I was thinking about this earlier and the main thing I think will be affected is the development of some of the younger kids in the UK. Losing that year might leave a gap in readiness of some academy players going into super league which is vital for a lot of teams .

Wheels coming off the Sharkies?

Long season but definitely losing some consistency. The standard of the NRL is fabulous though, it's great to watch. I probably watch more NRL now than i do SL.

Bulldogs and Cowboys games this morning are seriously entertaining.

I'm a long way from being a Bulldog fan, but they're my favourite team to watch this year. They also show how having a proper salary cap and no relegation improves the game. Over the last few years they've signed quality players and are building a competitive team again. Players that left their previous teams because of cap restaints

Origin 3 this morning was