League Express Podcast #30: NRL thrives in Vegas, SL results and English debutants down under

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In this week’s episode, Editor Martyn Sadler and Host Jake Kearnan discuss the success of the NRL’s season launch in Vegas, some questionable suspensions in Super League and which English players will debut for their new NRL clubs this week.

All right guys welcome back to another episode of The League Express podcast my name is Jake Keenan and joining me as always is the editor of League Express Martin Sadler and Martin we’re on our 30th episode today it’s um just the time is just flying by hasn’t it it certainly

Is yeah it’s it’s weird to it doesn’t feel like we’ve done 30 of these but you know we’ve got to accept that we have and uh and what a great week to have as the 30th week Jake um the NRL making its debut in Las Vegas and I thought that

Was a fantastic event I mean obviously I’ve only seen it on TV I wish I’d been there but so what a what a great event a double header with um with you know 40 odd, thousand people in the stadium um a fantastic facility uh enclosed roof so

You know they were playing at a constant 21 degrees while apparently the winds um had had the worst gale force winds in Las Vegas since 1985 so what a great thing it was to be playing in a an enclosed Stadium you know what a you know that doesn’t need any more

Justification does it and imagine taking a conversion from the sideline with those winds coming across no no and then we had some great action in Super League Of course and uh you know there’s there’s Stacks to talk about mate no absolutely how long have you got yeah

That’s right God we could be here all day um but before we get into it we also say we’re approaching 700 subscribers on YouTube so just a reminder to our viewers out there and listeners um if you want to get notifications yeah when we when we upload go and hit subscribe

And yeah you’ll be informed when we do upload our content absolutely um but yeah why don’t we jump straight into Vegas mate so um your overall First Impressions I know there was uh I guess across the board there was people 50/50 they had a few doubts about us going

Over there and and trying to expand the game what what do you make of it well the first thing that I would say is let’s learn never to under underestimate Peter vlandis because Peter vlandis it was his idea um a lot of people scoffed at it when he first sort of broached the

Idea maybe a couple of years ago now I would think and people said you know this isn’t going to work it’s it’s a crazy idea in fact it was a brilliant idea and there were lots of potential teething troubles you know the before the uh four clubs made their Journey

Over to America there were some problems with visas for one or two of their players who had you know had one or two minor Runnings with a law in the past and so on because the Americans um don’t like to uh give visas to people who have got any criminal record but it

All went well in the end they all got there they all had a wonderful week um the fans were the important people though and I think they all knew it was going to work well when when they had a sort of meet the fans session didn’t

They the fandom day uh when there were probably all the teams were there and there were about 5,000 people you know flooding the Las Vegas Strip to to meet the teams and you got the Feeling then that it was going to be a great success and and the wonderful thing was you know

That there were all these complaints beforehand weren’t there about the you know the size of the pitch was going to you know mean that we were going to have two very dow games with very few tries and so on well that could hardly have been further from the truth could it

3624 the first game 20 points to 10 the second game some great tries magnificent magnificent moves I think the I think the audience in the stadium was probably you know about about 50/50 in terms of um Australian and English rugby league fans going there and American fans

American people seeing it for the first first time but I can only imagine that those who were there thoroughly enjoyed themselves there were only two snags actually at the weekend as far as I can gather uh Jake one was the uh accusation of a racist slander made by brisbane’s

Jake M against the roosters Spencer lenu and that was sorry Spencer lenu against sorry Ezra Ezra man sorry I’m getting it wrong Ezra man against Spencer lenu um which was surprising and unfortunate and obviously that’s got to go through the disciplinary process so we’ve got to see

What the outcome of that is I mean I’m I was really surprised by it and the second thing was there was a a slight hiccup with the um TV V coverage in America on Fox Sports 1 where it was the the the the first game the um manly uh

Roost um rabbito game was supposed to follow a college basketball game on Fox Sports One which is the main sports channel over there but apparently the basketball game ran over into extra time and the first 17 or so minutes of Manley and the rabbit H was actually shown on Fox Sports to

Which is the minor channel before transferring to Fox Sports One but the good thing was it just transferred to Fox Sports One in time for them to see that fantastic interception Tried by Jason sub yeah you know which uh which was certainly worth seeing wasn’t it so

No but it was it was an incredible um achievement and I noticed one very interesting thing um in in one of the Sydney newspapers this week um since the Vegas event that um one guy who is uh a major sports figure over there uh who owns who’s got a stake in the San

