Jughead

Saints, Wigan, Wire, Leeds, Catalans, Hull and Hull KR will certainly want to be.

All those international fixtures? It’ll never catch on.

Based on what? Because they’re from a populous city? There isn’t enough data to suggest that Toulouse have potential or in excess of a long-term average of 8,0001+, firstly. Secondly, to assume they have greater potential because of their location and the population is blown out of the water by London Broncos, Sheffield Eagles and Salford.

There isn’t anything within the article to disagree with. It’s the usual standard of journalism by Aaron Bower and doesn’t really say much despite a lot of words. Midlands Hurricanes have said some people are interested in watching rugby league. Not really a lot to say on that, how, if at all, are they going to convert that interest into income? They’ve not said anything about how or what. I’m not sure what relevance RL playing numbers have on some Union sides going bust unless there is genuine data that suggests those numbers have shot up because a professional side has gone bust, though I highly doubt there is. London Broncos have slightly less competition for teenagers. There’s no a lot else to say to that. They well aware they’re a second fiddle sport.

I see little that changes. Playing numbers aren’t going to be dramatically changed because of clubs at the top end going bust, there’s other reasons why sports have struggled for participants. As for attendances of RL clubs, I can’t see any going up, most don’t have the funds to facilitate and implement targeted marketing and advertising.

I wouldn’t have Miski collecting bibs. Singleton is a pudding and has no right being near a Wigan shirt. If finishing in the play-offs and a cup semi is as good as Wigan should be aiming for, something is seriously wrong.

Difficult one. I’m 50/50 on him. He doesn’t do a lot wrong with the ball in hand but doesn’t see huge amounts of ball because our right side is where our attack predominantly goes down. Defensively, I have my reservations based upon things like his positioning, as shown with the last try last night. However, I haven’t seen a lot on the market on these shores that really offer anything different so I would probably be inclined to give him another year. I’d be after another Centre, personally. Hurrell can have one more year but he will be 32 by February next year, Percival’s injury record is not the greatest and Will Hopoate will, hopefully, be gone, so it leaves us weak in that area with not a lot coming through the academy in that position at the minute. Percival hasn’t made more than 20 appearances in six of the ten seasons since he debuted and Hurrell will be another year older so I think we need a centre a lot more than a winger.

And read what the Wigan fans are saying. Players like Mago, Ellis, Isa, Thornley, Singleton and Miski have no right being near a Wigan side or taking up quota spots in some cases, too. It’s been plainly obvious that Wigan’s pack has been light for years but little has been done to combat that.

As I said before the game, both teams’ strengths are the weaknesses of their opponents and it showed. Saints’ pack far too good but there was the odd burst of pace from the Wigan backline that threatened to cause problems. Ultimately, a good win for Saints. Five wins from the past six games has been the turnaround required.

Radlinski is made of Teflon. How he’s still in a job is mind boggling. Their recruitment and retention has been rubbish for years.

Entertainment? Genuinely, what entertainment? It’s the same rubbish week in, week out from Wigan. It’s repetitive nonsense. I suppose programmes like Mrs Browns Boys got a few series despite the same rubbish every week, so I suppose Peet and Wigan do, too.

Another week of “give it to Jai and Bevan and hope something happens” working as well as ever, I see.

Who had 64 minutes in the “what minute will the Wigan walk begin in?” Sweepstake?

Jack Welsby is incredible.

Harry Smith is the biggest myth in the sport.

There isn’t a pie this evening that can move that quickly.

Something else thrown after the Welsby try that seemed to whizz past/towards Kendall.

It’s far too small as a venue.

There’s that, too. We were quite lucky in September 2021 that it was quite mild and dry but there isn’t that guarantee every year.

There’s an international football break in September, October and November. This year’s is around 8-12th September. The “issue” with a late Magic is that it doesn’t really make much sense. Rhodri Jones spoke of peaks in the season around our major events and with the Cup Final being moved earlier in the year, it begs the question of where Magic/Another event could be left in the calendar that there aren’t too many peaks in quick succession.

It’s a lack of wealth from clubs that results in poor squads, little investment in infrastructure, ###### stadia and poor matchday experience. We have enough of that in Super League in 2023 with twelve sides, we don’t need two more sides in there doing that and as a competition, don’t really have the finance to pay out for another two sides.

Higher gates than what? The loop games previously? The QF’s? If the QF’s, I’m still unsure on the motive behind doing it in the first place.

The whole 14 team thing is nonsense. We know IMG’s plans and 14, for now, is not the plan. Thankfully, that is anyway. The standard of Super League is horrible on and off the pitch, throwing in two more to water down the competition even more at this point is daft and I’m glad we’re not doing it. The loss of loop games always meant we would get some form of replacement. We simply weren’t going to drop from 27 to 22 games. I’m not sure what the best option is of the few we’ve seen rumoured. I’m not sure that the Challenge Cup is revived by group games or that a game is any more attractive because it’s now a cup group game instead of a league game.

209 miles. My cousin lives 2.5 miles away from Saints. His house, which he bought as a first time buyer with his now wife, is approximately where the men’s toilet, and by toilet I mean wall you used to pee against, was on the Heddington End at Knowsley Road on the now named Newlove Avenue. His family home is one street away and it being on the site of Knowsley Road may have been a massive factor in choosing that home to live in.

Tell us how the ridiculous prices worked for the World Cup then, pal? It didn’t work and thinking people are stupid and will part with £100 for the same event that was £35 is beyond stupid. Nobody in their right mind is paying £100 for non-hospitality tickets for any rugby league game in the UK, nor should they be expected to. We couldn’t get people to part with £40 to watch the best players on the planet, they sure aren’t parting with £100 to watch Salford v Huddersfield in Coventry. 6k people who attended Magic this year being locked out next year isn’t creating demand, it’s losing approximately £210,000. It’s the daftest business plan I’ve ever heard and having followed Rugby League for 30 years, that’s some feat. I don’t think you get Magic, either. The joy of Magic is that you’re not sandwiched in like sardines, you have freedom and can sit pretty much anywhere you want, you don’t have to move loads of people to go and buy a pie or to leave the venue if you don’t fancy a game.