Why are you in Kiev ?

I would like to say that I am "seedin' the Steeden'" for the RLEF, trying to break rugby league out of the narrow horizons of the M-62. If someone would fund me for that I would gladly do it, because Ukraine could be a perfect place to develop the game -- notwithstanding the war in the southeastern region, which does not stop normal life routines in the rest of the country (e.g. the Eurovision song contest is being held in Kiev now).

However I am on a brief work assignment unrelated to rugby league.

Do you have any thoughts on Gregory "I'm just going off to throw up" Bird ?
Besides being the grubbiest player I've seen this season, he was also the most over rated NRL star to be seen in SL for many, many seasons.

You are a bit harsh on Gregory, who has been out for more than a month with injury, and lacking match fitness recently. He is a very aggressive loose forward who plays above his weight, and inspires his team mates with his capacity to sustain and inflict punishment in tackles.

However Gregory plays for Catalans Dragons, not Toulouse Olympique. The latter have a very different kind of team, which is based on speed and agility rather than strength and intimidation.

It would seem they have their work cut out against sweaty Swinton in today's classic.

Great win for Swinton

Indeed

How sensational must sizzling Swinton have been , to trounce terrific Toulouse ?
Whereas hopeful Hull KR had to make do with a jaunty Joe Rootesque cricket score at bulldozing Batley.

I am not familiar with the cricketer of whom you speak. However even his better-known namesake Joseph could not fail to be impressed by sizzling Swinton's gallant efforts.

That makes Bradfords bid to avoid relegation a whole lot harder. They are now 8 points behind the safety of 3rd bottom.

Please accept the sincerest of apologies from my good self and rest assured I consider myself suitably corrected.

Oh yes....

Narrow win by swindling Swinton. Terrific Toulouse were forced to play without ace stand off play maker Johnathan Ford. Still the score was four tries apiece. The difference was that Toulouse full back Mark Kheirallah performed without his usual accuracy in goal kicking.

Terrific Toulose narrowly lost this game despite being without 15 first team players.listening on the radio from my penthouse suite in the Ukraine I was encouraged for the season ahead

Today was only Swinton's 3rd win in the league this season......oh dear Chorley Jean ! Does Jonathan Ford have any 'middle names' ? Maybe you could add them in your silly (pretending to be French) posts !!

Missing one player , can't beat part timers.

Yep , that's Toulouse.

They are only above 5th place Halifax on points diff now, they could easily miss out on the 8's altogether.

Terrific Toulouse sit in 3rd place. Last time they played swindling Swinton they won 36-28. I expect when terrific Toulouse is at full strength they will amble into the Middle Eights.

This is the same swindling Swinton team that back in April knocked hopeless Huddersfield out of the Challenge Cup 28-24, on Huddersfield's home soil, winning with five tries to four. The swindlers couldn't eke out a fifth try today, and had to be satisfied with an equal number of tries to the terrific Toulousains.

I would think that, if at full strength, terrific Toulouse has an excellent chance of doing wonders in the middle 8s.

Let's hope that the other 7 in the middle 8's are at full strength as well, then we can have no excuses from anyone.

Ditto for Fev, London and Fax for the remainder of the regular season - we wouldn't want anyone saying "if only" they'd had a full strength team then Toulouse would have been squeezed out into 5th. Toulouse have to make the middle 8's before they can do wonders there.

See you in Blackpool.

Briiliant from Swinton, Duffy got the tactics spot on again. His team were unlucky in Toulouse and could well have won that one too with a bit more good fortune.

does any team have a full strength team nowadays?!

Widnes?

Great point, very very rarely I'd imagine. The game is that fast and tough that picking up injuries is almost certain meaning the chances of having your ideal 17 available at any one point are very minimal. Same issue across all RL, pro, semi-pro and amateur.

the team with the least amount of injuries tends to do the best with this salary cap in place.