The Future is League Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/justin-holbrook-adrian-lam-hit-17793061 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Haggerty Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 They’re right. Leave aside the history/scale of this. Bottom line is that everyone would rather watch two good teams playing a quality match than two poor teams playing a low-quality match. The Saints Wigan game could well be a dress rehearsal for the grand final, and could decide whether Wigan make the play offs at all. Saints are playing some of the best rugby SL has seen in many years. Wigan have hit a purple patch of good form. The Leeds Hull KR game won’t decide anything, between two teams already out of the contest, both playing poor quality rugby. It’s a bizarre decision, and perhaps unconsciously illustrates our sport’s enduring suspicion of promoting excellence and it’s obsession with protecting mediocrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunbar Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I'm happy with the choice. Saints and Wigan will be in the playoffs and I expect them to deliver some top class games and maybe against each other. But Leeds are the most interesting team in the league right now. They have swapped out their coach, let their captain leave and brought in some fresh faces. Their last game showed they may have turned a corner and I am more interested in the Leeds HKR game to see if this continues. "The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby. "If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjonn Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Sorry. I'd rather watch the Leeds Hull KR game - much more at stake. So in my opinion the x2 coaches are wrong..... if both teams performances so good they will fill the stadium "twice over" so to speak... or be filling their stadiums week in, week out.... do they They could have asked to have the game moved to another day and I'm sure Sky would then have shown it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 On the plus side Saints should make much more out of this match not being on TV. Every cloud has a silver lining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdesert Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 55 minutes ago, Roy Haggerty said: They’re right. Leave aside the history/scale of this. Bottom line is that everyone would rather watch two good teams playing a quality match than two poor teams playing a low-quality match. The Saints Wigan game could well be a dress rehearsal for the grand final, and could decide whether Wigan make the play offs at all. Saints are playing some of the best rugby SL has seen in many years. Wigan have hit a purple patch of good form. The Leeds Hull KR game won’t decide anything, between two teams already out of the contest, both playing poor quality rugby. It’s a bizarre decision, and perhaps unconsciously illustrates our sport’s enduring suspicion of promoting excellence and it’s obsession with protecting mediocrity. Based on what evidence? Does this mean every team below Wigan are mediocre? Compared to the way Saints are playing this year, on the whole they are (discounting London Broncos off course) but that doesn't mean that the spectacle they provide isn't always good to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moove Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 The London Hull KR game a few weeks back was probably one of the better TV games of the season so I don't think being at the bottom end means it's going to be poor. Having said that I haven't seen Leeds play any entertaining stuff all season and it's clearly less likely to be a high quality affair than Saints Wigan. Still, looking like it'll be close to a sell out at Saints and with the hospitality side of it sold out a while back then it's plenty of money in the coffers. Sky's loss is our gain I suppose. I'll be happily watching a top three clash rather than being sat at home watching two teams battling to be least worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treize Hombres Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I've no objection at all to this game not being televised. It's a big game but not crucial as to where the LLS will end up. A lot of my workmates who profess to "support" these teams were unaware that it wouldn't be shown by Sky and are now disappointed. Had a spare ticket and for a while I was everybody's mate. Just shows you shouldn't take things for granted. There's no substitute for actually seeing the game as a spectator rather than from the comfort of an armchair. In future the decision to show Leeds v HKR may make them actually make the effort to get tickets for the game and see their team in the flesh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 All a bit arrogant and full of themselves. Assume this has sold out and has a huge waiting list based on not being on tv? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhinos78 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Arrogance of Holbrook, despite current form, Leeds are still a bigger club than saints so nothing like picking cardiff v Burnley over the Manchester derby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essai Machine Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I'd also prefer to see a relegation battle game than another pointless 'derby' - how many times will Wigan and Saints play each other this season ? I was a big fan of the Middle 8's and it certainly lived up to the warcry "every second counts" - bring it back SL ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moove Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 10 minutes ago, rhinos78 said: Arrogance of Holbrook, despite current form, Leeds are still a bigger club than saints so nothing like picking cardiff v Burnley over the Manchester derby. Hmm, a 1st v 6th derby and 15th v 18th isn't far off given that Holbrook and Lam's point was choosing a bottom of the table clash over a top of the table one. It's nothing to do with club size or arrogance. 6 minutes ago, Essai Machine said: I'd also prefer to see a relegation battle game than another pointless 'derby' - how many times will Wigan and Saints play each other this season ? This is the third, there might be a fourth in the play-offs. The first got 16,500 on at Saints, the second 22,000 at Wigan and the one tomorrow is looking like it won't be far from a sell out. This is despite the fact that the two clubs could play each other four times this season and the furore over loopy fixtures. It's also generally one of the better viewing figures (141k for the same July fixture last year). If RL had another half a dozen 'pointless' fixtures capable of generating that level of interest then we'd be in a much better state. It's not particularly unreasonable or arrogant to hold the view that showing this fixture live on TV would have been a sensible choice. Anyway, hopefully I'm waking up on Saturday morning to everyone saying 'I told you so' as Leeds Hull KR packs out Headingley and gets season-high viewing figures in a humdinger of a game which belies both team's positions in the league, while Saints Wigan is a dire one-sided affair (in Saints favour of course ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluded pom? Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 A tad slow aren't they. We had a thread on this a couple of weeks ago which means we'll just gat a rehash of that on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksy Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Rather watch the Leeds/KR game. Rugby Union the only game in the world were the spectators handle the ball more than the players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 32 minutes ago, jacksy said: Rather watch the Leeds/KR game. Same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhinos78 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Moove said: Hmm, a 1st v 6th derby and 15th v 18th isn't far off given that Holbrook and Lam's point was choosing a bottom of the table clash over a top of the table one. It's nothing to do with club size or arrogance. This is the third, there might be a fourth in the play-offs. The first got 16,500 on at Saints, the second 22,000 at Wigan and the one tomorrow is looking like it won't be far from a sell out. This is despite the fact that the two clubs could play each other four times this season and the furore over loopy fixtures. It's also generally one of the better viewing figures (141k for the same July fixture last year). If RL had another half a dozen 'pointless' fixtures capable of generating that level of interest then we'd be in a much better state. It's not particularly unreasonable or arrogant to hold the view that showing this fixture live on TV would have been a sensible choice. Anyway, hopefully I'm waking up on Saturday morning to everyone saying 'I told you so' as Leeds Hull KR packs out Headingley and gets season-high viewing figures in a humdinger of a game which belies both team's positions in the league, while Saints Wigan is a dire one-sided affair (in Saints favour of course ). Even better if your waking up saturday morning and both games have been crackers, where either one was worthy of being on TV. Then there would be no need for any childish 'i told you so's' from anybody, just 2 good games to talk about...Fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Moove said: Hmm, a 1st v 6th derby and 15th v 18th isn't far off given that Holbrook and Lam's point was choosing a bottom of the table clash over a top of the table one. It's nothing to do with club size or arrogance. I saw it pointed out somewhere that Leeds are still a giant of the game. It is more like Man Utd having a poor season and sitting in 15th. It would be a big story and they would be being shown. So it isnt like Cardiff and Burnley in the slightest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire Setter Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 At the time of scheduling Leeds KR was looking the more enthralling match up so I don’t think we can have any arguments about that. Things change quickly and maybe now Saints and Wigan will throw up something more competitive, but personally I’d take a close match of slightly lower quality than a score line of 36-12 with a couple of great Saints scores and an exciting Wigan score (assuming Saints win on form of course ). Sky has to gamble on which game they think will matter to their target audience, not respect old rivalries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moove Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 1 hour ago, rhinos78 said: Even better if your waking up saturday morning and both games have been crackers, where either one was worthy of being on TV. Then there would be no need for any childish 'i told you so's' from anybody, just 2 good games to talk about...Fingers crossed! Yep fair point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemi4561 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 6 hours ago, Roy Haggerty said: They’re right. Leave aside the history/scale of this. Bottom line is that everyone would rather watch two good teams playing a quality match than two poor teams playing a low-quality match. The Saints Wigan game could well be a dress rehearsal for the grand final, and could decide whether Wigan make the play offs at all. Saints are playing some of the best rugby SL has seen in many years. Wigan have hit a purple patch of good form. The Leeds Hull KR game won’t decide anything, between two teams already out of the contest, both playing poor quality rugby. It’s a bizarre decision, and perhaps unconsciously illustrates our sport’s enduring suspicion of promoting excellence and it’s obsession with protecting mediocrity. Except that the 2 quality teams may produce a match that is absolute faeces to watch. On the other hand 2 poor quality teams may produce a spectacle that everyone, partisan or not, says was truly a great game to watch. Such an arrogant view that the great Wigan, or Saints, must be shown whenever possible from coaches or fans is poor. Also it must be remembered that the chances are that the number of people who subscribe to Sky and do not support those 2 clubs out number those who do by a ratio of 10000 to 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkw Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 2 hours ago, jacksy said: Rather watch the Leeds/KR game. Without a doubt at this moment in time, its a much more interesting game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooleboy Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 33 minutes ago, dkw said: Without a doubt at this moment in time, its a much more interesting game. Yes same for me, I will watch the Leeds v HKR game, but probably wouldn't have bothered watching Saints v Wigan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essai Machine Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 6 hours ago, Moove said: This is the third, there might be a fourth in the play-offs. The first got 16,500 on at Saints, the second 22,000 at Wigan and the one tomorrow is looking like it won't be far from a sell out. This is despite the fact that the two clubs could play each other four times this season and the furore over loopy fixtures. Nobody said that Wigan and Saints fans didn't want to see it , just the rest of us prefer a decent game instead of watching Lachlan Coote kick his 15th conversion of the night . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moove Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 19 minutes ago, Essai Machine said: Nobody said that Wigan and Saints fans didn't want to see it , just the rest of us prefer a decent game instead of watching Lachlan Coote kick his 15th conversion of the night . Never claimed that anyone said that either. Although I did also point out that 141k people watched the corresponding fixture on TV last season, that's a lot of Wigan and Saints fans given that no one else is interested in that fixture. Neither game are guaranteed to be a good or bad one. Anyway, it is what it is, I'll be happy if Coote ends up with the 15 conversions you've predicted. Like Scotchy said earlier in the thread, it's crazy that both games aren't on TV, maybe we should have paid Sky to let us put it on BBC over the weekend instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Evans Thigh Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Watching this Hull game I think they'd have been better televising Pilkington Recs nevermind Saints v Wigan. Formerly Alistair Boyd-Meaney fifty thousand Poouunds from Keighley...weve had im gid." MIPM Project Management and Business Solutions " Discounts available for forum members contact me for details Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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