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Post by newby on Feb 25, 2024 17:19:05 GMT
In my youth I used to think that Rugby league playing Swinton was an oasis of RL in barren South Yorkshire. Alas it's near Oldham, sounds very much like a community led club who now share a ground with Sale FC, who presumably have some floodlights.
Tonight's game v Oldham is live streamed on the 'Sportsman' YouTube channel should anyone be interested.
Sedgley fortunately are able to live off the fat of the points they scored early season. Have they lost some players!
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Post by newby on Feb 25, 2024 19:02:17 GMT
Round 5 draw (ties to take place over the weekend of 9/10 March)
Halifax Panthers v York Acorn Widnes Vikings v Batley Bulldogs Featherstone Rovers v Wakefield Trinity Swinton Lions or Oldham v Sheffield Eagles
Winners are joined by the 12 Super league teams for the 6th Round.
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Post by davemorton on Feb 25, 2024 23:47:48 GMT
So several Waths, and many, many Swintons = swine town, I imagine. The one that plays RL is an absolute hole of a place, part of Salford, next to Eccles. It can be seen, across the Irwell Valley, from the outpitches at Sedgley Park RUFC.
Swinton CC used to play in the Lancs & Cheshire League. I used to hate playing there. It was one of those rare grounds where the wickets were pitched east-west, so you had the sun in your eyes, batting second. Also, the pitch was distinctly rough, and the outfield rock hard and unforgiving. It was better on a wet day, rather than on a hot one; and best of all when it rained all day.
Swinton CC players included Salford RL and Great Britain full-back Paul Charlton, who was one hell of a rugby player. A decent cricket all-rounder, no better than that.
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Post by karma on Feb 28, 2024 18:03:35 GMT
Princess Anne was at Headingley today sharing afternoon tea with Rob Burrow, Kevin Sinfield and the charity organisors.
I was going to say something funny like it was an honour for her to meet Rob. Although I'm not a royalist, I appreciate Princess Anne is very hard working, even more so at the moment. I think this publicity and extra recognition of the work these individuals do for the charity can only be a good thing 👑 .
Hopefully this can help lead to a cure for this illness
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Post by newby on Feb 28, 2024 19:34:14 GMT
She certainly seems to do her share. She's always at the Rugby at Murrayfield of course and I remember on the coverage of the Ireland game, just before the second half started the TV camera's panned to her as a couple were late getting their seats. She had a great big smile on her face as she stood up to let them through. That level of Royalty I don't mind.
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Post by newby on Mar 1, 2024 11:21:02 GMT
RU a bit thin on the ground this weekend.
Doncaster host Coventry in the Championship on Saturday. I read they have roped in Sir Ian McGeechan as director of rugby at 77. I knew I gave up work too early.
No National league one and very few National two, though Huddersfield play Rotherham and Otley and Wharfedale are both at home.
In RL on Friday St Helens v Leigh, Warrington v Castleford and Wigan v Huddersfield. Can't see a Yorkshire winner there. On Saturday Leeds v Catalans and Salford v Hull KR.
I'm hopeful but not confident for Leeds, they need to start beating the top 4 teams at home to start getting back to where they want to be.
Also on Saturday Wakefield Trinity entertain Barrow Raiders at 1400 in the first QF of the 1895 cup.
Sundays sees Hull FC v London in Super league, plus Bradford Bulls v Swinton Lions, Sheffield Eagles v Batley Bulldogs and York Knights v Oldham in the other 1895 cup QF's.
All kick off at 1500.
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Post by davemorton on Mar 1, 2024 12:15:27 GMT
I am tempted to go to Wharfedale tomorrow, but will settle for Sedgley 2s, I think, against local rivals Rossendale.
Live TV matches on S4C, usually English commentary via red button. There are bound to be live Southern Hemisphere games, too. To think...you used to get the Varsity Match, and the Five Nations, and the Eddie Waring Saturday afternoon game, and that was all there was on TV. Now there's almost too much.
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Post by slowleftarmer on Mar 1, 2024 12:41:34 GMT
but you overlook Rugby Special with Nigel Starmer-Smith on BBC2 on a Sunday evening just before One Man and his Dog, with Nigel usually recorded pitchside from some club game the day before
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Post by donnylad on Mar 1, 2024 20:31:30 GMT
Former Scotland and British and Irish Lions head coach Sir Ian McGeechan is to become consultant director of rugby at Championship club Doncaster Knights.
Oh my goodness! Couldn't ask for a better mentor for the coach.
... and on RL in South Yorkshire ..
"Rugby league playing Swinton was an oasis of RL in barren South Yorkshire. Alas it's near Oldham"
Doncaster Dons of Tattersfield fame would take issue there! Alternate Saturdays when Rovers were away, over Bentley bridge and off to the wettest ground you could imagine. I posted on the old site about it.
