11 replies to this topic

[donkey o'tay]

Right, I'm setting off for Edinburgh and taking the long route. hoping to see some good rugby including Saints beating Wigan, then plenty more motorcycling on the way back on Monday. If I try hard I could do over 1000 miles this weekend, and still see some good games.

Anyone else going?

[Alan]

When you say the long route, can you explain please?

[Carr Millite]

donkey o'tay, on May 1 2009, 09:11 AM, said:

Anyone else going?

Yes but I'm not. None of the family are bothered about going either.
Taking the game to Wales for the last two years didn't raise it's profile and neither will this one.
I totally agree with Jammer and Sean McGuire about the uselessness of it.
Will try to catch it on TV but I'm not particularly interested.
How come the other matches aren't derbies?

[Alan]

Much as I hate to see Saints beaten by Wigan, it's good to see that proper competitive derby games between the two clubs are back on the agenda. To see Saints routinely humiliate Wigan might have been good for some Saints fans but it did little for the game and its image

[familyman]

Carr Millite, on May 1 2009, 12:46 PM, said:

How come the other matches aren't derbies?

Apparently it was a "free draw" between the clubs and we just happened to be draw against Wigan.

[brunty]

a rather crap display by saints whats gone wrong,you cant be world beaters one week and fodder the next.

[Carr Millite]

Leaving aside the mauling of Saints, Murrayfield looked mostly empty.
I hope this is the last of these 'magic' tournaments because they're pointless and probably weren't financially profitable.

[donkey o'tay]

Well I thought it was brilliant. Had a great time and did some great motorcycling. Only put 850 miles on the bike because I got soaked on Friday but enjoyed every moment of the weekend. Met some new friends and aquaintences.

Pity Saints had that mean spirited attitude to it all though. They looked as they begrudged being there. With Graham and Cunningham's comments in the press, and their attitude on the pitch, I got the impression they just didn't want to be there. Wigan did, they were right up for it and deserved the points.

I hate it when profesionel sportsmen become prima-donnas and think they're too big to play a venue.

That was Wigan's Grand Final.

[Alan]

Well said Donks, my attitude to it too. It really pisses me off when people begrudge the game being played outside th'artlands. It's almost as if they want it to stay forever in the M62 Corridor and yield the rest of the country to Punt and Grunt. Over 60,000 people attended the two days, which I suppose is an average aggregate crowd for Superleague but that misses the point. There were many who attended a rugby league game for the first time, which is only good for the thriving amateur game in Scotland and may very well lead to a pro team there as with Celtic Crusaders in Wales.

[Carr Millite]

How many people turned up to watch a rugby league match for the first time then?
It's not about mean-spiritedness it's about common sense.
Celtic Crusaders formed in 2005 which is before these 'magic' weekends.
I'd love the game to expand but these events are not the way to do it.

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0200spo...-name_page.html

[Alan]

I've no idea how many watched a game for the first time, whether they be from Superleague areas or from outside. There were however 6000 tickets bought by Scots which is a promising sign.

Celtic Crusaders were actually born as Bridgend well before 2005, an amateur Summer Conference team that won the final of the Harry Jepson Trophy in 2003 before entering the National League as Celtic. If you talk to any member of that club, in particular founding players such as Paul Morriarty they will tell you that the code got an enormous boost from CC Finals and then Superleague games played at Cardiff.

It seems like common sense to me therefore to play the games in the next development area; whether a couple of Saints players agree or not

Edited by Alan, 04 May 2009 - 07:09 PM.

[splus]

Despite us losing, and Wigan thoroughly deserved the win, it was a brilliant weekend. The weather was dry and bright, great for rugby but less so for the speccies. If you were in the West stand, out of the sun, the wind was cutting.