What's happening to the Game

[Big Doug]

Two things to discuss.

1. Last week we (Rochdale Mayfield) played Hunslett in a top of the league clash. No touch judges yet again. This is a league one step down from the professional game. To only have one official is not acceptable. 

2. Today we were due to play Wigan St Pats at home. They apparently informed us yesterday (Friday) that they were not coming (could not raise a team i believe). I thought to compete in the National Conference you had to run an A team and an under 18's team. Its not just the loss of a game for the club but the loss of revenue. Sponsorship alone would have brought in £2,500. That plus gate money and bar and food takings ends up in a sizeable loss to the club. To know that a match has to be cancelled needs at least a weeks notice to cater for the match not taking place. This season we went to Lock Lane With 8 regular first team players out injured. If you have to play a weakened team you do so.  

[Hopping Mad]

There must be good reasons why too few individuals want to be rugby league match officials. Having witnessed some of the appalling behaviour, from players, coaching staff and supporters, at amateur games (including the NCL), I can understand why. It's not just at rugby league where lack of respect towards match officials is now widespread. Is sport merely reflecting the breakdown of decent society?

Do amateur clubs find it harder to put out teams in summer than they did in winter? This weekend coincided, I gather, with the start of the state school holidays. Bound to have an impact on player availability (along with all the usual stuff - weddings, stags; peak time, late July). If correct, the day before a game is very late to inform of non-attendance. On the whole, St Pat's seem to be one of the more 'professional' amateur clubs.

As a neutral, I watched that Hunslet-Mayfield game. Didn't even notice the lack of touch judges! Perhaps because it's commonplace now.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Hopping Mad

[rugbylad09]

I was at the Hunslet game and no disrespect to the referee but the occasion was too big for him, with major decisions missed for both teams. This led to the occasional loss of control. Albeit, the lack of touch judges at this level is more common than it should be. Especially when the teams involved would hold their own at the level above. 
despite this, I was at the west hull game this weekend and the touch judges may as well have not been there, with one of them not allowed to intervene in a decision which was on the other side of the pitch and he knew the wrong decision had been made as he had a clear view. 
refereeing overall needs an overhaul- I don’t envy the job they do. Hopefully the headcams lead to an influx in younger referees. 
as for teams pulling out, as bad as it is I heard pats have used 50+ players this season. If they still can’t raise a team then surely they can’t run an A team (not a requirement either). There needs to be a balance, I’d personally extend the season through to November and have a ‘summer break’ in July to combat the lack of availability. With December and January as off season

Edited July 23, 2023 by rugbylad09

[Celtic Roosters]

The amateur game that I loved is dying a slow death for lack of funding, and the RFL are only interested Super League. Standards are dropping all the time in the NCL, and forget the game below that. When I was involved with a club the lack of loyalty and commitment from the players these days was hurtful. Most teams don't do programmes any more. Some clubs don't aspire to the NCL any more because of the travel costs. When my own local team were in the NCL they opted not to enter the Challenge cup because a long distance away draw against one of the lower tier semi-pro clubs would lose too much money. I loved the BARLA cup but it's lost it's prestige. I played for a pub team. We had no chance of winning it but always entered for the adventure of an away trip to unknown opposition. It's a shadow of what it used to be now. I watched Leigh Miners .v. Wigan St. Pats recently and it was probably the lowest attendance I have ever seen at this fixture. Been to St. Pats twice this season as well - great club, but no second team for a couple of years. How many NCL clubs still have serious A teams? So sad to see whats happening to the game. I've been to watch amateur RL at grounds from Ipswich and Devon to Durham and Gateshead and Thetford to Aberavon, and all stops inbetween, but I don't have the same passion for it that I used to have. 

[chisholm]

Agree with everything you say celtic.

As a committee member I can confirm travel costs along with match official fees are killing NCL clubs. At one time both these was subsidised by the league supported by the RFL . This along with lack of player commitment  and fewer spectators is killing clubs slowly.

 

[Cumbria1]

Does anyone know if the division 1 playoff final will be played on the same day as Premier or will it be the same as last year where the playoff final will be played at the highest ranked team ground 

[JMB]

On 22/07/2023 at 15:52, Big Doug said:

Two things to discuss.

1. Last week we (Rochdale Mayfield) played Hunslett in a top of the league clash. No touch judges yet again. This is a league one step down from the professional game. To only have one official is not acceptable. 

2. Today we were due to play Wigan St Pats at home. They apparently informed us yesterday (Friday) that they were not coming (could not raise a team i believe). I thought to compete in the National Conference you had to run an A team and an under 18's team. Its not just the loss of a game for the club but the loss of revenue. Sponsorship alone would have brought in £2,500. That plus gate money and bar and food takings ends up in a sizeable loss to the club. To know that a match has to be cancelled needs at least a weeks notice to cater for the match not taking place. This season we went to Lock Lane With 8 regular first team players out injured. If you have to play a weakened team you do so.  

This sounds like St Pat's are going through hard times.

 

[Big Doug]

My original post on this topic has moved on. My other club Rochdale Hornets were due to play London this Wednesday in a re arranged game. (the original Sunday fixture having been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch). London now have stated that they cannot raise a team and therefore the fixture has been cancelled. No new date has been arranged and there is every chance it will never be played. If this occurs Rochdale Hornets will have only played 8 home matches in the season. How the hell are you expected to survive on 8 home games. This is a perfect example that the Rugby Football League could not care less about the clubs in League One. The sooner we all disappear the happier they will be. The only solution as i see it would be two divisions of 17 teams. The result of this is that some clubs would not survive but at least would die trying. 

[Big Doug]

Yet another game today with no touch judges. Rochdale Mayfield 3rd v Wath Brow 4th in the league. It is a terrible advert for Rugby League and the Premier Division. While it was eventually a comfortable win for Mayfield the match referee made two of the worst mistakes that I have seen for many a year. Both of which would have resulted in a correct decision with two Touch Judges. 

[Impartial Observer]

That will help the shortage of officials, coming on to a forum and slagging one off, did you not learn anything from what happened to Marcus Griffiths last week? Also how do you know with TJ's the decisions would have been any different?

[Big Doug]

When everyone on the ground saw a conversion go through the middle of the posts and the ref says no conversion you begin to wonder.

[Gillmeister80]

3 hours ago, Big Doug said:

When everyone on the ground saw a conversion go through the middle of the posts and the ref says no conversion you begin to wonder.

Ideally we would have touch judges, but surely the second best thing is club touch judges one person from each team and that would have gotten the right outcome on the goal