Eddie

The difference is, no teams want to get promoted from the NCL whereas most championship teams want to get promoted to SL.

Tbf Mike Ford isn’t likely to make something like that up. My money is on the Sultan of Brunei and King Charles.

On the latest BBC RL Podcast Mike Ford said he’s heard there may soon be a couple of wealthy benefactors coming into Rugby League. Anyone got any ideas?

I don’t think League One has minimum standards does it? West Wales were in for years and we’ve had all sorts like Gloucester, Oxford etc. I imagine most NCL clubs would get in if they applied.

I can’t think of a single thread about anything ever that hasn’t referenced Leigh’s lack of railway station, and long may it continue.

Thanks. It’s a shame that Sky get it wrong on their own website

Not sure what you’re on about there mate, I’d love to see more teams in League One. I just don’t think any NCL teams want to be in it, if they did they’d have already applied to join, let’s face it it’s not hard to get in League One anyway so it’s hardly a closed shop.

It looks like Sky will be showing all the NRL women’s games at the weekend but none of the men’s games. https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/fixtures

Any of the combinations except Saints v Hull KR would be quite exciting, though I’ll be going regardless and my 8 year old will be going to his first League game too.

I’d definitely go to that. A mate from Norfolk has started supporting Leigh and is chomping at the bit to see them live.

Direct train from Leigh Central.

They’d have had to play it at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium.

Tbf a cc semi final is routine for a team like Wigan who play in big games regularly and win lots of stuff, this is HKR’s biggest game in ages so they’re going to take more fans. That said if Wigan only take 2,500 that’s poor.

Plus there are some special trains being put on apparently.

A lot of it is probably accommodating the thousands of athletes? But yes agreed that seems an extraordinary cost for an event like the CG.

I haven’t seen the detail but maybe their original projections were reasonable at the time, then as inflation shot up and state funding went down they became unviable?

Victoria have pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games because they can’t afford or justify the spiralling costs. I know many on this forum including me felt France’s withdrawal of hosting the 2025 RLWC made the game seem tin pot, even though it was due to the French Government’s concerns about the economic viability of the event, but this puts things in perspective a bit and it may well not be the last global event to be cancelled in this time of turbulent finances. Hopefully New Zealand are able to step in to host our WC anyway.

I’d take that. However I fear the more likely scenario is a home friendly versus France at Warrington rather than a Samoan tour in 2024, no World Cup in 2025, and a home friendly against the Exiles (also at Warrington) rather than an Ashes tour in 2026.

Tbf that is a good reason for Melbourne’s crowds being lower than they’d be if AFL didn’t exist.

I listed to this earlier today, not an Oldham fan and I was going to post about it on the General Forum but then found this thread. It all sounds so positive, obviously early days but this consortium know what they’re doing and clearly have the club’s best interests at heart - good luck with it.

Hi mate, the Vipers didn’t play today, we were meant to play yesterday but sadly North Herts couldn’t get a team together so conceded the game. I think it’s recorded as 24-0, hence looking like we played. There are two more weekends and then into the play offs - semi finals and then grand final I think

Cracking result for Cornwall. Iirc that’s their first win other than against WWR and Skolars.

Excellent

When you say there isn’t the same fan base, are attendances smaller than in the English championship then?

Tbf Huddersfield compete with Huddersfield Town, Wakey haven’t got a football league club to contend with.