That's easily the best post you've ever written!

Noone is suggesting such a fixture list. The real concern should be Graham having to play 35 games last year, and his captain Jamie Peacock having to play 39 matches in 2008 - yet their Kangaroo opponent Petero Civoniceva and Kiwi opponent Nathan Cayless each only played 29 games in 2008, in effect getting 6 and 10 weeks more rest & recovery time.

Wahey, only took 6 pages until someone realised what Graham actually meant.

why did he not say that then?

why say it now?

what has a trip to Edinburgh got to do with that?

why did he not say whether he is he willing to take the requisite pay cut?

I must admit, when Graham said about time and money being spent in Cumbria I was too stupid to realize he was actually referring to the number of games players have to take part in in the NRL.

Michael.

WHy should he take a pay cut?

Less games?

Hmmm.

Tough one.

"[iBoss, I want to play 10 or 12 games a year less, like that Civoniceva chappie. But I want to be paid the same wage. I won't play for what he is paid.[/i."

No, I can't think of any problem with that. Can anyone help me?

less games = less revenue

I worked it out before that SKY pay around £518k per round of SL - if you reduce the number of games, you are going to reduce the amount of money coming into the game - or are you assuming that SKY will be happy to pay the same for a lesser product?

Hang on.....they cover wendyball in divisions 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8,9 etc.....so why not

wow, I can't even begin to articulate how irrelevant that is!

Read all three posts above and then please begin to articulate........

Because the time and money being spent on Graham could be better used developing Cumbria.

Michael.

Nope, still irrelevant.

Unless you think that the fact that Sky screen lower division football is proof that they would pay the same for less televised games than they currently get.

I never said less product, I "quoted" [ulesser product.[/u The lesser product, being wendyball (last nights top class 0-0 draw underlines how easy it is to sell an inferior product to the uk public is) and the superior product being RL in general.

Bottom line is graham may well feel he is made to play too many games, but he is well paid to ply his trade and should either play.......or choose another trade.

Mav....you are a credit to this forum by the way

I think we are at the stage now as John Wilkin as already pointed out that the game has become a risk to the players body, harder impacts, stronger wrestling techniques, joints under more stress. Its a question now do we want quality or quantity.

There is only a sustained period when the top players can perform 35 + games a season as some players have already pointed out.

A superleague career is far shorter than a NRL one, the more games they cram into a season the more risk of your team not being at full strength for say 30% of the season.

If they want to have a magic weekend why don,t they do it over the easter weekend playing one full round over the 3 days.

So its the supporters individual choice, do you want to see lots of rugby or lesser but quality rugby with players at there full potential.

And godknows how players of the past had county cups, midweek games, Regal Trophy, international tours etc to cope with and many had a job too. Poor ickle babies that play the game now.

Not quite the same game mate, and I,m old enough to make the comparision.

eg. Fat colliding with Fat is not the same as Muscle colliding with muscle.

And the game is no better for it, we get basketball scores, no flare and there is more emphasis on the collision than avoiding it.

There certaintly is less skill but like I said its a different game now, perhaps we should eliminate the substitute rule and have an offence and defence on ball change overs, then we can forget about playing against the aussies and play the yanks instead.

We should keep it and move it to a new area each year, my vote for 2010 is 'Maldives Magic'

Or maybe "Maryport Magic" then Graham can stay over with his grandparents.

Sean McGuire did not have a particularly good opinion of the Magic Weekend in today's Liverpool Daily Post. Very critical of it, and his points were bob on.