On the point regarding Sky dropping SL tv rights of course it could have a drastic consequence, same could be say for any tv deal with any sport.
Barring Wakey, every SL teams average attendance has gone up from previous years despite the inflation and cost of living etc. The reasons for that I don’t know but it it does bode well for the game.

Well, Ralph Rimmer has been asked by Union to help sort their financial situation out as London Irish are destined to go out of business next week.

It wouldn't surprise me if a fusion of the 2 codes is part of the discussions. It just seems a natural progression to me. It's the only way to make the game a truly National Sport.

So rugby union is going to become rugby league? World game throws its lot in with rugby league - yep. Really do not think that one is happening.

Or are you saying league is going to throw its lot in with the other lot.

The only talk of merger seems to be coming from this thread. I still haven't seen a thread of evidence of this great game merger. I'm sorry but all of this is nothing but speculation.

How do you come to the conclusion that Rimmer's involvement in Union is evidence that a merger of the two games is happening. Please, let's deal with evidence and not pipedreams. Sorry, but this is all getting a bit silly.

WYSIWYG you are like a dog with a bone on this nonsense. What you are actually gnawing on is a previous, bone-gnashing dog's white stool - he pooped the idea out. Do the same!

Ralph Rimmer and the government getting together to solve the issues of Rugby Union. What can possibly go wrong !!!
It might not be a merging of games on the horizon, it may just be Union heading into the sunset.

I see that London Irish have just been served with a winding up petition by HMRC. If they go under then that's 3 Premiership clubs gone in 12 months. And we think our game's finances are in trouble.

With the new Marquee announcements and IMG’s track record, I think we may see a reverse direction of players crossing codes due the money being offered in the not too distant future.

Fully professional rugby union is clearly struggling financially. As has been said previously by others on this thread, by Septi principally, the financial outlay for a Premiership side is absolutely massive.

First team squads are huge and are disproportionate to league squads despite the fact they only have to field 2 extra players. Up to 8 substitutes will be used in the Premiership plus the starting 15 (23 compared to 18 in league). The squads need numbers due to the technicality of some of the positions within their code. Tight head props are usually precisely that and nothing else (yes, I know some players can play loose head as well!)

Most clubs have women's teams attached who are also paid these days and the men's first team squad will have a mirror academy squad with lads on academy contracts. As a result Premiership teams and squads are the size of a veritable army - just check out Sale Sharks website as an example.

To add on to VL's previous comments I would have thought that when both Wasps and Worcester hit the rocks 12 months ago that given players lost their jobs as a consequence that some of them might have looked to league to give it a go and to find paid work. It didn't happen. I'm not aware of anyone who made the move to league from either club. They all seemed to find moves to the remaining Premiership clubs or to French teams.

I was surprised a little by that. Was that the fault of the players or was it reluctance on the part of league clubs to take a punt. Maybe Super League clubs simply cannot match Union Premiership club salaries.

So whilst I agree with VL that I would expect it to happen, it hasn't materialised - so far.

Yet……

Favourite moment of the game was seeing Amone put Mulhern through a gap, for his try. Top prop action from Super Leagues 2 best performing Props Forwards.

According to the Wakey fans forum it was a forward pass, whilst the first try was obstruction, and the third try was .......yawn, yawn, yawn.

At least Mulhern has avoided the end of season nudie run with Tony Clubb

- First try a cracker.
- Second as far forward as most allowed these days (yes it did look a bit didn’t it)
- Charnley robbed of a clear try by a way too quick whistle blower. The video ref basically said that was the only reason he could not give it.
- but the try of the game was the Ipape one. Locky scored two crackers but his pass to his left in the build up to that try was pure magic.
Wakey fans should complain, but not about what we did or did not do.
Bold prediction time. I think they may be a happier bunch next weekend. I think they will beat Leeds !

Don't let any Salford fans see you posting that -


Salford Reds are based in Salford on the edge of Eccles on the way to Irlam which is a big part of their attendance problem, it's so far from central Salford that a lot of their fans from the Willows day's didn't follow them to the new stadium.

Also, Salford is it's own City in the Greater Manchester conurbation & they don't like the two to be confused.

Maybe LiNZ merely meant that Salford are a club in GREATER Manchester. Then again so are Leigh and Wiggin. To be honest a lot of Salfordians accept the former (and the M postcodes). After the Arena atrocity, there were cuddly bees and worker bee posters in many Salford pubs and a lot of the youngsters had WB tattoos. You won't see that sort of thing from Leythers toward the pies though.

Nice to see you post again, Ste

Almost exactly my idea.
Bolton as an area & the Asian community also are the most untapped but largest potential growth area for a club like Leigh (or even Wigan, but us first hopefully)
Take a game to Bolton, make it Wigan & any remaining seats unsold offer to Bolton Wanderers season tickey holders 'for free'. Not sure of the capacity at Bolton but there is potential to get over 20,000 for that game.

Thanks & hope your well & winning in life pal.

TBH I got a bit fed up with the site for quite a while & it looked like it was dying a slow death. Also I had been away so long I forgot my log in details until I just happened upon the site again tonight.

When opened the then Reebok was announced as a 25K stadium but they have seen 27K+ attendances. But, as Bongser keeps on pointing out, it is in Horwich not Bolton!

28,723 Officially, but whats a few hundred amongst friends. Not even sure why we are having this conversation.
Leigh are not going on the road when they have a stadium to pay for.

The Willows. Loved that place. Played there once also. I’m sure the new ground is far better in every way, but does it have a sole that the fans can connect with. It would seem not.
I was concerned about that for us too, but the North Stand is the sole and heartbeat.

The main problem with Salford's move was that for people in the of town, it took three buses to get to (and three more to get home). Bad shout by Marwan.

When I could afford to watch Leigh regularly and they didn't play Friday night, it takes 2 buses and 1 train there and the same on the journey back. 9 hours round trip with the game included. As I'm partially-sighted I thankfully get free transport in Greater Manc area. But I fully understand anyone's reluctance to rely on public transport.

I will definitely be at CC semi-final so long as it's not Headingley. Too difficult to get to on public transport.

My dad takes the 582 to matches from Atherton, and it's been so unreliable that he's missed two games as a result. I take my bicycle instead. The buses are so crap and unreliable that I wouldn't like to rely upon them.

What Salford should have done, was put on a coach service from the Willows to AJ Bell. That option has probably gone now.

It wasn't Marwans decision pal. Temporarily forget his name but the previous owner of Salford took a chance on the new stadium with Salfords Willows sold off for housing development & a 3 way (IIRC) deal or funding between commercial investors, Salford Reds & Salford City Council.

The problem still remains that it's on the furthest edge of Eccles on the way to Irlam & Cadishead & pretty much in no mans land !

Edit.

Previous owner didn't feel they had a choice under threat of the RFL & minimum stadium standards while Wakey & Cas just lied their way through it for what 15 years ?

Like Sept Sev says they should have put coaches on for the supporters. Unfortunately, most clubs would rather take from fans than give back. Those missing fans are lost forever now.