18 replies to this topic

[wire07]

Not seen a thread around rugby league on here, I just love rugby League, best sport around by a mile, im from Warrington so naturally support warrington (the wire) seen a saints fan on one of the forums so I know at least one user who might like to post on here

[wire07]

If theirs one problem with rugby league, its the RFL (the rugby football league) They need to get the game to all parts of the UK, not just in the north west and yorkshire regions. Millenium magic and the soon to be murrayfield magic events just arn't enough.

[RB]

I used to all ways go to the saints ground when i lived in Northampton as they played better than the "cobblers" did and it was always a family day out, since moving to barnsley my interst in sports has more or less become nonexistent. Occasionally watch it on the box, but due too having so many kids now, the sky remote has become a kids only zone.

[wire07]

LOL I know what you mean, my little brother hogs the the tele watching kak lile ben10!

I've been a season ticket holder for 12 years now (been going since i was 5) planning on going to france next year with some mates, it's pretty costly though so best stay away from "real" fruities and download em from here

[Zoltar]

We are all eagerly awaiting next Saturday for what will be one hell of a Challenge Cup Final. One of the following will happen. Either Saints will run away with it, leaving Hull smashed and broken with an embarassing scoreline, or Hull will win the cup with a narrow victory.

Our season (Hull FC) has been the worst for decades. The excuse of all our injuries being the problem was never a good enough excuse but players are returning quite rapidly now. I'm wondering if Hull FC have been working a gameplan for the Challenge Cup for longer than people think. The season long finished for us, but in the final. It just doesn't add up unless the team are playing to win the Challenge Cup.

[wire07]

If so it is a dangerous ploy, playing for 1 game in a season to either make or break it, and against saints to boot. I don't know whats happened to Hull this year, sure they have had a few injuries but still to go from super league contenders to 11th in 1 season really is a slide.

I can't help thinkin saints will run away with this, allthough they have been giving sides a sniff recently (warrington and quins) but even so should be saints that wins, hope i'm wrong and the codheads pull through though

[Magz]

Nice to see RL getting a mention. I'm a Quins RU supporter and go to the odd RL game as well (cheap tickets and all that). Gotta say that the RL side are improving steadily every time I go. Should they start to actually win stuff there may well be a market for RL in the south. I agree, though, that the league could do FAR more to try and get fans in the South than they do presently...

[Zoltar]

Nice to see RL getting a mention. I'm a Quins RU supporter and go to the odd RL game as well (cheap tickets and all that). Gotta say that the RL side are improving steadily every time I go. Should they start to actually win stuff there may well be a market for RL in the south. I agree, though, that the league could do FAR more to try and get fans in the South than they do presently...

The first hurdle is trying to break the rugby union stronghold in other areas such as London. The attitude of 'northerners' or fans in the RL heartlands doesn't help. Many RL fans up here percieve rugby union as a 'softer' version of rugby. Played by middle and upper class rich boys from private schools. Often stating that rugby league is a 'real man's' game. All this to people outside of the rugby league heartlands is percieved as a sort of slanderous attack on their sport. And only serves to alienate them even more from rugby league.

I do believe that rugby league will always find it difficult to expand with this sort of attitude. And even harder to expand whilst rivalrys between the two codes exist. The 'us' and 'them' attitude doesn't help at all. RL and RU will never merge, but I think closer ties that generate respect for each other is the right way to go. Plus national exposure is also a key to RL's expansion. And you either have to pay to see it on TV, something only hardened fans will do, or watch the pathetic amount of almost non-existent RL on the terrestrial channels. RL will find it hard when the likes of tennis, cricket, snooker, darts, and even poker get more TV exposure than rugby league.

[Zoltar]

If so it is a dangerous ploy, playing for 1 game in a season to either make or break it, and against saints to boot. I don't know whats happened to Hull this year, sure they have had a few injuries but still to go from super league contenders to 11th in 1 season really is a slide.

