I’ve been to Toulouse several times with RU. Great town & cracking weekend away. Really looking forward to it.

Long winded but last but one paragraph is the kicker.


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Discord: Fork it; rugby league finds itself at another fork in the road

By STEVE MASCORD

SEEING a narrative where others see none is something that I’ve always done. That’s handy in my line of work but when I met my biological relatives after being an adopted kid, I also saw that it ran in the family.

My late uncle John literally once described crossing the road as like it was a celestial miracle.

These days, change is apparent everywhere. Covid, the rise of populism, identity politics. Although some people do manage it, it doesn’t take me or Uncle John to convince most people that these things are real and that society is changing in fundamental ways.

Likewise in rugby league, we have had many long periods since 1895 when not much has changed. But the things that have happened in recent years have been seismic by almost any fan’s measure: the birth and death of Toronto, the impact on our major competitions of Covid, the postponement of the World Cup and, at the weekend, one French team playing in the grand final and another qualifying for Super League next year.

I want you to imagine all these events on a timeline - the dates on top of the line and a brief description of the events on the bottom. Now zoom out.

In 1996 we had the first overseas team in Super League. In 1998 we had the first grand final. In 2009 Toulouse joined the Championship.

On one hand we can see progress. The British system expands across the channel, a French club goes bust, it’s replaced by another, the club becomes successful, another club joins it in the top flight.

But when we talk about real significant change, it goes beyond that. It goes to actual definition of success changing. As an example, will professional sports clubs still be travelling in the years ahead, due to the Climate Crisis, like they were before Covid? Has the wave of Northern Pride made it acceptable to brandish that which once made us embarrassed?

The NRL is only now retracing one of its four big steps from 1995 by re-adding a second Brisbane team. Thirty years ago, we had a team in Perth. Now there is not more than a passing thought of doing so.

The very definition of success in professional sport is flickering and under debate.

On Saturday I attended the Super League grand final between Catalans and St Helens as a fan. Truth be told, Old Trafford has seen better days. Even with category one tickets, it was apparent the seats were cramped and the concourses basic.

To the left and behind me were the Catalans fans, to whom we sell no satellite dishes or away pies and pints. To my right a sea of St Helens fans - but still only a big enough sea to fill their end.

The narrative I saw was another fork in the road for the game. The game is not just deciding whether to go left or right but which way is left and which way is right. Two days later we all read colleague Ross Heppenstall’s story in which an unnamed club official said every club would secretly be against even one team in France, let alone two.

Think about that: Catalans are actually less popular than Toronto. Then again, the ‘report’ into the viability of North American expansion found that Catalans bring no commercial benefit to Super League - so we shouldn’t be surprised.

The next day I stood with my wife and my best friend, a rugby league nut home from the United States where he lives, and cheered on Toulouse as they convincingly secured their place in Super League.

This seems like progress to us but, as I said, the very definition of progress is up for debate now.

And the people whose definition matters will soon not be Wigan or St Helens or Warrington but the Private Equity group ploughing £70 million or £100 million into the sport. They will decide if two teams in France is going to make the sport money or not, whether it’s an opportunity or a pipe dream.

And my story, your story and Uncle John's story will not matter.

Not at all, I just know my history. Unlike England whose Rugby League was repressed by “The Old Boy” network, RL was totally banned by The Vichy France Nazi backed government because authorities we’re afraid of working class gatherings fermenting communist and partisan uprisings and was frowned upon long after France was liberated. By the way, as Sky kept harping on about it, it’s only 4 seasons ago, Catalan we’re involved in the million pound game. I’m a realist, not an idealist. I have posted elsewhere, I hope it all works out but Rugby League history teaches us, expansion beyond the M62 corridor, just doesn’t work. The sports on its knees and Sky are ripping it off. Christ, the RL has just sold tv rights for lower leagues for £100,000, it’s a joke.

What was your travel route Camels Hump, never been myself.

If you want an example of a blinkered view, see Bernard Gausch’s comments after the Grand Final. He’ll never let Catalans play another final with ENGLISH officials, WTF. their bloody awful for all teams. I hope he keeps his word because Cats won’t play in anymore finals. He should get a heavy fine for spouting such nationalistic rubbish.

If ever there was a shining example of how poor our game is officiated, compered top the NRL, then this game was it.
No way would some of those calls stood , in league game but in the showpiece event of Super League, it was hugely embarrassing and if the RFU were watching, they will have sat there gleefully observing the shambolic and amateurish standard of officiating in the game, an absolute cringeworthy and unforgivable display.

I’ve been to Toulouse 4 times now, first time watching rovers vs Catalans at the on the road game, twice watching rovers vs toulouse in the middle 8’s, and then once last week as a pit stop coming home from the semi final in Perpignan.

Great city, plenty of bars and restaurants and hotels all relatively cheap. A couple of pubs for the rugby fans really in melting pot and pub o’clock which show the Friday night games etc. 3/4 Irish bars, plenty of nightclubs as well for us young IM’s. We went for a walk around last year as had the time and it’s a beautiful city to explore as well. Airport to town centre about 15 mins, metro and Uber easy to use.

Well worth a visit. Flew from both stansted and Manchester. Train from Perpignan is about 2 hours and stops at carcassonne, montpellier etc as well if you fancy staying close to the coast.

