Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Sun Sep 15, 2019 10:10 am  

Khlav Kalash wrote:

Truth of the matter there isnt that much difference in quality between 5th and 12th this season. Bounce of the ball here, injury there. Only Saints have really excelled. At the start of the year I reckond Triniry could finish anywhere between 5th and 10th. I suppose there are a number of clubs supporters who could say the same.

Correct, people complain about their own clubs performances being inconsistent, but in the same breath require the league to be competitive. (you can't have both.)


The last game of the season, with only catalan, Leeds and Saints having little to play for is not a bad result for the league and keeps interest across the board.

Just goes to show a top 8 playoff is not the only way to keep clubs involved for a whole season.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Sun Sep 15, 2019 10:36 am  

bewareshadows wrote:

Correct, people complain about their own clubs performances being inconsistent, but in the same breath require the league to be competitive. (you can't have both.)


The last game of the season, with only catalan, Leeds and Saints having little to play for is not a bad result for the league and keeps interest across the board.

Just goes to show a top 8 playoff is not the only way to keep clubs involved for a whole season.

Nobody can disagree with you but, London surprised everyone and had the pre season predictions been right, the lower half of the league would have been playing "dead rubbers" for the last 5/6 weeks.
I guess that it will all depend on the quality of any promoted side and for those already in SL, ensuring that the wheels dont all come off at the same time.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Sun Sep 15, 2019 11:43 am  

wrencat1873 wrote:

Nobody can disagree with you but, London surprised everyone and had the pre season predictions been right, the lower half of the league would have been playing "dead rubbers" for the last 5/6 weeks.
I guess that it will all depend on the quality of any promoted side and for those already in SL, ensuring that the wheels dont all come off at the same time.

Yep, London were the key, nobody expected them to be so competitive, which is good. However, I doubt you'll see four teams on 20 points with one game to go again any time soon. Tight hopefully but not that tight, it's not a one-off but it was unusual, effectively you had three Million pound games, not the usual one.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:38 pm  

Fishermanscap wrote:

Yep, London were the key, nobody expected them to be so competitive, which is good. However, I doubt you'll see four teams on 20 points with one game to go again any time soon. Tight hopefully but not that tight, it's not a one-off but it was unusual, effectively you had three Million pound games, not the usual one.

If the pre season predictions had been anywhere near right, there wouldn't have been anything close to a MPG, just a series of meaningless games.
I suppose it's testament to the improving quality at the top of The Championship, that London were so competitive. Of course, the opposite could be true, in that SL has dropped down to the level of the second tier.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:48 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

If the pre season predictions had been anywhere near right, there wouldn't have been anything close to a MPG, just a series of meaningless games.
I suppose it's testament to the improving quality at the top of The Championship, that London were so competitive. Of course, the opposite could be true, in that SL has dropped down to the level of the second tier.

Bit of both I suspect.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:37 am  

My pessimism (and predictions) proved to be way off, thankfully. WT dominated the game from the off, and never really looked like losing - which surprised me.

Obviously happy to have retained a SL place in difficult circumstances, but I have huge empathy with the London players, staff and supporters; they shook up SL against all predictions, and played really entertaining rugby, in the right spirit. It's a shame they won't be involved next year - they've added more in one season than Toronto ever will.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Mon Sep 16, 2019 11:19 am  

bren2k wrote:

My pessimism (and predictions) proved to be way off, thankfully. WT dominated the game from the off, and never really looked like losing - which surprised me.

Obviously happy to have retained a SL place in difficult circumstances, but I have huge empathy with the London players, staff and supporters; they shook up SL against all predictions, and played really entertaining rugby, in the right spirit. It's a shame they won't be involved next year - they've added more in one season than Toronto ever will.

Yep, only in RL could we spend 30+ years creating a London team and when we finally get one that's finally what I'd call a genuine team and they are to be replaced by a team that I just can't see having any real longevity.

London develops players, develops the game in London - Toronto don't as far as I'm aware even have one Candian in the team 0r any kind of development set up - all the above need to come first as London has just demonstrated but we never learn.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:07 pm  

bren2k wrote:

My pessimism (and predictions) proved to be way off, thankfully. WT dominated the game from the off, and never really looked like losing - which surprised me.

Obviously happy to have retained a SL place in difficult circumstances, but I have huge empathy with the London players, staff and supporters; they shook up SL against all predictions, and played really entertaining rugby, in the right spirit. It's a shame they won't be involved next year - they've added more in one season than Toronto ever will.

The most apt post of the season and possibly of the SL era

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:04 pm  

Fishermanscap wrote:

Yep, only in RL could we spend 30+ years creating a London team and when we finally get one that's finally what I'd call a genuine team and they are to be replaced by a team that I just can't see having any real longevity.

London develops players, develops the game in London - Toronto don't as far as I'm aware even have one Candian in the team 0r any kind of development set up - all the above need to come first as London has just demonstrated but we never learn.

Except they didn’t come first did they. It’s taken 20 years to get to the position London are now in with some decent grassroots.

It’s daft to assume Toronto would suddenly produce a Canadian good enough. They need 10 years+ of consistent investment in a full time league first.

Re: GAME ON : Wakefield Trinity v London Broncos - 19:45:00 : Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:50 am  

Him wrote:

Except they didn’t come first did they. It’s taken 20 years to get to the position London are now in with some decent grassroots.

It’s daft to assume Toronto would suddenly produce a Canadian good enough. They need 10 years+ of consistent investment in a full time league first.

You come back in ten years and we'll discuss Toronto in the past tense, I promise you that. As I say some people never learn, all pie in the sky nonsense that continually costs the game.