RogerT Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Batley Bulldogs v Rochdale Hornets Sunday 9th September The Fox's Biscuit Stadium | KO : 15:00 RefereeN. Bennett Touch Judge 1J. Woodman Touch Judge 2N. Horton Reserve RefereeR. Burton M ComD. Milburn Time KeeperS. Marshall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batley Bob Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerT Posted September 8, 2018 Author Share Posted September 8, 2018 Sorry gang won't be at the match nor next weeks, we are going on a weeks jollies tomorrow, but I will catch up with things upon my return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatleyBaz Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 Very poor today IMO. Only started playing with any sense of urgency in the last 15mins. Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you, and summons them to your recall with a will of it's own. You think you have a memory, but it has you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOGFATHER Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 Agree Baz, very lacklustre today. Happy to get the two points, but some of the players didn't look interested for much of the match. Not a good advert for the game or the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Eel Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 1 minute ago, DOGFATHER said: Agree Baz, very lacklustre today. Happy to get the two points, but some of the players didn't look interested for much of the match. Not a good advert for the game or the playoffs. And that is the big one for me. The system generates these games where very little rests on the outcome for at least one of the teams. Some of these Middle 8s games have been glorified friendlies and this is often, surely, a negative impact on player motivation and crown apathy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distantdog Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 No lack of effort but a real arm wrestle! Bright start and a bright ending but the middle 40 minutes was just a real scrap. Rochdale just worked hard to grind out something whereas we seemed to be trying too hard playing uphill, trying to force the killer pass every play. Once we relaxed and tried to play with a little more fluency we scored with ease. One slightly worrying thing for me was that this team, with a couple of exceptions, looked to be the players who will be the mainstays of the team next season so our stuttering performance left a bit to be desired. However, hope he continues to choose these players for the rest of the season in the hope that they develop together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKK Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 I wonder how other teams in our division are finding this season. I’ve never been as bored with or apathetic towards rugby at this stage of a season before. Games without purpose are pointless, there’s no draw to the ground, no concern if you lose or buzz when you win. What was the crowd today? Looked like about 250. This seems to be mirrored in Super League too, apart from yesterday’s Saints Catalan, it’s been like watching paint dry for the last few months. I hope next seasons competition changes for the better. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep The Faith Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 That’s it the reason the certain folk don’t care about the bottom 8s for the players it’s a win bonus without injury, for the fans it’s a day out if they can be bothered, sponsors /clubs it helps the money base but for me bring back a play off system with £££... how good was the 2006 win at Leigh or 2002 play off run or 2013 run to the grand final which for me were deserved on merit in the season that we did make them! I don’t know about the performance as I followed on Twitter due to Holiday will catch up when back but a win’s a win http://tombatley.wordpress.com/ Give it a read.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9' oller Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 Dogfather mentioned playoffs. What are we playing off towards. Difference in 5 bob for final placings. "Don't worry championship left overs you can have a shield to play for oh and the bottom 2 can worry about relegation. STOP Erm. this year only 5th and 6th will play in final. Hope this works" No semis. No play offs towards "shield" spectators expected to suck it up. 17£ for almost meaningless fixtures. After school uniforms for 3 kids and summer of excess. Glad I stayed away 'Shaw cross juniors, Birkenshaw, Mirfield, Heckmondwike Panthers, Stainland Stags and then the Heavy woolen donkeys... WARDY, STOZZA, GT, KARL OR KEAR MUST OF DROPPED A DIGIT FROM MY MOBILE NUMBER! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOGFATHER Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 2 hours ago, Northern Eel said: And that is the big one for me. The system generates these games where very little rests on the outcome for at least one of the teams. Some of these Middle 8s games have been glorified friendlies and this is often, surely, a negative impact on player motivation and crown apathy. I think whichever system we adopt, there will always be some meaningless fixtures for some teams. I wouldn't blame the 8's in isolation for that though. I don't think the talks of a restructure, or the fact that the transfer window is open prior to the end of the season really helps player motivation. I listened to KN in the bar prior to the match today, and it is a very worrying situation for the whole game. As a supporter it