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

[SalfordSlim]

12 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

Leigh’s 7000 higher than both Sale and Newcastle in Union Prem. Solid stuff that. If they can maintain it definitely putting the pressure on the likes of Salford Cas and Wakey to shape up either off or on the field 

I think TBF to Salford we've done more than enough to "shape up" on the field. 

Hopefully we'll see the on-field improvement translate into a few more through the turnstiles but time will tell.

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

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?

I have asked the question many times and no one has yet come up with any answer, which is:-

Is there enough an appetite from the French public for what is a minority sport in France for the TV companies either FTA or Subscription to invest in French Rugby league.

And that is irrespective if there are 1,2 or 3 French teams in SL? 

[SalfordSlim]

11 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Congratulations Leigh,easily the best team in the comp this year,the Superleague clubs who don’t spend up to the cap might have to rethink their spending.

Good job there are a long line of sugar daddies lined up to pump millions into their clubs then eh to help them achieve that?!

[Harry Stottle]

2 minutes ago, SalfordSlim said:

I think TBF to Salford we've done more than enough to "shape up" on the field. 

Hopefully we'll see the on-field improvement translate into a few more through the turnstiles but time will tell.

If the stadium could somehow be magically transported back to the Weast I don't think there would be much of a problem in getting more through the gates, do you think the siting of the stadium is a part of the problem?

[SalfordSlim]

4 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

If the stadium could somehow be magically transported back to the Weast I don't think there would be much of a problem in getting more through the gates, do you think the siting of the stadium is a part of the problem?

Nah it's been done to death that one Harry and I don't think it's a huge factor these days. Salford is and always has been a football mad city and there are now 2 big clubs to contend with (yes despite being utter ###### at the minute Utd are still a massive club before anyone says it). Even in the 70's and with a successful team we didn't get huge crowds.

Only continued improvement on the pitch and a few seasons of play-off rugby will help grow crowds I think  but we'll never be able to realistically draw in anything like what maybe even Cas do on a regular basis. Getting crowds up to around 6000 would make a huge difference to the club (along with hopefully remaining at the AJ Bell).

Away fans that use the location still as a stick to beat us with will no doubt be the same ones that complained that their car always got broken into when they parked near The Willows.

[LeytherRob]

41 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

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

Matt Shaw seemed certain O'Brien, Mulhern, Hughes and Davis would be Leigh players next year so should be through. I've seen mentioned elsewhere that DB confirmed after the match in hospitality that 26 players were already signed up for next year, so it's just a matter of waiting for official confirmation on them all. I expect they'll probably start next week or the week after once end of season parties are all done.

[DoubleD]

38 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

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?

I'm not sure how you deduced agreement on that.

My view is that there are a core of 6-8 clubs in SL which derive the majority of the value from the Sky deal. I would purport that Cats and Toulouse attract higher viewing figures than Leigh, which is the key metric.

Anyway, good luck to Leigh next year. Let's hope Derek doesn't spit his dummy out again when things don't go his way

Edited October 3, 2022 by DoubleD

[phiggins]

1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

I'm not sure how you deduced agreement on that.

My view is that there are a core of 6-8 clubs in SL which derive the majority of the value from the Sky deal. I would purport that Cats and Toulouse attract higher viewing figures than Leigh, which is the key metric

What are you basing that on though? How do you know who attracts higher viewing figures? 

[David Shepherd]

1 hour 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

Don’t confuse the fantasists with common sense.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

46 minutes ago, LeytherRob said:

Matt Shaw seemed certain O'Brien, Mulhern, Hughes and Davis would be Leigh players next year so should be through. I've seen mentioned elsewhere that DB confirmed after the match in hospitality that 26 players were already signed up for next year, so it's just a matter of waiting for official confirmation on them all. I expect they'll probably start next week or the week after once end of season parties are all done.

Based on what I've seen this season I believe the current Leigh team would of held a good chance of holding its own in Suoerleague. Do you think the players named above will be an improvement on the one's moving on?

