David Shepherd
-
Posts
2,415 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
4
Posts posted by David Shepherd
-
-
4 minutes ago, JAG said:
Fair enough.
Don't see how a change of 3-4 teams every four years is boring compared to seeing the smallest variation of SL fixtures every other year. Or witnessing another bland season becasue of some SL club's sole ambition is to just not finish last every year. Or see Leigh Centurions yo-yo between leagues alternating with an expansion teams who after 10+ years of hard work are only afforded one cameo SL season, all while Featherstone Rovers are left being perpetual bridesmaids in The Championship.
Its also way less intrusive than the restructures that seems to take place in that same time scale.
Imagine 4 years of Wigan v Leigh, Toulouse v Catalan, Featherstone v Castleford.
Followed by 4 years of York v Hull FC, Newcastle v Leeds, London v Toulouse.
Every single result counting towards a P&R league table spread over 4 years instead 1. Freeing clubs of suffering from the anxiety that one bad season could mean relegation.
The brutality is part of the enjoyment. No free rides. Have a bad season, suffer.
-
2
-
1
-
-
41 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:
It wouldn't be interesting in the slightest although I do see it as a possibility. Fact is we came to the LSV and played well enough to beat the majority of championship teams yet got hammered, I see the final for whoever gets there as a nothing game barring some extreme circumstances Leigh will be winning it comfortably. If it happens I expect Fev V fax to be the game of the playoffs though.
Fev v 'fax will definitely be the game of the play offs. I'd guess it's not possible for there to be a Fev v 'fax final, assuming you finish 3rd. It really would be amusing if Leigh saved their one bad day at the office for their semi.
-
14 minutes ago, JAG said:
That only further emphasises my point!
Why judge them in exceptional circumstances with the same P&R system as before?
Toulouse as you say lost half their spine and have still gone on to win 5 games.
Leigh (In full knowledge of funding deficit) got relegated after one season and are now putting 100 points passed play-off rivals.
Imagine if they were both promoted with Featherstone for e.g and were judge on results over 4 seasons instead of 1? - You'd have a stronger SL and a more competitive Championship.
We'll need to agree to disagree. A change in the make up of both divisions every 4 years would be unbelievably boring.
-
2
-
-
14 minutes ago, JAG said:
So after this weekend's results it's becoming safe to presume two things are likely to happen:
1. Toulouse will be relegated after one season in Super League.
2. Leigh Centurions will be promoted to Super League after one season back in The Championship.
Doesn't this demonstrate the utter pointlessness of having one up one down P&R every year?
It further demonstrates the bridge from SL to Championship cannot be bridged in one season and that clubs need more time to develop their teams/clubs over a longer period of time.
Rugby League will not only miss out on being able to fully harvest the potential of Toulouse Olympique but have already missed out on Leigh Centurions developing a formidable squad and seeing them playing the best teams in Super League.
Leigh putting 100 points passed play-off rivals York is a failure of the P&R system. Toulouse winning five games in a SL debut season only to be relegated is another failure of the system.
The 4 year P&R system benefits everyone.
TOXIII's chief problem in my opinion was losing 1/2 their spine on the eve of the season due to the French government's Covid tyranny.
Then there's their awful disciplinary record.......
Leigh may not have been in the championship if those self interested fools at SLE hadn't deprived them of 1/3 of the funding that the other 11 got in 2021.
Neither of these situations are the fault of P&R.
-
1
-
-
A mandatory reserve league would solve this problem.
-
5
-
-
1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:
This is what I was worried about, I thought York may save themselves for next week v Sheffield, big score margins do not appeal to me one bit not got a ticket yet as I thought this was going to happen may not bother now.
I do hope we manage to get promotion, I would sooner lose in competitive games than walk games far to easily.
I hear that Harry. Even though we're a bit behind the Leigh curve, there's not much joy in blowing teams away like we've done on occasion this year. Except Widnes and Bradford of course, I could watch that all day every day
-
2 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:
The points diff is 91. So Toulouse need to gain half of that and Wakefield lose the same over three games. Not impossible.
So, do you think Hull KR will be in on the conspiracy or not?
Only one way to find out
-
1
-
-
7 minutes ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:
Can we count on Hull KR being in on the act next Thursday then?
Isn't it largely academic now? I know TOXIII can still stay up, but they need to win each game by about 3 million to do so.
-
19 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:
Sorry David we agree on most things we both write but I am not with you on your conspiracy theories re Wakefield's recent opposition.
Not normally one for a conspiracy theory myself Harry. I’ve seen Wakey a lot this year (a mate invites me to corporates quite regularly).
