- 3 hours ago
On the latest edition of the Rugby League Talk show, we rejoice in Hull KR sealing a magnificent treble with a convincing win over Wigan Warriors in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford – adding the most coveted prize in the English game to the League Leaders’ Shield and Challenger Cup.
We also assess Shaun Wane’s England squad to take on Australia later this month in the eagerly-anticipated Ashes Test series, while we cast an eye over the closing stages of the Super League Expansion programme, which comes to a conclusion this week with the details of which teams will see the top tier expand to 14 teams from the 2026 season onwards.
We also assess Shaun Wane’s England squad to take on Australia later this month in the eagerly-anticipated Ashes Test series, while we cast an eye over the closing stages of the Super League Expansion programme, which comes to a conclusion this week with the details of which teams will see the top tier expand to 14 teams from the 2026 season onwards.
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00:00YorkshirePost.co.uk
00:02Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Rugby League Talk podcast from the Yorkshire Post.
00:07We're going to be wrapping up the 2025 season, although there will be other talking points
00:11that we're going to come back next week and talk about, no less the Super League expansion,
00:16which should be concluded by the end of the week.
00:21And James O'Brien is with us, as usual, and we're going to talk about that in a short while.
00:30We've got plenty of other stuff to talk about before then, not least Hall KR's magnificent treble
00:35and Sean Wayne's total disregard for the Man of Stoodle Award.
00:39But we'll start where we should do, obviously, with Hall KR, Old Trafford, the grand final.
00:46James, as you failed to predict, Hall KR got the job done.
00:52And, OK, I know they got a sort of slight help in that first half when Wigan went down
01:00to 12 men, but they were deserving and convincing winners in the end, ultimately, weren't they?
01:05Yeah.
01:06Let's just address your jibe first.
01:07I did back against Hall KR, having backed some all season, which hurts a bit.
01:13But, as I told you on Sunday, as the day got closer and as it became obvious what the conditions
01:20were going to be like, I did swear the other way.
01:24And I was telling people in the press box before the game, people can back me up.
01:28I'll take your word for it.
01:29I'll take your word for it.
01:30No, I sensed the 2007 kind of when everyone turned up expecting St. Helens to pump Leeds
01:36and Leeds flipped the script and pumped St. Helens, and I felt a bit of that in my bones
01:42at the time.
01:43And I wish I'd have publicised it, but I didn't.
01:46So, no one's going to believe me, and fair enough.
01:48But, yeah, they were deserved winners after a shaky start.
01:52The game could have been done and dusted inside the first 15 minutes.
01:56Wigan bombed a couple of tries.
01:59That first one, Liam Farrell, everyone's blaming Liam Farrell, but if Ben French doesn't
02:03go for the fancy no-look pass and actually looks inside and sees where his man is and
02:08hits the target, then it's a try.
02:10So, that's on Bevan French, and then Bevan French doesn't finish Liam Marshall's kick
02:15under pressure from Mikey Lewis.
02:17They're two huge moments, and if they swing in Wigan's favour, it's a long way back for
02:22OK, given what happened last year and what Wigan are like in finals.
02:26So, yeah, they did get a little bit of luck.
02:28Michael Lewis earned that luck by putting Ben French under pressure, and then he goes
02:34and breaks the game open at the other end when Wigan go down to 12 men, and then the
02:38score again, crucially, to get a bit of a lead there.
02:42And then they had a bit of a wobble at the start of the second half.
02:45It wasn't so much a wobble as Wigan got a bit of a surge.
02:49Which was going to happen, wasn't it?
02:51It was always going to happen.
02:52It was always going to happen, yeah.
02:53And then one of the most crucial parts, probably I think Sam Walters knocked on in the set from
02:59the restart.
03:00So, if we can get down the other end and apply a bit of pressure, it's probably a different
03:03kind of feeling around that last 30 minutes.
03:08But he made an error, and then Hulkear dominated field position and scored a couple of late
03:12tries to seal a really well-deserved win.
03:14And what a moment for them, and what a moment for the sport as well, because it's been so
03:18long since we had a first-time winner.
