LeytherRob

He didn’t stand on his head nor did he kick him in the face. He caught him with a knee when scrambling for a quick play the ball.

Agreed. It was obstruction by the letter of the law as Mago stayed in the line, however in reality it didn't really affect things and was more poor/tired defence than anything.

John Davidson (along with Steve Mascord and a few others getting giddy) was also saying 10 team NRL Europe was nailed on for 2026 so I’ll believe it when it’s coming out from one of the more reputable journalists to be honest.

I don't think the point is just about numbers through the gate though, it's also about numbers through the balance sheet too. The point made on the house of league podcast, is that there is concern amongst a lot of owners about the prospect of having 2 French clubs in a league of 12 vs in a league of 14. In a 14, you've got a consistent 2 home games per year against the French teams which you can target with marketing to make up any shortfall in away fans (but clubs still will earn less money generally than they would against a UK club). In a 12, with loop fixtures, there is a very real possibility that some clubs would have 4 of their 13 home games against Cats/Toulouse at which point it becomes more difficult. You'd also have clubs potentially having 4 away games in France out of 13 which again is a lottery no one wants to win. I think all of that is a very reasonable concern to have - I think everyone is agreed on loop fixtures being undesirable at this point.

There is a rule about picking your strongest team, competition integrity etc, however as you rightly point out it wasn't enforced last year or any of the times cup finalists mysteriously picked up 17 minor injuries the week before a final. So whilst I think what SRD(more specifically Paul Rowley) did in week 1 was petulant and did intentionally undermine the comp, I really don't see how you can punish in a way that wouldn't fall apart on appeal.

2nd year of their 2nd 3 year plan

Yeah the league position is a perfectly accurate representation of where that squad is. It's improved somewhat in recent weeks, but it's a poor spine and a mostly average/poor pack.

0.25 grading points deduction for any points deduction or fine greater than £30k

I think there is a reasonable chance he’s at Leigh next year. When his transfer was cancelled after his accident it was stressed the door wasn’t closed, and Leigh will be looking for a Jack Hughes replacement with the new quota rules coming in. Also Allan Coleman and Beaumont are pretty close which is why Leigh players have generally been turning up on loan at Widnes more than anywhere else.

That was more down to the fact that Carters money was drying up than coaching ability, in my opinion. Wakefield were one of the lowest spending teams in the league and sooner or later teams will struggle when that is the case. Makes a big difference when you are spending cap plus marquees like they are now.

That’s crazy

Does this mean the meet the coaches event scheduled for Tuesday by Cas is cancelled?

Recently I’ve found myself becoming less and less invested in VR decisions, particularly when in the ground. I care less about the outcome and just want a decision made - I didn’t even watch the screen for the Charnley incident, just turned around for a chat then looked when they put the decision up. I’d be quite happy if they put a 1 minute timer on it and if they haven’t found something to overturn the decision then crack on with the ref call. The drawn out delays just suck all the atmosphere out of the game.

On Nsemba, the preseason talk from Peet is that he was nearly 20kg heavier than 12 months previous. I think the extra weight has nullified him a little as a second row and he looks more like a middle these days. Last year he looked a lot more agile and dynamic in contact than he has this year.

It’s a much younger/inexperienced squad at Leigh this year which always tends to come with inconstancies. Last night was a high water mark but we could quite easily get a hiding next week.