Official Wakefield & Hull, and others, Rugby League 2025 thread

[animallittle3]

Really looking forward to going to Belle Vue later on this afternoon to see us taking on the Catalan Dragons , we've missed the last two home games due to holidaying in southern Spain for the last month and we missed the 16 - 10 victory over Wigan although we watched the game on Sky Sports in a bar in Benelmadena , cracking banter with a few pie eaters who were in the bar with us , really great night and I suffered the next morning , 32 degrees and a hangover aren't a great combination !!!!! .

[animallittle3]

Betfred Super League Round 17

Wakefield Trinity 44 - 6 Catalan Dragons

Scintillating performance from the Trin in front of just short of 9k fans inside Belle Vue , the first half was as good as it gets , we were so good , we really were .

Special times , best Trinity team I've seen in my 43 years by a considerable distance , the best of it is , this team is very young and only going to get better .

[pass_and_move]

Betfred Super League Round 17

Wakefield Trinity 44 - 6 Catalan Dragons

Scintillating performance from the Trin in front of just short of 9k fans inside Belle Vue , the first half was as good as it gets , we were so good , we really were .

Special times , best Trinity team I've seen in my 43 years by a considerable distance , the best of it is , this team is very young and only going to get better .

First Trin game I've seen since the Magic weekend and I have to say that they are a brilliant team to watch. Such fluency and flair. Enjoyed that immensely. Don't know if I've just dropped on two great Trin performances, but when you see such assertiveness and dominance, it makes you wonder how good the top teams are in SL

[animallittle3]

First Trin game I've seen since the Magic weekend and I have to say that they are a brilliant team to watch. Such fluency and flair. Enjoyed that immensely. Don't know if I've just dropped on two great Trin performances, but when you see such assertiveness and dominance, it makes you wonder how good the top teams are in SL

This season is probably one of the best Super League seasons we've seen for many many years , the Leigh v Wigan game on Friday night was extraordinary , breathtaking entertainment in front of Leigh's biggest ever crowd since they moved to their new stadium 12 years ago .

There's not a right lot between the top 7 , Hull KR and Wigan are ever so slightly in front of us but it's not a Liverpool , City advantage they have over the top half of the Premier League in football .

Attendances at Super League games are on the rise , over a million fans have already gone through those turnstiles and we've 10 rounds plus the play offs still to go .

The product is superb on the field but it's much more than that too , the games are events , we set off yesterday afternoon at 3pm for a 5.30pm kick off and it takes us 15 minutes to get to Belle Vue , the fanzone was already packed when we arrived , all kinds of beer outlets and street food to enjoy , live music , kids activities and a real family afternoon out .

The predominantly summer season helps massively with the whole event feel admittedly but even when you enter the ground pre match there is pyrotechnics , fireworks , dance entertainment going on and you really feel like you are having a day / afternoon out plus you can get a beer anytime and without nobheads drinking too much to spoil things .

Pyssing everyone off going to the bar during the game doesn't happen because we still have terracing at rugby league and where we sit you just get yourself a two pinter that lasts you to half time .

8pm when we got home from a 3pm start for an 80 minute game 15 minutes down the road , we spend our money but at no time do you feel ripped off because you are getting so much back .

There is no greed in this game , the players are on good money at Super League level but it isn't life changing and the salary cap keeps clubs in line with their finances and anyone that does get out of line such as Salford are severely punished.

Because there are less games than football you don't get the saturation and overkill which makes it easier to create an event feel to games .

The only real downside is the TMO which takes way too long in my opinion because there aren't enough cameras inside stadiums but that could be easily fixed with a bit more investment from Sky and the RFL .

[pass_and_move]

Call me out of touch/old fashioned, which I most probably am, but the pyrotechnics, dancers kind of thing is just not me although I can see that it appeals to most. However, sky did this in 1992 with the formation of the Premier league. I know Rugby is a totally different sport and the crowds are most certainly differently behaved. It works in Rugby but the rough and tumble is what my Father took me to see as a child at Oakwell. No long winded build up, no gimmicks, just two teams running out of the tunnel, captain with the matchball under his arm and meaning business. The crowds anticipation at feverpitch and then the roar as contest got swiftly underway with no fuss or artificial build up. It was not needed. The event itself was enough.

