Hela Wigmen
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Posts
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Posts posted by Hela Wigmen
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30 minutes ago, OMEGA said:
I’m not desperate anything!
The game is shrinking at an alarming rate and it was long before Covid-19s effect.
We've lost huge numbers of amateur teams and in some cases whole amateur clubs have disappeared. The latest Sport England participation numbers were dire and well down on 10 to 15 years ago. Viewing figure have fallen drastically over the same period of time and with that fall we’ve lost coverage and magazine shows like SL Extra Time, Boot n All, Championship coverage has pretty much disappeared and NRL coverage is well down. We can’t attract headline sponsors for our Top Tier Competition and have basically given Rights away. The international game has all but vanished apart from the World Cup! We no longer have Full Lions/Kangaroo/ Kiwi Tours, we no longer have Tri Nations competitions and we have to beg The NRL to play the WCC every year.
Now believe it or not I’m not a doom monger and I’m not ringing the bell for the demise of the game but the above are all facts and we can’t afford to ignore the direction of travel the games been following for well over a decade.
Something has to change and it needs to be something big and meaningful that will reinvigorate the game and help it arrest the decline.
None of that backs up why we should throw Castleford out of Super League when they’re performing well on different metrics but lack the stadium to merit their stature. It’s counter productive and further damaging to the game, alongside the points you raise.
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Just now, OMEGA said:
With no disrespect to Oldham, Championship 1 or even The Championship they aren’t the face of Rugby League that we present to the world at large on a weekly basis.
Its just my opinion but driven by the falling participation numbers and viewing figures I think the RFL and broadcast partners will realise they need to make big changes and be ruthless!
A rebrand is needed across the game but in particular through the top tier clubs and both the BBC & SKY presentation of the game. I don’t think late 19th and very early 20th century dilapidated stadiums will fit the rebrand.
I just don’t get the desperation from some to want to throw clubs out of the competition when they may well be delivering in plenty of other areas. If we start throwing clubs out purely for a lack of a ground, why aren’t we throwing clubs out purely for lack of Academies, not enough fans or offering little to competition?
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3 minutes ago, OMEGA said:
At some point in the future, not sure if it’ll be sooner or later, the RFL and Super League will grow some testicles and get serious about stadium standards. When they do the clubs that can’t match their requirements will be served a notice of demotion which will allow them a short period of time to complete the necessary building work or prepare for the Championship.
Currently that would mean Wakefield Trinity closely followed by Castleford Tigers, however, if Wakefield complete the improvements currently under planning review then Castleford may well find themselves on a fast track out of SL.
Why a fast track?
One of SLs conundrums with Wakefield and Castleford is they have by far the worst stadiums but they have arguably the richest catchment area for talent and youth development in the whole game. If you removed both from SL then you risk shrinking the talent base for young players as there is no top tier club to isnpire the kids to pick up a rugby ball, no local community work and no local heroes who went to their school or lived at the end of their Road.
If (IF) Wakefield (or Castleford for that matter) build a stadium that’s fit for purpose then they solve that conundrum for the RFL & SL leaving the other WMDC SL club under more pressure as the game tries to improve its media image.
It was a fact not lost on former Wakefield Council leader Peter Box who blocked, schemed and prevaricated over all of Wakefield Trinity’s stadium plans at every opportunity! For those who do not know Box was/is a Tigers fan and shareholder.
Why would they be demoted? Oldham weren’t denied promotion by The RFL due to Whitebanks not meeting Championship standards, instead they played out of Stalybridge Celtic Football Club.
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Just now, The Rocket said:
Hela, who are the players in that great action shot from the above link.
Leon Pryce of Bradford in the navy, the furthest Saints player from the ball looks like Dwayne West, then Anthony Sullivan with his arms aloft and Chris Joynt with ball in hand.
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20 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:
Wish they`d call it Touch Rugby League. Suppose it`s consistent with St. Helens RFC.
Is "Wide to West" the name of something? What does it mean?
Probably because, y’know, that name has been used elsewhere and there would be issues around it.
It is in reference to the commentary from Eddie Hemmings when, with zero seconds on the clock and the hooter already sounded, after a load of expansive rugby Dwayne West broke free down Bradford’s right to pass inside to Chris Joynt to send Saints to an Old Trafford appearance and a subsequent win over Wigan.
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6 hours ago, Dunbar said:
I'm OK with 4 games and if anything he has got off lightly. Intentional or not, he had his fingers in Tamou's eyes and applied pressure. It is a dangerous and the tackler has a responsibility to avoid it and he deserves a punishment.
Yep, agree with that. Pretty much my view on Makinson’s grab of Watts’ jewels.
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There’s already a Try Tag Rugby World Cup.
https://trytagrugby.com/london/representative/tag-rugby-world-cup/
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Likely that it’s us. Not overly happy with the re-signing, if I’m honest.
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8 hours ago, burnleywelsh said:
I agree with your second sentence. With all due respect, I’ll go with Trent Robinson’s and Shaun Wane’s opinion of him rather than yours.
Great contradiction.
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Farnworth has done absolutely nothing this year. Granted, he’s in a poor side and isolated on the edge.
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Radley’s Dad is definitely English. My Dad knows a family friend of the Radley’s. There’s no way he’ll play for England, he has a long career of Origin to play.
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Find it very strange that people are completely misunderstanding a clear tactic to attack the opposite side of the pitch that yielded points.
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The old ‘Wigan Working Holiday Visa’ again.
Scotland RL
in The General Rugby League Forum
Posted
They should let the forum decide.
“Big John missed training because his kid was ill? Stick him on the bench today”