Speaking of Newcastle and relegation- what the hell has happened to Leeds?

[url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10754847The World Cup is a facade. NZ rugby is in trouble. A view from New Zealand.[/url


Second bottom of Division 2 with one win from four. I said last year that if they went down this time they wouldn't be back for a goodly while and it's certainly looking that way at the moment. Crowds have dropped off and they're struggling to get over 2,500. I don't know if it's true, but someone told me the crowd for the cup game against Yorkshire rivals Rotherham was three-figures.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15103635.stmDisgraceful behaviour[/url

I had several sessions with Chris Rattue on the 96 GB tour & played against him in a press match (I was a guest). He was one wild child.

I went to college with Stridgeon and while he's a good lad I'm not that surprised he did something like this. You break the rules in the world cup and the governing body take no action? Surely Wilkinson knew what was going on.

To suggest any such thing is treason.

Basically, lost any good players they had left at the club when they got relegated and Caddick is refusing to continue bankrolling signings and salaries.

They need to consolidate in the second tier for a couple of seasons and concentrate on developing young players who don't just see the club as a stepping stone to bigger and better things - yes, I'm talking to you Messrs Care, Crane and Clark...

That's it. Leeds haven't recruited particularly well and have lost a lot of players to bigger teams. They got beat 52-10 at the weekend. They have a couple of Sale players at the moment who are dual registered. Iain Thornley seems to have gotten some game time but I'm not sure about Will Cliff. Cliff is a great scrum half and will be a good player at that level.

Catalancs - I think I'd like to take you up on your Newcastle getting relegated bet. I think they'll finish bottom but they won't get relegated. Seeing as only Leeds and Bristol will probably be able to get promoted on ground rules and neither of them winning the play-offs for me, I can't see anybody going up this season.

Cracking start for Sale. 3 wins from the first 4. We've got 11 players missing to The World Cup and if we can win now then we should be looking for mid table at the least when the big names return.

This guy is a fruit loop.
Both on SKY Sports (Pay TV)....
RWC 2011 Live: 221,380 (7:30pm - 9:20pm) Italy vs USA
NRL Live: 200,150 (9.55-11.35) Warriors v Storm

Yes, League is getting itself in better shape, but the crowds at Mt Smart a pretty static if you don't count the Eden Park opener.
Yes, the club are on the money with the way they are growing things, but League will get buried this weekend by the TV ratings for the RWC.

I can’t find it in the on-line version but an article quoting Shontayne Hape in the Standard tonight made me smile

“We have a big game this weekend but the New Zealand Warriors have a bigger game”. Seeing as though a 7 point loss without a bonus point would see England exit the world cup, I’m sure the England staff see it as a bigger game!

I bet on them to finish bottom



The world cup has horribly distorted division 1. Do you really think Leicester and Northampton will finish in the bottom four?

I heard you've signed Onosa'i Auva'a from Auckland Blues. I'm not sure why unless you're really short at flanker (I'm sure he's a flanker). He's never got anywhere an All Black shirt and I'm struggling to see why you've gone for him. Is there really that little talent over here?

Nice one,he is correct though isn't he.



I didn't realise that England could go out at this early stage in the union WC,now it would be a shame if this was to happen.

I'm really trying to enjoy Eng v Scot but god its hard work, and some of the carp from the comentators is embarasing. The basic skills are so poor! and Im not a union hater.

a difficult performance to have to sit through if you're an England fan - why are we persisting with the 'old guard' ?

Jonny is a hero but c'mon,we can't live in the past !

if Hartley and Flood are fit they have to start surely ? no time for sentiments MJ !

as for the likes of his royal slaphead and Easter - are we that desperate ?

Let the Emperor's New Clothes continue.

Indeed.
As soon as we are forced to make changes and get the right personnel on the pitch we look better.
He does rather sit on his hands like Sven did does Johnson, when it's clearly going tits-up. That's a worry.

I guess what frustrates me the most is that listening to the build up, the commentators and the after match reaction in the media, those who don’t know anything about rugby (of either code) will be mislead into thinking that is as good as rugby gets

I thought the commentary contained a huge amount of brown one polishing, shamelessly so. Even so there is an increasingly desperate air about it these days and when it has been as consistently poor and dull as the garbage that has been served up so far then the yawnion apologists have gone to the last resort of inferring that it is some sort of duty to sit through to the end as it surely can't continue in the same vein, rather like going to a bad movie or watching the X factor.

I have only watched 4 games and the highlight programmes but i reckon i have seen more rugby and excitement in the two SL semis than the whole RUWC.

This seems to be pretty much what was being said all over twitter this morning.

even with my limited knowledge of the england rugby team its obvious flood must play instead of wilko. with wilko we always go back to our forwards, perhaps playing to our traditional strengths which aren't as great as they once were. flood at least has a bit of peripheral vision and with pace out wide we need to feed our try scorers at least a few times in a game. also i think cueto can feel hard done to, though armitage is decent and has took his chance well

at least france have been playing worse than england - so far

agreed, though i'm prepared to give the tournament a chance when it comes to the knockout rugby stages with big team against big team, there weren't that many great games in the last league world cup group stages

Sale Sharks scored 41 points away from home and still lost! London Irish posted 30 and Leicester 25 but left with nothing. Saracens stuck 50 on Leicester last weekend while there were 75 points in the game between London Irish and Newcastle. I know you've criticised rugby league for it's high scores and porous defences Shark J, so I was wondering what you've made of the union world cup and some of the first division games this season.

[url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby/11/10/02/WORLDCUP_England.html&BID=504England manager Martin Johnson has admitted he has "reprimanded" three players for their conduct following complaints from a female hotel worker.[/url
'The England boss insisted any misleading information Tindall gave as to his whereabouts that night was "not a cover-up" but a simple mistake.'

Apparently it took 59 mins for Chris Ashton to get his first touch of the ball yesterday

The fairy tale continues. www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/ja ... boon-rugby

The fairy tale continues. www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/ja ... boon-rugby