Rugby League

[Mcr Warrior]

27 - 25 win for Melbourne Storm. Does sound close!

Have NRL highlights been shown on any free-to-air TV channels, recently?

 

[UP13]

They are all on YouTube posted by the NRL channel.

 

[wireforever]

Agree UP13 watched the game best NRL game I've seen since lockdown was lifted in Australia .Do feel sorry for NZ Warriors after Storm hammered them but they did win on Friday

 

[UP13]

What do people think of the Kangaroos v All Blacks game that has been allegedly proposed?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What do people think of the Kangaroos v All Blacks game that has been allegedly proposed?

That's the proposal for an Australia (Rugby League) vs New Zealand (Rugby Union) cross-code game. Dead in the water, isn't it?

 

[UP13]

I haven't heard that it is dead. I think it would generate a lot of cash for both sides but I think it would do a lot of damage to Australian rugby union.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I haven't heard that it is dead. I think it would generate a lot of cash for both sides but I think it would do a lot of damage to Australian rugby union.

Now quite some time ago ,in 1996. do you remember the cross-code club matches in Britain which I think were between Wigan and Bath.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Now quite some time ago ,in 1996. do you remember the cross-code club matches in Britain which I think were between Wigan and Bath.

They were indeed. Bath (RU) beat Wigan (RL) in the Rugby Union game, something like 44-19, having been absolutely battered in the Rugby League encounter, 82-6. General consensus was that the Union players had greater tactical nous when playing the Union game, but the League players were far fitter which is a big advantage when playing Rugby League.

There was also a Sale v St. Helens cross code game played in 2003. Sale (RU) won the first half (played under Union rules) by 41-0. St. Helens (RL) pulled back 39 points in the second half (played under League rules) making the final score 41-39.

Understand that the proposed Australia RL v New Zealand All Blacks RU game in December 2020 (?) was to have been played 14 a side with hybrid cross-code rules. Non starter in my opinion, but certainly fills a few column inches down under on a slow news day.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Some media outlets (including BBC Radio Five Live) running with a story that Canadian side Toronto Wolfpack may be unable to fulfil their remaining 2020 Super League fixtures due to visa / work permit issues affecting a number of their players.

 

[UP13]

How was Sonny Bill getting on over there?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How was Sonny Bill getting on over there?

Saw him in early February when Salford beat the Wolfpack 24-16. Clearly a class act but he and his teammates weren't quite firing on all cylinders at the time.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Some media outlets (including BBC Radio Five Live) running with a story that Canadian side Toronto Wolfpack may be unable to fulfil their remaining 2020 Super League fixtures due to visa / work permit issues affecting a number of their players.

Looks like Toronto Wolfpack have indeed scratched / withdrawn from Rugby League's Super League 2020.

Toronto Wolfpack withdraw from remainder of 2020 Super League season

Toronto Wolfpack have cited financial issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for withdrawing from the remainder of the 2020 Super League season

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[wireforever]

Yes it was on sky sports due to play in the triple header opening games of restarted season.What will superleague do now a double header or bring another fixture forward .If season now unable to start RFL/Superleague have a major problem as no doubt Sky will withhold TV money.Remember when Superleague started it was £89 million a change to a summer season a team in London and Paris and exculsive TV contract with Sky.Obviously nobody could predict what would happen with the pandemic but I would image the money received from the Govt to the RFL was much needed to help rugby league survive .

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Would imagine that the 2nd August fixtures will now just be a double-header at Headingley and that the remainder of the season will be as previously mapped out but with a Toronto-shaped hole in the fixture list. Could, however, be a lot of dead-rubber games at the bottom of the table if there's no prospect of relegation for the teams remaining.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Looks like Toronto Wolfpack have indeed scratched / withdrawn from Rugby League's Super League 2020.

