I wonder if they're struggling for players? I think last year's successful side was built around a core of Cadishead lads, with lads from other local teams (I think a few Salford sides, a couple from Bury).

Most of those teams have gone into summer and probably retained their players - must be making recruitment difficult for Mancs.

It was postponed. Apparently so Mancunians can get players back from winter teams once their commitments are finished, seems they have lost 4 lads who have returned to Cadishead.

And well played too!

We started very slow, but you took advantage and raced into a 18-0 lead. If you can keep that intensity up during the season you will challenge no doubt.

But if those winter teams have now committed to summer (as nearly all of them have), I would expect recruitment is going to be difficult. There are RU lads of course and maybe others who see Mancs as their main team.

It must be a concern - they've entered a 1st in the Premier and 'A' team in the Merit and cancelled games for both.

We shall get in touch with them and see whats happening, we are down for a double header against them this weekend!

we played 2 lads that played most of season in 1st team, a couple under 18s, some from st maries and widnes tigers. still very strong.

west bank vs accrington & leyland, west bank by 10
wigan should win today they dont want to drop off the pace this early.

west bank 48-10 accrington and leyland. referee was diabolical for us but after we took a 10-0 lead then accy and leyland went in at half time 10-20. that was as good as it got for accy and leyland(in there swinton kit). west bank just took control with good line speed and strong running. great start 2 from 2 so far with a home game next week against mancunians

Mancunians turned up at Wigan with 7 players and the game didn't go ahead. Whoever moved them up to NW Prem needs to have a word with themselves.

Ouch. I think we can wave goodbye to the Merit team, but it'll be a shame if they don't get a Prem team together. To be fair, iirc last year they had big numbers, 30-40 lads training some weeks and the team was pretty strong - I think they reached the final (or semi)? But like I said a few pages back, with their feeder teams mostly going to summer, recruitment was always going to be tough.

Any other results from the weekend?

They won the regional division last summer, and have made the step up to the Premier division.

On Saturday the blame was on players letting them down as Man Utd and Man City had games. Turning up with 7 to a Prem game is unacceptable, we expect that second team/merit fixtures will get cancelled from time to time.

Only one game in the Prem when ahead at the weekend, Liverpool Buccs v East Lancs Vikings was postponed during the week. Anyone know why?

Liverpool Buccs got a postponement due to lack of players.

Not much you can do when United and City were playing in 2 games to win 2 trophies on the same day as the manchester 7's tournament. If people want league to thrive in places like manchester then we have to accept that league may not be the only sport for the league players of manchester and relegating teams to a merit league isn't going to help spread the gospel.

Well, lets see this weekend what happens, lets hope that ALL fixtures in the NW leagues go ahead.

East Lancs v Leyland/Accrington has been postponed i see....this league is becoming a bit of a joke!

I and others have said all along the wholesale move to summer will take a lot of settling down and summer 2011 is going to end up as a rough guide for the full leagues due to start in 2012. It's probably not helped that a load of winter teams suddenly feared they were missing the boat and decided to switch at the last minute - hence the slightly ridiculous [url=http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/burybroncos/s/league-table-3730.html27-team Merit League[/url. There are also random cup and representative sides seeing out fixtures leading to a further drain on player resources.

With that late mass move to summer by loads of clubs, players who may have intended to go to teams like Mancunians and other summer-only sides suddenly find they can remain with their mates at their home club.

I think we all need to bear with it until every club finds its feet and decides where it can function best.

I can only see Bamber Bridge and Folly who are established NWC clubs who have joined the merit league this year though. BB are using it to give experience to new players and youngsters and I'm not sure if Folly will actually play a game as such.
Salford Central have entered with a view to establishing a NWC side for the winter and around 7 of those teams don't actually exist. Lots of RU clubs in though but they'll stay as just that.

There are a fair few NWC across the divisions - Leyland and Accrington in the premier, Cobras, Chorley and Cadishead in the regional and then there is the 2nd team at Leyland and Accrington and Salford Roosters are Eccles.

Back to the thread - Mancunians had a fair few lads from Cadishead and a few from Bury - both playing summer now. On top of that most of M&D have done something this summer. Of the M&D members - Eccles (Roosters), Folly as said, Cadishead, Little Hulton and Bury all playing summer or at least suggesting they will. Langworthy have played some friendlies too while Irlam have their lads back already for pre-season. Add on top that you can add Salford Central to the mix.

It's going to be very up and down for the next 12 months I think. What we do need from the RFL is what they are planing come August/September - and we need to know now.

hmmm....seems they're getting it sorted on one side of t'hills! hopefully they'll get something sorted here soon

Mancunians have sent a message via facebook this morning saying they got 18 players today so hopefully things are looking up for them. Probably could have done with playing someone else 1st game though.

edit - results are in:

Widnes West Bank 63 v 6 Mancunians RL
Liverpool Buccaneers 20 v 16 Wigan Riversiders

69 - 6 according to twitter feed. it also said west bank had just 13 players?!

we had 15 players because we had players playing\attending in town team game. luckily for mancunians we did have some missing because could of been a 100 easily. will they have a team next week they need to be back in the merit league. buccaneers struggling for numbers also. i was at NWC presentation last week and neil savage from wigan riversiders was dissappointed about them not having the same team that played against philly because there players only like playing home games???? never mind we play whos in front of us and good luck to all teams in this league and lets fulfill the fixtures.

fixtures for saturday.
mancunians vs accy and leyland. accy and leyland by 40 if mancs get a side.
wigan vs east lancs. wigan by 40 home game for wigan so they should be at full strengthand should have to much for a inexperienced side.
west bank vs buccaneers. west bank by 10. buccaneers seem very indifferent this season and depending on there team it could be a cracker of a game.

East Lancs have conceded their game at Wigan Riversiders. What a pile of disorganised e this years prem is, for the 2nd year running. Meanwhile we're playing teams in the merit league putting out 20 players week in week out with our 2nd team.

tottally agree with you JTB, got a feeling east lancs will concede against us at our place. Riversiders have only played one fixture now and had 2 conceded to them, there players must be pretty annoyed. at least next week you will have a fixture when you travel to our place, whats the point in mancunians and east lancs entering a side if they are going to concede.