Sir Kevin Sinfield

I’d love to see an NRL team in PNG but can’t see it happening unfortunately. The Hunters haven’t had a great start to the season sitting in 12th from 14 in the Queensland Cup, but they are still above the Dolphins who will be an NRL team next year, it’s a bit different to our system of promotion and relegation, but it sure has built a strong competition in the NRL.

Some great points, Rugby League started with 22 clubs from the North of England in 1895. We now have significantly more than 22 clubs in the UK, as well as Professional clubs in France, Australia, New Zealand, PNG and Fiji. The game is played at an amateur level all across the UK and in a significant number of countries across the World. It has expanded. I think when people claim it hasn’t what they really mean is the sport isn’t as big as Rugby Union.

You should feel sorry for the local Leigh lad, they won’t get a look in with the number of Jonny Foreigners at Leigh. On a serious note living in a country for 5 years is a big commitment and rightly gives you the right to represent them in Rugby League as is the case with most International sports with a World Cup.

Why does it seem their only 2 options were to keep Parish or go with the Johns brothers. Surely there’d be plenty of applicants to take on the Samoa job part time in a World Cup year.

Toronto weren’t allowed to fold, they were forced to fold by being denied any central funding, forced to pay other clubs travel costs and to play all games away from home for a full season. Absolutely disgraceful. As it is that Toulouse gavel to pay other clubs travel costs.

I thought it would be closer, but Leeds have blown Saints and Warrington v Wigan out of the water to once again take the best attendance of the round

The best stand at the best ground in the UK

Called it spot on

2018 Leigh had only 9 players after doing exactly what they’re doing this year, it’s Super League or bust https://www.skysports.com/amp/rugby-league/news/12218/11516933/leigh-centurions-given-special-dispensation-to-sign-players-on-loan

Unbelievable, Leigh seem to be splashing the cash and going for a World record attempt of the most overseas players. As I’ve said before my concern is Leigh and Featherstone are overspending and playing a game of Super League or bust. It wouldn’t be the first time with Leigh. Will he get a visa with his recent conviction for drug offences?

All the talk is of either Leigh or Featherstone getting promoted, I’d love it if York sneaked in under the radar and won promotion this year. The new dual registration deal with Leeds could help if Leeds can get over the injury crisis.

Absolute shocking attendance for the West Yorkshire derby

You can always rely on Rugby League supporters to talk their own sport down

The Final should go to the highest bidder, revenue from the likely ticket sales will be taken into consideration alongside each bid to select the best deal for the sport. Not doing this is madness, do we want to bring money into the sport or not. The same should happen with Magic Weekend, the Challenge Cup and the Grand Final both here and down under.

This needs to change, the International rights are bundled into the NRL deal, the NRL then pays the Kangaroos players $20,000 a game and players representing other Nations nothing. If the NRL sells the rights, both teams facing each other should be on equal pay. Will this be the case for New Zealand v Tonga?

Yes I do, Saints have already played Wigan and Warrington at home, their local derby and 2nd biggest derby, they still have Wakefield, Huddersfield, Hull kr, Cas and Toulouse to play at home, Saints average will come down. The opposite is true for Leeds. I also think we’ll again have the best attendance of the round again this week in, although it should be close between Leeds, Saints and Warrington.

I’m sure any Super League player would pick playing for Tonga/Samoa/Cook Islands/Fiji/PNG over the combined Nations. Clubs can’t officially stop a player playing in an International, but they can obviously informally put pressure on them not to play. The game is in a bad place if clubs stop players playing in Internationals.

Going back a few years you had to declare for Australia to play Origin

Brilliant these games are going ahead, it’d be even better if they were in place 12 months in advance rather than 2 months in advance but that’s where International Rugby League is at the moment. It’ll be interesting to see the squads and who is committed to Tonga, Samoa and Fiji for the World Cup. Cook Islands have a much smaller player pool to select from, I wonder if they’ll fly some Super League players over, Dylan Napa, Kenny Edwards, Brad Takairangi, Zane Tetevano, Tinirau Arona could potentially feature for Cook Islands. Hopefully Sky Sports show these games. If Sky Sports don’t, could Premier Sports buy the UK coverage, or will these games be already part of the UK NRL tv deal?

Well said

Leeds by 12

Leeds once again have the best attendance of the round

I hope Derek Beaumont is running the club in a sustainable way and isn’t playing a dangerous game of Super League or bust. Championship’s central funding was significantly reduced remember, but Leigh and Featherstone seem to have gone on a mad spending spree.

If Featherstone are promoted I can say as a Leeds fan I probably wouldn’t bother going to Featherstone away, it has very little appeal. If Featherstone think they’d double their attendances in Super League they’re completely deluded.

Wakey v Cas recently only managed 5000, I can’t see why a game against Featherstone would be any bigger