is bad enough, but when the game is part of your livelihood, it must be incredibly worrying that in essence, the game below SL will no longer exist if Lenaghan et al get there way. I realise players need time to negotiate a new deal, but I fail to see how the games at the end of the season will ever carry much meaning, when players know they will be moving on, perhaps to the team they are playing against that week. I just hope Rimmer and the RFL get off there backsides and start to earn there money. They have 2 years from now to organise a TV deal for themselves, away from SL, and possibly Sky. They need to organise a deal that incorporates the whole of the game, not just a few who have generally only remained "big", well supported clubs, because they have been allowed the luxury of playing within the SL bubble, whether they have achieved anything or not. They need to get a deal that offers exposure to the uninitiated to Rugby League. Exposure is the key to the next deal IMO, even if the money is not as much as Sky or even BT sports. Most of the people watching the game, are already fans, paying a subscription to watch it. The potential new fans to the game, that it needs, in order to increase participation levels, improve sponsorship and ultimately, get more people through the turnstiles, needs to have access to see what the game is all about. At the moment, we have about 5 games a season on terrestrial TV and the SL show on in the early hours of the morning, which is not enough. I'm sorry to keep harping on at the refs. The game has become so slow around the ruck, defenses have an eternity to get set meaning there is little room for broken play. All refs stop the game for anyone who feigns an injury, why? He is not a medical practitioner, what is he going to do about an injury even it was real? Most teams no longer stand square at marker and are rarely penalised. Most refs allow teams to play offside. The video refs in SL take too long, again slowing the game down The guy today made almost every scrum reform after the ball had gone, the second one, no different to the first why? I've seen a spate recently of players deliberately playing the ball in to an opponent who has been unable to get out of the ruck, often with the acting hb making it impossible to get out, why not let play go on? Sort that out and the game will become faster and help to promote the attacking rugby people want to watch. It is not an easy job, but these are basics and it starts with the guys in charge of the refs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevieb Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 very very poor to watch, so much 1 man rugby, no flair, no commitment, no wonder stands was empty today, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Eel Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 8 minutes ago, DOGFATHER said: I think whichever system we adopt, there will always be some meaningless fixtures for some teams. I wouldn't blame the 8's in isolation for that though. I don't think the talks of a restructure, or the fact that the transfer window is open prior to the end of the season really helps player motivation. I listened to KN in the bar prior to the match today, and it is a very worrying situation for the whole game. As a supporter it is bad enough, but when the game is part of your livelihood, it must be incredibly worrying that in essence, the game below SL will no longer exist if Lenaghan et al get there way. I realise players need time to negotiate a new deal, but I fail to see how the games at the end of the season will ever carry much meaning, when players know they will be moving on, perhaps to the team they are playing against that week. The solution suggested by the clubs, as highlighted in the statement today, offers an opportunity for only the very best clubs to fight for a place in SL. I am absolutely up for that, albeit only with the top 3 (They are realistically the only ones who are likely to be good enough to compete against 11th place in Super League). The problem is that the middle 8s is pretty much a way of generating games to create a season of appropriate length. If its main purpose is to allocate funding for where teams finish in the league, then we have a big problem if we can't do that in the normal season games. The chasm between the top 3 or 4 teams in C1 and the rest of the league is enormous. If 2 more teams were in the Championship instead, we wouldn't need all this pantomime and games would mean more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOGFATHER Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 26 minutes ago, Northern Eel said: The solution suggested by the clubs, as highlighted in the statement today, offers an opportunity for only the very best clubs to fight for a place in SL. I am absolutely up for that, albeit only with the top 3 (They are realistically the only ones who are likely to be good enough to compete against 11th place in Super League). The problem is that the middle 8s is pretty much a way of generating games to create a season of appropriate length. If its main purpose is to allocate funding for where teams finish in the league, then we have a big problem if we can't do that in the normal season games. The chasm between the top 3 or 4 teams in C1 and the rest of the league is enormous. If 2 more teams were in the Championship instead, we wouldn't need all this pantomime and games would mean more. I agree with you, I have never been a fan of the playoffs. I always assumed it was a Sky requirement though? I fully understand it in Australia, where