helpful, constructive comments

Well if thats the case, put the 11 into the 17 that played yesterday and we can see how many of them actually get in.

Knew that fitness would kick in and we would struggle in second half, didnt expect us to lose so heavily though. 1st half was really good, just wish we could've scored, still dont like Child, think he is worst super league ref

All in all, dissapointed with result, but enjoyed the day out, doing the conga

Good luck for rest of season

I think Featherstone dropped off in the second half. They had a lot of fight in the first half, forced some errors (and we made some ourselves - like Roby kicking out on the full, Wello dropping ball, etc) and they spent a lot of time in our 20, which was a bit disconcerting. We only just managed to keep them to nil in the first half and not many of us were reassured by how things had gone by halftime. In the second, we looked more like a team and we scored some beauties. But I do think some of that was down to Featherstone clocking off very early on but apparently they have been doing this all season. I'm not saying we would have lost if Featherstone hadn't clocked off, or indeed if Featherstone had been able to play their four missing key playmakers (another factor in our favour), but I think we would have had a much tougher match and the scoreline would not have been quite so big or so one-sided necessarily if they had not clocked off and had four of their important playmakers missing.

I'm encouraged that Saints kept at it defensively for the full 80 and it was good to see Saints playing as a team in the second half and scoring some great tries. But I will be much more encouraged if they do the same against the Crusaders simply because they are a Superleague side, albeit a basement dweller. If we perform well against them on Friday then I will have hope that regardless of who represents us on the pitch we will have a good chance against our nearest competitors during June.

I tell you what is a joke sunshine the fact that you were allowed 5 foreigners yest and us only 1 in the same comp, also the fact that you get 1.3 million off sky and we get 100k. Dont forget Rovers had a lot of players out as well

Well, to be fair, we didn't have five foreigners on the pitch yesterday. We had two (Soliola and Meli). The other three were injured.

Not the point is it you are allowed 5 and us 1 in the same comp, howz that work then

Super League was brought in to improve international standards so we could beat the Aussies.

Worked a treat hasn't it?

Tin worms now opened!

Was it?

I don't think super league was invented to help us best the convicts at international level, I think it was brought in to improve the game as a whole from the sky money which it has and that can't be in doubt.

I think the franchise system and salary cap are put in place to help the clubs but also help develop our youth system which in turn helps us at international level as we have more and more young lads coming thru over the last 3yrs of the franchise system than probably in the 5yrs before.

As we are only just ending the first franchise phase which was 3yrs ago it's to early yet to see if it has helped the international game as it was always going to take time as the kids need to come thru the system. I think in the next two years we will see just how much the cap and franchise system has helped clubs bring young players thru and in turn if it's helped England.

The have been some very good young players like Sam Tomkins, Joel Tomkins, charnley, mossop, foster, wheeler, eastmond, lomax, clough, Gaskell, Tom briscoe, mcshane, jones bishop, Watkins, whitehead etc that have IMO benifited from the franchise and salary cap and they could provide England with a very very good international team that can compete with the Aussies.

If I remember correctly, which I don't always do but I try to, the limit for the Championship was set lower because of the financial problems of many Championship clubs. Purchasing overseas players can be expensive and hasn't helped in the leagues where gates are lower, TV money lower and revenue streams more limited. The allowance for Superleague clubs has decreased in number each season with five the present maximum, although there are still a number of exempt players (like Meli at Saints) floating around. Once they retire or move on then five will be the maximum (unless the number reduces further). Superleague clubs are in a position financially to pay for a higher number of overseas players due to higher gates, TV money and more options on revenue streams. I'm sure the ideal, though, is for fewer overseas players than at present with more locally grown players getting first team spots instead. That is a positive offshoot of the cap, regardless of league.

It was one of the selling points as I recall.

As we can see it has produced a decent domestic competition but at what price?

-We are no nearer internationally

-The gap between Super league and the rest grows annually

-Expansion has been at the opportunity cost of not nurturing the heartlands, when it could and should have been both

- We have a league with a lot of "journeymen" Aussies / Kiwis which can only stunt the growth of player development (obvious exceptions, but who can say that list would not have been much longer had we fostered Fev, Cumbria etc etc ???)

Geoggy I honestly think that they was looking more at getting the game main stream when they made super league and nothing at all to do with the international game. It brough a wider audience, more money and over all it brought us a better club game. That can't be doubted.

With the franchise concept and salary cap it's got clubs back on track looking at bringing youth into the first team which it has. The last 3yrs which was the first franchise phase has seen more and more young players get a chance. That's why IMO if this concept works and we continue to produce the Tomkins, eastmonds, briscoes etc then I'm sure in 2/3 years we will see the benefit of it.

The Championship has a lower O/S because the Championship clubs themselves voted for it. Championship 1 clubs are allowed 2 O/S players, by the way. That, again, is because the Championship 1 clubs voted for it. That is the way that [ithey[/i wanted it.