Francisco 49ers and whose business actually owns Le United the foot football club in this country has said that he’d be very open to buying an NRL Club potentially and if that happens if that you know if if we get to the stage where very wealthy Americans are

Interested in taking a stake in rugby league clubs either here or in in in austral Australia that’s going to be quite a big um a big change isn’t it no absolutely and it’s always positive when there’s investors talking about you know just the potential involved in our game

And absolutely um a few things I picked up on right is they there was a few little uh I guess you could say a bit of Americanization of the coverage I found so just a few things so every time the football was kicked into the crowd the

Fans got to keep the football that was pretty cool um the yellow gold post I thought that was a nice touch it kind of like the NFL y the pitch looked terrific with all the markings didn’t it you know and it’s the one thing we need to learn

When you look at a Super League pitch it’s bare virtually apart from the lines going across the field and the way the pitch was marked out in in in Vegas just gave uh you know it’s it’s difficult to sort of say how much value that adds to

The event but it does do doesn’t it it looked fantastic the pitch had been rolled out I think the you know a couple of days before um and the whole thing looked great it looked absolutely marvelous and and interestingly um they it was a pitch that was slightly shorter

Than the standard Rugby League pitch but they’ done the grid lines you know which are supposed to be 10 meter grid lines I think they’d done those so that they were evenly spaced and probably about 9 MERS each I would imagine but again that looked great you know and it it it it

Was a a brilliantly marketed event I think no Absol absolutely and um just a touch on I guess the crowd attendance a tick over 40,000 I thought personally if we could get you know 25 to 30,000 to the game I thought that would be a success but 40,000 is um pretty good and

There were probably more who would have gone but but as I say the appalling weather conditions which which were the as I say the strongest winds they’ had since 1985 apparently um that I think they’d have got up to 45,000 if that hadn’t you know been the case so you

Know and but I think they’ll get more next year that’s the important thing thing um because I’ve seen lots of people including me I must say saying well God I I didn’t go this year but I’ll definitely go next year uh if at all possible so it’s going to be really

Interesting isn’t it to see who they pick next year um for the double header assuming it’s the same format next year as this year which which which four clubs will will be chosen to go I’m pretty sure that the four clubs that went this year will want to go again but

I’m pretty sure that probably all 13 of the other NL clubs will also want to go and then of course there the question about the longer term future is there a is a scope for the world club challenge being one of the games um which there is

But that would have to be carefully handled because of course um the world club challenge as far as the NRL is concerned needs to be played before the NRL season starts and it would be difficult to fit that in uh in a way that would really uh work properly I’ve

Thought about it and I’ve got a solution go on my solution is whoever wins the NL Grand Final this year they get the round one by that’s a great idea so don’t hold off the scheduling until after the grand finals being played and then say let’s

Say penrith win again this year they get the round one by that way that I mean they don’t get the the luxury of having a week off that other teams would get but I’m sure if they had uh the choice of going to Vegas and playing the world

Club challenge versus having a week off in the season they would pick the world club challenge every day of the week if pet of Landis is watching this podcast which I hope he is how much how much you’re going to charge for that idea Jake oh who knows

Mate I think we might charge six figures who knows exactly but it’s a great idea no I think that that I think that’s that’s an interesting thought and certainly you’re on the way to a solution there’s no doubt and it would only so how long ago was World Club

Challenge there two weeks it was it was just a week ago ago yeah so it would only be assume we’re going off the same scheduling as this season it would only be a week delayed so it wouldn’t have a major impact on the super Le maybe for

The team coming back that have to do with maybe a little bit of um yeah you know um jet lag but yeah we’ll see what happens um but yeah in the matchups obviously SE Eagles 36 defeated the Seth 24 and the roosters 20 defeated the Broncos 10 um some people might say both

Of those games were upsets um well yeah I’m not sure there are upsets in the NRL these days by and large I mean Mo both most teams seem very equally um you know well equally matched and maybe West Tigers if they you know that and and St

George this year that maybe they’re the two weakest but apart from that I think I think the beauty of the NRL is that it’s one of those competitions where any team can beat any other on the day and and that’s that’s that’s what what happened and I thought Manley were

Magnificent actually um you know that that really was a tremendous win for them um and similarly the roost look formidable don’t they this year yeah well I was talking to my partner Jane the other day and I said if you look at the Roosters on paper You could argue

