32 Rugby Leaguer & League Express a71 www.totalrl.com 28th September 2009
LEAGUE NEEDS TO
REVISIT PLAY-
WELLINGTON HOUSE, BRIGGATE, BRIGHOUSE, WEST YORKSHIRE HD6 1DN
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OFF FORMULA
THERE ARE SHORT SIGHTED CLUBS
relegated despite a second rate French hardened Rugby League players being
Having read the letter headed "Leeds 60s. I even get my hair cut at a senior
team finishing the season below them sick on the pitch and being unable to
buck the trend" and the subsequent citizen rate - not OAP.
in the Championship.
Rovers Legend!
look. However, whilst in doubtless
response from Sian Jones the Leeds The RFL certainly appear to be
The play-off matches have been absolute agony this man still finds the
tickets sales manager (Mailbag, Sept out on a limb here and I think it will
poorly supported and the fans did well Time has finally caught up with the time to applaud the fans singing his
21) it appears there is some prove costly. If my club changes their
to stay away as the games have been living legend that is Stanley Gene name and then later, whilst recovering
confusion between the senior citizen policy and reverts to pension age I
lack lustre and lacking any passion and he will not be offered a new in hospital, again thanks the fans on
and OAP concessions. won't be renewing and I suspect that
whatsoever. The notion of a top eight contract at Craven Park. Facebook for their support and even
The nationally recognised age at may others will think the same
play-off is barmy and I can only think What a player! What a servant jokes about the severity of his injury.
which you become a 'senior citizen' is because £80 to £130 can make a big
it's been introduced to suit Sky TV. to Rovers and to the game of Rugby This is what true Rugby League
60, not to be confused with becoming difference to people of my age many
How can a team who finish in the League. Stanley will be greatly players are all about - hard men
an OAP and receiving state pension. of whom are out of the workplace for
bottom half of the league be worthy missed and the game poorer without playing a hard game but with respect
Almost the entire leisure and many reasons
winners of the top prize? Innovation him. for themselves, each other and the fans
entertainment industry offers a David Chapman, Warrington
has it's place, but where will it end? He will go down in Rovers that watch and idolize them.
concessionary ticket for senior
I'm very quickly losing my folklore alongside Roger the Dodger, In that respect Chev Walker is a
citizens (over 60).
enthusiasm for this great game and Flash Flanagan, Clive Sullivan and true Man of Steel, and unlike one
The clubs that offer this
As part of the very large block of
long for a return to the best teams Len Casey amongst others. particular prop forward deserves our
concession (my own included)
Rugby League supporters from the
actually being rewarded for their Goodbye and thanks for the utmost respect.
usually bracket it along with junior
1947 post war baby boom I am
efforts at the end of the season, not memories Stanley. Get well soon Chev.
and students. I have just renewed my
deemed by the government to be
having to enter a new competition to
Matt Gregson, Redhill Martin Gudgeon, Leeds
season ticket without any problem.
entitled to winter fuel allowance and
prove their efforts weren't in vain.
The bus-pass scheme, senior
a bus pass that gives me free travel
Danny Norkus, Leigh
with high prices and dirty play from
BLADES QUERY
citizen railcards, free eye tests, winter
anywhere in the country.
the players.
I was at the Leeds v Hull KR
fuel payments etc are all given to over
Leeds Rhinos have joined a
WHERE’S THE CROWDS?
They'll never win the Fair Play
game and my sympathy goes to Chev
long line of people who have made
The perception of the Super
award or even get close to it under the
Walker for his unfortunate injury.
the mistake of treating my
League play-offs is all sweetness and
present chairman and coaching staff
However, being sat next to the
generation with contempt.
If the RFL needed proof its
light according to the script Eddie
and they will never attract new fans
tunnel, I couldn't help but notice Chev
I have travelled to Headingley as
reforms were unpopular, it got it
Hemmings, Sky's mouthpiece for
from the round ball game.
was wearing blades. I thought the RFL
an away supporter for just over forty
was going to ban them. Being involved
last week. The attendances at the
Rugby League works from. However,
years while my wife and our friends
The Rhinos need to change their
there's one aspect that I have seen in the Amateur game and having
play-offs were atrocious. Fans have been going for ten years
mentality or Leeds United will leave
neither commentary on or reporting in witnessed a few injury's involving
have voted with their feet and
longer. We have all worked all our
them way behind.
the press about. That is the appalling
David Jolly, Chorley
these boots I do think it is time
the answer is a clear no.
lives but now, for various reasons,
attendances. something was done about this type of
Jon Wilkin is right when he says
we have no employment between us
The Galpharm (Friday) attendance
JOKE
foot wear.
the play-offs breed mediocrity. The
and we find our support at Leeds is
4,263, home average 7,500, Wigan
Referees seem reluctant to show
What are the RFL going to do?
removal of the threat of relegation
no longer required.
(Sept 20) an attendance of 8,689, home Martin Cullimore, Huddersfield
exacerbates that - there have been
That makes the decision of
the red card to a player and instead
whether or not to travel there again a
average 14,000, Leeds (Sept 18)
some excruciatingly poor games this
take the easy option of putting the
no brainer, we'll vote with our feet
11,220 home average 17,000 and LEAGUE FOR WALES
season in Super League.
incident on report.
and save ourselves around £80. The
Saints (Sept 19) 6,157, home average As a Dewsbury supporter I would
With falling attendances and
same will happen with any other
8,500.
