there's nothing better than a 'scandal' to generate headlines, and while what Flower did was a discrace, it has certainly got the media buzzing today and generally I think we're getting much more headlines than we were just a year ago. The story is the front page of the Times Sports pull out today, I don't think i've ever seen RL get such a prominent space in the Times.

The press have been all over Sam Burgess' heroics playing with a broken cheekbone last week, with many celeb tweets, a featured story on the BBC homepage etc

It just feels that off the back of the World Cup things have gone up a gear, and it was also a good move (whether by accident or design) to play the Grand Final on a day that had little other sports competition, with the Premier League having an international break. This should mean much better viewing figures for SKY.

fianlly it was good to see some money actually being spent on the Grand Final again, with banners, flags, fireworks rather than the subdued affair of the last few years. Yes it still isn't anywhere near the theatrics of the Super Bowl, but its a step in the right direction!

Sky viewing figures for SL in 2014 are well down on previous seasons.

The game needs every bit of publicity it can get and by whatever means.

I can see why not many people like you.

Rugby League has never got a mention in mainstream media (national programmes not dedicated to sport) while ALL other sports do, every time I mention this everyone replies RL doesn't deserve any coverage while slamming the RFL for not promoting the sport.

Wonder if the Thursday night games have anything to do with this?

I would suggest that the coverage that RL gets is proportional to the interest in it from the general public and from newspaper advertisers.

You have to consider why a newspaper audience or an advertiser would be interested in a game that was attended by 5,000 people, most of whom will have had heavily discounted tickets, before you can complain at a lack of coverage.

Any game in particular you're referring to there?

Any of Huddersfield's home games should do it...

point proven the answer is everyone including rugby league fans feels we don't deserve a mention while other sports like womans Frisbee throwing world chanpinships gets featured in main stream media along with EVERY OTHER SPORT YOU CAN THINK OFF AND MANY YOU CAN'T, DOES!

Looks like he is incorporating the extra Catalans games into the calculations which, shockingly, takes the average down somewhat. Making a positive into a negative.

zak hardaker yeah?

Paul Wood's testicle and porn-star girlfriend
Terry Newton

Excellent and more balanced article on [url=http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/rugby-union-afraid-of-rugby-league-2014101391646violence in RL.[/url

Spot on

Very good

Back on topic, it's the first time in ages that RL was being discussed in the office without me initiating the topic.

I often listen to talk sport in the car. Anyone who ever listens will know it's 90% football, with all other sports (including league) getting a brief mention from time to time.

Last night the main topic of conversation during the drive time show was Ben Flower's ban. They had Wigan and Saints fans calling in, football fans with just a passing interest in the sport calling in, the presenters discussing it in depth. Of course I would rather them be talking about a brilliant game they all watched at the weekend, but the point is Rugby League was being discussed on a national radio station that barely gives it a mention usually. And it wasn't all people telling us that Rugby League is full of thugs etc. It was sensible (ish) debate, with most people praising the way RFL have dealt with it.

It can't be a bad thing on the whole.