I know this may upset the Widnes fans but my team Hull KR are next up at your place on Sunday.

The R L sanctioned the playing surface at Widnes while I would agree if every elite team in the super league had the same I would say no problem. The point is how can one while the other eleven teams play on grass.
The advantage is obvious to every man and his dog except the RL.

I know we usually get beat at your place and probably the same on Sunday, this is not a go at your club but we play in summer mostly and can you recall the last match postponed on grass ?

Another point for the RL why are we playing on Sunday before Wembley whilst Leeds have 8 days to prepare ????
I seem to recall earlier this year we had to move from Sunday to Friday to accommodate another super league club.

Maybe Widnes are similarly disadvantaged playing away games on grass?

I don't think anybody else has one in Super League mainly because of the initial cost, i think it was reported Steve O'connor spent half a million of his own money on it. It doesn't bother me, we play fast entertaining rugby on it and from what I've seen over the past few seasons quite a lot of the other super league players like it. Were also not unbeatable on it, Leeds have beaten us a fair few times on it up until this season as have others.

Should be a good one Sunday.

I don't know about that, our game on Sunday was one of the least entertaining RL games I can remember for a long time! Looked like 17 players afraid of being unavailable for two weeks so I can't imagine that even if we do turn on Sunday with a strong team, it will be much of a game. Can't say I blame the players as once we'd gotten past Leigh it was hugely unlikely we would go down and now even less so but their minds are clearly not on the middle 8s at the minute.

When the iPitch was erected - Widnes written to all clubs inviting them to partake in training sessions on the surface in the lead up to their games on the pitch. I'm not sure if one team has ever taken up on the offer.

Do the infamous hills at Batley (and Fev?) give those sides an unfair advantage?

Widnes are playing by the rules.

I find this subject quite interesting. Next season The London Broncos will be playing on this type of pitch.

I assume there may be some benefit to the home team. However if all the teams are given a chance to train on it and do not take advantage, well it is their loss.

I would agree with the Batley and Featherstone analogy.

Anyway the Broncos need all the help they can get.

I reckon a lot of clubs train on plastic pitches at some stage during their season, not sure if they still do but Fax trained at Calderdale College and they have one so as an advantage I don't think it's as big as stated.

You'd have to be a blind idiot to think the plastic pitch isn't a huge advantage to widnes ,having said that widnes do have a pretty good squad who'd probably do well at home anyway

Did not come over as an advantage last Sunday. Widnes squad did not look particularly good either.

Just out of curiosity, has anybody from here actually been on it? what does it feel like?

Ive played football on an all weather pitch which was like a very fine gravel, with some like green stuff on top, I wouldnt want to do a slide tackle on it though.

It's a lot firmer than it looks, just like astroturf you get at 5 a-side places.

It's quite different from that trust me. I played on that stuff for years and it was like sand paper if you came into contact with it.
I've had a run about on the pitch and a bit of a slide too.. it's obviously a very true surface underneath which is a mixture of fake blades of grass and tiny rubber ball bearing type things... it's completely flat whereas the old grass pitch used to slope ever so slightly.
Teams seem to like to play on the pitch and we've seen teams that like to play fast expansive rugby enjoying themselves on it.
After the initial complaints of burns and grazes there haven't been too many of these and Widnes players have pretty much never worn skins on the pitch.
I did notice that when the pitch was first laid there were quite a few teams, including our own, that seemed to overshoot kicks on the chase as if they didn't run on as quickly or as far but that's less apparent now.
In terms of why is it down? Three reasons really...
Firstly it means that the stadium can be used to generate a bit of revenue as the pitches are hired out in the evening and we also have Liverpool Ladies, Everton Ladies and Widnes FC using the pitch.
Secondly I can remember at least two games going ahead when there were a raft of other cancellations last year in the early rounds..
But thirdly and most importantly it means that the club has a viable training location throughout the Winter pre-season.