West Wales Raiders - laughing stock

[Jughead]

Under four hours till kick-off and I can’t see anywhere whose coaching them today. Wow. 

[RLNew]

2 hours ago, Jughead said:

Under four hours till kick-off and I can’t see anywhere whose coaching them today. Wow. 

Wonder what’s going on down there? 

[Impartial Observer]

0  34 after 18mins, could be a record CC score coming up

[gingerjon]

38 minutes ago, Impartial Observer said:

0  34 after 18mins, could be a record CC score coming up

Wiki says the record is 132-0

[Damien]

0-96 to Swinton. At least they didn't get the ton!

[moorside roughyed]

Wow,what a score. God help them.

[welshmagpie]

Latest rumour is that they’re offering contracts to players whereby they aren’t expected to train but will receive a match fee. 
 

Absolute lunacy, what are they playing at!?

Welsh rugby league is so well run from the U10s league in South Wales, to the North Wales Men’s competition and everything in between EXCEPT for West Wales Raiders, who are fast becoming something of an unwanted cousin. 

[theswanmcr]

30 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

Latest rumour is that they’re offering contracts to players whereby they aren’t expected to train but will receive a match fee. 
 

Absolute lunacy, what are they playing at!?

Well that explains why they don’t have a coach… who needs one when your players never train. Some form of twisted genius going on here

[Jughead]

Is it bad that I’m surprised it was only 96? 

[devonhawk]

It’s tough for the game to expand in new areas as it stands. League 1 has too many clubs like Hunslet, Swinton, Keighley, Oldham, Doncaster, Crusaders and Rochdale in it. The RFL should look at how to make the divisions more balanced. Maybe aim for four divisions of ten. At least that will be more competitive for all teams, but will really help the expansion clubs. 

[DEANO]

So pleased to see they are improving year on year 

[devonhawk]

2 minutes ago, DEANO said:

So pleased to see they are improving year on year 

Problem is; playing the heartlands clubs when you are trying to build a club is a recipe for disaster. Getting smashed every week isn’t going to help them attract players, supporters or sponsors. 

[DEANO]

1 minute ago, devonhawk said:

Problem is; playing the heartlands clubs when you are trying to build a club is a recipe for disaster. Getting smashed every week isn’t going to help them attract players, supporters or sponsors. 

Lol lol lol. This has been tried and better tried through the years with the same spectacular results. Time to stop these experiments and concentrate on making the game stronger where it’s wanted

[Rowan]

Maybe I'm looking for a silver lining where there isn't one in the clouds over West Wales Raiders but surely they made a mistake by entering the Challenge Cup in the first place knowing perfectly well that they would be knocked out and then have a two-month gap before their opening game in League One.  Why would anybody sign players on contract (other than pay when you play) knowing they would go two months with any income to pay those contracts? Surely, like Cornwall, it would be better to get yourself a new coach (somebody like Neil Kelly at Cornwall and build from there).

Or maybe things really are as bad as they look and it would be better to do as Deano suggests. Unless somebody comes up with a cash-backed, thoroughly investigated and sanctioned by the RFL, we make the most of what we've got and stop trying to get into territory where nobody really wants us.

[devonhawk]

1 minute ago, Rowan said:

Maybe I'm looking for a silver lining where there isn't one in the clouds over West Wales Raiders but surely they made a mistake by entering the Challenge Cup in the first place knowing perfectly well that they would be knocked out and then have a two-month gap before their opening game in League One.  Why would anybody sign players on contract (other than pay when you play) knowing they would go two months with any income to pay those contracts? Surely, like Cornwall, it would be better to get yourself a new coach (somebody like Neil Kelly at Cornwall and build from there).

Or maybe things really are as bad as they look and it would be better to do as Deano suggests. Unless somebody comes up with a cash-backed, thoroughly investigated and sanctioned by the RFL, we make the most of what we've got and stop trying to get into territory where nobody really wants us.

But us out of the heartlands do want rugby league. The biggest barrier for all clubs is actually the RFL themselves (I am sure that doesn’t surprise you). The South West had a good league at one point, but the guy that is charged with expansion killed all but one of them off since he got in that role. 

[gingerjon]

14 minutes ago, DEANO said:

Time to stop these experiments and concentrate on making the game stronger where it’s wanted

Nothing stopping anyone or any team working to make the game stronger "where it's wanted".