They have one of the best teams in the comp and um you know last year they significantly uh I guess underachieved you could say uh I picked them to be a grand final Contender at the start of last season but yeah they seem to be hitting their form early which is NI

Well yes although it’s always better to hit your form late than early absolutely as they say don’t they no that’s right let’s not forget last year South Sydney were top of the league halfway through the season but finished nth and then a dramatic fall yeah yeah why that

Happened who knows yeah now I’ve there’s been a little bit of discussion about the team selections for next year we touched on it earlier do you think that um it should be limited to top eight teams that get selected for years to come you I guess you want your best uh

Attacking football on display for the Americans you probably don’t want to be picking the bottom four teams no I mean you know it it’s I don’t know I’m not absolutely sure how they um picked the four teams that went this year I don’t quite know whether they you know what

The criteria were that they adopted but certainly teams that are going to play an attractive brand of rugby um that would that would um maybe be one Criterion who knows but you know you might want to make it even more multinational the New Zealand Warriors for example uh if they Melbourne storm

Teams that represent major cities um you know you had Sydney and Brisbane there this year of course then South Sydney I don’t suppose many people in America know where Manley is but um you know it it I just thought it worked so well that I think you could send almost any four

Teams next year and it would go well but obviously you you might think about sending the four teams with the best support you know to to send the most number of people over there which would obviously maybe Newcastle Knights for example would be an obvious one wouldn’t they because they they’ve got great

Support and I can only imagine if we were to send um you know the winner of the Super League this year over for a world club challenge how many more fans would come from Brian Fletcher I spoke to you before the podcast Brian Fletcher was saying he met a lot of English fans

Over there I don’t know if you saw before the uh kickoff for the first game uh there were a group of Lee leopards fans who unfer a a Lee leopard’s Banner oh really oh yeah yeah absolutely yes it was they got everywhere impressed with that it wasn’t Derek Bowmont it was it

Was some some some some of the club’s fans but it was great to see that’s fantastic and before we get into the Super League news I want to um give credit to the officiating I thought they did a great job letting the game Flow absolutely yeah um and yeah and another

Thing I like I want to touch on is I think the Americans would have liked seeing the Bloodshed I think in the manly um South Sydney game there was a lot of players yeah L cro l kroer blood coming and that’s quite a foreign thing for them obviously because they wear

Helmets but there was a f minute window there where that was just players getting taped up everywhere yeah thought no absolutely and and uh what we don’t know yet is what the TV audience was in in in in America for for those two games and uh I mean the the TV figures in

Australia were terrific weren’t they from both Fox and channel 9 uh but we’ve not yet seen what the figures are in in in America so that’s going to be quite interesting and and of course you know there are there are some critics some Skeptics I suppose who say well you know

The vast majority of Americans didn’t even hear of it and most American Media didn’t cover the games and so on but of course they didn’t you know you you can’t you’re not going to go to America have one major event and then have 350 million Americans all exulting about

Rugby league that that’s just ridiculous it it’s but it’s those who see it those who did see it would they want to see it again you know that’s that’s the key issue and um you know I’m I’m sure that most of them would and let’s let’s hope the audience builds in future that’s

Right we uh it’s a long-term vision and you know if we were to measure the success after one event um you I think we got to look at it as a as a four or five year plan well I noticed the the ultimate the ultimate um sign that it it

All worked is that there are now new stor is saying that the AFL are looking to play a game of theirs in in uh in America and looking to link up with the new competition Major League cricket you know to play on a cricket oval but of course there are no massive Cricket

Ovals in the United States so so um you know they could only look on with Envy couldn’t they yeah they’ve been very vocal in there and skeptical of us taking the game over there so oh yeah yeah but I don’t think they are anymore yeah hopefully we’ve silenced them um

Now we’ve had a lot of uh great games take place over here in the Super League uh Friday night we saw Warrington 30 defeated Castleford 8 I was at that game it was uh good to see uh it was my first time um interacting with Sam burges Post

Match so that was uh pretty yeah yeah he’s um he was very quick to get in and out of the press conference but he was very pleased with his team’s performance ask you what you’re doing over here over here in his no no no he didn’t ask me

That so uh but yeah I think uh his team it looks like they’re starting to hit their stride they had a very good first half uh they went a little bit quiet in that sort of third quarter that 20 minute period after halftime but uh finished the game strong um and I think

Mar Aston scoring two tries for them yeah and he’s uh two acrobatic tries as well brilliant put Downs in the corner he loves doing that he’s brilliant at it isn’t he it’s uh it’s a credit to the Wingers these days they do a great job