I can't help thinkin saints will run away with this, allthough they have been giving sides a sniff recently (warrington and quins) but even so should be saints that wins, hope i'm wrong and the codheads pull through though

I don't think it was a ploy that was decided at the start of the season. I know Hull wouldn't have planned to 'make or break' their season on this one game until they looked like they had fluffed the season proper and they were in the challenge cup semi's. With the season lost due to injuries, and still being in the challenge cup, which is towards the seasons end, and with players starting to come back, I think Hull may well have fielded weaker teams in the last few games to aid them in the final. The ploy, would be a last gasp attempt to gain something good from a crap season by aiming for a challenge cup win. Why risk players on games when the season is already lost for Hull? Theres no top 6 finish to play for. So no need to risk fresh after injury players who have only just recovered. Keep them safe for a game that could turn a disastrous season into a relatively successful one.

Tonights game against the Quinns, players will be trying to earn their final places plus Hull need to win it to finally put to rest, any possibility of Castleford catching them and finishing bottom of the league. I think a very different Hull, a Hull we haven't seen for many months, will show up for tonights game. Tonights match is for dignity, next saturdays match is for silverware. I think Hull will kick off their season tonight so to speak lol.

[wire07]

I think Hull will kick off their season tonight so to speak lol.

LOL, only 27 games to late

On the subject of rivalry between the 2 codes there are a few things they can do extra to help further rugby league.

1) A little thing, but the rugby union world cup should be called "the rugby union" world cup, and not just "the rugby world cup" (makes rugby league sound like a far more inferior sport)

2) When rugby league players hop accross to union, the commentators need to show them more respect. For years ex wigan player Robinson was the Englands RU's best player, yet still he had all sorts of prejudices thrown at him.

3) I know of 1 game where there was 1 game between rugby union and league for charity. 40 mins union, 40 mins league, union won 37-36. I believe this should be an annual event.

Anyway, wigan V leeds, 12-6 to rhinos atm, hope it stays that way for warringtons sake! Surely Cas won't beat us in the last min yet again...

Cmon the wire!

[wire07]

Leeds did me proud and hull also won warrington V cas 2mora, cmon the wire!

[Zoltar]

Leeds did me proud and hull also won warrington V cas 2mora, cmon the wire!

Pheew!! I don't think FC can finish bottom now. We can just about keep our dignity lol. Roll on Saturday. If Hull KR lose to Bradford today, our season will pretty much end on Saturday. If Rovers win though, then it's up to us to beat them the following weekend to keep them out of the top 6.

Hull FC and Hull KR. West versus East. The rivalry is as heated as the cold war.

[wire07]

Arghh we've gone from having a home game at the halliwell jones against wigan, then to having a home game against wigan, then to having an away tie against bradofrd or wigan at either odsal or JJB, now we have to go to perpignon in the south of france. All that in the space of an 80 mins. That means that i can't possibly raise the funds to go and watch us in the play offs unless somehow we beat catalan. Typical Warrington, so inconsistent!

[Zoltar]

Arghh we've gone from having a home game at the halliwell jones against wigan, then to having a home game against wigan, then to having an away tie against bradofrd or wigan at either odsal or JJB, now we have to go to perpignon in the south of france. All that in the space of an 80 mins. That means that i can't possibly raise the funds to go and watch us in the play offs unless somehow we beat catalan. Typical Warrington, so inconsistent!

Never mind. We have 2 teams in Superleague and both ended their seasons at just before 2pm on Sunday.

Summing up on both sides for the season....

Hull KR.
They seem to be happy with finishing 7th. Going on about how it's not a bad thing for only their second season in Superleague. I think they were capable of being there. They won against teams they should have lost to. But didn't capitalise by winning against those teams they should have won against. But, they ended the season higher than my team Hull FC.

Hull FC.
An abysmal season now ended. Only just missing out on the wooden spoon. What has happened to Hull FC? Sure, they were in the Challenge Cup Final, and were not too far away from possibly even snatching it. But their season was just one poor performance after another. Injuries were the weekly excuse but they have to look at themselves and figure out why so many good players are easily injured.