03:19And, God, I had full head of air back then in 2004, a young, fresh-faced, well, freshly
03:29out of my teens.
03:30So, I was...
03:31Were you ever fresh-faced?
03:33Well, I had a beard then as well.
03:36But, yeah, massive, massive moment.
03:38And it just shows what's possible.
03:40We've seen Lee and Wakefield, they've come up from the championship, they're knocking on
03:45the door now.
03:45And now they've seen one of the giants taken down on the biggest stage, then everyone knows
03:51it's possible now.
03:52And it did need that, because for so long, we've always had a Wigan St. Ellen's leads
03:59at the grand final in recent years.
04:01And it's always...
04:02When Wigan got there, I thought, you've just got to stop and get in there.
04:06And then you've got to have two potential first-time winners on the same stage at the
04:11same time.
04:11But OKR dethroned them, and it's just thrown it all wide up.
04:15And now going into next season, OKR, the next challenge for them is obviously to play the
04:21World Cup Challenge, and then they go to Vegas the following week.
04:24That's a hell of a start to the season, and that's going to take a lot out of them.
04:27But that's for another year, isn't it?
04:30We'll worry about that next year.
04:31But, yeah, what an incredible achievement.
04:33Three trophies in one year, having not won any for 40 years.
04:37That's just crazy.
04:38What an achievement.
04:39Yeah, that could do with perhaps avoiding what happened to Warrington after the Vegas
04:43trip to Vegas, I guess, really.
04:46Mikey Lewis, vindication, if any, were needed for him, because there were those who were
04:51saying he fails or he doesn't deliver often enough in perhaps in the big games.
04:58And obviously, he doesn't get much bigger in this country than Super League Grand Final.
05:03And, well, he surely did deliver, didn't he?
05:06He did, yeah.
05:07He took that game by the scruff of the neck, especially in the first half when it was in
05:10the balance.
05:11As I mentioned, that try saving effort on French, and then he scores the opening try, which must
05:16have given him so much confidence.
05:18And then he put in another great tackle on Bevan French.
05:21You could just see his confidence building as the game went on.
05:24And in the second half, his influence probably wasn't as obvious, but he was still there involved
05:29in most things.
05:30I voted for him, for Man of the Match, I've got to say.
05:34But Jared Worry, Hargreaves were very close.
05:36I would have gone for him if Lewis wasn't so influential, because his impact was unbelievable.
05:42I think he gave away...
05:44What's that?
05:45Literally, physically.
05:47Exactly.
05:49As he's since found out.
05:51Not that he will care about any kind of ban, obviously, because he's finished now.
05:55It's so fitting, isn't it?
05:56It's so fitting.
05:57The man who's spent his career almost in front of the disciplinary is serving a ban forever.
06:04It's just so fitting.
06:05Yeah, he gave away a couple of penalties, which people often look at and go, he's a bit of
06:10a liability.
06:11But the impact that he made, he was running around like a man possessed.
06:14And he got in the heads of the Wigan forwards massively.
06:17And you can't put a price on that.
06:19And that just makes the job of Michael Lewis and all the creative players, it makes their
06:23job so much easier.
06:24So he had such an impact.
06:25And what a way to bow out.
06:27And Michael Orem as well.
06:28Well, he only played 15, 20 minutes, but it came out afterwards that his ankle is still
06:35broken.
06:35So he's running around on a broken ankle.
06:37But he showed a lot of energy.
06:39He was running around like a madman for the time, knowing that he was only on for a short
06:42period.
06:43He could just go hell for leather.
06:45And he did that.
06:45And he set the tone as well.
06:46So what a way for those two blokes to bow out.
06:49And OK, I put a montage together of them, put it out earlier in the week.
06:54And wow, what a career they've had.
06:56And they've just gone around whacking blokes for 15, 20 years.
07:01So I think a lot of Super League forwards will be glad they've retired.
07:05Yeah, unbelievable.
07:06And just the whole occasion.
07:08I really enjoyed it.
07:09It's just great to see a new set of fans celebrating at Old Trafford.
