wilsontown

I don't. We did have a strategic, long-term plan to get there by improving standards across the board and expanding when there were additional clubs that could contribute effectively to Super League as a product. But it seems we are now going to bin that off and expand to 14 anyway.

This does seem to be what is going to happen, which would be absolute stone-cold insanity.

Interesting, I'm glad someone could be bothered to put that together. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but clear enough that Catalans fixtures don't, in general, have the lowest crowds.

Alright then, which club is going to replace Catalans and enhance the value of Super League?

Eh? None of the clubs you mention are anywhere near Super League standard. Whereas Catalans demonstrably are (even if they are currently a bit hopeless).

But Catalans are one of the teams in Super League that play the games that Sky televise. The same as Wigan are.

Oh aye, let's ditch Catalans and replace them with a Championship side. That will soon make everything brilliant. On "TV deal", they are an integral part of the Sky deal that pays for the entire sport to exist. They contribute as much to that as any other Super League team.

Maybe so, but that's on the player. Tough luck.

This is exactly what can't be allowed to happen, because the player will say they are fine regardless.

Exactly this. Players will say they're fine even if they don't know what day of the week it is or what they're doing on a rugby pitch. That's why you need medics with a clear protocol to follow.

It was noticeable when it happened that the medical staff came flying onto the pitch straight away.

Ex York City and Sheff Weds keeper David Stockdale is the chairman at Farsley. Other than that I've no real idea what's going on there except that things have been weird for a long time.

I wasn't there but that would be about typical for a big game like that one.

In that scenario, would Catalans and Toulouse say that they aren't getting paid for the content they provide, so their games can't be televised? I'd be tempted but not sure if that could actually happen.

Stunning, isn't it? They have a weekend market there and there's a pub and a very good Italian restaurant on the station. It's a bit different from North Shields that's for sure.

Yep, the units being replaced are the original ones. They're old. It's a good network but looking a bit tired and unloved the last time I used it. The station at Tynemouth is magnificent, though.

That's disgraceful. I hope he is suitably ashamed.

So after months of this ongoing disaster, some people want to bag the players for wanting to leave when it isn't clear how and when they're getting paid or whether there'll even be a club by the end of the season. Amazing stuff.

But why? You've then dropped a game that got an attendance of 8-9 thousand and actually has some potential to grow, in favour of a game that is likely to have lower attendance and has less potential to grow. You've also dropped a game that is shown on the BBC in favour of one that is almost invisible in terms of TV coverage. I like the 1895 cup (I should do since we won it) but it doesn't belong at Wembley.

I don't see the evidence for this. There were what, 8 or 9 thousand in for the women's game. I don't see Fev vs York beating that regardless of timing. Also, for the love of God, do not play any finals at Blackpool. There should be an 1895 cup, but play the final at an appropriately sized ground in the north, pretty much anywhere other than Blackpool.

Somebody on the York City forum pointed out that we are ranked higher than Auckland. I can't see this situation being allowed to continue.

Imagine a Catalans side having no discipline. Woeful stuff.

This seems surprising, but presumably couldn't happen unless Hull plod were happy with it?

This is not a bad shout at all.

And that's probably the only chance I get to see the Knights lift a trophy at Wembley, so let's keep it as is...