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After today's match against Widnes we travel to their near neighbours Leigh next week. Please can you indicate your MOM as usual 1, 2, 3.

Sorry for the clickbait headline but hear me out. The domestic RL season has drawn to a close, and if I'm totally honest a part of me is glad. It was like an overpromised and underdelivered Netflix series you regret having committed to with a ending that even the most basic, formulaic writer would have been embarrassed to author. This is not to rile up any Wigan, Wakefield or Oldham fans. Your success is well deserved and you all should feel proud of your club's achievements. However, in terms of suspense, drama and unpredictability which is delivered in such abundance in many RL games, the story of the 2024 season wasn't just bland or tired; it was jaded. For the first time I can remember some clubs were not even trying. IMG have proposed some much needed minimum standards to ensure clubs don't see Super League status as an annual TV revenue check. I think the main objective is commendable and providing a roadmap to lead some RL clubs not just out of the 20th but the 19th century is an absolute necessity. Nonetheless with IMG focussing the attention toward off-field criteria inevitably on field success took a back seat. To stay with the tv series metaphor, the licence grading system became plot A, and on-field success became plot B. The rugby became something for the characters to do to distract the viewer from the fact the main "SL Licencing" plot which needed fleshing out and in terms of drama was very weak. This season Wigan Warriors took the lead role with an epic (and controversial) win over type cast Australian antagonists Penrith Panthers; already being lauded as "Greatest team in NRL history". Little did we know on that cold Wigan night in late February the 2024 rugby league season had peaked right then and there. The rest of the season was a mere question of whether Hull KR could pull off their own underdog story. To any casual sports fan or neutral supporter this would have been a plot twist to rival the likes of any big budget show or genius tv writer. But almost like an overpaid, insecure, narcissistic, diva mega-star Wigan had to make it all about them. But the groundwork was laid for an a team to dominate a generally less competitive season. The IMG licensing made clubs re-prioritise, suddenly playing Castleford, Huddersfield and Leeds didn't quiet seem to have the significance they once had. The "every minute matters" philosophy used to promote the game just a few years ago was never less applicable. Leigh suffered a little from 2nd season syndrome while St Helens and Catalans were both on the downward trajectory of having been very successful and competitive for the past few years. The main party guilty of taking their eye off the ball completely were the once mighty Hull FC. Yet their capitulation was never perceived as a dramatic "fall from grace" or even cautionary tale of hubris because the jeopardy just wasn't there. It's sad to say but they knew, as we all did, that without a ball being kicked London Broncos were doomed to relegation and Wakefield Trinity were a Super League club in waiting. So, why not save a few quid and tank a season if you know your SL status is a foregone conclusion? It's not just super league that the IMG have unintentionally devalued. Wakefield benefitted from knowing a one-off season in the Championship before a guaranteed promotion back to SL would mean not suffering the pain of losing their Super League quality players. Like a character who suffers a tragic death only to be resurrected in a following scene with all the same faculties and abilities as before. But clubs like Halifax, York, Batley and Featherstone all had uncharacteristic lacklustre seasons in the Championship. Even Toulouse Olympique seemed less hungry than in previous seasons although now reported to be to be ranked an overall 10th in the IMG grading, did they really need to be competitive? In January I, like I imagine like most people predicted Wigan winning super league, London being relegated and Wakefield winning back promotion. Wakefield themselves swept all before them in the Championship losing only one league game all season, winning both the league, grand final and the 1895 cup at a canter. Meanwhile Oldham achieved that same feat in League One winning 19/20 games. Of the 9 trophies/finals available across all three tiers of professional Rugby League 8 were won by just 3 clubs, Wigan, Wakefield and Oldham. I would have put money on this prediction but the odds were so short I would have already spent my winnings on the cost of the energy it took to power my phone to just open my Bet Fred app. The reason I frame this argument in a tv show metaphor is RL whether it likes it or not is in the entertainment business. The product or "show" is what happens on the field and what it means in the story arch of the entire season. If the show is samey and predictable people will switch off. If this RL season were a TV series I'd be asking myself; What was the point? Was it worth it? Was the journey from beginning to end interesting? Was the end result in any doubt? Were there any significant challenges? Have I already seen this before? Why did I watch all those episodes to witness such an unsatisfying and obvious ending? But the most important question is; would I watch the next series? After this year I wouldn't blame anyone if they said "no thanks". I can already hear the counter argument "...But, Manchester City win everything in football and everyone still watches that!" Well, since 1996 Super League has only had 4 different winners while the Premier League have had 6. We now have to go back 20 years to find the 4th name on the Super League trophy and the elusive 5th name seems as far away as ever. The Premier League need only go back 10 years for their 4 names. There are always at least 4-5 title challengers in every Premier League season and there's not a single club that takes their premier league status for granted ever. That and football is reaping the benefit of over a 100 years worth of investment in developing an truly international sport. There was one silver lining. One club that bucked the trend, showed true inspiration and genuinely caused an upset. For me, the team of the year on par with an all conquering Wigan, clinical Wakefield and ruthless Oldham is...Hunslet RLFC. Their play-off run to a Championship promotion was compelling, entertaining and completely unpredictable. They did something nobody else did, they surprised us. Thank God! IMG need to refocus their criteria to on-field success. Yes, clubs need to meet a minimum standard and I agree Super League status shouldn't be automatic for a Championship grand final winner if with those standards aren't met. However, promoting/relegation needs to be determined primarily by on field results for the integrity of all RL competitions. If success or failure is predetermined to the extent we've seen this season the overall significance of results are diminished leaving a weaker, less entertaining product. The most significant thing that will happen this season is not a brilliant Mikey Lewis chip and chase, it's not a magnificent Bevan French show and go. It's not a sublime touchline conversion from Marc Sneyd, a heroic try saving tackle form Ryan Hall or a mid-air try-scoring contortion from Tommy Makinson. It's an IMG board meeting. I know what the casual viewer would prefer.

That is the tagline I've been seeing for the Cup Final ticket advertisements on my social media feeds. There's a very big push on the fact that we have had 7 different winners of the comp in the past 7 years. It hadn't even occurred to me that had been the case till I saw it. Add in that Salford (behind closed doors admittedly) and Huddersfield (at Spurs) have also made the final in that time too. Shows how wide open and not very predictable the cup can be?