He’s he’s great to watch I mean he is a real he he that that’s the sort of thing you know you’d like to see more of in Las Vegas isn’t it really magical tries no absolutely uh and then we also had the Saints Lee game uh take place on

Friday night a little bit of controversy around this one Saints 12 defeating Lee four what did you make of that match up mtin I thought it was a real tough game a really great game and and Lee played incredibly well um just couldn’t quite make it against um St ens obviously

There was a a sin bin for John AATA with um you know a a tackle that some people thought looked dangerous but I noticed that he’s not been suspended for that and um and it was interesting because I I saw the TV coverage I obviously wasn’t

There myself um and on on the TV coverage there was quite a debate between the presenter Brian Carney um and John Wilkin about the nature of that tackle with them disagreeing John Wilkinson sorry John wilin condemning it and Brian KH is saying well hold on a minute it doesn’t um infringe the

Guidelines that the rfl put out after that controversy last year when when two Saints players got injured in John ASAT tackles and and Brian Carney to give him a lot of credit here he explained why that tackle was different and I think it was and and clearly the um the match

Review panel took the same view didn’t they and I also find that it’s interesting that this tackle has happened again in a Lee Saints game obviously it’s weird um passing in in Warmsley last year yeah but as the limped off by the way not long after

That with um I’m not quite sure what the you know what I’ve not seen the diagnosis but obviously had a leg injury and uh you know whether will be playing this weekend who knows probably not I would think and if he’s not playing it’s another crucial loss for Lee who have

Also down Edwin AAE at the moment got MCL Brad wire played absolutely splendidly for for Lee and pulled off the most amazing tackle um you know try line tackle on Conrad herrell did you see that incident no I haven’t se I’ve got to watch that game still amazing

Absolutely amazing one of the tackles of the Season really yeah I’ll have to have a look it’s um now with the The Tackle controversy do you think there’s any way that this will get rubbed out of the game completely or do you think that there should be more done around

Protecting the legs of players well I think there is quite a bit being done um you know and the the the thing about aata’s tackle um on Friday night was that he didn’t go in front of the legs he went behind them um or at least I

Think that’s how it was and um that reduced the danger quite considerably as I say the the rfl set out some criteria for those low tackles where you’re diving to try and stop someone coming through and you hit you’re going low um and hopefully um hopefully that that that will take

Effect and uh and certainly that you know it was good to see that nobody got injured in that incident yeah absolutely and um yeah I guess it’s just you know when you sort of raise or when you learn how to tackle a certain style it’s hard

To shake that sty course it it happened a few times now at asata but yes um a very tight matchup there and um I’m sure Lee will be desperate to get a win uh this weekend yeah they’ve only played two games something there which you know puts them behind everybody else apart

From Wigan um so I’m sure they will be looking to to to get a win this weekend but you know there are no easy fixtures in Super League anymore by the look of it to to me anyway this week they play Lee sorry leads rather and um that’s

Going to be a interesting challenge for them I think as well yeah definitely uh we also saw Wigan defeat the Giants on Friday night 30 points to 18am Marshall which is great to see he he’s uh level with Ash Handley at the top of the TR scoring list five five tries each in

Three games which is good going I mean Ash Handley what a season he’s had to start the absolutely campaign um Saturday night we saw sford 17 defeated hkr1 what a performance from sord here well Mark’s need is just you know when he takes control of of a game he just

Dominates it doesn’t he and his kicking game was absolutely spoton it was a a strong Challenge from hul um but but you know I remember last week saying to Willie Pete as the Hulk coach you know how are you going to deal with Mark’s need and his kicking game and he said

Well we we’re planning for it but it you know it’s one thing planning for it but the trouble is you can’t always do anything and it’s not just that he kick well in in field you know he’s he’s good near the line he’s good at kicking long

But he also kicks goals so brilliantly as well you know and uh he he did do on on on on Saturday and also added a a crucial field goal that opened up a seven-point gap and effectively won the game for Lee so for for sford so you know absolutely marvelous performance by

Him and uh still doing it and it’s so great to see sford you know getting off The Mark with two wins out of three this um this season so far um this weekend they actually um have a a trip to St Helens which you know is going to be

Tough for them so um but you know they’re going going there in good form I think I was going to say have they surprised you with their start to the season yeah I I don’t think they’ve missed bro Croft and Andy akas as much as I thought they would do that that’s

