Hope I'm not being nosy; just curious and interested. I would too. I'm just thinking whether that supporters organisation (forget what it's called) that is to meet or has met in Huddersfield is trying to do something as 'radical' today - I don't know. If so, I should've paid more notice!

Cheers Paley. So was the original supporters club established with the specific aim of trying to counter what it saw as 'patronising' and 'stereotyping' coverage of the sport by the BBC with Waring the 'villain'? Why was the 1895 club set up?

During last night's programme on Eddie Waring there was a reference to the 1895 Club. Does anyone know more about this club and its aims? Is it still going? I wonder if anyone on here were members of that club?

Let's hope so! It's imperative, in my view, that the club holds onto Brian Noble - what a coach. Diolch yn fawr Leeds Wire. 'Chwarae teg' indeed!

It was, without doubt, a cracker! I've been to many finals in many different sports over the years but Saturday night at the Cae Ras/Racecourse was one of the greatest sporting moments I, personally, have ever experienced - I exagerate not. It was a tense, tough game from beginning to end. I was quietly confident during half-time but then KR scored two quick tries immediately after the break and I had my head in my hands to the accompaniment of "You're not singing anymore!". But, then, our half-backs started to play. Rhys Hanbury's try was quality and Sammut's sprint was magical - he's our new 'Welsh' Wizard! The atmoshpere was electric and, at times, the singing was deafening. The drama intensified after the game finished when, after we thought that Saints were winning comfortably against Cas, the 30-30 all scoreline flashed up on the scoreboard with the words: 'one minute left' flashing underneath. That was the longest one minute in my life. When the final score was eventually announced, the roar of the fans underlined the fact that this was a historical moment in Welsh RL. And "I was there". As we walked back to the car, I'll never forget the magnanimous spirit showed by the KR fans as many of them shook our hands and congratulated us on having made the play-offs. Hard lines to the Cas supportes on the forum. Garry Schofield: "You're not singing anymore"!

Cas have to lose and we have to win (or draw) - simple really! I'm looking forward to going to the game tonight although I'm really nervous. It's going to demand a huge team effort to beat KR. To get into the top eight would be a massive achievement for the club and for Welsh RL in general. I really, really hope we do it.

I'm sorry MD - I was out of order. Sincere apologies.