There’s no way they’re good enough to pull their recent results off. Must have been having their Weetabix lately.
-
2 hours ago, moorside roughyed said:
I haven't, I've always wanted to keep my job. Probably my upbringing. Work comes first.
Fair play to you.
if I had a quid for every time I’ve been rough at at work, especially in my youth. I’d be retired by now.
-
2
-
-
2 hours ago, moorside roughyed said:
As Anita Bath alluded to it the word "professional" does appear to be relevant. You don't get yourself drunk if you've got work the day after (not normally the best idea in the world).
We've all done it though. The bloke must have other previous disciplinary issues to be sacked on the spot.
-
3
-
-
15 minutes ago, JohnM said:
The article was about Worcester and Wasps woes. They make RL clubs look positively frugal.
Sounds like incomes are not too dissimilar to RL's but they're spending £5m a year on players.
-
1
-
-
4 minutes ago, Dave T said:
I believe the cap rules were changed when TWP joined the third tier to allow them to progress through the pyramid.
Wasn't that down to Degsy when Leigh were first challenging in the 8s?
-
1
-
1
-
-
15 minutes ago, Left Winger said:
Mate we have achieved way more than we thought we would, can you say same with the players you have ?
Anyway hopefully those of you coming have a decent day off the pitch.
Very tempted to make the trip it's the only champ ground I've not been to, but my Mrs seems to think I should be doing some DIY or something.
Silly woman.
-
1
-
1
-
-
Be grossly unfair on TOXIII if Wigan don't let them walk over them like they did with Wakey last week.
Makes you wonder if Leneghan values Wakey's away following more than TO's.
-
2
-
-
6 minutes ago, Oxford said:
I assume you missed the point on purpose David, it would make too much difference who was in charge at the council.
Not sure about that. Having worked for council administrations of various political stripes in a previous career I can attest that some are more realistic and economically literate than others.
-
1
-
-
23 hours ago, Eddie said:
What has the Labour Party got to do with this, are they involved with Salford’s ground?
I believe it's a Labour run council. Which probably explains 95% of this farrago.
-
3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:
Not for me it isn't Frank, if we get there Leigh's first SL game is the start of a new era for me, I will get along to as many games as possible home and away, whoever we replace so be it the rules stated that one team will be relegated and one will be promoted and long may it stay that way, even if we get relegated, but I don't think we will next year, I don't think any promoted team will have been better prepared and equipped to take in the rigours of the higher division.
You're already way ahead of Wakefield. Unless there's some more questionable results for them against better teams, next year has got to be the year that the unflushable ###### disappears round the u-bend.
-
30 minutes ago, steve oates said:
Selected relegation must wins etc of course draw great audiences, I recall was it Wakefield and Bradford in a winner takes all? But most bottom table smaller club games are not great TV draws in general, if they were we would run on a bigger size Superleague and get rid of the third games wouldn't we?.
Well a 14/16 team Super League with 2 up 2 down would be my preference.
It'll never happen though, short sighted self interest will continue to ensure that it stays at 12 or reduces to 10. And the boring loop games will continue. As a neutral, it all gets a bit repetitive. There's only so many times I can muster the enthusiasm to watch yet another Saints v Wigan clash etc.
-
3 minutes ago, steve oates said:
Did it give any indication that their top players may be better off playing League David?
I live in hope......
Sadly not. Although I'm not sure that many of them are up to playing at the intensity level of League.
-
3 minutes ago, steve oates said:
If we want to live in the past and consequently sign our own death warrant then people need to push for stuff like showing games at the relegation battle end of Superleague, a guaranteed turn off for most of the TV audience.
Have a look at the viewing figures for these "guaranteed turn off" games. There's a reason Sky show them.
-
1
-
-
Just been reading the comments on a Telegraph article about Kick and Clap's woes. (may have also chimed in with a couple of wind up comments
)
It was almost like reading a thread on here. Quite heartening to realise we're not alone in struggling financially as a sport. Their numbers are eye watering though.
If IMG play this right, we could be on the verge of outperforming our cousins in the other code.
-
1 hour ago, MattSantos said:
Fev will win comfortably.
Can't see it, Barrow are decent.
Exactly the kind of team we need to be playing as prep for the play offs. Wouldn't be shocked if we lost, but I want to see the defensive commitment we showed last week.
-
1 hour ago, LeytherRob said:
I don't remember seeing this, was it covered by any journalists?
There's a thread on here somewhere.
-
1
-
Get them in Super League
in The General Rugby League Forum
Posted
They're used to being bored