That’s the point and and they’ve also added um some you know very good players you know Tenny McDonald or nenny McDonald I should say um I I think has added a lot to them in the middle in in in the center Center position um I think

Young Amir burrow is steep stepped up to play at Hooker very well for them and Kade kust has been a useful acquisition from Wigan to replace uh Brody Croft so you no I think they you know they always seem to manage to surprise us to sford

And they they’re doing it again no it’s great to see we also had leads 18 defeated catalans 10 on Saturday that was a tough tough attritional game and uh catalans just attacked leads right from the start and spent a long time camped out quite near the leads line but

Just couldn’t get over and they they just need a little bit more creativ you know if they had had Mark need playing for them I think they’d have won that game easily yeah because you know he would have kicked leads to death and he would have kept securing um restarts you

Know goal line dropouts and so on so so catalans just need to focus a bit more on on how to break a side down they can get near the line but they don’t seem to be able to make that last five or 10 meters so that’s the that’s the task

Facing Steve McNamara I think this week they play allall this week of course and uh you know that’s that’s a fiction that they ought to win and what were your thoughts on the T Sims yellow card in that uh I think it was a TRC scoring attempt and he’s came through and made

Some contact with the head I believe yeah I don’t think he’s has he I don’t think he’s been suspended has he as far as I’m no I don’t believe so so you know but I I thought it was a fairly standard yellow card actually yeah uh he made

Contact with the head and that’s now a yellow card isn’t it um it wasn’t um contact with sufficient Force to justify a red card um so that that’s the sort of rule we’re going to have to get used to one argument I would bring up is I

Thought that the when we had our discussion with Robert a few weeks ago I thought there might have been some leniency or mitigating circumstances in Tri opportunities um but I guess that’s up to you know the referee’s interpretation well yes I mean you know that might

Maybe it was borderline you know who who who knows between a yellow card and just giving a penalty but um you know that’s that’s the decision they made and but T Sims has had a good introduction to Super League I think you know putting that aside I think he’s shown really

Strong for catalans early in the season and it’s always the thing when uh players from the NRL come over here and they’re a little bit older in age you can really get a gauge in the first few games you know could they be here for a

Few years or it just going to be a oneyear stint and it looks like T has plenty of years left oh you have thought so wouldn’t you um so he’s fit in really well there and on Sunday we had hfc 28 defeated uh London 24 very unlucky

London I thought that was a great game personally yeah you know and London were unlucky my goodness and you know they’re not going to be anybody’s push over this year I don’t think um I mean obviously they’re a relatively inexperienced side um but you know they took H all the way

And Hull only won it in the last two or three minutes with Morgan Smith scoring that try when the London defense was probably out on its feet um but you know what a what a a great interception it was from Robbie story to take the lead for London you know with just five

Minutes to go and you thought they were going to win didn’t you but um um and I’ve got to say that I think the whole um coach Tony Smith and um the owner Adam Pearson and all the whole fans there were 10,000 of them there which

Was a great crowd for that game I thought but my goodness they they needed to win that game didn’t they they really needed to win that game and uh you know London could consider themselves really lucky one one player who’s really caught my eye so far this this season for

London Broncos is young Jamie Meadows playing at halfback playing for Bly last year oddly enough but he is a he is a a Londoner is Jamie I think he I think he came from the um Medway dragons in in Kent um you know um people will correct

Me if I’m wrong of course but um I thought he’s he’s showing up really well and they they scored um you know with some great kicks to the line Lee Kershaw’s try did you see that try Lee Lee Kershaw the Winger when Jamie Meadows just put a peach of a grubber

Kick right into the corner and Lee Kershaw picked it up brilliantly and and touch down with it I mean he’s been a good signing Lee Kershaw for for for London Broncos I was amazed that he left Wakefield to be honest but you know it’s great to see him still in super league

And and playing so well and and a lot you know a lot of those London guys are playing well and good luck to them I think they’ve got wigging this week so they have it’s not likely to be an easy game but you know they’ll get a great

Crowd there again won’t they CU I think Wigan will take a lot of fans down there to the um cherry red record stadium in Wimbledon and um you know they might even exceed the crowd they got for the catalans which was over 5,000 five 5102 and uh foral FC I’m sure they’re looking

Forward to getting some of their troops back that are currently serving suspensions um so but some of the younger players have done quite well for them haven’t they you know in the last two games so you know good luck to them and the the guy they need to get back is

