M j M

It would be a lot more reassuring if there had been any comment or tweet or news story from the NZRL, NRL, ARL or Kangaroos. Instead, across all their media channels today, absolute silence.

Britain's longest scheduled train, all 16 coaches of it.

Oh God, come on people we were talking about the quality of stadia and all you're doing is backing up the point by talking instead about the atmosphere created by the people in the stadia. It's like you're so desperate to defend the honour of your club and some mythical belief that you create the bestest, most awesome atmos ever, that you won't engage rationally. Painful.

I fear your apparent emotional investment in the event is blinding you to the reality of the place which is holding it. That's unfortunate.

Wouldn't he be more at home in Batley?

They got turned down for planning permission for such a move didn't they, albeit some time ago.

When combined with Packer there can't be many sports clubs in the world with wealthier backers. Whether you like what's changed or not it's a long way from George Piggins keeping it together with chook raffles.

I really like the detailing in this class 33 video.

If Leeds are playing other than the Friday or Thursday (home or away) then I give up all hope for Rugby League schedulers.

Or I should add as many options within the stadium.

This is an event for players and fans and isn't a development tool. The players will definitely approve of playing at Headingley based on the reaction of Championship teams playing there in recent years. Fans, well no stadium has more pubs and bars on its doorstep although I guess it depends how recently the fans have have been there. But most clubs haven't seen their teams play at the famous old place for a long while. Most important though the financial aspect with higher crowds and probably a better rental rate will very much work in the clubs favour and that's critical at the moment.

Topped out at 16k over the weekend I think. Realistic and very achievable target I'd say is 20k for the weekend given the fresh venue and its location. If Leeds sell it to their fans as I think they would those should be doable.

That was one of the all-time best F1 performances by Hamilton, spread over the entire weekend. He was best by a mile on Friday. Got that stripped off him and sent to the back of the grid. Worked from back of the grid to fifth on Saturday. Got dropped another five places for the race. Worked from tenth to first today. And managed, albeit by the skin of his teeth, to avoid being taken out by Verstappen who was clearly intent on doing just that when he overtook him first time. GOAT indeed.

I genuinely think they'd get record crowds for the event if they held it there. And it's not as if Headingley is a regular haunt for supporters of Championship clubs as it is.

That's like comparing the Premier Legue to Super League. How about comparing the NRL to its real competitor AFL whose commercial income, tv rights income, long-term expansion strategy and public image trump the NRL in every single way.

This is such an aggravating trait of people both within and outside our sport. Will people just give it a rest with this sort of comparison which deliberately sets Rugby League up to fail. Our sport, like any other, should be measured on its own merits, by its own targets and in its own context. Just choosing the metrics from another, much larger, sport and implying how pathetic Rugby League is in contrast is really tiresome.

Given the Australian sporting landscape and the televisions income of their primary competitor the NRL tv rights deals are not particularly great examples of administrative brilliance.

The NRL have a dominant position in the two states they are big in and they are still continually on the back foot, continually scandal-ridden, dominated by club self interest and are forever putting the broader interests of the game second. They wouldn't have the first idea how to run the game in the UK. The only benefit is they're the devil we know and probably (only probably) won't sell us totally down the river when they fail to hit their targets.

Meh, Odsal was rocking when there were 24,000 in for a big game. Lots of stadia are great on big events. Doesn't mean that when you strip away that veneer they aren't found wanting.

Worth remembering a majority of SL clubs were desperate enough to vote for that deal.

We've been over all this but apart from those two cited very few clubs have made the investments all on their own.

Quite, it's a very underwhelming venue when you experience it first hand.

It wouldn't surprise me though. Some of these owners have got very big loans to their clubs to cover years of financial losses (eg Ken Davy £17m, Ian Lenagan £6m etc). Most owners do it for the love of their clubs but the opportunity to get some of their cash back must still be tempting.

Err... nope.