Bamber Bridge 22-32 Ashton Bears B.
Ashtons youngsters put in a spirited display to earn a win against a much bigger & physical Brig side. Trailing 16-0 after 15 mins it looked like a 100% winning record was going to slip away but the six under 17's in the Ashton side dug in defensively and steadied the game. Some great ballwork soon reaped their rewards and the 1st half ended 16-16. An early try in the 2nd half saw the Bears take the lead only for Brigs impressive half backs to carve out an opening to draw level again. Brig battered Ashtons defence but they held firm and once they had the ball a series of well executed moves had Brig on the back foot, the inevitable gaps opened up and Ashtons pacey backs did the rest. A great game played out by two committed sides.

If you say so.

We didn't have much choice pre-match. Some tool had locked our changing rooms so we put shorts & socks on in your changing rooms and cleared out to give you the room to yourselves. Alan Hunte is one of those with a key - we rang him but he was at Headingley coaching Salford's under-20s against Leeds. Sitting around outside for 90 minutes in that heat was certainly not the ideal preparation. We actually didn't start warming up until gone 2.00 then went back inside for 5 minutes just to cool off. As you will know, it was too hot to be doing much prior to kick-off.

As I said, I'm not complaining and there is indeed a lot to build on - we were bitterly disappointed with our performance but there were definitely positives. You were the better team, but that's to be expected when 20+ from Wigan turn up against a team with a load of rookies. 7 of that squad are new this summer, of which only 2 have played league before.

anyone out there know the make up of the play offs? and when they start?

All fixtures confirmed from the league admin, to be played this weekend 6th/7th AugustRLC Premier Play off fixture

Liverpool Buccaneers vs Wigan Riversiders

RLC Regional playoff fixture

Cadishead Rhinos vs Blackpool Sea Eagles
Rochdale Cobras vs Chorley Panthers

RLC Merit playoff fixture

Wigan Riversiders Eels vs Salford Central

Blackpool Stanley vs Bamber Bridge

We heard that last week as well.

Maybe they'll apply the same rules as last year that put Little Hulton and Mancunians(?) through?

That would mean Bridge Bar or even the only team with a 100% win record?

Already discussed it with the league and they have chosen not to apply that option. As running with league rules I'm told.

Not going to complain as it means we don't have to work around the CC semi now!

given where things are i don't think it worth considering. some sides are breaking up with players going back to winter sides, some are switching to the interim season and want time to prepare for that (as i think we would prefer) and the league has already lost a lot of sides at the back end of summer because they were based around RU sides and they've started their pre-seasons now. I think next years merit comp may have to be even shorter than this year as it seems that by August, sides are moving on to other priorities...

It will be Riversiders Eels -v- Bamber Bridge in the final, both opponents have conceded. Particularly surprised about Blackpool given the number of fixtures they completed.

Dont know how they signed 8 players before game against Bury

The Riversiders are actually no better off. We'd have had an away semi anyway in 4th. It has simply given Accrington a walkover to the final. I'll be extremely glad to see the back of the summer conference league to be honest, the apathy from some teams about completing fixtures and the ease with which new, unsustainable teams get lumped in at the top of the structure has just lead to year after year of it being a shambles. In my opinion the most impressive league this year has been the Merit League with a huge increase in fixtures played and a relatively low ratio of games conceded. The RFL should shout it from the rooftops really, yet there's not so much as a website or a paragraph in the trade press to check tables and results.

Blackpool had to sign a lot of lads on on the day when they played us but they were good players, many from the old Blackpool Stanley set up that was in the upper divisions of NWC. I imagine it was a a case of being able to get lads to turn out at home, on what was a nice day, but that they were not that committed beyond that.