I take it you missed the tweets from Widnes players about it ? Scott Moore complaining he was "cut to ribbons" and Stefan Marsh saying "iPitch ? iShyte more like" for example ?

The RFL have made a massive mistake sanctioning the use of such a surface and as usual have given themselves no room to manoeuvre. What are they going to do when the next couple of games result in the same problems ? The rest of the season at Widnes will be played out with both teams resembling American footballers due to the amount of padding required to be able to play the game without a heightened risk of injury.

Ironic that one or two posters have highlighted the ipitch as a cheaper alternative to maintaining a good quality grass pitch when 2 of the best grass pitches consistently seen in Superleague are at Cas and Wakey - 2 teams seen by most as being financially challenged.

Coincidentally the other teams that only play rugby league on their pitch seem to have a pretty good surface with plenty of grass on such that grazing during the summer when the grounds are hard doesn't become a problem.

And by all this American football padding, you mean just an under armor long sleeve top and a bit of Vaseline, which in temperatures at this time of the year, you'll find players using anyway. It's hardly like they're playing on concrete.

I wonder on what basis the RFL has sanctioned it, do we have any experience of playing rugby league on this type of surface, or is this a prototype situation to see if there is any advantage over conventional pitches.
Probably the main concern will be from the Widnes players if the cuts and graizes don,t heal in time for there next home game which might open up all sorts of infections.
In muddy conditions on a conventional pitch you can slide in over the try line, on the Widnes pitch you could end up with a total skin peel.

Can't the players just cover their legs and arms in future? Or am i missing something? Some kind of fitted Lycra? I thought the pitch looked and played great. Feel very very sorry for Mathers though, that grazed knee must be debilitating.

It is a bit like crying over spilt milk tbh. If they were all moaning about damaged / sprained joints then I'd be concerned not a bloody grazed knee!

As seen elsewhere if the games were the other way around and Salford pics came through first I doubt anyone would have been kicking up much fuss about it.

didn't England Academy play AIS on the 3g pitch outside the LSV?

Just got back from the Stobart and NW Crusaders 62-0 win against Halifax Under 23s.

After all the hoohaa after Friday's game about the pitch we expected to see plenty of claret. However, really impressed with the pitch, for one thing allowing the game to be played today at short notice and giving up some cracking tries. Like watching summer rugby! Surprised too that after Friday the players weren't extra protected except for a big dollop of Vaseline. A few grazed knees but worth the run out with another confidence boosting performance from the new Cru.

Some players were wearing base layer tops yesterday.



But was any complaints made about Nick Fozzard with his arm bandaged?

Only if you completely misunderstand the meaning of the expression 'no use crying over spilt milk.'

In the end, it's the Widnes players who will suffer the most and we've already witnessed them making public complaints then quickly retracting them, no doubt after a massive bollocking from Mr O'Connor.

For me, if the plastic pitch continues to cause these types of abrasion injuries in the warmer weather, then it has no future as a playing surface; it will go back to being a training surface and we'll play on grass again, like we have for the past 100 years or so. In that circumstance, I'm sure that the groundsmen from WTW and Cas could offer some advice to those clubs less able to maintain a decent pitch, to ensure that everyone is up to our already high standards.

Which is what I posted earlier, it is Widnes who will potentially suffer the most

Given the RFL's approach to 'news,' I expect they'll do a press release next week suggesting that Widnes players have got the smoothest and most effectively exfoliated skin in SL, demonstrating that the i-pitch is a complete success.

Both those matches were played at the LSV stadium, undersoil heating

You seriously think clubs will knock down modern cantilever roofs and replace them with ' tin shacks ' , or even get rid of roofs completely to improve their pitches ?

This isn't about being able to maintain a decent pitch. The Widnes groundsmen won awards over the years and our grass always looked in good shape.