We reckoned Swinton was in Manchester really!!
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Post by davemorton on Mar 2, 2024 0:59:35 GMT
It's interesting - though fair and just - that people today don't know about Swinton RL. When I came to Manchester in 1966, Swinton were seen as aristocrats of the game, a classy outfit, perhaps lacking the big forwards to actually win trophies, but with a star-studded backline. Chief of all was King Ken Gowers, a full-back of the highest class. Only small, but a beautiful player. Swinton, back then, used all the subtle miss-moves we take as standard today, and the King used to stride majestically though the gap created. I played cricket against him once, and he was decidedly nippy, for his size. Also in the backs were Fleet and Speed, lovely and appropriate names, Great Britain wing Stopford, and another GB centre, Buckley, who just oozed class. But in 1966 they were just beginning to fade, and bargain basement Salford found a millionaire to usurp their neighbours, and to take them to RL's high table. For Swinton fans, Salford were interlopers, with money and nowt else, while they were class. But they blew it, didn't they? Threw it all away. Swinton is not near Oldham, and never has been. It's a decent walk, one motorway junction, from my home in Prestwich. Much nearer Salford, Manchester and Bolton, than rough border outpost Oldham, up in t' hills, where little English is spoke. (Lots of broad Lankysheer-accented Urdu, though.) Attachments:
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Post by davemorton on Mar 2, 2024 1:23:10 GMT
There was an old, racist joke, about a man from Oldham wishing to visit his parents in Pakistan. He asks for a rail ticket to Karachi, and they tell him to try Manchester. In Manchester, he is directed to London, and from London to Paris, etc, etc.
Following his time in Pakistan, he goes to Karachi Station and askes for a ticket to Oldham. "Yes, sir. Would that be Werneth Station, or Mumps?"
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Post by newby on Mar 3, 2024 8:50:34 GMT
Not a great start for Sir Ian at Doncaster, beaten 12-27 by Coventry who jump above them to 3rd in the table.
Rotherham, Wharfedale and Otley all won.
In the other code more encouragement, for me anyway, as the Rhinos beat Catalans at Headingley. Win was built on a really solid defensive effort, unrecognisable from the last half dozen seasons. St Helens in two weeks time will be the real test.
Not too good for the other teams this side of the Pennines, though Trinity reached the Semi-finals of the 1895 cup and Hull FC have a good chance of getting off the mark this afternoon when they take on London Broncos.
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Post by davemorton on Mar 3, 2024 9:58:02 GMT
Wharfedale just snook it by one point against Sedgley's bogey team Tynedale. The report on the Huddersfield match described a mudbath, with teams indistinguishable - old school! Well done Otley. Any team who kills Grasshoppers has my support.
During my sleepy Saturday, I saw a bit of Leeds v Catalans, and a bit of Salford v whoever it was - Hull KR? I couldn't be arsed to go to Sedgley, where our 2s stuck 60 points on Rossendale 2s, as I knew they would.
Finally awake, I watched Cardiff v Leinster on the now plastic Arms Park. Despite players missing [Six Nations], Leinster were most impressive, and Cardiff hung in there with them. The plastic made it the most open game I saw this day, but I want variety in my sport, and you don't get that with plastic, rugby or cricket. I suppose one high-speed, high-skill plastic game is acceptable, in an otherwise muddy, knock-on weekend.
Looking at the BARLA scores, it was pretty much the same story everywhere in the north.
What exactly is the 1895 Cup? I thought it might be a rebranded Challenge Cup, but clearly that is not the case. Nice title. 1882 Ashes, anyone?
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Post by newby on Mar 3, 2024 11:06:39 GMT
1895 Cup has an ever changing format but it's basically a chance to get to Wembley for the Championship and League 1 clubs. Final is played on the same day as the Challenge Cup final and Women's final at Wembley in June.
It's open to everyone below Super league level but Toulouse have always declined the invitation to take part due to costs, and Cornwall were asked nicely not to put themselves up for it to save money for others. Not much money at that level of course.
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Post by newby on Mar 3, 2024 18:37:18 GMT
Whichever side of Manchester they come from Swinton Lions were Beaten by Bradford Bulls in the 1895 Cup this afternoon. Wins too for Sheffield Eagles and York Knights so Yorkshire rule the roost at this level with all 4 semi-finalists.
Bradford Bulls v Wakefield and York Knights v Sheffield will be played in early May.
At the top level, where unfortunately we aren't quite as strong, Hull FC managed a very late try to get their first win and see off London Bronco's who had run them a lot closer than I expected.
A wins a win as they say and as they might not be getting many they'll take it.
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