Well that was a good game to watch. The ref and video did a great job keeping rovers in the game by giving all the 50/50 calls but it certainly made it entertaining.

So true, I agree completely. It certainly puts a very strong argument against those who still believe mergers are the way forward. Mergers certainly are not the way forward in my view.
The game of rugby league is a fantastic product but as someone on another forum has pointed out, very poorly marketed by the powers that be.
E.g. I bought two national newspapers this morning. Between the two of them I could find only one small mention of the derby.

20 years ago that same game would have covered a half page spread in three or four of the national papers and had a mention on national news. The RFL have to do more to get the product i.e. rugby league out there to the nation at large. So they can at least be given the chance to see just what a great spectacle rugby league is.

Rugby union is in my opinion not as good a game to watch as League, even my brother in law who is an ex union player admitted that when I recently put it to him. However,
those that run union have very good marketing set up within their game. They have people within it that basically know how to sell ice to Eskimos.

Great post, couldn't agree more.

The game has been going downhill slowly, and thanks to a very entertaining derby game on Saturday, it's certainly turned it back the other way a bit. Well done to both clubs. I really enjoyed it.

If available and not played, coaches decision. Don`t recall a law saying you HAVE to play your best players.

When Smith signed for Rovers I thought he would get them going. He is a class coach, ,as his after match comments proved. Just glad Hull scraped through. My nerves were shredded.