07:14And especially for a club like Hulk AR who have been to hell and back.
07:18Even in the modern era in the last 10 years, they have, let alone before that, when they
07:22went to the brink, before they were rescued by Neil Uggel.
07:25So, yeah, unbelievable.
07:27Talking of which, I was going to ask you about Neil Uggel.
07:29Did you manage to get a word with him at all?
07:31I'm not...
07:32I didn't.
07:34It's all very chaotic after the game.
07:37You have to be in a lot of different places at once.
07:41Yeah, I can imagine.
07:42So, yes.
07:43Well, I mean, for him, for him especially.
07:45I mean, this is the guy who, like you say, I think, mentioned that he rescued the club
07:50at one point.
07:51He's put his heart and soul into it for however many years.
07:54You'll be able to sort of tell me that, obviously.
07:56But particularly for him, and we'll get to Willie Peters in a minute, but particularly
08:01for Neil Uggel, an absolutely, you know, well, life-changing moment, really.
08:07Yeah.
08:07And then, simply put, OK, I wouldn't be here without Neil Uggel and the money he's pumped
08:12into the club over the past couple of decades.
08:15He's rescued him from the brink.
08:19They were saying at one point there wouldn't be a Hulky-R.
08:21We'll go to the end of the week and then that'll be it.
08:23There'll be no Hulky-R left.
08:25So, he's nearly walked away a few times because he's had enough.
08:30He didn't get much support and he wasn't seeing much return on his investment.
08:34And as we mentioned last week, I think, when Paul Lakin came in, he came in to sell
08:37the club.
08:38Yeah.
08:39And Paul Lakin convinced Neil Uggel to continue.
08:42And I bet he's glad he did now because three trophies and that's his legacy.
08:47He was already.
08:48Yeah.
08:49He was already secured anyway, based on what he'd done and the sacrifices he made just
08:53to keep the club alive.
08:54But now, to have that, three cherries on the top is unbelievable for him.
08:59And you mentioned Willie Peters as well.
09:00What a job he's done.
09:01And OKR's task now is to keep hold of him because the NRA will be sniffing after him
09:06now.
09:08You'll be able to ask him several times.
09:10Oh, yeah.
09:11Well, there won't be many press conferences, actually, between here and over the next few
09:16weeks, I'm guessing, obviously.
09:17But, yeah, I was going to get on to him in terms of the job that he's done.
09:20What has he come in and done different to what's gone before?
09:24Or is it just that he's come into a situation or a better situation, perhaps, than previous
09:28coaches?
09:29And this isn't taking anything away from Willie Peters.
09:31But has it been sort of like a perfect sort of combination of things, combination of
09:36factors that has enabled him to bring this kind of success to whole KR?
09:41Well, I think he would have struggled if he'd have come in when Tony Smith came in in 2019.
09:49I don't think he'd have enjoyed the same kind of success because the building blocks have
09:53been put in place, albeit in a more relaxed environment, say, under Tony Smith.
09:57He did do a lot of good work.
09:59He brought in some characters, like we mentioned last week.
10:01Sean Kennedow also, and Elliot Minchella, players like that who are now forming.
10:06Well, Sean Kennedow's in the background of the coach and stuff now, but Minchella's part
10:10of the core of the squad now.
10:11There's Dean Hadley, characters like that.
10:12Jez Lytton, Mikey Lewis was obviously coming through.
10:15So they had a core already to work with and the culture had improved out of sight as well.
10:20So that was a massive thing.
10:21So he did have a lot to work with when he came in, but he's just, he's brought a real
10:26intensity.
10:27Whereas, like I said before, Tony Smith was a lot more relaxed.
10:30Willie Peters is very intense, drives really high standards.
10:34If you don't hit those standards, you're out the door.
10:37So very tough first pre-season.
10:39And that's kind of set the tone, that mentality shift, I think.
10:43And you can see how much you've meant to him as well, didn't you?
10:46Yeah.