Would you mind enlighten us then, I spotted a couple, but I thought he let the game flow

Not so much the referee but he did ping Sam Tomkins for an incorrect play the ball when his head was clearly held between the legs of a St Helens player.That should have been a free kick to Catalan
However the blatant ones were not really the fault of the referee
When a Catalan kick to touch that just made touch but was batted back into play by Coote should have been spotted by the linesman who clearly didnt know the rules.
Catalan should have been awarded a penalty try after Makinsons head high tackle was the only thing stopping the winger grounding the ball.
The referee however did ask the video ref as part of the conversation if it was a penalty try.
Dont know who the video ref was but clearly got that wrong

I understand the Catalan chairmans reaction but think it was said in the heat of the moment due to disappointment.,Thats not to say we dont need improvement in the officials
I have said that if we dont adopt a two referee system which is unlikely then do away with the in goal official as its not needed.
Use the officials as second linesmen so that we have in effect 4 linesmen each covering one quarter of the pitch.
Easy to keep up with all the play covering only 50 metres and give them more responsibility than just sticking their flag up

Not according to the review panel....

As shown you can have all the officials in the world on the pitch, but when they can't even get basic rules correct or video replays replayed umpteen times you've got to question the whole officiating recruitment and training process.

I think it should be a requirement for officials to have actually experianced playing the sport as most don't understand the concept of competing and the physical aspect.

Just my opinion, no drama cheers

Cheers, it sounds really good

If this article is to be believed it would seem clubs are not happy I wonder if Garry Hetherington was the only one they could get to speak in favour of two French clubs. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/america ... uxbndlbing

If this article is to be believed it would seem clubs are not happy I wonder if Garry Hetherington was the only one they could get to speak in favour of two French clubs. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/america ... uxbndlbing

I agree with you about Sky but thats more to do with the inept RFL and Sky taking advantage.
I also think showing lower league Rugby league games on TV demeans the game irrespective of £100000 for TV rights.
Apart from a few clubs like York,Leigh or Doncaster the stadiums are old and decrepit and only adds to the perception that the sport is a northern working mans semi professional sport.
What the RFL should be doing with these lower league TV matches is ensuring they are played at a modern stadium whether that means both teams playing away.
Its essential the game on TV is seen to be professional and not an amateur sport

Nope - ironically the referees have been really (amazingly) consistent on this all year; if you cant keep your feet, then you shouldn't play the ball. Catalans should/would have gotten a back to 6 if he didnt play the ball, but since he fell over, it was the right decision.



Its not so much he didnt know the rules as the linesman was following the ball intently and thus not watching Cootes feet. I agree this is wrong and a bad one, dont agree its amateurish or had any impact on the overall game.



Again, no. For it to be a penalty try we would have to be 100% certain that if Makinson hadn't made contact with the head, then he would have scored. We can't say that. Makinson had already made contact on the shoulder, we have no idea if that contact alone would have been enough for him to be pushed out/ fall over short and let the cover catch up/ force an error on falling etc etc etc. The simple answer is we dont know, so it can't be a penalty try. Theres almost an identical set of what ifs for the Saints no try for Joe Batchelor when Maloney shoulder charges him, but don't remember anyone decrying that decision as Catalans came back to win in MW? There were also worse high tackles in the game (Kasiano on Roby, Garcia on Lomax) which didn't bring a sin bin, and an argument for an 8 point try for Naiqama given Yaha kneed him in the head during the act of scoring.



But where are we going to get those additional referees from? Who would want to be a referee in this constant climate that allows Guasch's comments as "but that doesnt mean improvement is needed". Our current culture in Rugby League is to blame anyone else for everything we can. Can the officials do better? Of course, much like players theyre only human. But unlike players who concede a high shot, or are offside, we dont go to the press and publicly question their question their aptitude and bias.

Josh Eaves signing for Newcastle Thunder - people on here were saying we should have tried to sign him as a replacement for JJ

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... fc-3416770 Fonua signs at Cas He doesn’t need to prove a few people wrong , as Radford states, he needs to prove it to himself. He’s been really poor the last two seasons.

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... fc-3416770 Fonua signs at Cas He doesn’t need to prove a few people wrong , as Radford states, he needs to prove it to himself. He’s been really poor the last two seasons.

Interestingly the deal is only for 1 year with options in Cas' favour to extend, time will tell if he has still got the level of performance, on his showing over the past two seasons I'm not so sure, unless him being released by us is a big wake up call for him.

Either way he's gone and regardless of how he does at Cas it was the correct decision to move him on.

I dont think it's down to effort with Mahe, I think injuries and changes in the game have reduced his impact. Needs to play in a good side like we had in 2016/2017 that can reduce the impact of his errors and defence.

Looks a yard slower now meaning his wing days are over.

Important to get recruitment right this year, as it will be evan harder next season with the new NRL team trying to sign a whole new squad.

I've seen Bowden to Cas doing the rounds lately.

It's probably 2+2=5, but if it's true Radford is well and truly getting the band back together.

TBF Dave I think effort and attitude is possibly part of the problem on what we've seen. He just never looked fit and always looked to be carrying too much weight. He was never the quickest but his size and strength in his first stint as he was fit and in good shape counteracted his lack of pace but in his second stint he just didn't seem to have that part to his game either as he just looked out of shape.

As you say the game has moved on and pace is key and the days of Mahe ripping it up will be less and less sadly and its not just Mahe but others such as Hurrell though I think his move to St's will help him.

Just a shame Mahe time will be tarnished a little from his second spell but he will always be one of the immortals that won not just once but twice at Wembley and for that I'll always be greatful.

Certainly looks like Radford is going to set up his team to play in the same way as Hull did in his tenure.
Can see them getting some cup runs, but falling short the league. Same as us really.
Glad we’re changing things now, and going in a different direction.

Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Saw something that mentioned Bowden and Masi

Wonder who we’ll play in round one?

Nailed on.