Number 16

Back in the day they played a 50 games plus a tour in less time than that. Top quality, too.

So a 5 day season. Like the Scottish RL season.

And 2020 is a leap year. Plenty of scope for an extra fixture.

Agreed. Should play all year but with a break between Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Whereas one of the downsides with winter rugby was no rugby in the summer.

... too long! Thankfully I've plenty of games recorded to watch again over the cold winter months.

I purchased my copy this morning in Croydon's WH Smiths. I've only had a quick flick through thus far and two things strike me... - for the first time in some time, IMO, there's a petty good cover: unfussy, relevant and with recognisable personalities. - aside from my monthly gripes about Random zzzz League, Q&A and Seeing Double, it looks to be a very fine issue indeed. Possible the best in a year or two. I doubt I'll be leaving any of it unread. Well done all.

Shocked? I'm not sure where you got that from. The issue of not being "as up to date" is the reason that, for the most, monthly sports magazines are more feature and article led.

Have you seen the latest 40 20? It's nigh on cover to cover with match reports from weeks ago and games already covered in depth by RLE and the other weekly.

Typical union elitist: he thinks that we RL types are all thickos and we can't get subtleties and nuances.

That's Norfolk n good.

Spoken as a true rugby union man. As a Cumberland born Rugby League man I'll go for the sport's first superstar James Lomas. Scott... use Google.

Woosh. They shouldn't if they don't want to. Equally, London shouldn't be forced onto a competition that could derail their promotion ambitions.

What is the issue here? LB spurn a chance of glory and silverware there by giving other clubs a chance of such. If by declining they give themselves an advantage in achieving promotion then that's for the other clubs to counter. Or copy.

I've posted before that the French Magic Weekend should be held over three days in Narbonne at the Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié, capacity 12,000. Aside from the stadium itself there are three pitches adjacent on which you could hold junior, youth and Masters competitions. Narbonne is pretty much central to all RL playing areas in France and has good road, rail and air links. Friday Night Lights - St Esteve v Toulouse Broncos and/or Falcou/Dejean/Allieres Final Saturday - Two Elite games followed by Toulouse Olympique Sunday - Two Elite games followed by Catalan Dragons Select two well supported English clubs to travel and throw out invites across Europe for the amateur comps. The campus is big enough for bars and fan zones etc. Throw in a bit of good weather in June and this event could be huge.

The four defeats were hugely disappointing, but coaching future aside, there were enough quality absentees (or under used) to suggest we can get back on track; Handley, Gildart, Newman, Johnstone, Percival, Charnley, Trueman, Williams, Lees, Watts, Walker, Smithies, Marshall, Powell, Partington, Sutcliffe, Watkins. A major issue is also how few games England will have between now and the WC, maybe eight at the most.

For you... The Gallagher Premiership.

They do come across as being Manly through and through... though big bucks help cement loyalty. I don't know what it is about this pair, despite all their unquestionable talent, I still don't like them.

What a shambles.

93 to go...

France. Away. No brainer. Ultimatum to the French to sort their shti out or no more playing with the big boys.

Those results are from 1981 only, bar a few cup ties before then. This highlights just how few stats are available to clubs and fans. Three decades ago the RL Record Keepers Club did sterling work to pull together past results, line ups etc, and much of that was published. However, since the club ended in 1995 I understand that their work remains under 'lock and key' in the Rugby League archives at Heritage Quay. It would be great to think that these could again be knocked into a publishable shape and be made available to fans. I know how arduous the task is of compiling such results as a few years ago I trawled half a dozen papers to gather all results and tables (and other NU stuff) available for the Cumberland teams and competitions prior to WW1.

So a group of ex pat Lithuanians living in England, if they want a game, must collectively spend thousands of pounds on travel and accommodation and expenses to play another novice nation possibly on a pitch with soccer goals and in front of two men and a dog. Who pays? Would you be happier if the same group Welsh players had played as an Invitational XIII instead of the Dragonhearts?

Instead, come back to me in 112 years and we'll see if Rugby League is being played in pockets of northern Lithuania.

Think rail companies. Think councils. Think NHS. Achieving targets is easy when ya set 'um yer self...