10:47Just a little cutaways on the coverage of the game when it kept cutting away to Lewis up
10:56in his seat and how much, well, just how much,
11:00into it he was, obviously, you know, I mean, as you would expect, the coach of one of the
11:04teams, obviously.
11:04But it clearly meant a lot to him.
11:06And I think also, probably because people, a lot, well, probably Wigan were favourites.
11:11I think he felt some vindication as well, having got over the line in what, you know,
11:16most people regard as the most important game of the whole season.
11:19Yeah.
11:19And I think that energy stuff was put to bed, like we were all talking about.
11:23And he's going to say that personally as a coach, because he's in charge of the conditioning,
11:28getting ready all season from pre-season.
11:31So there's a lot of emotion coming out.
11:34He didn't touch on any of that, because he's not that kind of bloke.
11:36He just enjoyed the moment and the celebration.
11:39The job he's done there is incredible.
11:42And he'll be known as one of their greatest ever coaches, probably only second at this
11:46point to Roger Millwood.
11:48But he's getting very close, if not on the same level already, because they've just enjoyed
11:52their best, their greatest ever season.
11:56Three trophies in one season, never happened to WKR before.
11:58And the next step for them is to build a dynasty like Leeds Rhinos of the past.
12:04Brodford Bulls had it for a period and Senate Owens and Wigan, obviously, as well.
12:08But that's for another year.
12:09Let me enjoy this achievement before we start saying, when are you going to win your next
12:14one or what are you going to do this year, kind of thing.
12:17I mean, presumably, I mean, I've probably missed it.
12:20Obviously, you'll have been keeping tabs on stuff on this kind of thing.
12:22But some new faces already been secured for next year or not yet with Hawke AR.
12:27Yeah, but the turnover's not quite, obviously, once you get up.
12:32The big drain on salary cap at this point is just contracts and rewarding players you've
12:41got already, topping them up.
12:43Mikey Lewis, obviously, he'll be on a fair whack now.
12:47And all the other long-serving players and core players, those key players like Manchella
12:52and Batchelor, who've been given contracts recently.
12:55They've got Tom Amon, who did so well for Lee.
12:59He's coming in.
13:02He's obviously spent the latter part of this year at Castleford.
13:07So he's the biggest signing.
13:09They've got a few younger guys as well.
13:11It's going to be hard to replace the guys we mentioned earlier, McAleary members.
13:16I was going to say, yeah.
13:17I mean, big old stuff, aren't they?
13:18Big boots to fill.
13:19In terms of influence, yeah.
13:20But I guess it's kind of they've worked with this leadership group now.
13:26So they'll have learnt so much from them.
13:29And they can go on and take it on now.
13:31And they'll be the voices if they weren't already, like Manchella mentioned the captain.
13:36So, yeah, in terms of the squad, it'll look very similar next year.
13:41Just a few changes.
13:44A couple of tweaks.
13:45A couple of tweaks.
13:46And it's then down to mentality, isn't it?
13:48And finding something within to go again and find that motivation.
13:53I think Manchella came out with some really good quotes in the aftermath,
13:57saying, I've got a saying at Craven Park, that you rent's due every day,
14:01so you need to get up, work hard and keep going and find a fresh motivation.
14:06And that's what we've got to do next year.
14:08I mean, he was particularly emotional after the game.
14:10Obviously, you can see how much it meant to him as well, in particular.
14:15Like you say, in terms of turnover, it's going to be minimal.
14:18And I suppose the motivation for them is proving that this isn't just like a one-year,
14:23sort of, well, this isn't a one-off, essentially,
14:26that they do have to come back, like you mentioned,
14:28and sort of back up what they've achieved this year.
14:31Otherwise, it will be sort of looked back on in years.
14:34Well, they're all right for that one year, but what happened after that?
14:36Nothing type thing.
14:37So there is that motivation and that sort of challenge, really, isn't there?
14:40There is.
14:42I don't want to go too far down that track.
14:45It's a bit...
14:47There always seems to be something with OKR.
14:49Like, all the way through the year, it's like,
14:51oh, well, they've won the Challenge Cup, but can they do it again?
