Tommygilf

The competition was created to add another match (and aggregate attendance) to the Challenge Cup final. A lower league cup was chosen because non-SL clubs have next to 0 chance of making Wembley. Its generally been a failure in the early stages, and it has failed to really grasp the attention of fans and broader fan networks in most places.

So in short, the good things he did had no legacy or backing within the wider sport so fell apart after he left (Internationals, super 8s, expansion clubs) or at best stagnated (Magic Weekend). Sounds like no strategy to me...

I think its a bit like BBC2 - national stuff but with regionalised content too.

puff piece meaning https://g.co/kgs/9nqM21S Yeah you can say that.

A lot in there. The lack of match against Australia is depressing from the RLPA - they really do not want to play RL matches. I'd advocate that even a PMs XIII level supporting tour squad would have been fine too but zero imagination to get around "problems" yet again. Paris 2026 for Catalans seems pretty much confirmed. Hopefully it can become a regular thing. Aligning the season with the UK seems logical - hopefully it leads to more co-operation and international club matches. Brittany/Loire Atlantique for the Womens world cup seems an odd choice. Moving the HQ to Toulouse seems logical if Paris is just for show and Toulouse can really maximise value. That said France has been in some ways more Paris focused than the UK is with London, so removing that presence must be carefully considered. The France 3 deal would be great for French RL.

In fairness, I'd take Toronto and the League 1 expansion as the most criticism worthy aspects of Wood's tenure, especially with consideration of the "Strategic" element of the strategic review he is leading. There was zero strategy.

Oh I'd advocate for more French and Welsh lads going to Australia too, but the English clubs should be easier. Frankly nobody should be committing their body to professional RL for any length of time for anything less than £30k p.a. imo!

Next 3 games for Leeds will determine a lot. Including the last Saints game I said 6 points from a total 8 would see Leeds really cement themselves in claiming that third place position. As you say its wide open and will come down to fine margins. Teams having off days will be punished.

Its a problem endemic in the game sadly. We fish in the same waters time and time again despite proof that looking a bit broader or more imaginatively regularly produces good results too. The Midlands and Welsh pathways problem are clear examples of this issue.

They are often cheaper, and of percieved higher quality often. SL should be the highest standard possible. Clubs absolutely should do more with junior development.

Whilst I get what you are saying, I'm not sure it makes sense for clubs to take this approach rigidly. Ultimately clubs need to recruit at all levels from as broad a base as possible. An antipodean is often the easy option for many, especially with cap space considered. As such I would advocate for greater cap dispensations to be put in place to encourage clubs to fill these spots with British, French, even European RU players. That could be raising the age and wage for qualifying against the cap, dispensations for non-heartlands u23 level recruitment, specific spots for French and Welsh players in line with IRL aims. There is already effectively an RU new talent pool dispensation but its not been used a lot at all (thinking less than 10 maybe less than 5 players). Trying to force imagination is difficult!

The whole strategy has been deflection deflection deflection and it hasn't worked from the start. They've approached this as if the Tribunal was a jury who had to rule beyond all reasonable doubt, when that was never the case. The only benefit of the doubt Aston can be given here is that he has been poorly advised since the investigation launched.

Imagine who would not want to give control away to an outside group and has shown time and time again that it is that outside group who have to compromise not them.

I fear IMGs lesson for Rugby league will be the one about leading a horse to water

That's nonsense and suggest the RFL are somehow out to get Aston and have concocted this to get at him personally. Its that kind of thinking that has gotten Mark to waste thousands on this case.

I think the evidence has shown that the RFL are committed on this issue. They have changed their protocols and continue to show seriousness on this issue as a top priority.

My gut is they have tried to play hardball with the RFL who have not blinked or moved throughout.

Its just abdication of responsibility I think, which I understand why it will not go down well with the RFL if Aston is coming out vociferously denying all responsibility in this case.

I believe the RFL have learnt, new medical protocols are in place and a new database system has been put out to tender.

Having listened to that podcast, the chap on there is an agent who has been working as a sort of go between on behalf of Aston in liaising with the RFL. His argument seems to be that the RFL "knew" MM wasn't passed fit to play against Wigan and they should have done something. That Aston had been told MM was "good to go" by MH (a point recognised in the original decision but superceded by the context of that conversation being how he was "good to go" physically but hadn't been signed off by the HCP). And finally that Aston did not know. He then says the Sports Resolution Arbitration would have been a review of the original Tribunal decision, not a rerun of the tribunal, which is not what the Aston camp wanted. I can see why on balance of probabilities this case failed originally, and then was dropped at the 11th hour due to costs.

Uh oh, "FACTS" are starting to not add up...

Not listened to this but its topic is relevant here:

That gasworks site will sit empty for another decade then

Another year!!

And, as stated in the ORT, him not knowing for sure and still playing him is still a dereliction of his duties.