Rugby Football 22-23

[Karma]

Well done, Leeds, good win in the end. Sorry the following is only a little bit about sport. (But no politics or religion)

I suppose every game of rugby or football should be able to decide how it wishes to honour our late Queen. No Association football today by the powers on high. York City game postponed and am tempted to go on Sunday to watch York City Knights RL against Workington Town RL (My wife's late Uncle played for York as did my brother-in-law) or even Bradford Bulls RL v Widnes knights RL

As it is I just love live sport and failing that just to go out and do something. My wife and I actually went to Saltaire this morning, to Salts Mill and saw a free exhibition, I think entitled 'LIFE ', a retrospective of photographs (largely 1970's and 80's) by Bradford born 'artist' Ian Beesley. This included photographs of Bradford Bulls, Bantams (Bradford City) Bradford mills of yesteryear, coal mines, Sewage works, People and Pubs of Bradford. This artist is much acclaimed, all black and white photos, gritty, funny. I think people's faces always look much more characterful in black and white. I'd recommend it if you get chance (Wed - Sun until end of October) I came away much impressed and also grateful I had been fortunate not to have had to work in a mill or a sewage works. Some modern-day sportspeople don't know how lucky they are, doing something they love should not be regarded as work. There's always a however

Having some time left we hopped over to Harrogate, well Harlow Carr and the RHS Gardens. Fantastic. Strangely enough we met another photographer with a sports connection to whom we talked for nearly an hour. He'd suffered a brain injury when he and another sports coach had a clash of heads, it has affected some of his short-term memory. He had to stop work as a sports coach and is now a mature student, he's just finished his first year for his PHD and although I couldn't quite get the title of his thesis it's basically about how photography can help people recover from some brain injuries. We spoke a little about photography, being colour blind (me) his camera, and plans for his own exhibition and PHD. He's now planning to go to Salt's Mill for Ian Beesley's exhibition with his wife. She works at a local University, and they have a few-weeks-old premature baby in York hospital (born after lots of fertility treatment). Baby been in in incubator there some weeks and they are only allowed to visit every other day as its heart rate increases too much. This young man for all his difficulties and knock-backs was very positive and a bit of an inspiration. Puts things in perspective Well done. Good luck

 

[Newby]

Salford unfortunately beat Huddersfield fairly easily today to progress in the play-offs.

Wigan welcome Leeds next Friday.

St Helens host Salford next Saturday.

The winners go through to the Grand final at Old Trafford the following week-end.

You can only dodge so many bullets, Salford played a weakened team in the last game of the regular season and slipped down to sixth in order to miss the trip to Toulouse. They obviously fancied staying in England and playing Huddersfield, which was fair enough, and has worked for them.

Now though they have to face St Helens, who have been head and shoulders the best team in the competition this season, in the semi-final.

I must admit I didn't see us in with a chance of winning anything when we were flirting with relegation a few months ago but I'm starting to believe.

 

[DaveMorton]

Derby day in the National League RU. Sedgley trailed 19-12 at Chester, but snook it in the last 10 minutes, 19-20.

Two surprising results perhaps, as Hull Ionians beat Rotherham 27-22, and Sheffield won at neighbours Tigers 14-35.
Harrogate 7-24 Wharfedale, the only surprise being the smallish margin.
Otley 25-22 Huddersfield.

In the Championship, Donny got hammered 29-10 at Ealing. They were the top two last season, the clubs who failed to meet Premiership criteria.
In Nat One, Hull lost again, 22-29 at home to Darlington Mowden Park, and Leeds were stuffed 56-8 at Sale FC.

I was channel-hopping between the Test, and Joe & Harry, and Exeter 24-20 Leicester, which was a nailbiter with a lot of kicking tennis, which is happening more and more in tight games.

 

[Hawke]

A second home match for Ilkley in a week.

A minute’s silence and the flag at half mast, plus a photograph of HM in the programme was a proper way to recognise her passing. I took off my cap and stood baht ‘at for the duration in sight of Ilkla’ Moor.

Another narrow defeat, this time to a strong Alnwick. Ilkley have a really good defence and outstanding backs but Alnwick dominated possession, making the game safe with a penalty in the 11 minutes! !!!!! added on at the end for injury hold ups. 200 plus watched.

Enjoyed watching the more course rugby of Ilkley 2nds v Baildon 2nds during half time.