14:53All right, they've won the League leader's shield.
14:55Can they win the big one at Old Trafford?
14:57So I don't want to go too far that way.
15:00No, but it's the same.
15:01It would be the same if you're right, you are right.
15:03Leeds, Rhinos, Castle for Targets, any club that had achieved something similar.
15:07Part of the discussion that happens afterwards would be,
15:10right, how are they going to back this up?
15:12That is the challenge for any team that's been successful.
15:14Yeah, of course.
15:15You know, but anyway, OK.
15:17Under Willie Peters, they have,
15:19I think they've been in four of the six finals since they came in,
15:24which is a massive achievement in itself.
15:25So there are, I mean, the foundations are there and they've shown
15:28that they've grown year on year.
15:30They'd struggle to grow again next year,
15:31but the challenge is to stay at a similar level.
15:35I mean, the chances of them winning all three trophies are very slim,
15:39but if they can get another one next year,
15:41if they can knock another one off next year,
15:44then, yeah, they're in a great spot, aren't they?
15:47The challenge is keeping that, I think we mentioned it last week,
15:52evolve the squad, just making sure that you are bringing players in
15:58and replacing those older heads,
16:01because there'll be more moving on in the next couple of years.
16:03So keeping the squad fresh and at the level it's at now,
16:07that's going to be the big challenge.
16:09Yeah, definitely.
16:10Okay, moving on.
16:14It wasn't much time for you to rest, actually,
16:16because Monday was when Sean Wayne announced his England squad.
16:19I'm glad you noticed.
16:21I'm glad you noticed.
16:23As is always the case,
16:26lots of debate about who made it, who didn't make it.
16:29Biggest talking point for us, I guess,
16:31was Jake Connor and his omission,
16:34although obviously the door hasn't been shut on him
16:36being part of the plans for next year's World Cup.
16:40Just your take on Jake Connor.
16:41I mean, I read Sean Wayne's comments about Man of Steel
16:46and how little it sort of means to him,
16:47and I get where he comes from in that sense,
16:50but it is a significant reward for somebody's season,
16:56somebody's whole season,
16:58and Jake Connor's obviously, across the whole season,
16:59has been a very influential player for Leeds
17:03and sort of a key reason behind their resurgence.
17:06So were you surprised that he didn't make it?
17:09No.
17:10I mean, you clearly don't fancy him.
17:13And the thing for me,
17:15when I was sat in that press conference,
17:16Sean Wayne's had months to prepare for this,
17:19and then he comes out with all that stuff about Man of Steel.
17:21It's not the best way to get your point across it, I think,
17:25and you're discrediting that award as,
17:27well, probably the biggest ambassador for Super League
17:31as the England coach,
17:32saying it doesn't mean anything.
17:33And that award's picked by a panel of legends,
17:36so they're probably a bit miffed, right?
17:38So he's put a lot of noses out of joint.
17:41I'm not sure if he'll get an invite to next year's award,
17:45awards night.
17:47But, yeah,
17:47I don't think you can say he's not been consistent enough
17:51because that award is basically,
17:53well,
17:55it rewards consistency.
17:56So that's out the window completely.
17:59Basically,
18:00George Williams,
18:01his captain,
18:02who he worked with at Wigan,
18:02he's known for about 20 years now,
18:05probably.
18:06He's got runs on the board.
18:08Mikey Lewis has been exceptional this season,
18:10and he's probably got more credit.
18:12Well,
18:12he has got more credit in the bank than Jake Connor.
18:15He's probably better at running games and owning games,
18:20and that running threat as well is priceless against sides like Australia.
18:25So he was always going to be in,
18:26and Harry Smith was always going to be in for his kicking game as well.
18:30And then he picks AJ Brimson,
18:32an Australian who qualifies for his moment,
18:35and that's because he can also cover fullback,
18:39but Jake Connor can cover fullback as well and center.
18:42So the argument for including AJ Brimson over Jake Connor,
18:46it doesn't really,
18:47for that flexibility,
18:49it doesn't really wash either.
