Whoa, there. There is way too much sense in that post-it seems you understand the game.

Don't you mean to blame players for throwing in the towel when it goes wrong? Or referees for seeming to favour one side?

In seriousness, your post hits the nail on the head-we have an issue with 'certainty of outcome' in the sport, and upsets are harder to come by (in football, bag a dull draw with Utd, and your got a 'good result). It means we need to work harder to have a better spread of talent, and allow this years struggling clubs to be better next year.

We need to realise the salary cap doesn't do this and I'm starting to bang drum for a draft system.

It did not help them much in recent seasons coming fifth in the League.

What does coming fifth in the league have to do with anything?

It's like coming fifth in Formula One Qualifying. Nobody gives a if you win the race.

I did not realise I was replying to you Tony.
My post was in regard to Harrigans post that Leeds play for the full 80 minutes and play to the end whistle.
That fitness and dedication did not result in a high position in the League did it?

The fact eight teams make the play off's in a League that is not that competitive past the first six teams says more about the set up than Leeds ability to cruise through a season playing the "full eighty minutes" and win from fifth.

The draft only works because the young players are developed by independent colleges until their early 20s- they don't have an axe to grind as to where players go to.

In RL junior clubs develop players until they are fifteen then the clubs take over - so what is the incentive for clubs to spend 5 years developing players for them to drafted to other clubs?

It is plane bonkers - it will not work - the only way to level the playing field is to increase the participation of junior players therefore giving a bigger talent pool.

Tbf, the Wigan game was a foregone conclusion and it will take time for Salford to settle, even when they have all of their new squad together.
However, Hull fans will be really disappointed with being well beaten by Leeds. So much expectation and comfortably beaten.
It is only round 1 though.

The 2 attendances last night were at opposite ends of the scale.
Just over 15,000 at Leeds but, only just over 5000 at Salford and this was against one of their best supported "local" rivals.
Is this because of lack of ST sales prior to the start of the season or apathy towards the game ?

I haven't seen the attendance figure for Salford last night, but if it [iwas[/i around 5000, then that would mean the stadium was more than half empty. It certainly didn't seem that way.

Time to introduce bonus points to give teams an incentive to avoid blow out scores.

Seems to work in RU.

Heineken cup games have been pretty boring until some teams realised they needed to score extra tries or they would be eliminated.

For 60 minutes, Leeds-Hull was properly competitive.

It blew out because Leeds started to dominate possession in the last quarter and got more clinical at finishing off the opportunities they created.

Salford-Wigan was always going to be a mismatch. You get those in the NRL too, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

............just like Wigan fans hadn't noticed until last month that the greatest second-rower in the game was, in fact, an unprincipled scumbag.

They can still play for 80 and lose. When they up their game though and play for 80 they are tough to beat. The point I was making was Leeds rarely capitulate. They are the fittest team in the league and last year scored more points than any other team in the last 20 by a considerable amount. That's why they win the majority of the big games.

Was there any penalties for incorrect play the ball in the Salford - Wigan match?

There was plenty of opportunities for it in the Leeds - Hull game but nothing given.

Ganson was too busy finding ways to penalise Ryan Bailey for things that everyone else was getting away with.

Are you meaning the real NRL or the mythical one. In the real one each season starts with only a small number of clubs able to win it. Scorelines like tonights are as usual as in SL - in fact upset results happen more often in SL.

2008 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40–0 Melbourne Storm
2009 Melbourne Storm *stripped 23–16 Parramatta Eels
2010 St George-Illawarra Dragons 32–8 Sydney Roosters
2011 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 24–10 New Zealand Warriors
2012 Melbourne Storm 14–4 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

See a pattern above - in 5 years only 3 teams have won the title 2 twice. Opposition beaten relatively easily in all games (2008 points stripped). Now granted it's more varied team wise than SL but then it's been going longer so they get it more than we do. But "unpredictability" no way, those results were easily predicted.

So far we have only seen Leeds, Bradford, Wigan, Saints in the final with guest appearances from Hull and Warrington. Not as good as we wanted but better than the football Premiership and that seems to enthral the entire planet.

Stop moaning and just enjoy your RL and the fact your team does well ffs, people like you are never happy.

Fair enough.

Nate Myles is an unprincipled scumbag?

Know something we don't?

Thought Ganson did a good job to cut out Bailey's usual niggling.

It's cos he's black.

No, really.

After 2 games its same old? Round 1 consists of 7 games. This season will throw some big suprises and NO game is predictable.

Ganson pinged bailey because to some people it will make him a hero and he likes the limelight.

The second penalty given against bailey, where he and Sinfield were warned, not only had very very very little in it, but when described by Ganson, was described as not only something that didnt happen, but something that physically couldnt have happened.

Ganson said that Bailey, after putting his head in (which he did, but was a little rub that happens pretty much every tackle in pretty much every game) he dropped his forearm across the Hull players face, which was an interesting view considering Bailey had his entire arm behind the Hull players head.

Thankfully, unlike others, Bailey didnt let a referees incorrect decision get under his skin, didnt become a victim, and put his head down, ran it hard, tackled hard, and had a pretty good game.

Winning coasting margins of 30 and 42 points so far.

It is to be hoped there's a significant competitive improvement in the rest of the fixtures this round.

Why do you assume you would draft players at 20-ish, like in the US? Obviously you would draft before they go to a SL club's junior squads.

Increasing the number of junior players wouldn't level things up-the best would still gravitate to the top clubs. As long as the top clubs attract the best juniors and biggest fan base they will stay at the top, regardless of the cap.

For me, there's too much inertia in league placings. We need to look at how to solve the causes of this. A draft might be one option.

So what about the players that came into their own after the age of 15?
Are they cast aside because they missed the draft that possibly happened before they'd ever played a game?

Good point well made. I for one thought Hull would win.

Jeez how blinkered can you get - TRY AND UNDERSTAND - he did Bailey more than any other player because Bailey was the one doing it as he always is!!!!

Oh and because he is Black, comes from Leeds and has a northern accent