Wirral Warrior

I agree...we were at the back of the Stretford End and we couldnt hear a word.

I have to agree - times have moved on. Similarly the FA Cup Final is not the centre-piece it used to be in football. Season ticket culture, other alternatives, flexible holiday times etc have all contributed. Its no good getting too stressed about counting empty seats ( all seater stadiums exacerbate this). Rugby League has a relatively small fan base and you cant expect them to turn out for all these events : International , Magic, trip to France in addition to the price of season tickets. The on field game is tremendous but the catalyst for a step change in profile is a successful international programme and as stated ...beat the Aussies!

Their poor coverage is a bad joke in comparison to the fawning, lavish coverage they do of Union.

There was a small 1/4 page report on page 20, just above the Racing results. 4 pages on Union plus a piece on page 1 about Farrells (Owen not Liam) red card and rest on football.

Yes - will be looking to go to the Crusaders v Cornwall game in late July in North Wales

I would agree - it must have been in the high hundreds

Last weekend we took the opportunity to go to the Cornwall v Dewsbury match whilst on holiday in Cornwall. We really enjoyed both the occasion and the match itself. The staff were very welcoming and there was a good pre-match build up which added to the atmosphere despite a major downpour just ahead of the game. Quite a few Dewsbury fans had made the trip and similar to the locals were enjoying the pasties and Doom Bar at the Penryn RFC Memorial ground. The match itself was very competitive with top of the table Dewsbury only pulling away late in the game. In fact going into the last quarter the match was locked at 6-6 despite Cornwall having been unfortunately reduced to 11 at one point. One local fan told me he was delighted to have a local professional team to follow- and he was travelling all the way over from Plymouth for the home games. His main hope was that the venture would last the course given the fragile funding levels in the sport, but I for one wish them well.

French try not entertainment?

No complaints - efficiency wins out over entertainment

Excellent summary

Not sure if it has been raised as a forum topic before, but I watched it on Friday evening on the BBC after the Australian game. It was fantastic documentary detailing the life of a Rugby League great. A definitive legend in all senses. It was beautifully presented by his nephew Nathan Blake who must have been quite young when Clive tragically died at the age of 42. Nathan presented it as a journey of discovery about his amazing life and career, involving family and ex-teammates family from both South Wales and Humberside. A powerful message that was very evident in the programme was the inclusivity of Rugby League. The buoyant atmosphere of Rugby League was also well showcased when Nathan attended a FC/KR Derby. Congratulations all round

'Its a tough place to go'

Obviously disappointing to lose at such a late stage but in some ways it was inevitable. We often need a points cushion to offset late rallies eg Wakefield last week. Like in any sport there is often a trade-off : Wigan flair v Saints attrition. Bateman didn't need to offload, but he chose to because that is the style of play we have chose to adopt as reflected in the playing squad. Light mobile pack and exceptional speed from the back 3. As long as we learn and make progress we cant be too disappointed given the clubs exciting brand of play this year.

No

Are you for real? You are really that naive to believe the 'virus' excuse....sorry , reason. Even the great Gus Gould is confused. One minutes its the virus from a direct health point of view , then its the knock on impact to the start of next season. Which is it? He and the NRL never wanted the RLWC and have looked ( and will continue to look) for an excuse to cancel the whole thing. Sport is up and running around the world. Full respect to individual players if they choose not to tour, but the player pool is so large for both countries , surely they could forward 2 competitive teams rather than hide behind the virus excuse. That's why Johnson (Simon that is) referred to the decision as 'cowardly'. Would have had more respect for the decision if they just told the truth.......ie. it will impact on our pre-season and as its 'overseas' its not our problem!

Sign up?......we are talking about International Sport. They should not need to 'sign up' ......international competition is vital to grow and develop the game especially for a sport when a sister code attract talent with the prospect of national representation. Despite my anger at the arrogant and duplicitous nature of the way ARL/NZ RL have withdrawn, I am hoping that the powers that be in Aus/NZ ( ie the NRL Clubs) can look beyond the next SOO series and genuinely help build momentum and the fully participate in a fully exclusive 2022 WC. Broadening and developing the world game will inevitably reap benefits to all nations, including Aus/NZ. In many ways the International game is getting broader. The Pacific Island teams and PNG are certainly stronger . Tonga have beat Australia and England in recent years. So , nations should be privileged to be invited ( or qualify) for International tournaments....not having to 'sign up'!