18:51So you're probably thinking it should have been Lewis,
18:55Williams,
18:55Smith,
18:56and Connor,
18:56and Connor can,
18:57and that was the thing in the press conference,
18:59Sean Wayne was,
19:00kept repeating,
19:01it's about players who,
19:03who are versatile,
19:05and Jake Connor is versatile,
19:06could play three different positions.
19:08So again,
19:10some contradictory statements,
19:13put it that way in the press conference.
19:14Hence why,
19:15hence why he went for the Man of Steel means nothing to me,
19:19Lyme perhaps,
19:19because he had no other argument for it.
19:21I think,
19:22well,
19:24the vibe we get is that he's just not his cup of tea,
19:27and if he'd have come out that he's just not my cup of tea,
19:30as a player,
19:32he didn't even have to say a person,
19:34just as a player,
19:35then fair enough,
19:35it's over,
19:36isn't it?
19:36We move on.
19:37but the fact that he's,
19:39yeah,
19:40he seems to be dancing around the elephant in the room.
19:44But,
19:44yeah,
19:46so no Jake Connor,
19:47I don't think he would have played anyway.
19:49I don't think,
19:50I think he would have been a squad player.
19:51So it's probably good news for Leeds that he's not,
19:53yeah,
19:54wasting four weeks of his,
19:56of his off season,
19:57just training.
19:58So,
19:59not wasting,
20:00but you're representing your country in camp,
20:01aren't you?
20:01But you know what I mean?
20:02Yeah,
20:03definitely.
20:04Okay.
20:05And just on,
20:06just lastly,
20:06on the England squad,
20:07are you sort of,
20:08you're sort of happy with,
20:10with how Shaw Wayne's gone elsewhere,
20:12generally?
20:13I mean,
20:13like you mentioned,
20:13there's three from,
20:14three from Hawke,
20:15I'm Mikey Lewis,
20:16Jeslitt and,
20:17and Joe Burgess,
20:18obviously.
20:18Yeah,
20:20I mean,
20:21it's quite predictable in some senses,
20:24in,
20:24in,
20:25like Williams was always going to be in,
20:26regardless of how he played for Warrington this year,
20:28he was going to be in,
20:29he hasn't played since the end of August as well.
20:31So you're throwing him in against Australia after,
20:33virtually two months out,
20:35that's,
20:35that's a big risk.
20:37But he,
20:38he is the kind of player who could just slot in and,
20:41and have a,
20:41have the game of his life.
20:43He has got that kind of pedigree.
20:46John Bateman,
20:46another one.
20:48He's had,
20:50he's,
20:50a lot of people think his best days are behind him.
20:52He's been in Australia this year.
20:54We've not really seen him,
20:55not in the same way as you would a Super League player.
20:58So it's hard to know what kind of form he is in,
21:02but again,
21:03Sean Wayne trusts him.
21:04So characters like that,
21:05it's not a surprise to see them in.
21:07And then you've got Alex Worms are coming back.
21:10Callum Watkins brought in from the cold as well.
21:12He last played in the World Cup semi-final three years ago.
21:17Joe Burgess,
21:17who you mentioned first time in 10 years,
21:19fully deserved.
21:20He's been unbelievable for whole car.
21:22Mick Oletsky from Leeds.
21:23He's back for the first time since the World Cup again.
21:26He's had a run,
21:27an injury free run,
21:29and it's no surprise to see him back in,
21:30but you've got Alexa Luke Thompson missing out junior in December,
21:33who's a bit of a poster boy for England.
21:35He's,
21:35he's missed out as well.
21:37His form's not unbelievable athlete.
21:40And I remember after Vegas earlier in the year,
21:42the Aussies were waxing Liverpool about him,
21:45but his form's dropped off.
21:47So he's out.
21:49But yeah,
21:49I mean,
21:50as a coach,
21:51you live or die,
21:53don't you,
21:53by your decisions.
21:54So if England go on to get pumped,
21:57which is possible,
21:59Australia,
22:00this is an unbelievable Australia squad.