Do you not think that football has suffered because these days the are so many obligatories to fulfill? The teams in the tunnel for 5 mins waiting to make their entrance, then the line up and the limp half hearted handshakes/fist bumps, the taking of the knee, the various announcements on the PA system, the minutes silence/applause, politics etc. It's a 10 minute passion killer imo and that anticipation that I alluded to earlier is just totally diluted by then.

It's like Mike Tyson in his pomp. No stupid chorus of various walk on themes, no, just a very business like guy making a swift and short entrance, beads of sweat emanating, the guy solely focused on his task. It gets the juices flowing because we've come to see the fight.

Today it's all about side shows. In every sport it has reared it's head. Artificial gimmicks, repetitively annoying but as I say, I'm out of touch thank fuq. People obviously want this kind of thing these days in most sporting events. Some it fits, others, I definitely think not. Too Americanified imo

[animallittle3]

Call me out of touch/old fashioned, which I most probably am, but the pyrotechnics, dancers kind of thing is just not me although I can see that it appeals to most. However, sky did this in 1992 with the formation of the Premier league. I know Rugby is a totally different sport and the crowds are most certainly differently behaved. It works in Rugby but the rough and tumble is what my Father took me to see as a child at Oakwell. No long winded build up, no gimmicks, just two teams running out of the tunnel, captain with the matchball under his arm and meaning business. The crowds anticipation at feverpitch and then the roar as contest got swiftly underway with no fuss or artificial build up. It was not needed. The event itself was enough.

Do you not think that football has suffered because these days the are so many obligatories to fulfill? The teams in the tunnel for 5 mins waiting to make their entrance, then the line up and the limp half hearted handshakes/fist bumps, the taking of the knee, the various announcements on the PA system, the minutes silence/applause, politics etc. It's a 10 minute passion killer imo and that anticipation that I alluded to earlier is just totally diluted by then.

It's like Mike Tyson in his pomp. No stupid chorus of various walk on themes, no, just a very business like guy making a swift and short entrance, beads of sweat emanating, the guy solely focused on his task. It gets the juices flowing because we've come to see the fight.

Today it's all about side shows. In every sport it has reared it's head. Artificial gimmicks, repetitively annoying but as I say, I'm out of touch thank fuq. People obviously want this kind of thing these days in most sporting events. Some it fits, others, I definitely think not. Too Americanified imo

I think most sports are always looking to attract the younger generation for obvious reasons and younger generations come with expectations we didn't have Pass .

When I was younger we had 3 television channels , the only takeaways were fish n chips with the odd Chinese in the village , down the pub it was bitter or lager , our music was provided by radio one and the weekly Top Of The Pops and anything you wanted to listen to outside of that you had to buy vinyl records .

There's also the considerable price we pay to attend sporting fixtures compared to when we were younger , people demand more for the price of a match ticket especially when you can watch most things at home .

Admittedly it doesn't always work for some sports or it works better for some sports than it does for others as you have alluded to .

We are inside Belle Vue at least 50 minutes before kick off , I wouldn't dream of entering Oakwell till at least 15 minutes before the start , one of the main reasons is the entertainment but I also like to see the Trinity players doing their pre match routine stuff , it's an education in itself watching these huge athletes preparing for what is about to hit their bodies for 80 minutes .

[pass_and_move]

I think most sports are always looking to attract the younger generation for obvious reasons and younger generations come with expectations we didn't have Pass .

When I was younger we had 3 television channels , the only takeaways were fish n chips with the odd Chinese in the village , down the pub it was bitter or lager , our music was provided by radio one and the weekly Top Of The Pops and anything you wanted to listen to outside of that you had to buy vinyl records .

There's also the considerable price we pay to attend sporting fixtures compared to when we were younger , people demand more for the price of a match ticket especially when you can watch most things at home .

Admittedly it doesn't always work for some sports or it works better for some sports than it does for others as you have alluded to .

We are inside Belle Vue at least 50 minutes before kick off , I wouldn't dream of entering Oakwell till at least 15 minutes before the start , one of the main reasons is the entertainment but I also like to see the Trinity players doing their pre match routine stuff , it's an education in itself watching these huge athletes preparing for what is about to hit their bodies for 80 minutes .

Fair points there mate. Obviously times change but not always for the better imo. I must admit that I find it difficult to adapt.