re Butterfield/Griffiths

For me Butterfield is a far superior defensive full back, he plays like he understands the role better and his positional play is better than Tommy's ever was. The biggest difference between Griffiths and Butterfield going forward is the way Tommy jinked about and made breaks for himself, I would however suggest that Butterfield is more likely to make breaks for others so needs to be supported in the tackle.

All in all I'd go with Butterfield, I would however have been tempted to retain Griffiths in the squad.

(IMO of course)

We've had this discussion before, I know the clock is not right, but as you say it looks bad.
The whole idea is that like sky clocks or TV clocks the fans can give it the old 5-4-3-2-1 chant knowing full well it's accurate timing that they are seeing.
If it beyond the realms of technology to have someone stop and start the thing accurately, then it's next to useless and as you say an hindrance at the end of games.
Oh to be in the 21st century.

Then we agree, got confused cause I was responding to where you said "80+ (yes plus) minutes" when it actually wasn't plus anything. I'm assumnig the technology is fine, it is just the person who stops and starts it who is the problem, I know they are also doing other things so may miss some stoppages; in which case turn it off.


On a related note, crowds counting down 10-9-8-7 etc is one of the worst things about live Super League games (IMO), people can never even get that right and ZERO is usually shouted with about three seconds left

We do agree. I know it was 80 minutes, I meant 80+ by the clock.
As for the countdown, that is usually chanted by the winning supporters who want the game to end and end up rushing the timing.

Now given that a football game lasts 90 minutes and a RL game lasts 80 minutes (minimum figures) this would suggest that the clock can be programmed to count down from anytime doesn't it? Can it be done to seconds? After 80 minutes can the stoppage time be posted and counted down? Apart from somebody moaning about input time losses and extra stoppage time in stoppage time.

Or failing that, posting there will be, say, 2 minutes stoppage time at 80 minutes on the scoreboard, or even announce it over the public address.

The point being that in a tight game when there has been a fair bit of stoppage and it matters, why is it a state secret how long is left?
Why can't it be announced? Supporters can't be d to do their own timing, the timekeeper is doing it, so why don't we get some indication? Too much fiddling about, I suppose?

I'm guessing it's doable, all it would need is someone to set a cloock running without stopping it, then when that reaches 80 mintues however long is left on the timekeepers clock is essentially stoppage time (the time keepers are told to stop and start their clocks under the rules of how it should be done rather than time the stoppages and add that on...if that makes sense).

By my reckoning, the stadium clock is for all intent and purpose a clock. There should surely be a way in which this clock IS the timekeepers clock or that the 2 are at least connected. (although the potential problem with that is when the two timekeepers slightly disagree, which does happen, although the benefit would normally go to the home timekeeper unless an obvious mistake is identified) The 4th official also keeps time I beleive as a fail safe

why not just adopt the RU method of when the ball is put into touch,however long that may be after the 80 mins the game is over ?

Reference the stadium clock, the easiest way with the current set of circumstances is have it switched off. Simples.

damn straight!

Re Mick Butterfield, I would admit to being quite critical of him in the away fixture at London Skolars last season and at that point didn't honestly believe full back would be his best role (at that stage I thought Centre).

However, I am happy to hold my hand up and admit that since then I have gradually become convinced that he is more than worth his chance there.

And that happens lots!

It's no coincidence that the games we won last season were the games players supported the ball carrier better

The way I read it was that what you have just written was not in dispute ... whether Butterfield makes enough breaks (more so than Tommy) to be backed up was being questioned.
As in the ironic......''and that happens lots!'' of Trotsky.

Aah sorry I knew he was being sarcastic. I thought it was aimed at the "needs to be supported in the tackle". I actually said that Butterfield does not make as many breaks, but is more likely to create the break for others.

Which all goes to show, it's a game of opinions which makes it interesting, and there is more than one way to remove feline skin