teams are not playing everybody twice. Here though, it make no sense at all, it makes the league season a little pointless to me. You might as well have a look at the clubs bank balance at the end of the previous season, and just have a cup competition for the 8 clubs with the most money and forget the league games. Even with a division of 14, as it stands there will be lots of pointless fixtures come the halfway point. The only way to make all games matter is, to level the playing field. Have all teams in the same division working to the same, or at least similar budgets so that teams are evenly matched. At least 4 teams, possibly 5, have been working with far money than the rest and the results have shown in the league table with the split between the top 6 and the bottom. With such an imbalance, lots of the games have been write offs before a ball has been kicked. A 14 team division will not fix that, only levelling money will. Whether that is £1M a season or £150k, SL is no different. I bet most people would have guessed at the top 6 in both divisions prior to the season starting. How can anything be exciting, when everyone knows the outcome before it starts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distantdog Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 29 minutes ago, DOGFATHER said: The only way to make all games matter is, to level the playing field. Have all teams in the same division working to the same, or at least similar budgets so that teams are evenly matched. At least 4 teams, possibly 5, have been working with far money than the rest and the results have shown in the league table with the split between the top 6 and the bottom. With such an imbalance, lots of the games have been write offs before a ball has been kicked. A 14 team division will not fix that, only levelling money will. Whether that is £1M a season or £150k, SL is no different. The only problem with that is that some clubs just have more money to spend than others. That has always been the way! The salary cap was designed to make SL more competitive and even, but has failed. Imagine if Batley suddenly unearthed a kindly (or stupid) benefactor, who was willing to put millions into the club, but was told by the RFL that they were not allowed as all clubs were only allowed to spend what the other clubs were spending. Doesn't feel right! I think that the funding should be more equal, but has to create some incentive for performance. Perhaps £25 000 extra for each step of the ladder in the league table, above a baseline payment of £100 000 for everyone. However, some clubs just will have more spare money to spend than others from other income streams. In reality there is no simple solution. However I agree that more than in previous seasons, the matches at this point in the season seem to have less intensity and importance than in past seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOGFATHER Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 I thought the salary cap had started to work a bit. But then the big 4 didn't like that, as they lost some of their dominance and they introduced marquee signings to unbalance things in there favour again. I don't disagree with you either, it isn't easy. Surely though, it is what is good for the game, not just one or two clubs. Scottish football as an example. As I say, a similar budget would be fine. My problem is, when you have teams spend 7 or 8 times more than others, playing in the same division, the results are not really a surprise, are they? In football they have brought in a fair play policy whereby teams can spend according to what they bring in via revenue streams. Barnsley for example, are owned by very wealthy backers now, but they cannot just go out and buy a premiership quality side, despite having the money to do so, until they get the infrastructure right. I've no problem with teams working on sponsorship and getting more people through the turnstiles, so they can afford better players either. I have a problem with a money man/men coming in for a season or two, throwing money in and buying success. But as soon as he or she gets bored and pulls out, then leaves the club in a hole. To me football have the right idea, but there needs to be a salary cap that is not 7 or 8 times what some clubs can afford to spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldog Days Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 Today was not a good advert for Championship rugby league, due to lack of incentive and motivation for both players and fans (of Batley) with still a number of games to go through the motion. Our league and standard of rugby is better than these damp squibs of a season's finale, and much thought now needs to go into creating purpose for all teams and an incentive to compete to their max right up to the end of the season. Championship rugby is inherently a good product, but up to now has not been marketed to its full potential. Like Championship and the EFL clubs in football, maybe it's time to negotiate a separate TV deal for the highlights of games, whilst still benefitting from part of the Sky funding. That would mean serious marketing and negotiating of our league by the RFL, and the representative advisors from the Championship/Championship 1 clubs. Maybe Mr Brian Barwick esq. could earn his money and utilize his vast media contacts from his FA days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distantdog Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 7 minutes ago, DOGFATHER said: I have a problem with a money man/men coming in for a