Define "damage" whilst remembering that RL used to be played during the winter months too, for a long time.

I can't recall any professional rugby game being called off at Headingley because "the pitch is too damaged".

it does beg the question why do both codes still bother with scrums?

In League its simply a way of restarting the game, a play-the-ball would do just as well.

In Union its an integral part of the game and one of the major things that defines the game, other than penalties and restarts after tries the scrums rucks and mauls are the only way for a team to gain possession - remove that and you haven't got a game anymore.

He wasn't exactly glowing about Ben Cross either

Does anyone have an opinion on what he was saying about Ben Cross it seemed like he was saying 'that what you have seen is all he has got and I don't think he would have been on my radar'

He did not seem very impressed

Views anyone

& no cake!!

For a bloke who only landed in the country a few weeks ago, probably had only a few training sessions and is probably yet to fully integrate into the squad "ethos" then I think he did well enough. Let's not get too carried away with performances today, after all it's a long, long season.

I suggest that the pitch looked good because it had been narrowed to preserve the area nearest to the South Stand that has always suffered over the winter months due to it getting no sun.
When RL was a winter sport that part of the pitch was always heavy & tended to cut up, exacerbated with the failure of the undersoil heating & then further when the RU boys joined us while both teams shared the pitch for games & training between December & April.
Glad it looked so much better let's hope it stays like that till the grass starts to grow again.

FWIW I thought he had a good game and looked solid all round

Pitch was surprisingly good and was even green(ish) something it was not last year, I thought we played well for 1st hit out and was impressed by cross and with JP back it will be a good pack, Glad Liam Hood got a run out I think he will improve with every game he manages to get, As for Wakey I think its gonna be a long season

Didnt get that impression from the interview I read thought he was saying he was a solid player and will be consistent player.
I thought he had a good game. Some of his runs and moves were miss timed insecond half but that will improve with more time with the team, he ain't been with the squad very long