fighting irish

Yes, it was like that when I played and at almost all matches I've watched since.

I'm just excited that there are people involved, who are trying to promote the sport on our behalf.

That's very sporting of them.

When's the decision going to be announced?

When's the next one?

Toronto No. 5 just ran the length of the field ''Offiah style''.

You have to watch it. I'm loving it. Both no. 5's are very athletic. The Toronto second rows look value for money too. I wonder where some of these players were when Brian Noble was looking for ''home grown'' talent.

Just started watching the match and my first impressions are that there are some fit and highly skilled players on show. It's a much higher standard than a couple of USARL games I've watched in the last few weeks. The stadium atmosphere and the floodlights helps a great deal with creating the impression of 'pro' football. Really enjoying it so far.

Yes they will have a huge part to play. I'm really pleased with the 2025 World Cup bid, I hope that comes off successfully. I'm also encouraged by the involvement of Trent Robinson and the recent success of both French clubs. I hope Toulouse get promoted. I'd personally like to see the Super League continue to expand as a bona fide European Super League and see the involvement of the 2 French clubs as the first step towards that. Hopefully their emergence will see the French National team becoming more competitive on the World stage. Having said all that, I'm really excited about what's happening in the America's and I know it's a long term project but it would be great to see a growth spurt over there. It has the potential to provide more (interesting) International competition in the N.H.

I'm chuffed this game went ahead and in front of a healthy crowd. I just hope they can keep it going, keep it growing and help the NARL get off the ground. I think the Northern Hemispheres best hope is in the USA

He's just a troll mate, in a kilt. As an aside, I'm sure I heard Simon Johnson say SKY's viewing figures for SuperLeague were up too.

Did you mean 8 League One clubs? Anyway, I'd love to see it over a Bank Holiday Weekend in Cardiff. It would be great.

It's a great game isn't it? It might just be the greatest game of all.

He's certainly got balls I'll give him that.

I am Spartacus.

Ah clarity. Let's have it.

Newcastle are doing it tough this afternoon. It's going to be a big score.

I don't know of any other sports that have introduced this kind of system. It's licensing/franchising but with a limited time frame. At the end of each four year ''era'' it all comes up for review. It's not difficult to understand how it would work and it does confer all the benefits of stability JAG listed a few posts back. What do you fear are the major negatives with his suggestion?

Presuming you really do have something sensible in mind, almost all of your posts need a lot more words, in order that the reader can actually make sense of them.

Ha ha ha. I'm not Brian Carney!

The more I think about it, the more I like it.

I think this very honest statement is all too typical but it makes me very sad indeed. We seem to have a sizeable proportion of our fanbase who feel this way and I'm wondering why and how we have come to this sad state of affairs? What's the matter with shouting for your town team, come hell or high water? Why is it only interesting or satisfying if you have a realistic chance of promotion at the end of this particular season? I'm haunted by the idea that we are (somehow) guilty of engendering and encouraging this mentality amongst our supporters, (without even realising it). I think it's time to acknowledge just how damaging this attitude is (if widespread), to the clubs and the games income. It's time that we started celebrating the simple pleasure, of watching this great game, well played. Just because we are not in a promotion race (this year) ought not mar our enjoyment of this weekends game. Why would you judge your club and it's players (extremely hard working, highly skilled professionals, all) as rubbish, just because their not table toppers?

I've been wondering what you found so funny about the top-most post? I certainly wasn't trying to be funny, yet you found it very amusing (apparently), so would you care to elaborate? In the meantime, I don't understand what you are trying to say in your first two paragraphs above. Are you saying that a Championship club couldn't sustain a squad capable of competing at SuperLeague level for the 4 years duration of JAG's Era? Well if that's what you are implying, why would they need to? The club's could settle into the competition with a 4 year plan to grow to a suitable standard, rather than gamble everything they have (DB style) in one sh*t or bust season. What do you mean the ''beauty'' of the middle eights was that you knew who could make it and who wasn't up to it? Up to what? Do you really believe that qualifying through the middle eights was any guarantee (or even a strong indication) that the club could survive the next SuperLeague season? With regard to your last paragraph, what makes you think the move into SL1, or the drop to SL2 will be less daunting than it is now? You need to know the funding split, to have any confidence in that assumption. Furthermore, usurping all the available cash and thereby sending some of the League One clubs into bankruptcy would/could undermine the games feeder system while alienating huge swathes of the games supporter base (and not just the supporters of the clubs abandoned). I think, more than ever, we need a whole game solution. Many former full blooded supporters (including many posters here) are disillusioned and have become disenchanted by previous self centred, short term, cut-throat decisions made by the faux-elite clubs in the not-to-distant past. Allowing teams more time, to adjust to the rigours of a different level of competition is a sensible idea.

This is an interesting idea. I was thinking about the clubs in Australia, who are ''bidding'' for a place in the NRL, and those clubs are really solid, well supported (numerically and financially) in the area they operate and on that basis their bid for NRL status is built on robust foundations. The idea that someone like Derek Beaumont can fund a club for only one season and buy a place in SuperLeague is part of the problem over here. It's the SuperLeague or bust approach which anchors us to the short term mentality which has been so harmful to the game. In contrast, building the prestige, of becoming Championship (and League One) winners, while the clubs develop financial sustainability and slowly grow, to become worthy SuperLeague contenders is surely the way to go? Our own supporters are so contemptuous of the Championship and League 1 we contribute to undermining a long term growth mentality. We should be congratulating and celebrating our Championship and League One, champions achievements with genuine pride. Steady, season upon season growth would build the whole game, from top to bottom.

Unlike Mumby, I enjoy thinking about these fresh ideas. Some of you will recall, I thought Martin Sadlers, idea had merit. I think JAG's idea would add some much needed stability. It might mean though, (perhaps) that at the end of each 4 year Era, there may not be as many as 3 teams eager, or even capable of taking up the challenge of promotion. Maybe under those circumstances the number relegated could be adjusted to a maximum of 3 dependent on how many Championship clubs ''applied'' for promotion and were judged worthy, by being eligible due to on-field performance and demonstrating sufficient financial capital for the duration.