Oldham Super League bid

[Blind side johnny]

10 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

It doesn't, they would lose points for 'catchment' by playing in Calderdale:

Kirklees, pop 433450, 3 clubs so 433450/3 = 144483 and 1pt

Calderdale, pop 210900, 2 clubs so 210900/2 = 105450 and 0.5pt (Halifax would also lose this but if Ken brings the Shay up to IMG standard they'd gain 1pt for Facilities so a net gain of 0.5 for them).

I hadn't realised that Calderdale was so small.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

30 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

I hadn't realised that Calderdale was so small.

I wonder if Ken knows too? It'd be a brave move for Huddersfield to throw away half a point in the hope they'd gain at least that back in the other pillars, or maybe the threat to move is just an exercise to try and persuade Kirklees Council to give him what he wants?

Edited October 19 by Les Tonks Sidestep

[jroyales]

Where did we get points on the IMG?

[shrewsbury roughyed]

41 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

I wonder if Ken knows too? It'd be a brave move for Huddersfield to throw away half a point in the hope they'd gain at least that back in the other pillars, or maybe the threat to move is just an exercise to try and persuade Kirklees Council to give him what he wants?

How have their crowds been affected by changing grounds? Anyone know or are they non-publishers, too?

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

45 minutes ago, shrewsbury roughyed said:

How have their crowds been affected by changing grounds? Anyone know or are they non-publishers, too?

They haven't actually moved and I'm not really sure they will...to Halifax at least.

[shrewsbury roughyed]

1 hour ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

They haven't actually moved and I'm not really sure they will...to Halifax at least.

Oh ok. Thanks. 

[Blind side johnny]

7 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

I wonder if Ken knows too? It'd be a brave move for Huddersfield to throw away half a point in the hope they'd gain at least that back in the other pillars, or maybe the threat to move is just an exercise to try and persuade Kirklees Council to give him what he wants?

I don't think that Kirklees are too bothered to be honest. The old gas works site that he is after has been earmarked for much grander things.

[sheddingswasus]

At the legends dinner in Friday MF told the audience Oldham got to the last round of three, such is the measure of progress the club has made!

[Blind side johnny]

18 hours ago, sheddingswasus said:

At the legends dinner in Friday MF told the audience Oldham got to the last round of three, such is the measure of progress the club has made!

Now, what was it Mandy Rice Davies said?

[Rooney's Ears]

New RFL Championship league in chaos with fixture uncertainty

One working theory is that clubs will play their extra games based on who they finished around in the league the previous season. As an example, that would mean a team like Oldham would play the other sides that finished at the top of the Championship this year while Newcastle, who were bottom of League 1, would have loop fixtures against clubs such as Keighley.

[Blind side johnny]

25 minutes ago, Rooney's Ears said:

New RFL Championship league in chaos with fixture uncertainty

One working theory is that clubs will play their extra games based on who they finished around in the league the previous season. As an example, that would mean a team like Oldham would play the other sides that finished at the top of the Championship this year while Newcastle, who were bottom of League 1, would have loop fixtures against clubs such as Keighley.

Muck-stirring. These journalists are desperate at the moment and will release anything to get clicks.

[jroyales]

Reading what information there is about Bradford getting into SL, it appears their commercial team looked very carefully at what was required and met it. I'd have hoped our commercial team found time to do the same - or didn't they?

[sheddingswasus]

2 hours ago, jroyales said:

Reading what information there is about Bradford getting into SL, it appears their commercial team looked very carefully at what was required and met it. I'd have hoped our commercial team found time to do the same - or didn't they?

Oldhams biggest problem with IMG is that two of the three years we are audited on are with us in L1. Three years are the top end of the championship will certainly help. 

[Oldham Valderama]

2 hours ago, jroyales said:

Reading what information there is about Bradford getting into SL, it appears their commercial team looked very carefully at what was required and met it. I'd have hoped our commercial team found time to do the same - or didn't they?

I'm pretty sure all involved in Oldham's bid for inclusion in Super League 2026 put forward the best possible case they could make. It however has been stated on more than one occasion on this forum that Oldham would always be hampered by the fact as its based over a three year period and for two of those Oldham were in League One (the bottom tier) and for year one especially played at Whitebank and did not have a "pot to <<oops I tried to get around the swear filter and failed>> in" it would always bring our rating score down massively irrespective of how different the club is nowadays.  

Bradford are a well established championship club who already had a half decent score and yes played the IMG ratings system to their advantage so fair play to them, Yes their inclusion in Super League next season is a joke based on a lot of factors with the state of Odsal being the most glaring. Oldham were always going to be playing catch up but to now suggest we put in some "half arsed" effort to get in seems a bit unfair to all those involved with Oldham.

Have some faith in those in charge, they may not get everything right and on occasions I have disagreed with the current regime on certain issues but compare where we are now to a few season's ago. The difference is off the scale and the future looks bright for the club and the whole rugby community in Oldham. 

[Anita Bath]

Just happens that the teams IMG and the closed door committee determined should be included in SL were the top three teams in the championship.  Glad we paid for consultants to tell us what the league tables already said.

Of course the league table is objective and the outcomes determined out on the field. . .as it should be, and avoids all the arguments about video boards, tv gantrys, crafty ways of getting social media hits etc.

Now the brains trust have moved on to the test series….some games will have golden point and others wont. Even the dumbest of prop forwards wouldnt have come up with that.

Luke 23:34.

[Tim G]

Is it true the RL has a new moto  of "We are not in Kansas anymore" ? 

[sheddingswasus]

They just seem to make things up on the hoof! Tony Sutton said they haven’t got a fixture formula as they didn’t know which clubs would be promoted. Every possibility should have been mapped and as soon as the three got promoted then the fixture formula should have been announced. 

Edited October 21 by sheddingswasus

[Blind side johnny]

3 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

Just happens that the teams IMG and the closed door committee determined should be included in SL were the top three teams in the championship.  Glad we paid for consultants to tell us what the league tables already said.

Of course the league table is objective and the outcomes determined out on the field. . .as it should be, and avoids all the arguments about video boards, tv gantrys, crafty ways of getting social media hits etc.

Now the brains trust have moved on to the test series….some games will have golden point and others wont. Even the dumbest of prop forwards wouldnt have come up with that.

Luke 23:34.

The International Board determine the regulations that test matches are played under.

HTH

[Anita Bath]

2 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

The International Board determine the regulations that test matches are played under.

HTH

And the RFL has membership on that board.

[Blind side johnny]

1 hour ago, Anita Bath said:

And the RFL has membership on that board.

It has representatives but doesn't have any sort of monopoly in decision making. I believe that your original premise is incorrect.

[Bedford Roughyed]

On 21/10/2025 at 07:09, Anita Bath said:

Glad we paid for consultants to tell us what the league tables already said.

Ah but the tables wouldn't have got 3rd place Bradford full money, and the teams placed 1st and 2nd half money....