JonM

Exactly. Can't argue it's just a mistimed tackle when you've going in a with a clenched fist.

I assume people from West Yorkshire can understand him, but for the rest of us, it's on a par with Rab C Nesbitt at times. It's a shame because he's obviously interesting and funny and really could be a great RL media figure. Is there still such a thing as elocution lessons ?

Yorkshire Evening Post says Castleford-Salford was a sell-out, 10 500 capacity attendance. https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/reds-stun-tigers-to-ruin-radfords-debut-3565357

Yep, 9044.

Huddersfield missing 3 players due to non-vaccination - Ricky Leutele, Jermaine McGillvary and Michael Lawrence.

Toulouse president says he's hoping for a 6000 average attendance this season, with 14-15 000 for the game with Catalans. They've sold approaching 700 season tickets, but he expects that number to keep going up.

You can't say anything negative about Doom Bar, Eddie. They're sponsoring Cornwall RLFC

17160 across the 7 championship clubs, slightly higher than the opening week. Not bad to average not far off 2500 after each club has had one home game, only Newcastle below the 1000 mark.

The 1907-08 Hunslet team was famously the first to win all 4 cups, I e more than a treble. Hunslet, along with Batley and Workington Town are the only clubs that have to look back even further than Warrington for the last time they were league champions.

Still causing some confusion this. Widnes & Workington both have it as 70-18 on their websites and match reports, but quite a lot of media outlets have it as 68-18.

The weather yesterday would have reduced the attendance figures right across the championship. Eribe Doro looked a bit lost at times last year, possibly difficult to fit in when you're on loan. Lovely offload out of the tackle from him for tries in both of the games so far, but as Spidey says, concedes too many penalties. Tyler Dupree has been excellent in both games. Turns out that playing the game with some prop forwards on the pitch is a good idea, who knew? Lawton is always going to struggle with avoiding penalties for high tackles. Matty Smith has been our best player in both games so far. London came back into the game only after he went off last week. Still think we'll be mid-table, not convinced we'll compete so well with the five drives down the middle and a good kick approach of eg Dewsbury.

3623

OK - that would make sense. I thought Edge only missed one conversion. I guess it's a good day when everyone loses count of the score

I don't think Town can be faulted for commitment, thought they stuck to the task for the full eighty minutes. They looked pretty decent with ball in hand too. Kicking game/ last tackle play was poor, and Oscar Thomas had a few howlers under the high ball, but it was really difficult conditions. They lost because Widnes were bigger and faster right across the park. Adam Lawton was only on the pitch for 30 minutes, but probably scored more times than he was actually tackled, Town players just not big enough to stop him. Some poor defending at times though. Big step up from L1 I guess. I believe you have Fev next week, that could be another very big score.

Widnes 70 Workington T 18 Full Time (Widnes scoreboard showing it as 68-18, but I think they missed a conversion). Torrential rain and a hail storm right at the end, bet the players were glad to hear the hooter.

Attendance 3623 at Widnes. 64-18 currently, with a few minutes to go.

Widnes 30 Workington 12 at half-time. Definitely not over here, as Town will have the wind in the second half, and they've scored twice off barely any possession in the Widnes half.

Three attacks, three tries for Widnes. 18-0 after 10 minutes.

And scores with his first touch of the game, bit of a lucky bounce after the Workington player got nowhere near a high kick moving about in the wind. 6-0 after 3 minures.

Weather is going to be a factor in keeping scores down - not a day for precision kicking or long passes.

I really struggle to believe that a majority of championship fans can't use the internet these days. My eighty-five year old mother-in-law seems to get on just fine.

Brad Holroyd making his Widnes debut against his old club. There's been a lot of very good players who've played for both Widnes and Workington over the years.

I would have said the opposite, loads of emails pushing the new season, lots of social media, C4 already pushing SL, Premier trying to sell the championship. Crowds for the opening round were all above expectations too.

I guess if we're trying to reduce the number of games the top players have in a WC year, it makes sense. Also these games are not exactly money spinning any more. And maybe fewer championship clubs in the sixth round helps 1895 schedule? Assuming that is happening, haven't checked the fixtures.

Am I right on thinking only 5 non-SL teams go through to join the 11 SL teams?