Well Martyn knows my feelings on the LE from personal e-mails and posts on the totalrl forum. However, I can't say I have noticed much difference.

My beef is that there is very little coverage of the Championship(s) and what there is is taken straight from the local papers of the clubs. Stevo's page is all about SL, so is Martyn's, usually the first 3 or 4 pages are about SL and I did suggest it be re-named the Super League Express instead. In fact there is as more about Australian RL in it as there is about the Championships.

It's gone up 20 pence as well. Was that to pay the TV advert?

By crikey, this was a long thread!

How unfortunate to read certain insinuations from my colleagues at LE. Rather petty. Hope there are no grudges there for whatever reason.

For what it's worth, I feel both LE and League Weekly get a rather hard time from certain people on this forum. I think rugby league fans should count themselves lucky to have not one but two newspapers fully-dedicated to rugby league, whatever their limitations.

All I'll say is I hope people judge both products on their current state and what they currently offer, and not buying a particular one on old prejudices or reputations.

Can I also, finally, just cover one point that I've heard raised - that both papers are 'Yorkshire-biased'. I can say, at least in League Weekly's case, that such an assertion is absolute piffle, which you can gather from looking at our staff / regular contributors... I'm from Wigan myself, my editor Rebecca Smith is from Blackpool, Ray French, as you MAY have heard (although he doesn't mention it often) is from St Helens and has Widnes leanings also. Andy Wilson is another Lancastrian. Ian Millward is coach of Leigh, in Lancashire. Compare that to our Yorkshiremen... Danny Lockwood, Nosey Parker and our excellent new amateur reporter Ryan Sparks. So there!

May I also add... feel free to PM me with any feedback you have about our publication. Thanks guys.

I would like to see the RL press bring together some of the CEO's/Chairmen/Owners of clubs and have a discussion with them about some of the controversial issues of the day. For example how good would it be to have Des Johnson of Barrow, Steve O'Connor from Widnes, around the table with some of the SL club officials and, better still, with someone from the RFL present also, especially if they were asked questions to do with: promotion relegation, the franchise system, the RFL treatment of expansion and heart-lands clubs, clubs who promised grounds in their last franchise bids - and then didn't deliver, attendances, having a franchise point for having a British coach, youth development, what does your club bring to SL? what are the problems of missing out on a SL place after submitting a bid, etc.
Fans would love to read about a civilised debate, or head-to-head like this. But would the newspapers find willing participants? They could always report on who had chosen to turn down an invitation to such a debate.

You're wide of the mark with your assumption about the Championships news in League Express. Our reporter Gareth Walker doesn't lift news from local papers, he telephones every Championship and Championship 1 coach every week.

Well I have no way of disputing your comment other than to say that the similar little snippets of my club in the League Weekly quite often have some subject that hasn't appeared in the local press, not so with the LE. Apart from that the Championship clubs get a raw deal in my opinion in the amount of coverage in the League Express. If you think differently then so be it but have a look yourself and check such as Stevo's column and Martyn's column. Very rarely do they even mention the Championships and we certainly only appear in the first 3 or 4 pages if there is something amiss!!!! We still have to pay £1.50p the same price as SL club fans.

Indeed Rebecca helped me out launching the cherryandwhite.co.uk Wigan site on this website, writing articles and match reports, when we launched it ten seasons ago.

Personally I buy both papers (mainly for the academy coverage) and I think League Weekly has improved a hell of a lot in the last two years or so. I did think League Weekly was always second best to League Express but with the improvements but now, especially with LW being 20p cheaper, I'm not so sure.

A regular column called "State of the game" would be interesting with coaches, players (modern and old timers), CEO's, fans etc, views from all levels of the game from SL to jnr clubs would be good.

Also features on "unsung heroes" would be nice, the hard working vollies at clubs, be it amateur, CC or SL that garft away behind the scenes to keep the game going.

Go to print a day or maybe two later so you can include up-to-date disciplinary actions , more detailed reports of the previous weekend's action , and more acccurate updates on injuries and expected team-sheets for the coming weekend .
Maybe print a retro report of a clash that is coming up . Remind us of how two teams meeting this weekend faired when they met 25 yrs ago .

And print more letters from M. Gledhill . They always make me smile . I once laughed so much at one of his letters that i snotted cornflakes .

I know newspapers in general report yesterdays news but thats taking things a bit far.

I still remember him claiming that Bradford would win it and to mark his words. I laughed and he entered into an abuse rant. Result = Bradford finished 9th

and your comment has just made me do the exact same with my fruit and fibre

I agree with yours and others comments re going to print a couple of days later. We can all access so much more these days online, the explosion of rugby league news on twitter in recent months for example, and the wonderful new site for score updates loverugbyleague.com. Maybe SL and Championship match reports should be available online via blogs/twitter the papers own websites....and the paper, online or otherwise would serve more purpose with features, interviews, coaches thoughts etc etc incl letters from Mick
Leaving more room for the match reports etc from lower leagues etc...I like the old match reports too and history of the game, and the idea to do features on unsung heroes and club stalwarts - Tommy Sale for a gong anyone

Then the papers could do more looking forward to the next round of matches, having picked up injury news, opta stats, disciplinary reports and match official appointments - It might have to be Wednesdays

micks a fantastic rl fan

not only going to games involving his team the bulls home and away but also championship and champiohsip 1 games weekly too

good luck with your cornflakes though

He doesnt half talk out of his though.

maybe for you

for me hes one of the most passionate RL fans ive ever met

ive been reading his posts for years and pretty much liked the way he posts from day one

and others appreciate his work as well

he now commentates on RL games for an organisation