First ever home game of Bury that i have ever missed. and they went and won...28 - 16 against Salford central

Happy with the win, though we didn't play all that well - lots of dropped simple ball, defence was weak in spells and got a bit over-excited when we took a decent lead at one point and let Salford back in.

Salford had a lot of youngsters who kept going but never looked like really breaking us down. Physically they were never in it and we'd kept our discipline and stayed switched on we should have put another 20 on them.

But - a win's a win and I'm happy with that.

Bamber Bridge 64 Burnley & Pendle 34 ,rough scoreline may have been 66 not 100% sure until tomorrow

Ashton Bears B 28-18 Wigan Riversiders Eels.

A much fitter Ashton team well deserved the win! Maybe some of our lot will actually turn up to training now...

hi all Blackpool Stanley are looking for a game on the 30th july as Burnley have cancelled on use you can email me on conrad.pitman@sky.com cheers

hi all Blackpool Stanley are looking for a game on the 30th july as Burnley have cancelled on use you can email me on conrad.pitman@sky.com cheers

Wigan Riversiders Eels 46 - 4 Bridge Bar Bandits

(I'm guessing) Bury 14ish - 48ish Wigan Riversiders

A very different looking 'Eels' turned up at a tropical Bury and it showed early on. With the RLC Premier being a dead duck it was no surprise when a lot of new faces turned out. Still, we started very poorly and conceded 3 tries in 10 minutes but then switched on and probably had the better of the game for the second 20 mins of the first half and early in the second half, only to collapse for the last 20. A shocking referee didn't help but that's no excuse - we were defensively shocking for spells and let them run riot, and Riversiders were the better side overall.

To be honest I hate having a squad of 20. Wigan had 24 today, we had 21 - but that means you can only have your first choice 13-15 out there in short spells and with a development squad that really showed; our performance dipped during those periods our first teamers were off the park.

Never mind. It's been a development summer, we've got a lot of brand new lads from Union and football and they're coming on slowly - things will strengthen as they get to grips with things and that inexperience will be ironed out. Time for a bath and out with the boys for plenty of much-needed ale.

12-64


No 1st teamers in starting 13 either and the 3 who did play only played for 15 minutes or so off the bench

That was noticably a very different line-up from the game at your place.

I'm not making excuses or saying it's anything out of order - every team plays the best players you can field. Whether they're Eels, Riversiders, or indeed Judes, Pats, Cuthberts, Ince, whatever, they're still playing a far higher level than nearly all the lads we fielded today. Hopefully our rookies will take something out of today and this summer season and build on the experience.

Enjoy your do tonight.

We are happy to scan and post the team sheets on this forum from both games to show the teams were almost identical!

I would concentrate on taking positives from your guys first half display, after going 16-0 down your lads dug in deep and fought back to make half time 16-12. Showed some great grit and determination. We were simply the fitter team and run away with the game in the second half. I couldn't understand why you guys started to warm up an hour prior to kick off in yesterdays heat!

Bamber Bridge 22-32 Ashton Bears B.
Ashtons youngsters put in a spirited display to earn a win against a much bigger & physical Brig side. Trailing 16-0 after 15 mins it looked like a 100% winning record was going to slip away but the six under 17's in the Ashton side dug in defensively and steadied the game. Some great ballwork soon reaped their rewards and the 1st half ended 16-16. An early try in the 2nd half saw the Bears take the lead only for Brigs impressive half backs to carve out an opening to draw level again. Brig battered Ashtons defence but they held firm and once they had the ball a series of well executed moves had Brig on the back foot, the inevitable gaps opened up and Ashtons pacey backs did the rest. A great game played out by two committed sides.

If you say so.



We didn't have much choice pre-match. Some tool had locked our changing rooms so we put shorts & socks on in your changing rooms and cleared out to give you the room to yourselves. Alan Hunte is one of those with a key - we rang him but he was at Headingley coaching Salford's under-20s against Leeds. Sitting around outside for 90 minutes in that heat was certainly not the ideal preparation. We actually didn't start warming up until gone 2.00 then went back inside for 5 minutes just to cool off. As you will know, it was too hot to be doing much prior to kick-off.

As I said, I'm not complaining and there is indeed a lot to build on - we were bitterly disappointed with our performance but there were definitely positives. You were the better team, but that's to be expected when 20+ from Wigan turn up against a team with a load of rookies. 7 of that squad are new this summer, of which only 2 have played league before.

anyone out there know the make up of the play offs? and when they start?

All fixtures confirmed from the league admin, to be played this weekend 6th/7th August:

RLC Premier Play off fixture:-

Liverpool Buccaneers vs Wigan Riversiders

RLC Regional playoff fixture:-

Cadishead Rhinos vs Blackpool Sea Eagles
Rochdale Cobras vs Chorley Panthers

RLC Merit playoff fixture:-

Wigan Riversiders Eels vs Salford Central

Blackpool Stanley vs Bamber Bridge

I thought Salford Central had folded?

We heard that last week as well.

Maybe they'll apply the same rules as last year that put Little Hulton and Mancunians(?) through?

That would mean Bridge Bar or even the only team with a 100% win record?

That's actually a fair point.

In the Premier, West Bank have withdrawn allowing Riversiders a route to the semi. With Salford Central folding, why shouldn't the next best placed finisher in the Merit also be moved up and given a shot?

Must be worth running past the league?

Already discussed it with the league and they have chosen not to apply that option. As running with league rules I'm told.

Not going to complain as it means we don't have to work around the CC semi now!

given where things are i don't think it worth considering. some sides are breaking up with players going back to winter sides, some are switching to the interim season and want time to prepare for that (as i think we would prefer) and the league has already lost a lot of sides at the back end of summer because they were based around RU sides and they've started their pre-seasons now. I think next years merit comp may have to be even shorter than this year as it seems that by August, sides are moving on to other priorities...

It will be Riversiders Eels -v- Bamber Bridge in the final, both opponents have conceded. Particularly surprised about Blackpool given the number of fixtures they completed.

Dont know how they signed 8 players before game against Bury

The Riversiders are actually no better off. We'd have had an away semi anyway in 4th. It has simply given Accrington a walkover to the final. I'll be extremely glad to see the back of the summer conference league to be honest, the apathy from some teams about completing fixtures and the ease with which new, unsustainable teams get lumped in at the top of the structure has just lead to year after year of it being a shambles. In my opinion the most impressive league this year has been the Merit League with a huge increase in fixtures played and a relatively low ratio of games conceded. The RFL should shout it from the rooftops really, yet there's not so much as a website or a paragraph in the trade press to check tables and results.

Blackpool had to sign a lot of lads on on the day when they played us but they were good players, many from the old Blackpool Stanley set up that was in the upper divisions of NWC. I imagine it was a a case of being able to get lads to turn out at home, on what was a nice day, but that they were not that committed beyond that.