[Smudger06]

Let's hope they manage to crawl to the finishing line this season. 

[DEANO]

2 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

Let's hope they manage to crawl to the finishing line this season. 

Would probably be better if they didn’t 

[OriginalMrC]

29 minutes ago, Rowan said:

Maybe I'm looking for a silver lining where there isn't one in the clouds over West Wales Raiders but surely they made a mistake by entering the Challenge Cup in the first place knowing perfectly well that they would be knocked out and then have a two-month gap before their opening game in League One.  Why would anybody sign players on contract (other than pay when you play) knowing they would go two months with any income to pay those contracts? Surely, like Cornwall, it would be better to get yourself a new coach (somebody like Neil Kelly at Cornwall and build from there).

Or maybe things really are as bad as they look and it would be better to do as Deano suggests. Unless somebody comes up with a cash-backed, thoroughly investigated and sanctioned by the RFL, we make the most of what we've got and stop trying to get into territory where nobody really wants us.

A lot of players in league 1 are pay as you play with some clubs operating completely that way. West Wales sacked their coach for not reaching the play offs, didn't get a new one in, and left it too long to sign players. Nearly all their good players left and the week they were due to play in the challenge Cup were still signing players. They still have no head coach which is absolutely bonkers. They are 3 months at least behind other clubs who've been going preseason since November. Something is not quite right and they need to sort it or they will always struggle 

[dead man inc]

46 minutes ago, devonhawk said:

It’s tough for the game to expand in new areas as it stands. League 1 has too many clubs like Hunslet, Swinton, Keighley, Oldham, Doncaster, Crusaders and Rochdale in it. The RFL should look at how to make the divisions more balanced. Maybe aim for four divisions of ten. At least that will be more competitive for all teams, but will really help the expansion clubs. 

Completely disagree... playing long established northern teams like Hunslet, Swinton, Keighley, Oldham, Doncaster, Crusaders and Rochdale etc... is the best way to really test yourself & learn. Skolars younger players have learned a lot & improved by playing against the better teams even if it resulted in a loss.

[del capo]

8 minutes ago, dead man inc said:

Completely disagree... playing long established northern teams like Hunslet, Swinton, Keighley, Oldham, Doncaster, Crusaders and Rochdale etc... is the best way to really test yourself & learn. Skolars younger players have learned a lot & improved by playing against the better teams even if it resulted in a loss.

Oldham have just got bumped out of the Cup by a bunch  of amateurs.................

[Colin James]

16 minutes ago, dead man inc said:

Completely disagree... playing long established northern teams like Hunslet, Swinton, Keighley, Oldham, Doncaster, Crusaders and Rochdale etc... is the best way to really test yourself & learn. Skolars younger players have learned a lot & improved by playing against the better teams even if it resulted in a loss.

They'd also be playing better teams in the NCL.

[Jughead]

1 hour ago, devonhawk said:

It’s tough for the game to expand in new areas as it stands. League 1 has too many clubs like Hunslet, Swinton, Keighley, Oldham, Doncaster, Crusaders and Rochdale in it. The RFL should look at how to make the divisions more balanced. Maybe aim for four divisions of ten. At least that will be more competitive for all teams, but will really help the expansion clubs. 

Where does the money and where does the extra three clubs come from?

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

1 minute ago, Jughead said:

Where does the money and where does the extra three clubs come from?

Leigh got an additional £400k as a Super League parachute payment, that money, or at least half of it would be better spent on a development league imo 

[Angelic Cynic]

3 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Latest rumour is that they’re offering contracts to players whereby they aren’t expected to train but will receive a match fee. 
 

Absolute lunacy, what are they playing at!?

Welsh rugby league is so well run from the U10s league in South Wales, to the North Wales Men’s competition and everything in between EXCEPT for West Wales Raiders, who are fast becoming something of an unwanted cousin. 

Given that your information and dissemination has been correct,could I ask that you keep me informed as to the likelihood of WWR fulfilling the 2022 fixtures,please?

I don't expect any transparency from the RFL,or club owners,but it is a bit of a schlep if there ain't a game being played.

There again,sometimes it is the game that is worse than the time and the cost.

For WWR not to have a head coach,nor perhaps 2 of their stalwart players,does not augur well.