Rugby League

mickee321 · January 4, 2017, 2:54pm

Sidney:

Bradford Bulls sold their soul when they changed their name from Bradford Northern.

Rugby League sold its soul too.

Gone are the little traditions that made the game great.

Gone is the traditional Wigan-St. Helen’s Boxing Day derby.

Gone is the Challenge Cup final at Wembley (also called “Wigan South”) on the last Saturday in April.

Gone is the Regal Trophy final which, along with the FA Cup third round and the final of Embassy World Professional Darts Championship, made the first (or second, as it sometimes was) Saturday of the year the sporting highlight of the year.

Gone are the biennial Ashes tours.

Gone is the almost weekly live Saturday match on Grandstand.

Gone is the commentary of Ray Ffrench.

Gone are cathedrals of the game like Central Park and Knowsley Road.

Gone is the great Wigan team of Ellery Hanley, Martin Offiah, Frano Botica, Shaun Edwards, Joe Lydon, Denis Betts, Kevin and Tony Iro.

Gone is the annual poaching of the Welsh rugby union team’s brightest young prospects.

Gone, gone, gone, all of it.

are Wakefield Trinity , Whitehaven and Hull Kingston Rovers also gone @Sidney?
Do Great Britain still play against Australia?

Tim_Riggins · January 4, 2017, 3:32pm

All still exist. Whitehaven are not worth talking about really though as semi pro but Wakey have been decent and HKR were superior to Hull there for a good while but are back down the leagues now. Some good derbies on Good Friday in Hull for a few seasons there. Stevo on Sky was loving the derby.

Great Britain as a team hasn’t played in a decade at this stage. They decided to play as individual nations to try and grow the game a bit, it hasn’t gone very well really. England still lose regularly to Australia but the Australian players these days don’t give a shit about internationals and take breaks every few years now on Tests. It’s all about Origiiiiiin.

It’s partly why loig is so fucked in England. They don’t have any events that earn them big coin and the better/ambitious players now flee to the NRL or union.

gilgamboa · January 4, 2017, 3:47pm

NRL is watchable. Superleague is rubbish

flattythehurdler · January 4, 2017, 3:51pm

Not true. Some super league is fantastic.

gilgamboa · January 4, 2017, 3:52pm

I dont think I ever enjoyed a game of it tbh…haven’t watched in few seasons mind you

flattythehurdler · January 4, 2017, 3:54pm

Saints v Wigan is more often a great game than not.

Tim_Riggins · January 4, 2017, 3:56pm

Yes Super League has been better for a good while, albeit with the quality of player not as high.

The NRL turned into a wrestling competition for a few years with robotic structures. Sonny Bill Williams commented on his return to the NRL about it.

Mullach_Ide · January 4, 2017, 4:53pm

mickee321:

Sidney:

Bradford Bulls sold their soul when they changed their name from Bradford Northern.

Rugby League sold its soul too.

Gone are the little traditions that made the game great.

Gone is the traditional Wigan-St. Helen’s Boxing Day derby.

Gone is the Challenge Cup final at Wembley (also called “Wigan South”) on the last Saturday in April.

Gone is the Regal Trophy final which, along with the FA Cup third round and the final of Embassy World Professional Darts Championship, made the first (or second, as it sometimes was) Saturday of the year the sporting highlight of the year.

Gone are the biennial Ashes tours.

Gone is the almost weekly live Saturday match on Grandstand.

Gone is the commentary of Ray Ffrench.

Gone are cathedrals of the game like Central Park and Knowsley Road.

Gone is the great Wigan team of Ellery Hanley, Martin Offiah, Frano Botica, Shaun Edwards, Joe Lydon, Denis Betts, Kevin and Tony Iro.

Gone is the annual poaching of the Welsh rugby union team’s brightest young prospects.

Gone, gone, gone, all of it.

are Wakefield Trinity , Whitehaven and Hull Kingston Rovers also gone @Sidney?
Do Great Britain still play against Australia?

Hull KR contested the Challenge Cup Final in 2015, granted Leeds absolutely hammered them, they were relegated from Super League this season. Wakefield qualified for the Super 8s last season and are decent. Whitehaven are a 2nd tier team and always have been.

I lived in Wigan in the early 90’s and was a regular visitor to Central Park, meat and potatoe pies and pints during the match, down to Billy Bostons for more pints after.
Wigan had a serious team including the likes of Andy Farrell, Jason Robinson, Gary Connolly, Shaun Edwards, Denis Betts, Tuigimala, etc.

Sunday morning spent down Newtown Labour Club doing the RL Coupon trying to predict the spread on Rochdale Hornets v Hunslet or Dewsbury v Rydale York, halcyon days indeed.

GeoffreyBoycott · October 7, 2017, 6:37pm

Leeds outclassing Castleford in the Rugby League Grand Final.

Fagan_ODowd · October 7, 2017, 6:41pm

I was down in the Strand earlier and it was on in the background. Amazing crowd at it.

GeoffreyBoycott · October 7, 2017, 6:49pm

Rugby league is as big as association football along the M62 Corridor.

Chucks_Nwoko · February 17, 2019, 9:23pm

My beloved chooks are world champions.

There won’t be a cow milked in Bronte or Tamarama this morning.

mickee321 · February 17, 2019, 9:56pm

Sidney:

Bradford Bulls sold their soul when they changed their name from Bradford Northern.

Rugby League sold its soul too.

Gone are the little traditions that made the game great.

Gone is the traditional Wigan-St. Helen’s Boxing Day derby.

Gone is the Challenge Cup final at Wembley (also called “Wigan South”) on the last Saturday in April.

Gone is the Regal Trophy final which, along with the FA Cup third round and the final of Embassy World Professional Darts Championship, made the first (or second, as it sometimes was) Saturday of the year the sporting highlight of the year.

Gone are the biennial Ashes tours.

Gone is the almost weekly live Saturday match on Grandstand.

Gone is the commentary of Ray Ffrench.

Gone are cathedrals of the game like Central Park and Knowsley Road.

Gone is the great Wigan team of Ellery Hanley, Martin Offiah, Frano Botica, Shaun Edwards, Joe Lydon, Denis Betts, Kevin and Tony Iro.

Gone is the annual poaching of the Welsh rugby union team’s brightest young prospects.

Gone, gone, gone, all of it.

this - well done pal
ive read it a few times now

Sidney · February 17, 2019, 10:42pm

I still weep inside over the fate of Central Park.

What a ground.

Castleford better never leave Wheldon Road.

Raylan · May 22, 2019, 8:00am

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12040/11725781/jansin-turgut-on-life-support-in-ibiza-after-10-hour-operation

maroonandwhite · February 22, 2020, 7:16pm

Easts members sign in

In.

Watchyourtoes · March 22, 2021, 6:52pm

Little_Lord_Fauntleroy · March 22, 2021, 8:56pm

A bad day for the NFL

Raylan · March 22, 2021, 10:45pm

@Horsebox called you out years ago

Chucks_Nwoko · February 14, 2022, 5:54am

Hayne Plane will be out for the end of the French rugby season.