The Widnes ipitch has had 3 games and a training session on it in 3 days. It doesn't matter how good your groundsmen are, a grass pitch could not withstand that. The ipitch provides a regular income that could prove to be a life saver for many clubs, and help keep them solvent.

There are certainly question marks over it, but I think it is worth giving it a season or so to prove itself before dismissing it of of hand. [i'We've played on grass for 100 years'[/i isn't really an argument, is it?

Starbug, how on earth can you feck up the quote box so often? You've been doing this for years now. What on Earth are you doing?

Posting on my android tablet,

My ar5e.

When you click the quote button leave the contents of the quote alone. Just leave it and start typing below it. Stop fannying around with the brackets and the stuff inside the brackets.

Like this?

All I was doing was leaving the relevant bit in the quote, posting on this thing means you cant ' highlight ' parts you are answering

Maybe so, however they have been training on it for weeks and had 2 (less intense obviously) hit outs against the 20's on it without complaints. Few players in discussions with others said it was the worst it's felt and that Cullen had told Paul Johnson (retired one) that it wasn't all that far off frozen. Though for some reason conditions still not being taken into account by some even though the game the next day proved grass could be much worse effected.



You seem to be missing the main idea of the pitch? Training, extra revenue from other games / etc. I get the feeling your club is one of many keeping a close eye on it as should you get a 'community stadium' that you maybe after a multi use surface would be absolutely ideal.

I think if we are being 100% honest if it turned out the only issues were that at -5 and lower temperatures a few players got knee grazes i'd say the pitch would be a roaring success.

Whether that will be the case when conditions change, we shall see.

No, I'm not missing that at all; but if it proves to be unfit for purpose, then any plans to that effect shouldn't come to fruition.



We shall.

How the criticism of the pitch has continued beyond the picture of Matty Ashurt's knees is unbelievable. Two games played in very similar weather conditions.
Hopefully more will become clear following the home game against Salford in two weeks time which should be played in better conditions. As has been said, this is a season long experiment.

Couldn't help but laugh out loud at the poster that claimed rock hard pitches only happen in the snow though. Terrific that.

Woolston Rovers went to Leigh East on saturday after the referee declared the 3G pitch there playable for the game. Fortunately I was still out injured so didn't have to endure the pain that others suffered



Speaking to one of their coaches they said the fact that there was snow on it that it wouldn't be too bad as the surface would be more moist when hitting the deck, they said it's worse in the summer when its hard and isn't very moist.

All in all though made for a very competitive game of rugby at -4 degrees temperatures and it finished 20-20, most of the players with shredded knees and complaints on Facebook the next day...

Pitch...

Why people are comparing the Widnes and Salford pitches I don't know. One was played on an ipitch, the other was played on a grass pitch covered in snow. There is no reason for a comparison.

On one surface you're rubbing against an artificial surface, on the other you're rubbing against frozen ice particles.

The damage the ipitch caused was clear for all to see on Friday. Almost every player had blood streaming from their knees and elbows - that is not normal, and whatever Widnes fans might say that was the first time I've seen so many injuries of that nature, as a player or spectator. According to the manufacturer the rubber crumb infill of the ipitch can freeze to some degree but they also talk about easy 'frost management' down to temps of -4, so it's hard to argue that the temperature was really a factor.

Playing on snow is something else entirely, even though the injuries may appear similar.

As for the suggestions players can just wear long clothing, don't be ridiculous. Firstly, the situation shouldn't even arise where they have to. Secondly, I can't imagine that would be such a good idea in scorching summer temperatures. Ipitch burns or dehydration/hyperthermia? Your choice.

Finally, several players themselves have vociferously blamed the ipitch - even Widnes players until their comments mysteriously vanished. They are the ones to experience it in a full-blooded SL game and RL players are not a soft bunch prone to complaining (well, perhaps Mathers is an exception).

I understand the commercial benefits of the ipitch, but still don't think it was a good idea. Let's see what a game in more temperate conditions brings.