M j M

I've been moderately entertained by your recent posts, wondering where they would go next. But this one really did make me laugh, so congratulations. I too want to go back to those halcyon days when there was no need to complain about referees determining results due to their crazy decisions and forward passes being missed (/misunderstood by fans who don't understand the laws). More seriously, Rugby League is a sport that loves to change, its almost in its DNA. It was born out of a social and governance conflict and I guarantee there were some people in say 1910 pining for the old secure authority of the RFU, bemoaning these ridiculous new play the ball restarts and saying the game had never been the same since they outlawed tripping. This level of ongoing change means it claws at our instincts for nostalgia even more than the average sport. Within that we all need to be careful to sort the wheat from the chaff, the normal and innocent evolution of a sport from the dangerously wrong-headed and fundamental changes that could undermine it forever. 'Super Greed' may or may not fall into the latter category for fans of the game pre-1995. I know some who walked away from the sport then never to return. But if you find yourself pining for the glory days of refereeing I'd suggest you have over indulged in the nostalgia bucket and probably need to go off for a few hours and watch some old games on Youtube to refresh your memory.

The NRL doesn't do squad numbers. In fact they are remarkably reactionary about the concept - https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/rugby-league-world-cup-mal-meninga-slams-squad-numbers-australia-kangaroos-squad-numbers-new-system-england-world-cup-australia-debutants-news/news-story/58a7013319c3603589a89b660ff1a626

It certainly would have. Club RL and Club RU in the UK are not really competing with each other. They are almost entirely geographically distinct and the addition of a London team isn't going to materially change that. Restructuring of Super League isn't going to be the reason, or even part of the reason, for them to begin to take steps to address the continued failure of their league to be viable. The bankruptcy/teetering on the edge of multiple teams might finally be what has done it.

It won't have even crossed their radar.

I guess you'd agree the lack of loyalty the breakaway clubs showed the RFU in 1895 was very bad too. Players leave clubs and always have done. It's very sad that a future superstar like Gannon is leaving Leeds and Super League. But trying to shoehorn that into your usual Decline of Society stuff is boring.

Not sure if this has been posted but it's worth watching.

Someone needs to photoshop out the chocolate soldier from that image of Ellery mind you. Horrendous. They should probably blot out Benny's face too while they're at it.

Best player ever in the best kit ever. It can't get any better than that image.

Have to say I think most of the ones posted to this thread are revolting but that classic Balmain one is a thing of absolute beauty.

It's a big league for big places, like Wigan and St Helens.

They'll use the cruddy red Gregg's logo with lions trapped in it, that's what's been used throughout the build up.

There definitely has been some movement in Wembley tickets today. Hard to tell exactly how much but some of the better blocks are now close to being sold out with a couple already showing as unavailable. I reckon we should be over 20,000 now.

Six tickets available as of now.

Wonder if it's more likely that the new owners are having second thoughts if Cas are going to be summarily kicked out of the league?

They appear to have had similar priority access as recent England ticket holders so they are part of the reason it's almost sold out.

It might be a good test for new owners but I doubt many of our clubs are carrying that much cash at any point in time.

According to this - "more than 85,000 tickets already sold for the series" and confirming "fewer than 1,500 tickets remaining for the Second Test". https://www.rugby-league.com/article/63679/abk-beer-rugby-league-ashes-tickets-go-on-general-sale-tomorrow So my calculations: 85,000 sold less 19,800 (Headingley capacity) less 52,900 (Everton capacity) plus 1,500 (Everton unsold) = about 14,000 sold for Wembley so far.

Crazy that Wells somehow thinks he has a better view.

Roger Cook of the Cook Report.

It's possible to do two things at once. And the crowd went from 32,000 to 45,000 YOY.

It was bigger in its second year than it was in its first!

It looks like he is putting his Gateshead experience to bad use.

That's a recipe to lose a lot of money very quickly - and destroy the game in vital parts of the north of England in the process. It just reinforces how clueless Richardson is at times. Certainly it's not a league I would want my team to be a part of.

That's definitely right. I think the main point is that even most of the big Rugby League clubs are in relatively small places. So if they were going for the Big Picture approach you'd start with the existing clubs in Leeds, Hull (perhaps merged) and London and then find five or seven in other genuinely big cities to add to it.