Jake Truman um standoff who’s who’s a brilliant young player and I think they’re missing him more than anybody at the moment and he will give them some Direction when he returns which I I’m not quite sure when that’s going to be but I hope it’s not too long now no

Absolutely so um that’s the games from the weekend now I’ve seen a few stories this week around some of the suspensions so Conrad harell he set to miss a match um due to that incident over the week weend what did you make of that do you

Think he deserves a match for well I mean Saint Saints are not appealing against it as I understand so you’ve got to say probably probably he does I suppose um but I’m you know I’m sure they’ll manage without him yeah yeah they didn’t play W Wanga Blake at the

Weekend did they that was the interesting thing about their selection against Lee so I assume he will come in this week if unless he’s injured of course um so you know that’s that’s a a pretty excent replacement isn’t it oh absolutely and yeah I was going to say

Do we know if that’s injury or form related I me not sure I don’t think he’s he probably hasn’t had the the start he’d like for Saints um for well I mean it’s a long season and he’s only just arrived so you know he he’s he’s not had

A preseason with St Helens has he so that that’s the point and so it may well be that he’s a bit behind in terms of um Fitness and so still needs a bit of preseason work I suppose no absolutely now last week we didn’t have any Thursday night games M but I believe

We’re back this week uh with Thursday night picture uh I will say I was quite bored on my Thursday night I was think where’s the football so you didn’t watch the darts then no I didn’t watch D I struggled to watch darts I’m afraid but no it’s hul RV Warrington this Friday

And what a game for a Thursday night and uh you know I think hula close to selling that game out again hopefully um you know two clubs both on Four Points two wins out of three each of them um it’s a you know 50/50 sort of a game the

The question for me is Will George Williams be back for Warrington that’s right yeah um if he is I think I’d make them the favorites if he isn’t I think I’d make hul are the favorites but uh you know it’s it’s it’s looking looks

Like a great game to me what I will say is Leon Hayes God what a replacement he is for when George Williams looks looks a great Prospect doesn’t he yeah definitely and I think uh there was drink water went off injured during that match so he could be 5050 for this week

As well so we’ll stay tuned on that one thing I will say is um Ben Curry played through the middle so he played um you know loose head or lock um over on Friday night and he played a brilliant game he was in some one of my top three

For player of the match he rivaled Leon Hayes I was you know it was a coin toss between those two who got man of the match so um yeah potentially a future for him in the middle there I thought he played an outstanding game um before we

Get into some of the other matchups uh this week and just a couple of other news headlines um before we get into those I just want to get your thoughts I saw in your column this week Martin you’re talking about the new head of officials Phil benam Robert Hicks their press

Conference that they had last week um what did you take out of that mate and I’ve always liked Phil Bentham I liked him as a referee and I I like him as a bloke and um he not started yet as the rl’s uh March officials boss he’s is

Working out his notice at his uh previous employer which was with the company that operates V in football um but I think Phil is a very approachable guy as is Robert Hicks we saw had Robert on our um on on on this podcast a few weeks ago um and I think they are

Determined to make the whole um refereeing and disciplinary process very transparent this year and um the signs are that they are going to do that and going to do it successfully hopefully um it’s interesting how that you know in that first week there were so many charges brought against players but that

Has declined measurably hasn’t it in the two weeks since and you know that’s what we’re looking to see we want to see as few players as possible um being red carded or yellow carded and uh um and and and I think you know whenever there’s going to whenever there’s

Controversy I get the feeling that um both Robert and Phil will be very approachable to sort of explain what’s going on and put everything into context and that’s the important thing no absolutely that’s really good and um you know who knows they might be opening a door that they you know perhaps wish

That they kept clothes well you never know I mean but but generally speaking transparency is better than um being opaque isn’t it you know just just closing everything off and not letting any light in and that generally speaking doesn’t work well so good luck to both

Of them no definitely uh now last week you rejected a story for League Express uh around the interest of the NRL purchasing Super League uh there was a story in this week’s edition Andrew ABDO has actually said something about it which is a bit sort of um you know a bit

A bit not very specific is it but it is just I think somebody obviously has asked him about super league and he’s just more or less made a comment saying yes you know it’s a it’s a major competition we’d be interested in having a role there but you know you know the

Idea that that means they’re going to buy Super League is is fanciful to be honest and um you know who knows who knows what what might happen but uh you know I I could see quite a few people in this country not objecting to that if