A local radio station, Drystone Radio, is actually having a match commentary on IRFU each Saturday afternoon,

 

[Hawke]

 

[Newby]

Sad news that the rugby commentator Eddie Butler has died. I'm not expert enough to analyse how well he described the game, but he had a wonderful voice for it. RIP.

 

[DaveMorton]

Very sad indeed. A great commentator and analyst, with the ultimate melodious Welsh voice.

 

[Newby]

Excellent game of Rugby League tonight, a marked contrast to last weeks, but with the same result. Leeds Rhino's go marching on to the grand final next week at Old Trafford after a very professional performance at Wigan to beat the hosts 8-20.

Brilliant!!!!

St Helens play Salford tomorrow in the other semi final.

 

[DaveMorton]

Terrific game, and well done Rhinos. Triumph of team spirit, and I thought the ref had a sensationally good game, decisive and calm and didn't shirk the big decision. He also spoke to players with proper respect, and they responded in the same way. I hear a lot of RL fans moaning about referees. Surely not this one.

On the sending off...I have no idea what the RL protocols are, but in RU terms the offence would be 'high end' of the high tackle range, because it was reckless and wild. But the offender's immediate action was one of concern for the victim, and it wasn't just a guy pretending to be sorry to avoid a red card. So I hope that gets taken into account. But RL suspensions tend to be very short anyway. I think you would be saying perhaps 6 weeks in RU, with 2 or 3 knocked off because of his contrition.

Tomorrow it's Sedgley v Preston Grasshoppers. DDT at the ready, along with the camera.
Today I watched Sedbergh School v Whitgift on YouTube, which was good except for an intensely annoying hooray henry commentator, yar, yar.

 

[Newby]

I think Bateman will get a 3 game ban for that one which is about as high as they get in RL.

I hear what you say about his concern for the victim. Unfortunately, Aiden Sezer, arguably the Rhino's best player and certainly the first name on the team sheet, subsequently failed his HIA and will miss playing in the biggest RL game of the season next week.

If they had court style victims impact statements, you could make a case that the ban should be increased because of the consequences.

 

[DaveMorton]

Sedgley 50-8 Preston Grasshoppers. That was fun! Payback time.

The past avenged, now they're just another Lancashire club, struggling a bit, finding the step-up to level 4 difficult, suffering injuries, having to throw youngsters in at the deep end. All the usual stuff. I wish them well. We're actually playing their U17s tomorrow.

Harrogate got an even worse hiding, 74-5 at Fylde.
Leeds lost 12-24 at home to Cinderford.

 

[Newby]

The term 'out of their league seems to apply to Harrogate. How many points do you reckon Sedgley will put on them next week!

How come Harrogate are on -5 points. I presume they have been naughty in some way.

Looks like another tough season for Leeds Tykes although, except for the pasting they took from Sale FC, they have at least been scoring tries and to some extent been in the games.

In RL St Helens managed to get through to the Grand final, I thought Salford were robbed but I suppose Saints deserve a shot after the season they have had.

We've just got to find a way to stop their fat blokes, only 1 fat bloke now as the other one is injured.

 

[DaveMorton]

Harrogate (and Huddersfield) were each deducted 5 points for failing to honour a fixture at the end of last season. I shudder to think what Sedge will do to them next week. Not getting relegated did Harrogate no favours. We've seen it happen to other clubs. Tired of getting hammered every week, a couple of players leave, which makes it even worse, and it spirals out of control. I think one club folded entirely. Peterborough Lions? Newly promoted, full of hope. A year later - dead.

I think both they and South Leicester have both been reborn somewhere in the depths of Counties 3 Midlands East (South), which doesn't exactly sound all that brilliant. I'm not making it up!

RFU

www.englandrugby.com

 

[DaveMorton]

photo album

2022/23 SP v Preston Grasshoppers

A game in National 2 North

www.flickr.com

 

[Newby]

Rhino's Women beat York City Knights Women to win their Grand final today. It could be a good omen for next week.

York City Knights men beat Halifax in the Championship play-off eliminator this afternoon 24-26. It's a long shot but they are still in with a chance of the Super league next season.

Leigh v York and Featherstone v Batley in the semi-finals next weekend for the chance to play in the so called 'million pound game'.

Leigh are favourites, but they've been bouncing up and down for the last decade and it would be nice to have a change. York would be fantastic, and it's so much closer than Toulouse.

 

[Newby]

I think Bateman will get a 3 game ban for that one which is about as high as they get in RL.

