Re: What now? : Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:14 pm  

mean_machine wrote:

I’ve been to Toulouse 4 times now, first time watching rovers vs Catalans at the on the road game, twice watching rovers vs toulouse in the middle 8’s, and then once last week as a pit stop coming home from the semi final in Perpignan.

Great city, plenty of bars and restaurants and hotels all relatively cheap. A couple of pubs for the rugby fans really in melting pot and pub o’clock which show the Friday night games etc. 3/4 Irish bars, plenty of nightclubs as well for us young IM’s. We went for a walk around last year as had the time and it’s a beautiful city to explore as well. Airport to town centre about 15 mins, metro and Uber easy to use.

Well worth a visit. Flew from both stansted and Manchester. Train from Perpignan is about 2 hours and stops at carcassonne, montpellier etc as well if you fancy staying close to the coast.

Cheers, it sounds really good

Re: What now? : Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:27 pm  

If this article is to be believed it would seem clubs are not happy I wonder if Garry Hetherington was the only one they could get to speak in favour of two French clubs. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/america ... uxbndlbing

If this article is to be believed it would seem clubs are not happy I wonder if Garry Hetherington was the only one they could get to speak in favour of two French clubs. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/america ... uxbndlbing

Re: What now? : Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:33 pm  

Armavinit wrote:

Not at all, I just know my history. Unlike England whose Rugby League was repressed by “The Old Boy” network, RL was totally banned by The Vichy France Nazi backed government because authorities we’re afraid of working class gatherings fermenting communist and partisan uprisings and was frowned upon long after France was liberated. By the way, as Sky kept harping on about it, it’s only 4 seasons ago, Catalan we’re involved in the million pound game. I’m a realist, not an idealist. I have posted elsewhere, I hope it all works out but Rugby League history teaches us, expansion beyond the M62 corridor, just doesn’t work. The sports on its knees and Sky are ripping it off. Christ, the RL has just sold tv rights for lower leagues for £100,000, it’s a joke.

I agree with you about Sky but thats more to do with the inept RFL and Sky taking advantage.
I also think showing lower league Rugby league games on TV demeans the game irrespective of £100000 for TV rights.
Apart from a few clubs like York,Leigh or Doncaster the stadiums are old and decrepit and only adds to the perception that the sport is a northern working mans semi professional sport.
What the RFL should be doing with these lower league TV matches is ensuring they are played at a modern stadium whether that means both teams playing away.
Its essential the game on TV is seen to be professional and not an amateur sport

Re: What now? : Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:38 pm  

bonaire wrote:

Not so much the referee but he did ping Sam Tomkins for an incorrect play the ball when his head was clearly held between the legs of a St Helens player.That should have been a free kick to Catalan

Nope - ironically the referees have been really (amazingly) consistent on this all year; if you cant keep your feet, then you shouldn't play the ball. Catalans should/would have gotten a back to 6 if he didnt play the ball, but since he fell over, it was the right decision.

bonaire wrote:

However the blatant ones were not really the fault of the referee
When a Catalan kick to touch that just made touch but was batted back into play by Coote should have been spotted by the linesman who clearly didnt know the rules.

Its not so much he didnt know the rules as the linesman was following the ball intently and thus not watching Cootes feet. I agree this is wrong and a bad one, dont agree its amateurish or had any impact on the overall game.

bonaire wrote:

Catalan should have been awarded a penalty try after Makinsons head high tackle was the only thing stopping the winger grounding the ball.
The referee however did ask the video ref as part of the conversation if it was a penalty try.
Dont know who the video ref was but clearly got that wrong

Again, no. For it to be a penalty try we would have to be 100% certain that if Makinson hadn't made contact with the head, then he would have scored. We can't say that. Makinson had already made contact on the shoulder, we have no idea if that contact alone would have been enough for him to be pushed out/ fall over short and let the cover catch up/ force an error on falling etc etc etc. The simple answer is we dont know, so it can't be a penalty try. Theres almost an identical set of what ifs for the Saints no try for Joe Batchelor when Maloney shoulder charges him, but don't remember anyone decrying that decision as Catalans came back to win in MW? There were also worse high tackles in the game (Kasiano on Roby, Garcia on Lomax) which didn't bring a sin bin, and an argument for an 8 point try for Naiqama given Yaha kneed him in the head during the act of scoring.

bonaire wrote:

I understand the Catalan chairmans reaction but think it was said in the heat of the moment due to disappointment.,Thats not to say we dont need improvement in the officials
I have said that if we dont adopt a two referee system which is unlikely then do away with the in goal official as its not needed.
Use the officials as second linesmen so that we have in effect 4 linesmen each covering one quarter of the pitch.
Easy to keep up with all the play covering only 50 metres and give them more responsibility than just sticking their flag up

But where are we going to get those additional referees from? Who would want to be a referee in this constant climate that allows Guasch's comments as "but that doesnt mean improvement is needed". Our current culture in Rugby League is to blame anyone else for everything we can. Can the officials do better? Of course, much like players theyre only human. But unlike players who concede a high shot, or are offside, we dont go to the press and publicly question their question their aptitude and bias.

Re: What now? : Tue Oct 12, 2021 5:51 pm  

Josh Eaves signing for Newcastle Thunder - people on here were saying we should have tried to sign him as a replacement for JJ

Re: What now? : Wed Oct 13, 2021 7:45 am  

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... fc-3416770 Fonua signs at Cas He doesn’t need to prove a few people wrong , as Radford states, he needs to prove it to himself. He’s been really poor the last two seasons.

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/r ... fc-3416770 Fonua signs at Cas He doesn’t need to prove a few people wrong , as Radford states, he needs to prove it to himself. He’s been really poor the last two seasons.

[Chris71]

Re: What now? : Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:13 am  

Irregular Hoops wrote:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/mahe-fonua-castleford-tigers-sign-tongan-ace-following-shock-exit-from-hull-fc-3416770

Fonua signs at Cas

He doesn’t need to prove a few people wrong , as Radford states, he needs to prove it to himself. He’s been really poor the last two seasons.

Interestingly the deal is only for 1 year with options in Cas' favour to extend, time will tell if he has still got the level of performance, on his showing over the past two seasons I'm not so sure, unless him being released by us is a big wake up call for him.

Either way he's gone and regardless of how he does at Cas it was the correct decision to move him on.

Re: What now? : Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:33 am  

I dont think it's down to effort with Mahe, I think injuries and changes in the game have reduced his impact. Needs to play in a good side like we had in 2016/2017 that can reduce the impact of his errors and defence.

Looks a yard slower now meaning his wing days are over.

Re: What now? : Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:42 am  

Important to get recruitment right this year, as it will be evan harder next season with the new NRL team trying to sign a whole new squad.

Re: What now? : Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:48 am  

I've seen Bowden to Cas doing the rounds lately.

It's probably 2+2=5, but if it's true Radford is well and truly getting the band back together.