22:01If England get whitewashed and whitewashed convincingly,
22:05then his position's under threat,
22:08and he's going into the World Cup as simple as that.
22:10So he needs England to be competitive in this series.
22:14Yeah.
22:15Well,
22:15you know,
22:15like you say,
22:16he has to sort of stand by the squad that he's picked,
22:18and I'm sure he will do.
22:20Just lastly,
22:20for this,
22:21for this particular week,
22:22you've got a busy couple of days coming up.
22:23when hasn't it been busy for you,
22:27James,
22:27in the last few weeks?
22:29Let's be right.
22:30You know,
22:30Super League expansion,
22:32we will finish on that for this week.
22:35There's two stages to this process over the next 48 hours,
22:38basically,
22:38isn't there?
22:39I think if you want to sort of just explain to the layman,
22:42as it were,
22:43what is going to happen first,
22:45and then how it is all concluded on Friday,
22:47and how or when the successful and the unsuccessful clubs find out,
22:53whether they're going to be in Super League next year,
22:55or still in the championship?
22:56Yeah,
22:57so Thursday morning,
22:5810 a.m.,
22:58we find out the top 12 clubs under the IMG's rankings.
23:03So that's expected to be 10 Super League clubs.
23:07I won't go through them all.
23:09Well,
23:10no,
23:1011.
23:12No,
23:12I'm getting mixed up myself.
23:15I'm not going to pass this on to you.
23:16Yeah,
23:17exactly.
23:17I'm showing my expertise here.
23:19No,
23:19so it's the Super League clubs from this year.
23:22It's expected to be,
23:23the 12th from this year,
23:24minus Salford,
23:25plus one from the championship,
23:27and Bradford are the front runners at the moment.
23:30Right.
23:30By all accounts.
23:31So then,
23:32Salford have gone.
23:33I don't think they can survive the season they've just had.
23:37So then,
23:38there'll be two championship clubs then on Friday morning at 10 a.m.
23:42that will be,
23:43that will join the competition,
23:44an expanded 14-team competition.
23:47And we believe it'll be three from four.
23:52So the four are Bradford,
23:53York,
23:54London to lose.
23:56So one misses out and stays in the championship and three join Super League.
24:00It's all for dropout,
24:01if that makes sense.
24:03Yeah,
24:03yeah.
24:03Yeah.
24:05Just had to get it right,
24:06you made.
24:07So yeah,
24:07we're thinking Bradford front runners,
24:11which is quite ironic really,
24:12because IMG had this brand bright new era,
24:16modern stadium,
24:17stuff like that.
24:18And Bradford sets are sneaking through their grading system,
24:23despite having probably the worst,
24:25oldest,
24:27most run down ground in the Super League.
24:29So it's quite ironic that they've got in this way after 11 years away.
24:36And that probably,
24:36that avoids.
24:37Talking of it,
24:38it's talking of it.
24:38It was good to see Nigel Wood at the presentation ceremony on Saturday,
24:41wasn't it?
24:42Yeah,
24:42he gets about it.
24:42Not that he's got anything to do with any of this,
24:45obviously.
24:46Well,
24:46that's the thing.
24:47If they're getting through this,
24:49through the grading system,
24:50then that controversy is removed.
24:52It's IMG system.
24:53It's got nothing to do with Nigel Wood.
24:56So that's probably the best scenario for,
24:59for Bradford and the whole game is if they just get in the 12.
25:03Yeah.
25:03And then we've got no controversy around Nigel Wood,
25:06and we can all forget about him and move on to Friday,
25:09which is when we'll find out the other two teams.
25:11So assuming it's Bradford,
25:13then you're looking at York to lose London.
25:15That's a,
25:16that's a tough decision.
25:17Yeah.
25:18If all things are equal and the,
25:19and the finances all measure up and the,
25:23they've got,
25:25they've all got squads that would be ready for Super League,
25:27then it's basically,
25:27the subjective decision from the,
25:31and that,
25:32and that's where it gets a bit murky.
25:33And that's why people were a bit funny about it at the start.
25:36So then you,
25:38it comes down to seven blokes and what they think about these clubs,
25:42basically.
