It's just become a bit harder to finish in the top twenty next season, ahead of the mooted 2 x 10 for 2023, as Newcastle move to full time just as Broncos seem to be heading towards part time. Might be a good opportunity for any current players who want to remain full time. https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... gue-hotbed

It's just become a bit harder to finish in the top twenty next season, ahead of the mooted 2 x 10 for 2023, as Newcastle move to full time just as Broncos seem to be heading towards part time. Might be a good opportunity for any current players who want to remain full time. https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... gue-hotbed

Good luck to them. They've been working really hard locally and the community game has exploded off the back of it - half a dozen local youngsters have played first team RL this season and they've had a good few in recent England age group squads. They've got a great stadium to play in, a wealthy owner who doesn't appear to mind losing a few quid on both codes of rugby, and now a player production line, so I hope they go on and take the game by storm.

I had hoped it would be us, of course, but that dream is over.

Wish Newcastle the best of luck next season, going full time, it is an important area for development for the sport. Next season, with Leigh also wanting to go straight back up, they will have the money, especially if Marwan Koukash does get involved! It is going to be a tough season in the Championship.

Good to see how we have now a few readers of the Crystal Ball! that we are going part time next season, and that the dream is over, haha! like to live life, glass half full! and it has never done me any harm!

Talking to some leigh fans on Monday, they are not particularly overjoyed at thought of marwan getting involved at leigh. I always have been half full view rather than half empty doom and gloom, but let's see what next year brings, new stadium, maybe some decent money for a decent squad. Never really thought this year we were ever seriously contenders for promotion, cloth was being cut pretty short this season

But good to see Newcastle building steadily, hope they can sustain a couple of years full time in second tier and push for promotion then.

That cloth will be cut a great deal shorter next season as we go P/T.

As usual.....you know nothing but will cheerlead regardless.
Good luck to Newcastle. Looks like they have a plan for the future and aren't in th business of flushing cash down the drain for the sake of it and destroying their club in the process......which in your eyes is a glass half full

[url=https://www.thunderrugby.co.uk/article/470/newcastle-thunder-announce-reversion-to-part-time-statusThat ended well for them[/url


Gledhill is all over the twitterscape blurting out that the failure of his imaginary 10 x 2 scenario is causing loads of clubs hardship....he's the one who started the rumour

Giedders is a rumour monger who is wrong more often than he is right. Without mentioning Newcastle's result last weekend (

), their problem is the same as yours (and Cornwall's, WW Raiders and, up to a point, the Cumbrian clubs) ie lack of proximity to the M62 belt and, not just the main fan catchment, but more especially the travelling fans.

Let's see what IMG do eventually come up with, maybe a gradual spread southerly rather than outposts - then again Mansfield, Coventry gone...

As Liz Truss said in her election winning speech for Keir Starmer, Northerners need to graft more.

1. Any club that relies on away fans deserves to die.
2. Proximity to players is more key in the part-time arena.
3. IMG have been tasked with making more money, not a silver bullet for the games woes. IMG will see that the RFL/SL clubs have milked their cash cow to the extent that there's nothing left in the teat and as such, will come up with a number of options that will initially "impact" on SL incomes. Speculation is needed if accumulation is to be achieved, but I doubt Lenegan will be happy to see his clubs sky money reduced by £260,000 a year. (that's the cost of going to 14.....if they go to 16 it becomes a £450k drop).....it all points to be the emperors new clothes really. SL, with the exception of St's Leeds and Wigan are only separated from Leigh, Fev and Fax by the 1.8 million handout...that's why Carter et al will defend their ground. I pity IMG

I thought the Magic Weekends 'purpose' was to grow RL locally?