There was an in I mean the the NRL is so much wealthier now than than English rugby league and if they were to in inject money in ideas and so on into into the competition that that would be tremendous wouldn’t it yeah definitely and uh especially if it if it came with

The consultancy of Peter vales uh well indeed yes I think I mean if Peter valis was over here uh I think we’d get the London situation sorted out fairly quickly I think he he would recognize how important London is um and uh so I think he’d find a way to boost London

And I think he’d find a way to expand the competition I think he would um make sure that the French teams were treated properly and so on which I’m not quite sure that they are at the moment but you know um we we’ll see I think it the thing

About vanders he is’s he’s taken away um the tendency of rugby league on both you know in both hemispheres to be quite inward looking and parochial um you know and he’s he’s he’s more or less come in and said damn that we’re going to grow and grow bigger and

We’re going to you know get more money flowing into the game from all sorts of sources and uh I think he’s been an absolute genius um for for rugby league so far and let’s hope he carries on for quite a few years yet and I was

Listening to him and Andrew ABDO on the Matty John show postmatch after the Russ’s Broncos game and they said that they started talking about uh growing the game and looking at American opportunities at the height of Co like when Co first hit and to be thinking about growing the game when you know

There’s such a risk to I guess you know the financial side of your game going forward and uncertainty around the future of League I just shows how aggressive their approach has been um but yes so they’re great aren they’ve landed sbdo which is rare for yeah they seem to get on together

And um Peter vlandis sometimes makes comments that might seem outrageous at times but but he backs them up doesn’t he yeah he backs them up and uh you can’t do more than that yeah his track record speaks for itself um but looking forward to the rest of the round one

Matchups in the NRL this week we had some good news so Morgan Smitty he’s been named in the C starting lineup he’ll started at lock there and um Kai Pierce Paul he’s been named on the bench for Newcastle I believe will price has been in the reserves yeah the

Reserves he’s been named but not not in the top 17 which is good I he Tred really well I watched some of his uh the trolls he played in so be great to see those guys and the Raiders are playing the Knights in this week’s matchup so

You’ll get to see the two and that’s on Thursday morning isn’t it and uh you know that’s that’s going to be a game that’s on sky in this country as well as on watch NRL of course and uh I’d be very surprised if they didn’t get a terrific crowd maybe even a sellout

Crowd for that game no absolutely uh looking at this week’s uh matchups in the Super League I’ll get your uh Quick Picks here Martin uh Saints vers sford who do you like in that one well you got to go with Saints haven’t you for that one I think no absolutely uh Lee verse

Leeds oh that’s a difficult one um I think I’d go with Lee playing at home yep I agree uh we got Castleford taking on the Giants well that’s an interesting one Castleford have had three defeats so far Huddersfield have had two defeats and one win they had a great win at Lee

Um but I you know I think Castleford have not been playing that badly um to be honest and I think they might just sneak a win on the home ground here I’ve just realized I have we touched on it before but I missed the Thursday night match up hkr vers Warrington hul KR

Probably yeah to sneak it uh Saturday London vers Wigan well it would be nice to say London wouldn’t it but you’d be a super Optimist you’ve got to say Wigan it must be Wigan in that in that case I hope by not too many you know what I’m

Hoping for there is that it’s a that London can be as competitive as they were against Hull um I mean you know they’ll be overpowered by Wigan I think but but you know as long as as long as they play well I think that’s the important thing

For their for their some of their new found supporters no definitely and uh the final matchup on the Saturday Catan’s taking on hfc we can only see catalans winning that can’t you you know Hull have been pretty disappointing so far this season they they just got away

With it against the Broncos on Sunday but you can’t really see them traveling to catalans and and unfortunately no definitely well it’s uh yeah set to be an exciting weekend of football uh we did have uh some 1895 Cup results did over the weekend uh so Bradford 21 defeated uh Swinton Lions 12

Sheffield 26 defeated Batley 10 Wakefield 30 defeated Barrow 12 and York 46 defeated Alm 12 yeah I think they were all results that you would have expected and um I think it’s Bradford versus Wakefield in the um in one semi-final and sheffeld Feld versus York or York versus Sheffield in in the other

And of course the two teams that get to the final play at Wembley so so there’s a a real big payoff for them there I think it’s a lot on the line and we have some challenge Cup round five fixtures this weekend I believe coming up yes

Indeed we do yeah yeah Swinton taking on Sheffield wedness taking on Batley Featherstone taking on Wakefield and Halifax taking on York hn yes the Amer team yeah that’s amazing that the Amer team’s got through to round five I mean obviously you assume that Halifax will end their run uh featherson versus

