Fylde Warrior - let me try and break it down nice and simply for you. Quite clearly, Wigan (sadly) is not our biggest rival on the pitch - but they are the biggest rival, at least as far as rugby league is concerned, for our potential fan base and our sponsors. In the same way that Clyde are concerned about Rangers or Celtic and not Clydebank, so we are concerned about Wigan, rather than Swinton or any Championship club. We also have threats from football and a host of the big clubs on top of that. Many of us are wondering why we would get closer in bed with Wigan in that context.

Cheers Maple. Sadly, such a notion of rivalry are nonsense. Wigan / Leigh, like all League Clubs biggest rival are other sports, particularly football. Fantastic piece on Radio 4 today about 'rivalry' and how futile and pointless so called rivalries are when the reality is rather than trying to win small petty minded squabbles over similar sized rivals these very like minded groups should be working together to contest genuine rivalry rather than replicating the behaviour of cavemen.

Supporters / Sponsors are so much easier to obtain in a healthier sport that requires everybody putting aside their pointless self interests and actually working together. Tad like the partnership idea that some prehistoric fans are so mortified about.

We are all guilty of self harming through small minded pointless attempts to screw each other I.E RL clubs / fans. Partnership whilst far from perfect is actually a step in the right direction.

Hopefully plenty people will read Paul's interview. Although even that won't be good enough for some. Arrangements now are the same as last two years except THE RFL state you can only go to one club for DR players. He also explains how difficult the loan system makes things. If we were down to 17 fit players then something has to give. Until Sam T plays for I'll believe it. I pointed out the rfl bye laws as did Fred, it seems there are too many deaf ears.

I don' think anyone understands this.

You are so close to the point of the argument here

So tell me, does forming a partnership with another much bigger RL club playing in a much higher profile competition with attendances 10 times bigger just a few miles away help Leythers ' SELL ' Leigh Centurions to the poplpulation of Leigh?

Would Wigan Athletic forming a partnership with Manchester United help to sell ' Latics ' to the population of Wigan?

Leigh Centurions need to SELL LEIGH CENTURIONS to the population of Leigh

And people need to realise that what happens ON the pitch has bugger all to do with marketing a club to its towns population, and also that just getting the young kids of the town to play the odd game of RL will not result in them suddenly wanting to watch their local Championship club

One last thing is also the tendancy for juniors who play regularily at junior club level to want to watch the highest level of the sport available to them, you will not build a fan base out of them

If you must use football as a comparison, it's not done Watford much harm, constant financial problems every other year, 13th, 16th, 14th and 11th then set up an agreement with a much bigger club and turn a profit and are 3rd in the league.

I don't agree with comparing RL with other sports, but if you must do so try harder.

If you are going to compare a club in England being bought out by a club in Italy, then fine , I dont think we would lose any supporters to Brisbane Broncos, bring it on, if they want to loan us a few players, no problem

So not really like for like, is it jonny?

No it isn't, and Leigh's arrangement with Wigan isn't the same as the DR system other clubs are using either is it?

The difference being what, exactly? , and I mean EXACTLY?

The only wigoon related player who played today for Leigh was O'Donnel who is on a season long loan. How are we like swinton/hunslet who are abusing the DR system? Our partnership is not the same.

John o Donnell is not linked to Wigan in any way, he left Wigan went to London then ended up with us and has signed a 1 year deal as a Leigh centurions player, all 17 players were contracted Leigh players today

I knew we didn't have any DR's & hopefully the people who said their not going due to the partnership realise this is our squad & our players so lets get behind the lads "COME ON LEEEIGH"