Just reading through this board the VT and the Cas board and it makes poor reading, how far are we all away from the game that brings us all together RUGBY LEAGUE.

Its a sad state of affairs that all we do is either snipe at others or defend our own clubs and sometimes we are all guillty of getting dragged down a level.


TBH its a poor reflection of todays game.

And a poor reflection on one side of franchising that the RFL and RL media seem to ignore

I'm sure there would have been a supporter in Wakefield saying something very similar in the summer of 1895.

Politics have always been part of our sport and others. Won't be long though till we're all cheering the lads on in our new stadium. We just need to keep focussed and not get drawn.

To be honest after reading some of the pompous crap posted about Wakefield Trinity on the VT in the last 12 months
it does make you realise that for every decent RL fan, there are about 3 idiots!

I don't believe there is such a thing as a RL family, some of the posts/perceptions are amazingly disgusting.

I think I may have to give the VT a bit of a berth, as its getting worse.

To be honest I think when it really counts we generally stand head and shoulders over most other sports when we really need to pull together.

These boards are also not a true reflection of fans, they are generally those with more extreme views who enjoy the debate which often leads to the sniping and back biting.

When the chips really are down our sport in my opinion shines.

The chips are down for Wakey now. We need this development to be passed.

I disagree; our sport is full of bigoted, one-eyed, club-centric morons who can't/won't see past their own back yard, many of whom don't have a bloody clue that RL existed before SL.

It's very sad.

It's the law of the internet. People express views more strongly. Face to face, I'm sure we'd all have a pint and a chat and respect each others' views.

I think you'll find they're called Leeds Rhinos fans.

Indeed. It's a myth. RL fans are like any other sports fans - members of the general public first and foremost. And you know what that means

Even Dally's? Smokey's?

........ JONH'S

I totally agree with you. After almost 50 years of watching the game of Rugby League from being a small boy I have decided to call it a day. The game is divided and it isn't even called Rugby League anymore , it is Super League and stuff the Championship clubs. Most of those will be out of business in 5 years. I wish some amateur teams would start playing real Rugby League again, contested scrums, real stand offs and scrum halves playing in their correct positions and not having a loose forward at stand off or feeding the scrums into the loose forwards toes. It is a dying game as we see more top players leaving for Union or the NRL. Sam Tomkins will follow his brother in a couple of years time. Very bad leadership in Lewis & Woods.

The rugby league family is a myth, it may well have been years ago, but then again people used to leave their front doors open all day...........
Ok its not as bad as football, but like society in general, RL has suffered some serious decay.

Come on guys most people who post on forums are idiots hence why on here there is a 3 to 1 moron to normal ratio.
But this is no way indicative of the general RL fan who goes to games, most of them are good intelligent people who do get on with other fans from other clubs.

Don't tar everyone with the brush you painted the internet warrior with! Yes it does sadden me the things I read on here but I also get a reality check by talking to the normal people who still love the game and still have respect for opposition fans / views.

Don,t let this drag us down rise above it

That's exactly what it is - some contributors, hiding behind their fancy names, come out with words they would never say if the conversation was face to face.
That said, there is a lot of good banter on here and some contributors do accurately predict signings etc.
Also, were would the Express be without this conststant source of information!

I disagree. When I needed the support of the rugby league family It was there. Wigan, Wakefield and many other clubs supported me and my cause and I felt truly humbled.

When I have lived way from the hertlands the rugby league family has supported me and taken me in.

In the wake of the tragedies that have hit the Wakefield club the support from other clubs was amassing.

This forum distorts views it is not a true reflection, it's a sad day when rugby league fans are viewed as not a family when it counts in my opinion.

TBH that could be said of many communities, it doesnt prove RL is a family, just sections of its society, the middle of the ven diagram.
In recent years i have seen a decline (going to games home and away) in the behaviour of supporters and respect towards each other and each others clubs.
I rarely go to away games anymore, because of the level of hatred and disrespect shown to away fans, ok its not everyone, but its enough to put me off.
Added to this there is an attitude of sod you jack im pulling up the ladder that the rfl have created, where by a club only cares desperately of its own existence and sod the rest.
You think what you like, i know many others have a different view.

To be fair, we're still light years ahead of football - the Magic weekend would be a warzone in footy.

Indeed, on a personal level, RL fans tend to be 'salt of the earth' types who will rally to good causes involving one of their own.

Observe the thoughtless bile and arrogant spew of fans of the 'big' (or 'lucky' as I prefer to call them) clubs on the VT however when it comes to the plight of WTW and CT, both trying to deliver state of the art stadia in the middle of a global economic downturn; it seems that most would rather see us booted out of SL, because we don't add value.

Even amongst the two plucky clubs trying to get their stadia underway, the Chairman of CT has this week thrown his lot in with the only statutory objector to the NM scheme, in an attempt to scupper the PI and effectively, ruin WTW to buy himself a bit more time.

The RL family, if it ever existed, is now a broken family; Mum & Dad are divorced, Dad is shacked up with a young slapper, Mum's an alcy and both kids are hoodie-wearing asbo's.

I've had a pint with Jonh and he is a decent bloke, a bit chubby maybe but he's ok.

Dally i don't care two hoots about and smokey, i'm told is ok away from a PC.

and we both had a laugh with gahan (at his expense

) when he came to watch at our place

Thanks Al, to be honest I have never met anyone that I did not get on with from here even if our views differ.

I have to say Al I was also impressed with your long flowing golden locks!!

Merry Christmas to all!!

What makes RL different from RU.

The answer is RL is tribal like Football where as RU only gets that way only at International level or in Wales. It's a double edged sword. The fact that RL is very similar in terms of set up and teams to Football is what makes it more dynamic and exciting than club RU. The RL family does exist in a small way but it can never match RU and I wouldn't want it to ever be as lacking in passion as Club RU is. It's all about balance.

What I think is wrong with some RL fans is since SL and the GF and all the glitter involved they have a false sense of their own importance and that of the games. They don't seem to realise that under that very thin top layer the game is very small, very poor and very hand to mouth and exists on good will. They also don't get the fact that if that good will goes the whole house of cards will collapse including there own almighty clubs which they seem to feel are bullet proof. You ony have to read the yearly nonsense about new clubs in London, France and Ireland to realise the levels of delusion involved. They need a reality check.

That said most fans are OK but some especially those on the VT who think they are the inteligencia of RL are actually REALLY REALLY REALLY thick.

Rugby League fans are just a small cross section of society as a whole.
Plenty of good guys, some bad ones and the vast majority are in between.
On matchday, you have to be pretty unlucky to be sat/stood next to a right plonker, but when push comes to shove there are some within the game.
The thing that the RFL do well is to portray our sport as a family game and the clubs generally try and encourage proper behaviour, although there are a couple of exceptions.
On the various forums there are people who are really interested in the game and some harmless banter and others who like to stir things up for a reaction and most will defend their own club in whatever way they can, sometimes going overboard.
Surely thats why we have the mods ?