25:43I think York should be at the front of the queue.
25:47Based on what they've done this season on the field,
25:49they're as ready as anyone,
25:50any other club on the field and off the field.
25:52You only have to go down to York for a game to see,
25:54see what kind of experience that is.
25:57They've been tracking in the right direction for four years now,
26:00I think under Clint Goodchild who's done an unbelievable job.
26:04I think it'd be a travesty if York missed out,
26:06but then you're looking at Toulouse and London.
26:09Toulouse obviously won the grand final.
26:11They've been there a few years ago,
26:12didn't really compete as they would have liked.
26:15Yeah.
26:15But then you're shutting the door on a French team and that won't go down
26:20well.
26:21London,
26:22I've said in my comment piece,
26:23they're basically just demanding to be in at this point.
26:26They've got Gary Hedrington and Darren Lockyer teaming up on this new
26:29powerhouse ownership group,
26:31heading that ownership group.
26:33And then Jason Dimitri,
26:35who's an NRL head coach up until recently,
26:39he's coming in as a head coach.
26:40They've got a two-time World Cup winner,
26:43an Australian coming in as their marquee.
26:45He's signing.
26:46They're basically saying you need to put us in Super League,
26:48but I'd probably just tell them,
26:52have another year in the championship.
26:54It shouldn't be forgotten that when the gradings first came in,
26:56they were like 24th.
26:58I know they went up to about 14th last year,
27:02but they finished 10th in the championship this year.
27:05So I think just give them another year in the championship,
27:08get ready.
27:08So we're saying Bradford,
27:10York to lose London next year.
27:14So how will it work after,
27:15just remind us,
27:16how will it work the following year?
27:17Is there one up,
27:18one down after this year then?
27:19Next year?
27:20I don't even,
27:21I think it's just still the grading system.
27:23Oh,
27:23right.
27:24So,
27:24yeah,
27:25so you can fluctuate during the course of 12 months,
27:27obviously.
27:28Yeah,
27:28you could.
27:28Like Salford will have done drastically,
27:31obviously.
27:31Exactly.
27:32So then other clubs out there looking over the shoulder,
27:35like Huddersfield,
27:36who are towards the bottom of the rankings.
27:38I think they'll be safe this year,
27:39but they need to keep improving.
27:41They need to get their own stadium,
27:43don't they?
27:43And they need to improve on the field,
27:46obviously,
27:46as well.
27:46They've had a shocking couple of years,
27:47a few years now.
27:49So,
27:50yeah,
27:50they'll be looking over the shoulder.
27:52So,
27:52it is interesting.
27:53Then next year,
27:53we're going to an all-in-one league,
27:56apparently,
27:56championship in League One.
27:58It's always changing.
28:00There's no stability in rugby league.
28:02It's bonkers,
28:02but...
28:04I mean,
28:05we can talk about it more next year
28:07when it comes into being,
28:08I suppose,
28:09but do you think it'll be,
28:10do you think that's the best sort of solution,
28:13quote,
28:14I'll use that word loosely,
28:15solution?
28:16I remember,
28:17I think it was last year,
28:17I was about to,
28:19someone high up at Unsletting,
28:20and they were saying it should be conferences,
28:22so you've got West and East.
28:23Yeah.
28:24It probably makes sense,
28:25doesn't it?
28:25Especially if you've got limited budgets
28:26and stuff like that,
28:27and you can guarantee local derbies,
28:30higher gates,
28:31stuff like that.
28:32So,
28:33that would make sense.
28:34I don't think the finer details
28:36have been announced yet.
28:39Might have done in the last couple of weeks.
28:40There's been a lot going on,
28:41but I'm sure they haven't.
28:43But yeah,
28:44that'll be another interesting,
28:46another interesting,
28:47thing to look forward to next year.
28:51Just knackered by it,
28:53all you can tell.
28:54Yeah,
28:54I think you need to have a few days off
28:56after this week's end.
28:58I'll have a word with the boss,
28:59don't worry.
29:01YorkshirePost.co.uk
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