Sun 2nd Oct: ChGF: Leigh Centurions v Batley Bulldogs KO 6.30pm (Premier Sports)

[GUBRATS]

Massive well done to the Bulldogs fans that made the game tonight , never stopped supporting their team , brilliant support , I had a brief chat with Kevin pre match , he remembered me from our RFL and NL council meetings , he's looking better than me , top club , top fans , top team and a top chairman 

[Leyther_Matt]

A performance fitting of the whole season - a visiting side who never gave up and were deserving of their applause from all sides of the ground, but ultimately just far too much class from Leigh in the end. Only missed three games all season (two of them in the Challenge Cup) and it’s been an absolute pleasure

[Niels]

5 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

A performance fitting of the whole season - a visiting side who never gave up and were deserving of their applause from all sides of the ground, but ultimately just far too much class from Leigh in the end. Only missed three games all season (two of them in the Challenge Cup) and it’s been an absolute pleasure

I have been very impressed how Leigh fans here have been very eager to give credit to Batley.

It shows real appreciation of the game, especially when it is your moment of triumph.

 

 

[Leyther_Matt]

30 minutes ago, Niels said:

I have been very impressed how Leigh fans here have been very eager to give credit to Batley.

It shows real appreciation of the game, especially when it is your moment of triumph.

I don’t think it registered on here at the time, but in the 2017 £1m Game, Catalans were actually applauded back in to position after scoring the game clinching try. I know we have our critics, but I like to think we’re generally a fairly sporting lot. Similarly the York team got a standing ovation after conceding 100 a few weeks back. York didn’t even play that badly, they just faced an absolute freak of a performance that had more or less been on the cards for most of the season and certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort. At the end of the day, any player stepping foot on to a RL field has my utmost respect, but there’s certainly a lot to be said for appreciation of the efforts of all concerned or good passages of play regardless of whether it’s for your team or against. 

[Madrileño]

Levels.

Professionals against amateurs and it showed. Leigh scored some very nice tries - it looked like an exhibition at times. That first try though... schoolboy stuff from the fullback on the first tackle. 

 

[Leigh-On-Kiwi]

First 20 minutes was a great contest, then Leigh took it to the next level. Hooley had some great defense in that opening half. Lachlan showed some real class and he's for sure going to be a handful for Super League sides next season! Bring it on! 

 

[Piggy's mate]

Really enjoyed our trip to Leigh last night, great atmosphere and a valiant effort from the dogs. Leigh have a super team all across the park and I wish them well in SL next season

[Adelaide Tiger]

Watched the game today.  Well done to Leigh as they deserved the win and they have been the stand out team all season.  But admiration to Batley for their stoic resistance and giving their all.  That is all fans of any club ask for.

To the Leigh followers out there which of the overseas players are being released?  Good to hear that Ipape is signed on for next year as I have enjoyed watching him and think he could have a big impact next year for the club.

[Leyther_Matt]

15 minutes ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

Watched the game today.  Well done to Leigh as they deserved the win and they have been the stand out team all season.  But admiration to Batley for their stoic resistance and giving their all.  That is all fans of any club ask for.

To the Leigh followers out there which of the overseas players are being released?  Good to hear that Ipape is signed on for next year as I have enjoyed watching him and think he could have a big impact next year for the club.

I don’t think a huge amount has been said tbh other than being reported that Inu and Ioane are off to Keighley, so that’s two non quota players shifted at least. Will certainly be a balancing act in that sense. 

[amm]

Congratulations to Leigh & the fans, I hope this time they can keep up there. Batley and their fans deserve all the positive comments being made.

I ended up listening to the radio but all my family and friends were there. It sounded amazing. Only my daughter isn’t at the buying a ST stage, but the rest of them are fully committed. 

 

[Harry Stottle]

32 minutes ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

Watched the game today.  Well done to Leigh as they deserved the win and they have been the stand out team all season.  But admiration to Batley for their stoic resistance and giving their all.  That is all fans of any club ask for.

To the Leigh followers out there which of the overseas players are being released?  Good to hear that Ipape is signed on for next year as I have enjoyed watching him and think he could have a big impact next year for the club.

Hitchcox and Hingano gone also, Stone apparently going to Melbourne Storm.

[40yearsatlondon]

On 01/10/2022 at 15:03, ShropshireBull said:

Its always better to think of London by boroughs tbh. So Merton is 200k or so. The only way London works is by getting locked in and 5k would be achievable with a generous season ticket offer.

but noone is probably traveling from Enfield to Wimbledon for RL.

I'm traveling further than enfield!...and i know some come further 2 guys come from the midlands!!!

[phiggins]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Hitchcox and Hingano gone also, Stone apparently going to Melbourne Storm.

Yep. A lot being made of the overseas quota, but Stone, Hingano, Ioane, Hitchcox, and if rumours of him wanting to go home are true, Aetkins, would’ve left anyway. Might reduce the pool of available players to replace them with, but then actually leaving has nothing to do with the fact they count on the quota. 

[DoubleD]

12 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Only guarantee is that it puts a lot more in the pot than the demoted club

How so?

Leigh actually take more out of the pot than the demoted club, unless they also pay for every club's away travel

[phiggins]

9 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

A performance fitting of the whole season - a visiting side who never gave up and were deserving of their applause from all sides of the ground, but ultimately just far too much class from Leigh in the end. Only missed three games all season (two of them in the Challenge Cup) and it’s been an absolute pleasure

Haven’t known a dominant season like it. A lot is made of the money spent, but probably not spent a great deal more than in 2016, or even 2018 (paying Kyle Lovett a fortune to play most of his games for Workington summed that season up), and Toronto’s spend in the Championship would have been comparable as well. 