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

I have asked the question many times and no one has yet come up with any answer, which is:-

Is there enough an appetite from the French public for what is a minority sport in France for the TV companies either FTA or Subscription to invest in French Rugby league.

And that is irrespective if there are 1,2 or 3 French teams in SL? 

Asked myself the same question Harry and I suspect my conclusion is similar to your own.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, SalfordSlim said:

Nah it's been done to death that one Harry and I don't think it's a huge factor these days. Salford is and always has been a football mad city and there are now 2 big clubs to contend with (yes despite being utter ###### at the minute Utd are still a massive club before anyone says it). Even in the 70's and with a successful team we didn't get huge crowds.

Only continued improvement on the pitch and a few seasons of play-off rugby will help grow crowds I think  but we'll never be able to realistically draw in anything like what maybe even Cas do on a regular basis. Getting crowds up to around 6000 would make a huge difference to the club (along with hopefully remaining at the AJ Bell).

Away fans that use the location still as a stick to beat us with will no doubt be the same ones that complained that their car always got broken into when they parked near The Willows.

In the days when Mr Beaumont and the Good Doc, allowed season ticket holders from either club to attend the other for a Tenner on production if their season tickets I went to the AJ Bell quite a few times, maybe it is something that should be considered again between the clubs, why have an empty seat when it can be occupied?

[The Future is League]

12 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Based on what I've seen this season I believe the current Leigh team would of held a good chance of holding its own in Suoerleague. Do you think the players named above will be an improvement on the one's moving on?

Leigh will have to reduce it's overseas imports to reach the Super League quota.

[Harry Stottle]

4 hours ago, The Future is League said:

Leigh will have to reduce it's overseas imports to reach the Super League quota.

Yes that is a given Futureman and it is a case of Cherry Picking who they want as I know at the moment Ipape, Lam, Asiata, Amone, Ferguson and *Macdonald are already in for next season, Hitchcox, Hingano, Inu, Ioane and Stone are leaving or have gone, leaving O'Donnell and #Aetkins of the overseas players. @The Future is League missed out Ben Nakubuwai.

* Could be going to Leeds

# Roumored going back to Aus for family reasons

Edited October 3, 2022 by Harry Stottle

[Angelic Cynic]

1 hour ago, sweaty craiq said:

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?

I may have missed something while in a state of ennui about Super League, but why the constant reference to French clubs,and Sky Television?

It seems IMG are prepared to accept overseas clubs - and Sky are only committed until the end of the 2023 campaign. 

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/rfl-in-talks-over-selling-tv-rights-for-championship-and-league-1-as-super-league-extends-sky-sports-partnership/

Out of the Leigh fan club,Lenagan will be delighted with a few more seats being taken up at the soccer stadium when the hordes of Centurions make the long journey for the battle of the Borough.

Do IMG consider the number of away fans when dishing out the Categories?

[LeytherRob]

50 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Based on what I've seen this season I believe the current Leigh team would of held a good chance of holding its own in Suoerleague. Do you think the players named above will be an improvement on the one's moving on?

Based on the rumours, only 3 of last nights 17 - Sam Stone, Adam Sidlow and Ben Nakubuwai, will be leaving. Sam Stone will be a miss for sure as he's been fantastic this year and was probably our best player during his stint at the back end of next year. Sidlow is 35 so whilst he will be a miss, he's very much on the clock and Nakubuwai is definitely replaceable. Majority of the players being replaced are those on the fringes of the squad, such as Jy Hitchcox, Mark Ioane, Kieron Dixon, Luis Roberts, Tom Nisbet etc. I'm confident we'll have a better squad than this year and better than any of our previous SL squads. The key quota spots(Ipape, Asiata, Amone, Ferguson etc) have been secured for a good while now so the core of the team will be much the same as this year and our spine will be mostly unchanged.

Edit - missed off Inu as a departure so 4 from the 17 leaving, however his replacement already signed in Josh Charnley.

