M j M

It's true, the RFL has never been in a position to fund a great expansion strategy. That's just the reality of the game in the UK. But when opportunities have presented themselves, at least in the Wood era, they were grasped. This continued rubbish about "getting rid" of the French clubs is a gaslighting attempt to attack Wood, despite him being one of their staunchest supporters. As if an RFL run by him and with Hetherington an apparently key player would ever allow that to happen.

I think they've demonstrated a remarkable desire to go beyond their borders, they brought Catalan, Toulouse and Toronto into the UK system after all - much more ambitious expansion plans than anything the NRL has tried. But there is always a chronic lack of money so inevitably anything like this has been done on a relative shoestring.

Always a pleasure.

You think a Nigel Wood review would have "pre-destined conclusions" such as "French clubs out". That's literally what you wrote.

Are you another peddling the myth that Nigel Wood is anti-expansion or anti-French clubs? When all it takes is a quick look at his record to know the reality.

If filling a stadium was a requirement of putting on a Rugby League game we'd have about 30 games played in total worldwide each year. The use of Elland Road was a bad one from the start, everyone knew it and the event's return to a more suitable and successful venue this year reflects that experience.

Are you suggesting you're not anti fascist? I mean it might explain a few things but I didn't quite think you'd gone that far. You said W H Smith being rebranded was "another example of our country losing its identity". That's either got a meaning we're supposed to read between the lines to find. Or is just utter gibberish.

Based on what?

l'm deeply suspicious of the OP's "our country is losing its identity" stuff because we all know what that really means. As if W H Smith rebranding had anything to do with that stuff. But from a retail business perspective I'm intrigued why the new owners didn't, or perhaps couldn't, agree a licence to use the name from the continuing company - in this sort of deal that is normally pretty easy. My suspicion is that W HS Smith do not want to be associated in any way with the widespread closures redundancies and restructuring that are almost certain to happen to many of the T G Jones stores.

Yes it was clear he was referring to that.

He should definitely start accompanying refs up the tunnel at half time to give them his feedback on their performance given how successful that approach appears to be.

The baby faced assassin? Blimey, he just keeps sounding better and better.

Not watching but he sounds good to me.

It's a great concept, if only Nigel Wood had been able to copyright the idea he'd have made a lot of money given how other sports leagues have copied it. It does need a bit of a refresh in Super League but it's coming up to 20 years old now so that's maybe not a surprise.

I've no idea how you've managed to conclude that.

The RFL noted his 60th 4 years ago. Ray French at his best too.

But is it reasonable to put a load of cheap tickets on sale in the upper tiers after all people buying in the lower bowl, including those in the early buy window, have paid more? It'd be very RFL but Moran is supposed to be better and smarter than that.

The gap between Cat 4 and 3 at Wembley is very strange.

Ryan Hall's fingertip try disallowed.

He's such an absolute, incompetent, clueless dick isn't he? Is it any wonder that the international game is in such a state when this buffoon is in charge?

Corporate at Leeds is on sale. Well bits of it are. Intriguingly prices are pitched at similar levels to Leeds games. https://leedsrhinoshospitality.seatunique.com/sport-tickets/rugby-league/leeds-rhinos-tickets/57914721#528704d5

Problem: British referees feel so obligated to demonstrate their neutrality that they tend to make interpretations that favour the Aussies (*honourable exception - Bob Connolly first test 2001). Australian refs stick to what they know and tend to make interpretations that favour the Aussies.

Warrington's crowds have not always been particularly stellar, especially in recent years, so let's see how he does.

And this is where it all falls apart, as it has repeatedly anytime people have tried to select the best/largest clubs in the UK. It's all a big game of musical chairs, of who is up and who is down at any moment in time. Give it a couple of years and Wakey could easily become that newly indispensable team. 35 years ago it would have been Widnes. Or Halifax. We have four or five genuinely large clubs then around ten to 15 who, when things are going well, are very valuable but who, over the course of a long period, are all much of a muchness, with as much "right" (as defined by this sort of exercise) to be there as each other. And the forced exclusion of any of them causes untold damage to the game in the area that club represents.

It'll sell out. Will be interesting to see the ticket prices for that game as they have the opportunity to bump them up. On top of picking up the Leeds corporate market and lower venue hire costs the net receipts of that game could stand up ok against the others.