I can guarantee you 100% we desperately wanted to play Wild Boars. We've played weakened sides against some of the top sides including Hindley and Waterhead, but both times against you we've somehow ended up with loads missing. Last time against you we had 18 players out - and then I was ill on the day - difficult to find a squad out of less than 30 registered. We train hard and hit the gym just like you and it's maddening when games are called off - we want a hit out, win or lose, like anyone else.

We will never concede a game unless there is no other option, but finding a squad in a non-RL area is tough at the best of times (believe me) and when there's so many missing we're screwed. We had the same problem last year - went 8 weeks with 1 game at one point with teams not turning up and bad pitches.

Can understand the frustration on both counts here but I think part of the problem is the structure of 6 and entry into 5. It's seems a good idea putting all the 'A' teams in this league (6) and then one team clubs in 5 but they are also effectively new start teams. Every new start team needs time to establish & develop itself and playing every week can work against these teams and ultimatley other teams in that league. My preference would be for 6 to be run more on a merit system whereby teams arranged fixtures around their squads ability to field teams, in effect a season of friendlies. That way it would give new start teams time to develop and increase regular squad numbers without the pressure of playing every week. I also think that there would be more fixtures played over a season than there is now where come Xmas time teams start dropping out. Entry into 5 would be by an election system based on the teams proven ability to regularly field a team the previous season(s) and the development it has made during that season. That would ensure more fixture stability for the teams in 5 who would by rights more established squad wise. It's disappointing to hear of the frustration caused by cancelled fixtures and more worringly signs of it driving players away from the game itself.

This is a very good idea!!!

This would be fantastic for our 2nd team!!! It prob seems crazy to all on here that a 18 month old team in div 5 is starting a 2nd team next season but we don’t know what else to do?? We get 40 lads training some days and even then can count 10 lads who are missing. Its just gone mad (possibly new club syndrome)?????

This merit league would be perfect for our 2nds who just want to stay fit for when the 1st team calls them up and in some cases just want a run out and to go on the razz, there are 3 lads who played for Milnrow / newhey last season and would walk into our team but dont want too, just want a laugh in the 2nds!!!!!!

After all if we didn’t have this 2nd team we would have had 12 players for the Eccleston game!!!

And may I add Bury Broncos have never given us a game!!!!!
and even though we have put 186 points up em the last 3 outings they will still play us later this year, they never out...just use their brains....I know if we had no forwards we would not play!!!!!!!!!

think pazzer is just a bit ed off we look forward to playing games on a saturday thats what we train 4 and when the game gets called it es u off as i think u will all agree!!! but hopefully we will go up like pazzer says

Bury Broncos 14 - 12 Eccleston Lions

Good tough game, Eccleston never stopped going but our pack had a belter, our defence was on form and we held out despite a few sets of defence on the line towards the end. Handling from both sides was dodgy, I lost count of the number of knock-ons. We gifted them the first try through a suicidal pass for an interception, but from then I'd say overall we had the better of the game though they ran well at times.

Good excuse for a few cheeky sherbets to celebrate.

we've conceded just two at Bury - just unfortunate that its been wild boars both times. First it was due to having no forwards at all, second time was the mad week when I went from 26 available and wanting to play one week to then having 18 players out! Really couldnt do anything about that. We've been to Cobras and we went to Hindley with a frantically scrambled together team. We havent deliberately called one off just to rest-up.

One thing that does need to change is the penalty for conceding games at the last minute. 3 times last year we got calls after midday on a match-day which meant we lost £80 on pitch hire, ref travelled (£30) and food paid for. It also means that lads who could get extra shifts are buggered! Teams should have a points deduction if they concede on the day of the game...

For our part, I've always told the club at the start of the week if we have an issue - have never waited to see if its off due to the weather or anything, have just been honest with the opposition. We told Wild Boars at the very start of the week when we conceded the first one so that they could let their players know so that they could work etc. - the second time round we realised at Thursday training that we had so many injuries and let Boars know again the next morning rather than wait until Saturday.

well in the bury lads sounds like a good game im always happy 2 hear eccleston have been beat

well im not taking for granted that we would win against these teams that have given us the game i just dont think 18 - 0 is the correct result why not more like 40 - 0 because our points difference isnt the best because we only get to play the better sides we could miss on promotion by a few points

Newton Storm couldn't raise a team.

I've had enough of scraping for a team and sometimes not even raising one week in week out.

It's crap and I'm tired of it.

Same here Alex, the set ups all wrong. When we do have a full team the lads who actually go training dont get picked, but then when were struggling their begging for the "regulars" to play. Bit of a joke, playing Union next season i think or might go back to Haydock.