Long winded but last but one paragraph is the kicker.


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Discord: Fork it; rugby league finds itself at another fork in the road

By STEVE MASCORD

SEEING a narrative where others see none is something that I’ve always done. That’s handy in my line of work but when I met my biological relatives after being an adopted kid, I also saw that it ran in the family.

My late uncle John literally once described crossing the road as like it was a celestial miracle.

These days, change is apparent everywhere. Covid, the rise of populism, identity politics. Although some people do manage it, it doesn’t take me or Uncle John to convince most people that these things are real and that society is changing in fundamental ways.

Likewise in rugby league, we have had many long periods since 1895 when not much has changed. But the things that have happened in recent years have been seismic by almost any fan’s measure: the birth and death of Toronto, the impact on our major competitions of Covid, the postponement of the World Cup and, at the weekend, one French team playing in the grand final and another qualifying for Super League next year.

I want you to imagine all these events on a timeline - the dates on top of the line and a brief description of the events on the bottom. Now zoom out.

In 1996 we had the first overseas team in Super League. In 1998 we had the first grand final. In 2009 Toulouse joined the Championship.

On one hand we can see progress. The British system expands across the channel, a French club goes bust, it’s replaced by another, the club becomes successful, another club joins it in the top flight.

But when we talk about real significant change, it goes beyond that. It goes to actual definition of success changing. As an example, will professional sports clubs still be travelling in the years ahead, due to the Climate Crisis, like they were before Covid? Has the wave of Northern Pride made it acceptable to brandish that which once made us embarrassed?

The NRL is only now retracing one of its four big steps from 1995 by re-adding a second Brisbane team. Thirty years ago, we had a team in Perth. Now there is not more than a passing thought of doing so.

The very definition of success in professional sport is flickering and under debate.

On Saturday I attended the Super League grand final between Catalans and St Helens as a fan. Truth be told, Old Trafford has seen better days. Even with category one tickets, it was apparent the seats were cramped and the concourses basic.

To the left and behind me were the Catalans fans, to whom we sell no satellite dishes or away pies and pints. To my right a sea of St Helens fans - but still only a big enough sea to fill their end.

The narrative I saw was another fork in the road for the game. The game is not just deciding whether to go left or right but which way is left and which way is right. Two days later we all read colleague Ross Heppenstall’s story in which an unnamed club official said every club would secretly be against even one team in France, let alone two.

Think about that: Catalans are actually less popular than Toronto. Then again, the ‘report’ into the viability of North American expansion found that Catalans bring no commercial benefit to Super League - so we shouldn’t be surprised.

The next day I stood with my wife and my best friend, a rugby league nut home from the United States where he lives, and cheered on Toulouse as they convincingly secured their place in Super League.

This seems like progress to us but, as I said, the very definition of progress is up for debate now.

And the people whose definition matters will soon not be Wigan or St Helens or Warrington but the Private Equity group ploughing £70 million or £100 million into the sport. They will decide if two teams in France is going to make the sport money or not, whether it’s an opportunity or a pipe dream.

And my story, your story and Uncle John's story will not matter.

Not at all, I just know my history. Unlike England whose Rugby League was repressed by “The Old Boy” network, RL was totally banned by The Vichy France Nazi backed government because authorities we’re afraid of working class gatherings fermenting communist and partisan uprisings and was frowned upon long after France was liberated. By the way, as Sky kept harping on about it, it’s only 4 seasons ago, Catalan we’re involved in the million pound game. I’m a realist, not an idealist. I have posted elsewhere, I hope it all works out but Rugby League history teaches us, expansion beyond the M62 corridor, just doesn’t work. The sports on its knees and Sky are ripping it off. Christ, the RL has just sold tv rights for lower leagues for £100,000, it’s a joke.

What was your travel route Camels Hump, never been myself.

If you want an example of a blinkered view, see Bernard Gausch’s comments after the Grand Final. He’ll never let Catalans play another final with ENGLISH officials, WTF. their bloody awful for all teams. I hope he keeps his word because Cats won’t play in anymore finals. He should get a heavy fine for spouting such nationalistic rubbish.

If ever there was a shining example of how poor our game is officiated, compered top the NRL, then this game was it.
No way would some of those calls stood , in league game but in the showpiece event of Super League, it was hugely embarrassing and if the RFU were watching, they will have sat there gleefully observing the shambolic and amateurish standard of officiating in the game, an absolute cringeworthy and unforgivable display.

I’ve been to Toulouse 4 times now, first time watching rovers vs Catalans at the on the road game, twice watching rovers vs toulouse in the middle 8’s, and then once last week as a pit stop coming home from the semi final in Perpignan.

Great city, plenty of bars and restaurants and hotels all relatively cheap. A couple of pubs for the rugby fans really in melting pot and pub o’clock which show the Friday night games etc. 3/4 Irish bars, plenty of nightclubs as well for us young IM’s. We went for a walk around last year as had the time and it’s a beautiful city to explore as well. Airport to town centre about 15 mins, metro and Uber easy to use.

Well worth a visit. Flew from both stansted and Manchester. Train from Perpignan is about 2 hours and stops at carcassonne, montpellier etc as well if you fancy staying close to the coast.

Would you mind enlighten us then, I spotted a couple, but I thought he let the game flow

Not so much the referee but he did ping Sam Tomkins for an incorrect play the ball when his head was clearly held between the legs of a St Helens player.That should have been a free kick to Catalan
However the blatant ones were not really the fault of the referee
When a Catalan kick to touch that just made touch but was batted back into play by Coote should have been spotted by the linesman who clearly didnt know the rules.
Catalan should have been awarded a penalty try after Makinsons head high tackle was the only thing stopping the winger grounding the ball.
The referee however did ask the video ref as part of the conversation if it was a penalty try.
Dont know who the video ref was but clearly got that wrong

I understand the Catalan chairmans reaction but think it was said in the heat of the moment due to disappointment.,Thats not to say we dont need improvement in the officials
I have said that if we dont adopt a two referee system which is unlikely then do away with the in goal official as its not needed.
Use the officials as second linesmen so that we have in effect 4 linesmen each covering one quarter of the pitch.
Easy to keep up with all the play covering only 50 metres and give them more responsibility than just sticking their flag up

Not according to the review panel....

As shown you can have all the officials in the world on the pitch, but when they can't even get basic rules correct or video replays replayed umpteen times you've got to question the whole officiating recruitment and training process.

I think it should be a requirement for officials to have actually experianced playing the sport as most don't understand the concept of competing and the physical aspect.

Just my opinion, no drama cheers