Well, new season, more ‘trapped-in-the-eighties’ garbage on show.

Interview with Danny Ward where they were asking him about DewFest where Leeds players used to get on it in the “mucky pubs” around Dewsbury and Batley.

Then Wagga doing a “Gin Challenge” where he and another ex-player downed a goblet of gin, first to down it all wins.

Just what on Earth is this rubbish? Talk about painting the game in a backwards, out of date, absolutely terrible light! These are not current players but it’s still unprofessional. It was nearly as much a show about drinking as it was rugby.

A bit of a disgrace if I’m being honest! The clubs and SL or the RFL should be stepping in here, surely?

I’d go as far to say that we need to get Rugby AM off the tele if that’s what it’s going to carry in being like. It’d be better for the image of the sport to get rid of it and have less rugby league programming on tele, than actually have that sort of thing on!

Just wait until Backchat comes back on from that pub straight out of 1980.

That programme is god awful. As is rugby am for that matter.

That said they’re on a pretty obscure channel that I don’t think will be picked up on unless you are a fan of the game.

First priority for me is the dated sky sports team.

I've absolutely no idea how they've got this show as far as it has. Fair play to them for that.

If you're a bit thick, shout a lot and love to talk about getting into trouble and drinking then you'll fit right in with Simmons and his band of idiots.

Rugby AM abysmal . Why anyone would choose to watch the programme is unfathomable it is comparable to a cross between a children’s school project and Prisoner Cell Block H .

Not being from the Rugby League Heartlands and love Rugby League,i give this a miss..Totally cringed when i saw it..Terrible programme for promoting our sport...

Contrary to what most seem to think the most recent episode with Oli Holmes and the piece about the England Lions PNP tour was good! Given that there is absolutely feck all abour Rugby League on main stream TV, along with Backchat, its got to be better than nowt at all! Give it a chance! (OK another one!)

Rugby AM is an embarrassment to Rugby League.
The set is awful, the filming is awful and the content is cringeworthy anyone involved in this programme should be embarrassed.

I shudder to think what anyone Rugby Union , Darts , Netball or Curling fan would make of the programme.

I've been banging on how Simmons and Godwin year in year out embarras rugby league with a total dogpoop of a show.

People defend it though cos it's "publicity" or something. I think Leeds fans like it for some reason.

When it's as bad as Rugby AM I'd prefer nothing at all.

I completely agree and cant believe the snobbery of "some" RL fans when it comes to Rugby AM. The state that RL is in at the moment, I dont think we have the option to be picky.

So far this series weve had, Ellery (GOAT). Where else are we getting to see Ellery speak about the game and his career?

Weve had Robinson. Where else are we getting to see him speak about the game?

Access to players like Holmes which gives a little bit of an insight into their lives and careers.

A really, really interesting documentary on the Knights tour to PNG where if it wasnt for Rugby AM and JJB we wouldnt get to see what goes into something like this and the life changing experience it presents to the young players. Something many of us will never experience.

So its not the best presented or best produced material on TV, but so what. Its giving me, an RL tragic, a little insight into areas of the game i find interesting. No one else is doing it.

Along with all the podcasts that various folk are doing I can only see things like Rugby AM as a positive for the game. I bet the amateur lads that are getting the chance to play in televised games arent grumbling. I bet Jamaica RL arent grumbling from the little bit of publicity its giving them.

As the old adage goes. If you think you can do better then do it.

I bet you cant.

Well said! Good to see there are one or two open minds! Who was it once said "Any publicity is good publicity"? (Apart from me that is!).

Cant believe all the grumbling tbh. Theres been some great and interesting pieces on Rugby AM, JJB speaks well about the game and they get fans interviewed and insights into backroom teams etc.

They do a lot promoting charities and the game in general, if you dont like it, dont watch it!

I don't think its snobbish to point out that Rugby AM is amateurish, boorish and outdated and given the state that RL is in, we absolutely do have a right to be picky.

It's a complete myth that all publicity is good publicity.

It is and we really havent.

On what basis don't we have a right to disagree with how the media is portraying the sport?

Do we not have a right to object to The Times running that "a team that doesn't care" headline ahead of the WCC? After all, it's coverage and we've no right to be picky, right? The same principle applies to s like Simmo and Wagga.

Rugby AM belongs in the FHM / Zoo / Nuts era and if it's really the sort of media that the sport wants to encourage to build its audience and credibility (of which, Rugby AM does neither), we may as well go the whole hog and sell the next TV rights package to LADBible.

The fact that youre comparing The Times, a London based newspaper that couldn’t care less about RL, with Rugby AM, which holds everything RL at its heart is absolutely ridiculous. The same principle completely doesn’t apply in this scenario.

Ill just say, i completely and utterly disagree with you.

Here's an adage that applies to Rugby AM:

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt".

Simmons and Godwin do nothing but promote RL as a sport for simpletons, even if that isn't their intention.

Well said. Just because it's the only RL show outside of SLS and Boots n All doesn't mean we should be happy about it.

It's not ridiculous in the slightest. Their reach and agenda isn't really relevant here - the thing they have in common is that they are media outlets giving a public portrayal of RL. The implication of "we can't be picky" surely applies to all forms of media coverage, right?

The fact that Simmo is an enthusiastic fan with a TV camera doesn't change the fact that Rugby AM gives a poor image of the sport, and it's not snobbish to call that out.

The fact that the RFL, Super League and the clubs indulge Rugby AM is more a reflection of lazy media relations from the respective parties. The effort should be put into getting our talent and our stories into credible media that speaks to the audiences the sport needs to reach - not taking the easy option, sending them for drinking games with Simmo and his sidekick and thinking "that's the PR for the year done".

I dont understand all the comments about it spreading a negative image. Its shown on "made in Leeds" and Free Sports, theres not a million Union fans all watching it to have a laugh at us.

Its a poor show, and its low budget is clear to see, but it is made by people with a real passion for RL and when that shines through it is watchable.

Pretty much the best part of the Leeds season so far for me was finding out that the club had relieved Simmons of his half time and post-game shouting role at the stadium. I'm sure he's a genuine Rugby League fan but I have no interest in hearing him badly, and loudly, express himself and his not particularly well-formed thoughts.

I just showed the latest episode to 4 mates over at mine for lunch.....they are fans of both codes, 3 are Maori Pacifica, one is an expat English Soldier....2 have played pro sports....they, to a man though it was the most cringeworthy thing they've seen on TV......IT IS AWFUL.
How much you wanna bet?
Seriously, I could do better with my samsung phone camera and a bit of software...........it's a shambles

Do it then. Its easy to come on here giving it the big’n but in reality you cant and you wont. Not sure what your mates heritage, jobs, career paths have got to do with anything like but cheers for letting me know.

I just showed it to my mate Dave, 2nd generation italian-american, ex-NFL running back, now pizza delivery guy and he absolutely loved it!