rugby league journalist
Toulouse - Super? Or not so Super?
The panel:
Mark Aston (Sheffield Eagles coach and CEO)
Bobbie Goulding (former France coach)
Chris Irvine (The Times rugby league correspondent)
NIGEL WOOD last week hailed Catalan Dragons as “an unreserved success” before admitting that the RFL “have already identified Toulouse Olympique as the French club with the greatest potential to make the step up into Super League.” [Read more...]
Super League’s back. Isn’t that just a load of big blokes running into each other?
Err, no. It’s rugby as it’s meant to be: running, passing and tackling combined with speed, skill and plenty of guts.
Regular readers of League Express might this morning have noticed something new: The Big Question.
The aim is to create debate and discussion around some of the biggest issues in rugby league.
Today’s question comes off the back of Nigel Wood’s interview last week, when he highlighted Toulouse as the next French club potentially able to step into Super League.
Bobbie Goulding, Mark Aston and The Times’ rugby league writer Chris Irvine all gave their thoughts on the following:
Should admitting a second French team into Super League be a priority for 2015?
We’d love to hear your views, too.
Get involved on the TotalRL.com messageboard or include the hashtag #rlbigQ in your tweets.
And if there’s a burning question you’re keen to have answered, feel free to put forward your suggestions.
Here’s an interesting screen-grab taken just after midday today.
After months of speculation, has the mystery of the new Super League sponsor just been solved?
Seems the RFL registered the domain stobartsuperleague.co.uk on 7 December 2011.
Any particular reason, folks?
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UPDATE (3:34pm): Add the following to the list of domains registered to the RFL…
eddiestobartsuperleague.com
eddiestobartsuperleague.co.uk
stobartsuperleague.com
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UPDATE II (23 Jan, 3pm): Press release issued by the RFL at 3.17pm on 20 January, 2012:
“The RFL confirms that Stobart Group has today agreed Heads of Terms to secure title naming rights to Rugby League’s Super League.”
1. That Super League clubs begin to realise blokes like Daryl Powell and Mark Aston might be just as good a bet as an NRL assistant.
2. That the new Super League title sponsor (there is going to be one, right?) is a nationally-recognised brand.
3. That Brian McDermott’s default setting might alter from ‘grumpy’. [Read more...]
Is there a pot of gold waiting for England?
From a rugby league standing, the last month has been brilliant. I’m not sure my nerves would say the same thing.
International rugby league does this to me. Super League seasons whiz by; another year gone, another name on the Man of Steel trophy, another pre-season looming. But internationals – that’s something completely different. Wide-eyed hope replaces the jaded cynicism of week-in, week-out club action, even if it’s safer to pretend there’s no hope whatsoever.
I was fine until a fortnight ago. Then, about half an hour before the England-Australia game at Wembley, things got a little tense. [Read more...]
A penny for your thoughts, Steve... (SWpix.com/Gillette)
Wembley? Encouraging, entertaining, enjoyable.
But have we fallen into the trap of being so encouraged that beating New Zealand is now just a formality?
That’s a dangerous place.
The Kiwis haven’t played well – yet. [Read more...]
Photo: SWpix.com/Gillette
Finally, it’s here. The Challenge Cup is special and the Grand Final spectacular, but there’s nothing quite like an international thriller to get the heart racing.
Trouble is, we haven’t had too many. At least involving England (or Great Britain), that is.
We all know the script with depressing familiarity. October optimism, November negativity.
And yet part of us still reckons this year, this time, maybe… just maybe.
If you won internationals on the basis of being a nice guy, Steve McNamara would be leading us to the Promised Land. No doubt.
Apparently that’s not how it works. [Read more...]