season or two, throwing money in and buying success. But as soon as he or she gets bored and pulls out, then leaves the club in a hole. TO me football have the right idea. I agree to an extent, but football is the worst culprit for relying on moneymen. The top few teams in the Premier League have eye watering debts the size of small countries GDP, but have moneymen to service this. Further down the pyramid, there are many examples of clubs going to the wall due to over spending. For me, RL is in a no man's land of not knowing what the best system is for the game as a whole, while being pulled aprt for the benefit of the few. I remember clearly my feelings at the time of the licensing system. I could understand why the likes of our club would never be allowed into SL, we simply could not sustain the financial requirements of that, but resented the fact that we did not have the opportunity to at least have the dream there. My gut feeling now is that the Championship has to somehow be presented as a worthwhile competition to win in its own right. I am not sure the 8's do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOGFATHER Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Again, I think the imbalance of funding has a lot to do with it. The 8's would work better if the money spent by the clubs taking part was similar. Realistically, for any team to compete, they need a money man throwing as much money in as the teams they are competing against, as per Beaumont at Leigh, he made up the deficit in central funding between Leigh and the bottom half of SL and they succeeded. It is also crazy that teams can buy players right up to the playoffs starting, as Wakefield did when they denied Bradford promotion back to SL in the MPG, the season after them and London were removed under the last restructure. When Wakey brought in a team full of Aussies just for the playoffs. Even the best funded CH teams are £1M worse off than the teams they are supposed to be competing with from central funding. I'm just not convinced that being reliant on somebody throwing money at a problem is the right way to run any sport. I hated licensing, because it was unfair, it was just a thinly veiled boys club. By rights, both Wakefield and Cas should have been thrown out of SL due to a lack of facilities. Despite several warnings they were allowed to stay in the top flight, and are still there with the same appalling facilities. IIRC both Batley and Keighley were refused admission in the first place, due to poor facilities, under the framing the future guidelines. I'm still unsure why Featherstone were thrown out, in place of Huddersfield, other than there face didn't fit. Franchising just goes against the whole sporting ethos to me. If you are the better team, then you should be promoted. I once had to try and explain, to a none RL fan, why even if Batley finished top of the league, we wouldn't be promoted to SL. It just makes the whole game look a farce. I'm not surprised the game struggles to get big corporate sponsors and are seen as a bit of a joke sport. Could you imagine working for a RL club in the CH, and trying to sell that concept to a potential sponsor? Your money will help us to be the best team in the league Mr sponsor, but we won't get promoted even if we are the best team, and we won't be able to get better exposure for your brand next season, because we are not allowed in the top division, as a few of the bigger clubs only like playing with themselves. The game needs the RFL to grow a pair and take control of the whole game and stamp out this rebelion from a few teams who are currently at the top of the tree. The game only means something, because of all of its members, not just the ones that are currently at the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piggy's mate Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Would be good to squeeze in champ & champ 1 a cup initially split East vs West then the two champions meet in a final. Can't beat winning something! Get it shown on freesports. The neutral can at least then support a Yorkshire or a Cumbrian finalist etc. Touch Rugby W(h)inger and part-time Super Hero (Thursday mornings by appointment) BATLEY BULLDOGS RLFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolie Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 On 9/8/2018 at 10:40 AM, RogerT said: Sorry gang won't be at the match nor next weeks, we are going on a weeks jollies tomorrow, but I will catch up with things upon my return. Have a great holiday mate And watch out for the ladyboys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batley Bob Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blind side johnny Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 I sympathise, as we also had a fairly meaningless game yesterday, but is this anything new? 20 years ago at this juncture in the season most games were meaningless - that is the very nature of sports leagues. Play-offs, if organised in a meaningful way, at least offer some incentive for some teams, and spectators, at this time of year. Sport, amongst other things, is a dream-world offering escape from harsh reality and the disturbing prospect of change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batley Bob Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Gates such as we had on Sunday are not conducive to keeping players or attracting new ones. The BOD and those of you that work hard behind the scenes for the club deserve better. I hope we see quite a few more faces at the Eagles game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.