Waynebennettswinger

Yeah great to see and for such important charities, does anyone have a link to donate?

Good try by Hull and deserved.

Huyton is roughly 3 decades away from St Helens.

How do we define great? Is it whether we surpass Channel 4 and SL/RL expectations or is it purely down to figures? If it is figures then is audience share more relevant than actual number? I am asking as I don’t know! I would say the former but obviously the latter informs that and would be the area a lot would focus on.

They’ll need to start talking about it on Gogglebox soon! Then we’ll know we’ve made it Part joking but also part observation of modern society.

I try to stay away from comparison with other sports but I would be genuinely interested in how the figure for a league game between to well known teams (admittedly their first game of the season) compared to the BBC figures for the Six Nations game (a long established famous international tournament.)

Interested to know what you think would have been a great figure. Not having a go, genuinely interested.

It is mate. No need to call me Jesus though . I think they are great figures. Would be interested what the on demand figures are also mate. You’re never going to please everyone but personally as a league fan who welcomes terrestrial coverage, I struggle with that kick off time but that’s just me. At least we have catch up options and a variety of weekend options to watch games . Such a positive time for our sport!

Not my figures but if this is anything to go by then I find this promising enough - Chris Bland@ChrisBland31@rugbyleagueontv Yesterday's @C4Sport rugby league game between @WarringtonRLFC and @leedsrhinos got an average of 531'000 viewers, peaking at 735'000.

Was hoping for the Bo Selecta Mel B! I honestly think this could be a really good team. The proof will be in the pudding of course but it has real potential to better sky coverage IMHO

Didn’t Joel Monaghan do something similar a few years ago?

I agree with most of what you say but in fairness to Thompson he was carrying injuries. Talking to the Saints players he was actually a big presence in the dressing room. He had an impact just not enough on the field. My worry for Saints is in the halves. An injury there would be a problem, although Welsby could cover with Hopoate to FB. Grace is out for the first month so it will be interesting to see how we cover there. Would imagine Simm will be back in the reckoning and Hopoate could be out on the wing.

Good post with strong arguments put forward. I guess it’s easy to work on the assumption that KR surprised people last year and there won’t be that shock factor. I agree with your points, KR were great to watch last year and hopefully we’ll see more of the same from them in the coming season. I think and hope that it’s a hard season to call. Despite their strength a 4th consecutive title is a big ask of Saints. Catalans should be better again for last year’s experience and have recruited well. Leeds look stronger. I can never write off Wigan and the fact that so many do just might fire them up. Cas were cup finalists last time out, new coach Radford has won it twice, so that might be their best shout. Ian Watson will want, and I believe get, big improvements from what is more like his own Giants team now. I expect Wire to challenge but it might be a couple of years with the same coach before they finally break their hoodoo. I think Salford and Wakefield will struggle along with Toulouse. That leaves Hull…every damn year I predict them as a dark horse and every damn year I am left shaking my head, I am going to say mid table, which means they’ll be in both finals 1 Saints 2 Wire 3 Catalans 4 Leeds 5 Wigan 6 Huddersfield 7 Hull KR 8 Hull FC 9 Cas 10 Wakefield 11 Salford 12 Toulouse. I would be delighted if my predicted bottom six proved me wrong and shook up the table. We’ve had some different names in finals these last few years I hope that continues. Of course I want my team to win again but it’s great for the game when a new name emerges from the pack. Good luck to all teams.

Pretty sure that Clive Griffiths made mention of this in one of those excellent League Express interviews. They even had a major sponsor willing to plough money in, this money was lost when they ended up with a lower division side. I agree that Wales has been one big opportunity missed after another. I can only hope that one of the Welsh Clubs builds slowly and solidly into a side that can challenge, a little like Newcastle appear to have done, it looks like North Wales may now do this in Colwyn Bay.

Yeah I am sure there was something going around involving the Johns Brothers and Sonny Bill Williams. I am no fan of the current Samoa coach but they were effectively touting for a job he was still employed in! Seemed a bit wrong to me, lacking class.

Jiffy?

Are you complaining about people complaining?

That Home Shirt is unmistakably Huddersfield.

That’s a quality appointment at that level. Well done Cornwall

Is it Jethro? In all seriousness, I wish Cornwall great success and hope that they pull everything together in time. If I was a betting man I would say Brian Noble.

Apple Mac mate and for I know that could be linked to Asus, Asos or Asda…I know only it is an Apple Mac. Btw I am 100% not knocking Wakey or the company involved.

Me too, I had heard of Asos not Asus.

Interesting perspective…I always just thought that Hoover went with Wire because they both suck.

I have quoted Warrington elsewhere as doing very well, much better than most, I was talking about RL in general.

Apologies Neil, you commented on this on another thread the other day and I was dismissive of your comment as I would expect those at the club to know exactly when it was formed…and yet on their own official website you can find the following quote “The town’s first rugby club was Wigan FC, founded in 1872 by a group of members of the town’s Cricket Club. Wigan FC played on Folly Field, near Upper Dicconson Street. Financial problems and an inability to recruit quality players led to a merger with Up Holland FC and the creation of a new club, Wigan and District FC. The new club played its home games at Prescott Street, which was the home of Wigan Cricket Club at the time. Eighteen months later, however, this initial foray into the world of rugby was over and the club disbanded. In 1879, a new club called Wigan Wasps was formed following a meeting in the Dicconson Arms. This new rugby club evolved into the current Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club we now know today.” So even on the club’s website there is acknowledgement of the facts with the clear terminology “disbanded” and in reference to 1879 “This new Rugby club evolved”