As for the disciplinary panel I
like to congratulate our old favourite
falling viewing figures (according to
club where greed overtakes good
However, in the lower leagues,
have visions of three suited and booted
Barry Eaton on getting Keighley to the
BARB) the game is heading to a
business practice.
crowds have been very healthy in their
men having brandies and cigars having
play-off final. I hope they win and get
financial morass because the RFL
Geoff Wake, Barnsley
play offs with Keighley (Sept 20)
already made up their minds what
promoted.
failed totally to understand the British attracting 1,501, home average 600,
punishments to dish out.
On the Celtic Crusaders debate I
sporting psyche. Widnes (Sept 18) 3,296, home average
Senior and Jones-Buchanan
used to enjoy seeing their games on
At the same time as the RFU
format in the Super League was for the
3,500, Barrow (Sept 17) 2,823, home
receiving a one-match ban each is a
S4C but as a Super League team they
strengthens its second tier to make
second club to play the seventh club
average 1,400 and Halifax (Thursday)
joke
seem to be banned from anything but
promotion more attainable to more
instead of getting a bye with the top
2,556 home average 1,800.
The RFL need to show some
Sky.
teams, the RFL weakens ours.
club. In the Co-operative leagues the
Chris Pollard, Crosshills
backbone.
If the RFL want to encourage a
We need complete reform now
PK Duffy, St Helens
old top five competition should apply.
Welsh team then free coverage of
before it is too late - bring back
As a result of increasing the
TOO MUCH BANG BANG matches on Welsh TV is essential and I
promotion and relegation and
format from six to eight clubs in the Could the powers that be ban
SHAKE UP
assume the club would benefit
introduce and RFU/soccer style
Super League, the number of games drums at stadiums for next season? My
I don't want to prolong the debate
financially.
pyramid system and the people who
has been increased from six to nine and visit to Wigan last week was ruined by
about James Graham's petulance but I
The programme was always well
gave us the current system should go,
we have the farcical situation of the the constant bang, bang, bang of a
must take issue with Eric Winstanley's
presented, much better than Sky's
and go now.
third and fourth clubs playing away in drum. I haven't been to any Leeds
comments (Mailbag, Sept 21).
efforts.
Kevin Mort, Colby, Isle of Man
the first round knowing that even if Rhinos game for two years for the
It doesn't matter how dirty or hard
Christine Gooder, Dewsbury
they lose, they will be at home in the same reason.
the opposition plays, at the end of the
LETDOWN
next round. I am not a party pooper as I love
game the players shake hands. You
POOR FARE
Where were the Rugby League No wonder Hull KR not only the banter, singing, shouting, clapping
would not see players like Keiron
I am saddened to see that this
fans are at the so-called mecca of the fielded a weaken team with players out and music etc that is all part of the
Cunningham, Adrian Morley or Jamie
season's games have been slower due
play off stage of the season? of position. Crowds in the first round fantastic atmosphere, but the
Peacock refusing to shake hands just
to lying on at the rucks, giving
There was 11,000 at Leeds, 6,000 were also poor as a result of the monotonous drumming for the full 80
because they had lost. They are real
defences time to get back on side. No
at Saints, 4,000 at Wakefield and then extended format.. As for "club call" I minutes is too much for anybody to
men of steel.
wonder attendances are down with that
8,500 at Wigan - why? have yet to meet any supporters who endure.
Will Graham be happy to shake
kind of play.
I thought all Rugby League fans are in favour of this gimmick. Margaret Woodhead, Castleford
the Leeds players' hands if Saints beat
The 10 metre rule is also not
hoped their team would get play off Mr R Johnson, Wigan
them in the Grand Final?
working. I would not like to buy a
glory. The attendances at games in the RHINOS MUST CHANGE
Eric Randal, Huddersfield
length of cloth from any current
first weekend of the play offs were
FOOT SHOOTING After watching Leeds United v referee.
very surprising and disappointing.
The Rugby Football League have Liverpool last Tuesday it is obvious
TRUE MAN OF STEEL Let's get back to entertainment
I don't agree with the "it's because
managed to shoot themselves in the which the most popular team in Leeds
Whilst at the Rhinos v Hull KR time, not stick it up the jumper time.
it's on TV".
foot so many times this season. Leeds is. A gate of nearly 40,000 shows the
match last week I witnessed something John Traynor, Heskethbank
Christopher Forster, Leeds
choosing their semi-final opponents potential for this sleeping giant. With
that made the selection of James
live on Sky TV just about puts the no top flight football team in Yorkshire Graham in the Man of Steel shortlist a SHORT MEMORY
RFL HAS LOST IT icing on the cake. at present Leeds Rhinos should be complete joke. The so called experts Chris Riordan (Mailbag, Sept 21)
The play-off competitions should We've had the Celtic Crusaders attracting more than a 16,000 average have decided that a petulant, sulking wrote about Saints players questioning
only involve the top half of each being bailed out when they ran out of crowd. cry baby deserves this award. the referee over decisions and says he
division, as any bigger number cash, six of their players being But after watching Leeds v Saints Then we have Chev Walker who cannot remember any Wigan players
devalues the league competition. The deported because nobody checked recently I am not surprised many suffered an horrendous leg break at doing this.
only change needed to the previous their eligibility and Leigh being people keep away from Headingley, Headingley, so nasty that it had Sam Tomkins, Steve Ganson and
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