i played yesterday and to be honest celtic just battered us! we were terrible!! i think celtic made 2 errors all game and not many teams lose when you play like that i think 1 to 17 we all played bad! ahh welll got next monday to make up for it.

Three games given as draws. Two of which were our home games against Miners and North London Stags, called off due to weather I believe (obviously not due to not turning up or a win would've been awarded) Third game awarded a draw was against Leigh East who I believe had to play a Cup match that day instead, given that Crusaders played Miners to try and complete the fixtures where they could. Note: did not try and play one of their home games that had been given as a draw they played the away game instead and the resulting loss meant the points were the same as awarded prior to the game being played...... I'm failing to see how we've been given any advantage over any other team, unless you can back up your statement with facts just accept that the better team won on the day.

Note the comments from Kangaroo Poo also, unlucky mate it still doesn't mean you lose your unbeaten through the league tag, from all reports a bad day at the office, all the best for Monday.

According to the teams published in todays and previous League Express' the only players not to have played in the play-off game were nos. 1 & 13.

WIGAN ST JUDES u16s 70 V 27 LEIGH MINERS u16s

MINERS WERE POOR FROM MINUTE ONE TONIGHT AND LET THEMSELVES DOWN WITH THERE PERFORMANCE. THE LADS KNOW THERE EFFORT TONIGHT WASNT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL HAVE TO IMPROVE IN THERE FINAL GROUP GAME AGAINST WIGAN ST CUTHBERTS IF THEY ARE TO MAKE THE SEMI FINALS.

I think you've answered your own question there, we were able to play the Leigh East game, it was called off due to the cup by BARLA, surely it makes sense to play a team we haven't all season i.e. Miners when we couldn't play Leigh East or would you rather we'd not played anyone? Then you'd have accused us of being afraid to play Miners. Can't win really can we, and given that we'd already played (and beaten) Leigh East that's quite an assumption that you would've won the game don't you think? I'd be concerened with the other 7 games you lost not the one game you couldn't play against us. Sounds like sour grapes picking on one game and saying oh we could've beat you and got in the top six without mention of the two games awarded as draws and the 7 lost doesn't it?

I look forward to your response, two things I'd ask though please?

1. At what point have I made reference to you making this another Crusaders have the RFL in their pocket rant? (I've consciously made a point of disregarding your comments re RFL favoured Crusaders re travel yet made no mention of the East Hull game not played against East or the number of other games not played)
2. Apologies for my ignorance but who is Mike Nicholls?

again look forward to your response.

mike nicholas i would imagine

Ahhh right, thank you.

you're welcome!!

Sorry should be West Hull not East

It would appear that the RFL have AGAIN failed to 'think the matter out' and this is why Rugby League will always struggle to expand, how can people expect clubs to attract the best administrators and marketing when the sport as a whole cant?

Mr Chairman, thank you for what is a comprehensive reply. I'll try and answer your points:

No doubt from what you said Leigh East were coming into form following injuries earlier in the season and it's disappointing that the season ended with games being called as draws etc.

From my understanding all the games were scheduled for weekends not mid week (it's fair to say that this left little room for any catch up on congestion) however Crusaders entered a competition which they felt they could fulfill the fixtures and barring circumstances outside of their control they fulfilled as many as they could.

I thought that the game we played against Leigh Miners was arranged as a result of Leigh East being in a cup match which BARLA had decreed took precedence so we played Miners instead so I can't see what we could've done there, BARLA made the decision not Crusaders and Crusaders travelled to Miners to play them and try and complete another fixure when they could've just settled for being in the play offs. If it was to get a view of their perceived main opposition it didn't work as I know from talking to someone who played in that game they found it far from morale boosting!

For the match called off against East Leeds, 7 of those in the squad played against France. The original squad was 23, point taken that there are 30 named on the website but you'll also find that some of those played early on but did not continue playing and of the 19 games played only 15 played 9 games (approx 50%) or more so it would make sense to want your best team on the pitch, I would hope any coach would want to send their best team out wherever possible and given that 7 of the best were involved in a GB side, Crusaders exercised their right to call the game off.

I agree that this has not been managed well by anyones definition but I do feel that comments by others (you excluded) are so ill informed and/or devoid of facts it beggars belief i.e. the RFL applying different rules (Meandal), we got a squad from across the uk to play in the game (BOBA) and did Crusaders have games counted as defeats for them not being fulfilled? (Bartholmew Smythe) even though the situation was totally different to Waterhead and the same ruling applied to other clubs he feels that we've gained by it?

Thank you for championing a Welsh team and thank you for an adult discussion based in fact. I hope that Leigh East go on to have many more successful years. We're still building in Wales and without being able to pit ourselves against well established teams through National competitions RL will never be given the chance to develop and prosper in Wales.

Many thanks


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i.e. the RFL applying different rules (Meandal)

My comment refers to the fact that Leigh Miners also had their cup match to play but unfortunately for Leigh East Barla deemed that they had to forfeit their match against Celtic and play their cup match which I agree takes precedence, but why were the same rules not applied to Leigh Miners? Miners played Celtic instead that weekend and played their cup match a week later.

I feel that it is great Celtic finished 2nd in their first (and last) season in the NYL, however you played the team that finished top only once and you did not have to play either of the teams that finished third or fourth. This was due to your location and the RFL deciding that you did not have to travel to the teams the farthest away from you; which I am not so ill informed to believe is your fault. However this made for an inequitable league which was compounded by the RFL's decisions at the end of the season.
This is a country wide league and all teams who join are aware of the travel involved. Leigh East have on two occasions been sat on the coach very early on a Sunday morning only to have away matches called off. I do not know any team who does not play midweek matches at the end of the season to catch up after bad weather - the joys of Winter rugby - and the RFL and Celtic must have been aware that this would be the case again this year. I am very sorry but I do believe that you were given an unfair advantage and whilst I too would love this fantastic game of ours to become played more widely - it should be a level playing field for all.

Meandal, that comment implies to me that Crusaders had different rules applied to them:

- I fail to see how as all unfulfilled fixtures due to postponement were awarded as draws not only for Crusaders but other teams also.
- As you rightly point out the Leigh East game was postponed but not the Miners game, how did that decision benefit Crusaders?
- I do agree with the point of not playing everyone but as you rightly point out, not our fault.

Thanks for clearing up any confusion and as we won't be in the league next year hopefully you'll feel it more equitable.

Best wishes

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Lets call a end to that subject for the good of the game