I hear what you say about his concern for the victim. Unfortunately, Aiden Sezer, arguably the Rhino's best player and certainly the first name on the team sheet, subsequently failed his HIA and will miss playing in the biggest RL game of the season next week.

If they had court style victims impact statements, you could make a case that the ban should be increased because of the consequences.

Bateman did get a 3 game ban, which he is likely to serve during the RL World Cup.

You have to wonder when a player (Morgan Knowles of St Helens) gets a one game ban, which would have been the Grand final, loses his appeal on Monday and then appeals again and gets it overturned on Tuesday. I admit I'm biased but it smells to me, especially having seen what he did.

Switching codes, Wasps and Worcester both look to be heading into administration.

 

[Donnylad]

Bateman did get a 3 game ban, which he is likely to serve during the RL World Cup.

You have to wonder when a player (Morgan Knowles of St Helens) gets a one game ban, which would have been the Grand final, loses his appeal on Monday and then appeals again and gets it overturned on Tuesday. I admit I'm biased but it smells to me, especially having seen what he did.

Switching codes, Wasps and Worcester both look to be heading into administration.

That is what you get when 'big business' tries to run sports clubs as 'big business'. Wasps hopefully, will get all they deserve and be wound up. Worcester .... someone needs to take a very good look at they way current (and certainly previous_ owners have run the club.

 

[DaveMorton]

Wasps have really let down their fans since the amateur days, though historically there probably weren't many. Rugby was a participation sport, and most of the watchers were wags or parents, or former players with the club. That was as true at Wasps as at any junior club.

Sedgley played 'A Wasps XV' as part of our 50-year celebrations, a trip to Twickenham for an International match, a good night on the booze, then the Wasps game Sunday. We were treated respectfully and well, including a team just good enough to beat us, without humiliation. Their set-up in London (Sunbury? Sudbury? something like that) was similar to Sedgley's today, but a bit scruffier. They were loaded with money, not having to pay their players, of course. That was around 1981/2.

When leagues started a few years later, and the game went pro at the top level, they played at a couple of football grounds nowhere near their roots, then moved to Coventry. The owners cared not a damn about any supporters. They would find some new ones; which they did, being a highly attractive team.

Worcester came from low down in the leagues, roughly from the level Ilkley are at now. In their case it was a millionaire owner, who built a fine stadium and recruited a team. Being a major city, there was obviously room for a top rugby club. I know they've got a thriving Academy, with a plethora of good junior clubs in the area, and several posh schools, not difficult. They have been holding on to a place at the top table, never threatening to win anything, ever since. And now the sugar daddy has gone....

If these two clubs do go to the wall, there will be kids crying themselves to sleep, but the suits won't give a monkey's. They will just go elsewhere, and ruin someone else's enjoyment. The players will find new clubs, and only the handful of local ones will care.

 

[DaveMorton]

Brilliant game on BT Sport tonight, Bath v Wasps. Wasps apparently have 20 days to find £20million, if I heard correctly, but the team came storming out to lead 25-0 in front of 12,000 Bath fans. Game of two halves, both superb, which Wasps won 39-31. All this and a refereeing masterclass from Wayne Barnes. I don't know how anyone can be that good at anything. Close-run thing between Barnes and Harry Brook today!

The Wasps coach Lee Blackett is Cheshire born, Lancashire school, and played for Fylde. Then Sheffield Hallam University, Rotherham and Leeds Tykes. Proper bloke, he seems, and deserves better.

I am so torn tomorrow. Go to Harrogate, or watch the 3rd XV at home, or the Midlands Derby Northampton v Leicester on TV?

 

[DaveMorton]

I see West Bridgford RFC is in Ilkley's league. What!!! West Bridgford is in Nottingham, it's where Trent Bridge is. How are they in Regional One North East? They have played 3 games so far and conceded 184 points. My guess is that they won't be there at the end of the season.

A further look, and Paviors, also from Nottingham, are there - High Pavement Grammar School Old Boys, as they were - and also Scunthorpe, the club whose name may not be written (on some forums, for fear of offending a swear detector). Perhaps this forum. I am about to find out. What a silly world.

The reforms to the leagues were suppose to reduce travel. Why isn't Scunny in with Burton and Stoke, Lichfield and Nuneaton? They will have to travel to Yorkshire for nearly all their games, and to Alnwick for one of them! Someone really does need to buy the RFU and John Inverdale an atlas.