Toronto Wolfpack withdraw from remainder of 2020 Super League season

Toronto Wolfpack have cited financial issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for withdrawing from the remainder of the 2020 Super League season

www.mirror.co.uk

The League have now expunged the 2019-2020 season records of Toronto Wolfpack and have adjusted the points and the for & against totals of teams who had played matches against them. The League also confirmed there will be no relegation from the Super League at the end of the current season.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Coral Challenge Cup...Semi Final

Warrington Wolves 22 ... Salford Red Devils 24

Warrington took a 14-8 lead in at half-time, but there were never many points separating the teams during this match and a late try by Salford's Joey Lussick saw Salford through to their first Challenge Cup final since 1969. They will play Leeds Rhinos in the final, who beat Wigan Warriors in the earlier semi final.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Challenge Cup Final between Leeds and Salford is at Wembley on Saturday 17th October 2020, KO 15:00.

Behind closed doors, almost certainly.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

At the meeting of Super League clubs to make a decision on whether to readmit the Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack back into the Super League in the 2021 season, eight clubs voted against readmission, four clubs voted for readmission and there was one abstention.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The three clubs supporting Toronto's application are understood to have been Leeds, St. Helens and Catalans (as well as the Rugby Football League itself).

Warrington are understood to have abstained.

So that leaves seven clubs, i.e. Wigan, Hull, Huddersfield, Castleford, Salford, Wakefield and Hull KR, who must have voted against.

 

[wireforever]

Are the semi finals going to give a Saints v Wigan Grand Final or can Catalans or Hull or both cause a upset.As a Warrington supporter Hull beat us fair and square on the night too many players not performing when it mattered and the coach not using all the interchange players off the bench again!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League.....Play-off Semi Final

Wigan Warriors 29 ... Hull FC 2

After an even first ten minutes when Hull FC took a 2-0 lead with a penalty, Wigan Warriors exerted more game play pressure and led 13-2 at half-time. Wigan then kept up the pressure on the Hull defence in the second half and added 16 unanswered further points to the total.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Nov 2020 ==

Betfred Super League....Play-off Seni Final

St Helens 48 ... Catalan Dragons 2

The Dragons managed to keep the score down in the first half to 14-2 at half-time, but were overwhelmed by St Helens in the second half, who won the try count 8-0.

Looks now to be a good Grand Final to come.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

One outstanding matter has now been resolved. Newcastle Thunder received universal backing of an independent panel to be promoted the the RFL Championship.

The other outstanding matter will hopefully be resolved next week when the Super League will announce which team will replace Toronto Thunder in that league.

 

[numpy]

I only hope it isnt another Canadian team i think the cash could be well spent at home

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I only hope it isnt another Canadian team i think the cash could be well spent at home

It won't be. Contenders are Bradford Bulls, Featherstone Rovers, Leigh Centurions, London Broncos, Toulouse Olympique, and York City Knights.

 

[SeanG]

I think the argument here is split. Either a tradional club ie Leigh, Bradford, or Fev. Or an expansion club ie London, the Tolouse or York.

Personally, as much as I like the expansion and expanding the game, I think that now might not be the time to do so, with tightened budgets. York would be my preference as its a half way house.

Personally I reckon that the decision may be based upon promoting the World Cup and the RFL's love in with London will continue

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Dec 2020 ==


Edit 14/12/2020
It's just been announced that Leigh will join Super League. Not very ambitious but a safe bet on a club with infrastructure as existing

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It won't be. Contenders are Bradford Bulls, Featherstone Rovers, Leigh Centurions, London Broncos, Toulouse Olympique, and York City Knights.

Leigh Centurions are the side who have been promoted to the Super League.

 

[numpy]

Really glad about that lets hope they can stay there.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Challenge Cup

West Wales Raiders 4 ... Widnes Vikings 58

I suppose that Gavin Henson will have experienced what life in Rugby League is like compared to Rugby Union in his debut match for the Raiders.

 

[UP13]

Surprised he's doing a physically more demanding sport in his old age...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What is the current position with regards both relegation from and promotion to the Super League at the end of this new season? Has there been any move on the matter once in discussion of no promotion or relegation.