JonM

Perhaps Matt ought to read his own publication, which is where I got the info from

T.O had over £1.5 million in corporate income in the championship last season (2024). It's their biggest source of income - more than the amount they get from paying spectators. I'd be surprised if that's true for any other club, maybe Leeds?

Oldham would seem in many ways a safer bet than York, who are sometimes mentioned in these sort of discussions.

No point booking anything this soon. There might be a terrorist incident on a different continent. Or a pandemic that stops RL players from traveling but not cricket, soccer or rugby union players. Or someone's cousin might be getting married.

I don't think it is, because he was talking in the book about looking forward to trips refereeing at Gloucester and Hemel, and I doubt he would've been told to influence the outcome of games at Championship one/ League one.

Had the operation on his knee at the end of May and at the time, it was said he would probably miss the Ashes. Maybe his prognosis has improved. The squad (once again) highlights either what a small talent pool we have, or how well we do for the size of the playing pool we have, depending on your point of view. Four players out of the 32 played as a junior for Halton Farnworth Hornets, one of several junior clubs in Widnes. Probably there are other amateur clubs with bigger representation.

Should've read the earlier pages of this thread then (Or not, if you didn't want to spoil the surprise, I suppose...)

60-14 win for the home team on Saturday, with Jarrod Sammut and 10 Malta-based players involved. Part of a week long training camp in preparation for playing the Netherlands and Serbia in European Championship Group B later in the year. https://europeanrugbyleague.com/articles/2533/malta-xiii-stun-university-of-exeter-60-

Sheffield were 14-0 up against Batley, before Batley won 24-14, with Eagles scoreless in the second half. Guess which team was playing downhill in the second half? (It wasn't Batley...)

2 456 for Barrow v Bradford, pretty decent. 1300+ for Halifax v Oldham at Odsal

Hunslet have looked pretty good in several matches recently. Losing Kobe Rugless to Salford must have been a blow. Like many teams, very little depth, so you're going to get some variable performances depending on who's injured. John Kear's return to Batley seems to have paid off. Bottom four relegation play-off places not locked in yet, but a 6 point gap with 10 games to play is a fair amount to make up, particularly with Widnes having all of the bottom three still to play at home.

York v Fev here, if anyone isn't already aware:

I think Ashall-Bott is easily the best player in the Championship, but they definitely missed Shorrocks and perhaps also Calum Gahan at hooker. Still, Widnes lacking most of the first team, and massively outgunned physically. You can't blame the missing Toulouse players for the stream of knock-ons. It takes some doing for a full-time team to look less coherent in attack than one where key positions are filled with players who've come in loan a couple of days before the match. Having watched the video just now, back in the days when referees were being told to take head contact, spear tackles and late tackles on the kicker seriously, Toulouse would have certainly seen several players receiving cards in the first half.

We didn't have 17 players at the end of last weekend. There were 3 loanees and 2 on dual reg today. Who knows what the squad for next week will look like, let alone 3 weeks time when we play you. We've got the weekend off before though, so that may or may not help. Expecting a close one either way.

FT Score Widnes 24 Toulouse 4. Toulouse cut out the foul play in the second half, and continued to make far more metres with ball in hand, but way too many errors and very much one man rugby at times with little attacking flair. Overall, pretty rubbish, tbh. Widnes out on their feet at the end, but a great victory for us.