Wakefield is the interesting game though um an incredible local rivalry I can tell you um Jake as a kid who grew up watching Wakefield how incredible those Derbies were against featherston they they’re almost in each other’s backyard and um featherston’s a sort of small village Wakefield is the larger larger

City um but you know though I I can remember many occasions going to featherson with with Wakefield and coming home being desperately disappointed you know they um they always used to say at featherston in the old days when featherson was a mining town that um if they if they needed a

New player they just used to whistle down the coal mine and a new player would would would emerge you know and uh those days are long gone unfortunately but but you know they they can still you know they’re still a very competitive side and they will they will give way

Field their first competitive game this year I think and uh you know you would still think that Wakefield with all the talent they’ve got in their side should probably win but that’s a game that’s worth being at believe me that’s it and when you want to when you’re a dominant

Team like wakeford uh you want some close matchups you don’t want to be blowing teams at every week because when you do have that tough matchup it comes as a bit of a shock it does yeah they they’ve actually drawn a you know quite a few Amer teams in the so far Wakefield

But this is the first game against a fellow professional side but uh and then we’ve got the other games the um that game by the way will be shown on the Sportsman website if you if if you go to the sportsman’s YouTube channel you you you’ll be able to watch that game live

And it will be worth doing I think um and then of course on the Saturday we’ve got Swinton versus Sheffield which will be shown on the bbci player kicking off at 12:30 at um Haywood Road you ought to go down there because uh it’s it’s not

That far it’s a very easy train ride from Deans where you jump on the train to get down to sail in fact not you you wouldn’t go to sail you go to the following station brooklands I think it’s called it used to be called I used

To live in sale at one time many years ago um so I do know the stations around there as as they were and it’s a very nice little uh little venue is Haywood Road I think you’d enjoy enjoy that trip and what time is that one kicking off

12:30 on Saturday perfect yeah yeah I might have to try and get down there yeah yeah you ought to yeah awesome all right M um and we’re getting all this information obviously from uh this week’s edition of The League Express uh paper you can uh head along to

To.com shop to get your online copy or and that’s the FR oops if I can just show that just show the front page it’s coming apart uh front page there League Express worth every penny of the 2 p cost yeah absolutely yeah uh anything else you want to touch on before we wrap

Up today Martin we’ve had a a very famous player who sadly passed away Lewis Jones the former leads um Wales and Great Britain player uh died at the age of 93 so um came from Welsh Rugby Union I think he played for lley at Rugby Union in the early 1950s went on

The British Lions tour in 1951 at in Rugby Union but then soon after that signed for leads um and was one of the best signings leads ever made from from Rugby Union um went on tour with Great Britain um in in in our game and then um played for

Leads till you know the the the mid 60s um and and then went over to Australia for a while and coached wentworthville in uh in New South Wales before coming back here and living out his life in in in the city of Leeds and you know he is

A Hall of Fame is is in the Rugby League Hall of Fame is in the Wales Sports Hall of Fame is is obviously in the leads rugby league club hall of fame um and you know he was that sort of that sort of player genius uh kicker of a ball

Again um um you know played mainly at Center and uh and and won many a game for lead so they you know they it’s it’s a sad day for all those fans who used to love watching him when he was in his prime and one other guy who died

Recently by the way at an even greater age John etti the former olderman Wakefield Trinity Winger who played for Wakefield in the 1960 challenge Cup Final he’s died at the age of 97 wow which is you know a great Innings as they might say but nonetheless still

Extremely sad when his life comes to an end and and you know we’d like to send all our best wishes and condolences to the family of both those former players and uh you know I remember um seeing John etti in the latter part of his

Career and and uh you know he was he was he was a really fine Winger who did a good job for Wakefield when uh when he came from oldum so and and was an absolute gentleman as well one of the real gentlemen of the game lovely guy um

And uh you know I’m sure he’ll be missed yeah very sad news and our thoughts go out to their families uh we’re thinking of you and hopefully they can this tough time um all right mate well it’s been a pleasure we’ve had so much to talk about

We’ve got through it in in a pretty good time I must say uh you know as we mentioned we could have been here all day long talking so but yes a lot of good action look forward to this week and we’ll uh be back to do it all again

Next week man great stuff no worries don’t forget to subscribe guys uh Thanks Martin and yeah we’ll see you next week okay cheers