Going to Wakefield is enough to bring the hearty of us to despair. Then there's the rugby.

I thought Wakefield was fine when I went there. The ground less so. I agree though it’s not the Paris of the North. That’s Batley.

1st trip there 81/82 when Hussein M'Barki was subject to a torrent of racist abuse. Disliked the place ever since.

I see Morgan Smith has now joined Wakefield, that should scupper his career.

And Keighley have now signed Mark Ioane

May be misremembering, but thought that, when mentioning this trip a couple of months ago, you said you'd be likely to take in a Women's game. Has Hughes put you off women as well?

And we’ve broken with recent practice and signed a Championship level player in Marcus Stock from YCK. That’s a positive.

As a MK boy, at least he won't get homesick.

Ah yes, but will he miss the concrete cows?

That's no way to talk about the women of York.

Palumbo announcement seems to suggest we want a few more externals to come in (I agree) but our focus seems to be on players over here for WC. That seems to suggest us mainlining into the Aussie Pacific Islander heritage market rather than player X from Halifax, Bradford whatever. It seems we’ve thrown our hands up on the concept of Northerners coming to London. Probably sensible but a bit dispiriting that we have to accept that those from the other side of the world more likely to base in London over guys from 3 hour drive down the motorway.

Our attack looked like statutes start of the season so possibly he will feel at home.

I’m pleased another tranche of Academy players is being promoted to the 1st team (and there should always be a place for someone called Jensen Monk in any outfit) but the mention f the fact that training resumes on 1 st November is a worry. I’ve never run a Sports club but I assume you’d want as near as possible your squad to train from day one so if that’s true, we’ve recruited one player and one L1 project. Does that make us stronger than the team that lost the last two home games. I’ve got to say it’s difficult to say that. Sigh.