I think since the early defeat to Fev, we’ve only fallen behind in a league game once, and nobody has got close to us since that Barrow game at the start of June. Previous full time Leigh teams would’ve got frustrated with how well Batley were defending in that first 20 minutes, but they just kept doing and ground them down 

[yipyee]

The top clubs in SL tend to have a core of 'one club men' or players developed or have been at the club for a while that set the culture with overseas players supporting this.

Who would be the home core of the leigh team next year and what will their primary objectives be?

[DoubleD]

11 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

I walked along the side that the Batley fans were coming out of and congratulated as many as I could on both their and the teams efforts, I will really miss going to visit Batley next season, one of the iconic Rugby League grounds.

Don't worry, you'll get to visit again in 2024

[LeytherRob]

8 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Haven’t known a dominant season like it. A lot is made of the money spent, but probably not spent a great deal more than in 2016, or even 2018 (paying Kyle Lovett a fortune to play most of his games for Workington summed that season up), and Toronto’s spend in the Championship would have been comparable as well. 

I think since the early defeat to Fev, we’ve only fallen behind in a league game once, and nobody has got close to us since that Barrow game at the start of June. Previous full time Leigh teams would’ve got frustrated with how well Batley were defending in that first 20 minutes, but they just kept doing and ground them down 

I forgot completely about Kyle Lovett, worst import I've seen hands down. 

[DoubleD]

12 hours ago, LeytherRob said:

Nothing announced yet until GF was done, hopefully they get season tickets out ASAP and start making the announcements to keep the momentum. Rumoured done deals are Gareth O'Brien, Rob Mulhern, Jack Hughes, Matt Davis, Jacob Gannon and Ricky Leutele if Nene Macdonald goes to Leeds but will be more to announce in terms of retentions and pick ups. By my reckoning, there are at least 19/20 signed up including pretty much all our best imports(main exception is Sam Stone who is rumoured to be off to Melbourne Storm next year).

Gareth O'Brien is a very good pick up if confirmed

[Harry Stottle]

14 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

How so?

Leigh actually take more out of the pot than the demoted club, unless they also pay for every club's away travel

 

4 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Don't worry, you'll get to visit again in 2024

Go on then tell us why you have this hatred of Leigh? 

[sweaty craiq]

4 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

How so?

Leigh actually take more out of the pot than the demoted club, unless they also pay for every club's away travel

Have you ever done the Hoki  Koki if so you will understand the differences between in and out. You can’t buy a Sky package in Toulouse, you can’t see Sky advertisers products, you can’t walk into a FredDones and put a fiver on Satans Revenge in the 2.15 at Haydock, mushy peas are not on every grocers shelves.

France has had 25 years of failing to get a tv deal so has taken money out of the UK pot in the hope of expanding the sport and making France competitive at Intl level - which has failed.

Times are now hard, Wigan getting£75000 more by Leigh being in SL as opposed to TO becomes important x that by £10-50k for other clubs and it adds up 

I have always advocated financially sound expansion and would love 2 x 10’s which contained 4 French clubs but they must bring money via a tv deal to be included

Now 4 FT clubs and 2 games a week on TV could really help the sport in France whilst doing so in the UK, don’t you agree

[DoubleD]

1 minute ago, sweaty craiq said:

Have you ever done the Hoki  Koki if so you will understand the differences between in and out. You can’t buy a Sky package in Toulouse, you can’t see Sky advertisers products, you can’t walk into a FredDones and put a fiver on Satans Revenge in the 2.15 at Haydock, mushy peas are not on every grocers shelves.

France has had 25 years of failing to get a tv deal so has taken money out of the UK pot in the hope of expanding the sport and making France competitive at Intl level - which has failed.

Times are now hard, Wigan getting£75000 more by Leigh being in SL as opposed to TO becomes important x that by £10-50k for other clubs and it adds up 

I have always advocated financially sound expansion and would love 2 x 10’s which contained 4 French clubs but they must bring money via a tv deal to be included

Now 4 FT clubs and 2 games a week on TV could really help the sport in France whilst doing so in the UK, don’t you agree

You have to consider both the 'ins' and 'outs' to determine the net balance of worth. Leigh put less in.

Go on then, tell me how many more packages Sky sell from Leigh being in SL? And the like for like viewing figures?

Of course, you could be right and IMG could be rubbing their hands with glee about the added value that Leigh will bring SL. Let's see how the vote goes.........

 

[DoubleD]

11 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

 

Go on then tell us why you have this hatred of Leigh? 

I thought you could take a bit of jibing Harry, rather than resorting to personal insults. You're better than that

[sweaty craiq]

1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

You have to consider both the 'ins' and 'outs' to determine the net balance of worth. Leigh put less in.

Go on then, tell me how many more packages Sky sell from Leigh being in SL? And the like for like viewing figures?

Of course, you could be right and IMG could be rubbing their hands with glee about the added value that Leigh will bring SL. Let's see how the vote goes.........

 

So if we agree that Cats and TO bring in nothing for Sky then surely you can see that any UK club would bring in more, if not then the conversation is a wasted one anyway 

What are your thoughts on the French tv deal or no Sky funding?

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

I thought you could take a bit of jibing Harry, rather than resorting to personal insults. You're better than that

OK.