For us, it's roll on next season. If there are any benefits from this season, then it has to be the fact that Hull FC were put into the position of playing a fair few youngsters who would otherwise have not got a look in. This I guess will aid the team next year as these players are now indeed tried and tested. We need to pay off Dykes. A decent player indeed but plays one week, then sits the next 2 out being injured. Is he made from china or something? Jamie Thackeray I don't think earnt himself a new contract. He dropped the ball a handful of times yesterday. Yes, the ball is oval, but these people train week in and week out to get used to this. Hopefully, Richard Agar will end Hull FC's love affair with bringing in once great players who are close to their retirement. Of recent times, Richard Swain is the only player who paid dividends with this policy. A truly great character and decent player to boot, who hung up his boots for the last time whilst still in better shape than half the Hull FC squad.

Rovers need to find their own place and their own players. They have 'snatched' a few from Hull FC but I guess they got good deals as a player may give up some incentives like a higher wage or a longer contract simply because if he gets taken on, he doesn't have to relocate and move house. But do Rovers take these players to strengthen their side, or just take knock down talent from FC? They need to look at the wider world and accept that if a player isn't good enough for Hull FC, maybe he's not good enough for Hull KR.

My allegiance is with Hull FC. And theres a great deal of rivalry here in Hull, with the fans of their respective teams. Of course, I'd always love to see Hull FC get one over on Hull KR, but I'd sooner see both our teams emulating the sides of 1980. When both Hull FC and Hull KR both made it to the Challenge Cup Final. We lost that day. But I'd love to be part of a similar spectacle again in the not so distant future.

[wire07]

Well our season ended dismally, to many injuries costing us big time this season, so yet again our wait for silverware continues...

For next season we have signed Gareth Carvell and Micky Higham, i see these as very positive signings, giving us super league experience that we clearly need. Benny Westwood and Chris Hicks were our stand out performers this year, just hope the likes of Matt King and Luis Anderson will fire better next season.

As fir the rest of the playoffs, people may or may not know this but Warrington have taken the catalans under our wing, (ever since they plyed wigan in the semi of a challenge cup final last year, even wolfie wore the catalan shirt for the day ) so hope they go on and get to the final now, would be brilliant. Cmon Catalan you can do it!!

[wire07]

Bit of a shock at O.T on saturday, i went was in with the leeds fans, was an amazing match considering the conditions, and great atmosphere. Leeds deserved it in the end.

Wires turn next year

Edited by wire07, 06 October 2008 - 05:07 PM.
spelling

[bigtony]

Wow what a team,ehh.Written off,missing players and still pull of the BIGGEST prize in rugby league.Just hope the Elland Road boys can get back to top flight.I am a cornishman through and through but DEFINATELY have my loyalties with Leeds.
P.s
Is there anyone else here think that Luke Mc Cormick (plymouth argyle Ex-goalie) got away bloody lightly.from what i read he will only do 3 years.

[Zoltar]

Yeah. The Rhino's did good. I feel a little for Saints but not too much. I've always said it's unhealthy for the game to have one single team as the dominant force in RL. Superleague was born with one idea of it being to level things out after Wigans dominance.

I do admire Saints. A great team from a small town (in Wigan LOL). Seriously though, Hull are trying to break the stranglehold. This year was one to forget though with the exception of the Challenge Cup Final. Hopefully next season, we'll be back in the faces of the so called 'Big 4', just the same as I hope Warrington will finally get their act together and show us all they can do some damage too.

I'm not really a footy fan 'bigtony'. I know Hull City are doing pretty good at the moment and I have to admit I'm enjoying reading these football pundits finally giving credit to the team, and these newspapers who a few months ago were tipping the footy team from 'Dull Hull', that miserable city 'up north', to go straight back down. It's nice to finally see the odd snippet of positive reporting about the shit-hole I come from lol. But thats more out of being intrigued rather than supporting Hull City.