Edited October 3, 2022 by LeytherRob

[georgeb1]

I like at a lot of folk think you'll go great next season , but for replacements I feel charnley is half the player Kristian Inu is .

[bromleybulldog]

3 hours ago, DoubleD said:

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

Unlike other posters on here, I read that as a vote of confidence in Batley being promoted next season! That is surely what was meant??.....

[LeytherRob]

8 minutes ago, georgeb1 said:

I like at a lot of folk think you'll go great next season , but for replacements I feel charnley is half the player Kristian Inu is .

In terms of actual wing play, Charnley is just as capable as Inu. The main loss with Inu is his high % kicking game, outside of Rhys Martin, he's probably the best goal kicker in the UK this season and I think the statistics would back that up.

[phiggins]

2 hours ago, The Future is League said:

Leigh will have to reduce it's overseas imports to reach the Super League quota.

This is brand new information 

[DoubleD]

1 hour ago, LeytherRob said:

Based on the rumours, only 3 of last nights 17 - Sam Stone, Adam Sidlow and Ben Nakubuwai, will be leaving. Sam Stone will be a miss for sure as he's been fantastic this year and was probably our best player during his stint at the back end of next year. Sidlow is 35 so whilst he will be a miss, he's very much on the clock and Nakubuwai is definitely replaceable. Majority of the players being replaced are those on the fringes of the squad, such as Jy Hitchcox, Mark Ioane, Kieron Dixon, Luis Roberts, Tom Nisbet etc. I'm confident we'll have a better squad than this year and better than any of our previous SL squads. The key quota spots(Ipape, Asiata, Amone, Ferguson etc) have been secured for a good while now so the core of the team will be much the same as this year and our spine will be mostly unchanged.

Edit - missed off Inu as a departure so 4 from the 17 leaving, however his replacement already signed in Josh Charnley.

What's the score with Roberts?..........I heard he'd been linked to Leeds but seems an odd pick up if he's not getting regular game time in the Championship. Appreciate he's young still. Do you think he's got potential for SL?

[LeytherRob]

4 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

What's the score with Roberts?..........I heard he'd been linked to Leeds but seems an odd pick up if he's not getting regular game time in the Championship. Appreciate he's young still. Do you think he's got potential for SL?

He definitely has the build/frame and does have some pace(but nothing express) but is very raw at present. Will need regular gametime at championship level next year so I expect him to go to whoever the DR partner with Leeds ends up being next year. He played wing for Swinton but his future is definitely center short to medium term and probably second row once he gets to his later 20s, early 30s.

Personally, I'd have like to have kept him...there is definitely potential in there and would have been an ideal 'squad number 25-30' type player for us but can't blame him for going to Leeds, it's a good place for a young player to go and learn.

What I will say is his(and the other fringe players for that matter)attitude has been exemplary, there hasn't been so much as a whisper this year of any tantrums or fall outs out over non selection. First time in a long time at leigh, especially seasons with high spend.

[SalfordSlim]

4 hours ago, SalfordSlim said:

Good job there are a long line of sugar daddies lined up to pump millions into their clubs then eh to help them achieve that?!

Why confused @Davo5? If a team doesn't have the cash they can't spend the cap, that's pretty simple economics (unless you're a RU Premiership team!). Feel free to enlighten us on how the likes of Salford/Wakey are able to "rethink about spending the cap". Looking forward to your response...

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, georgeb1 said:

I like at a lot of folk think you'll go great next season , but for replacements I feel charnley is half the player Kristian Inu is .

Totally agree George, he can't beat a man these days in the Championship, he will be next to useless in SL.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, LeytherRob said:

In terms of actual wing play, Charnley is just as capable as Inu. The main loss with Inu is his high % kicking game, outside of Rhys Martin, he's probably the best goal kicker in the UK this season and I think the statistics would back that up.

Disagree Rob, Charnley is nowhere near the player he once was, he would still have been at Warrington if he was but Powell preferred to utilise Kids whilst Charnley was still there and since coming to Leigh I can see why.

Edited October 3, 2022 by Harry Stottle