Castleford Tigers

Ohh I WILL say it, regularly!.
I think the so called Magic weekend is pretentious and pointless, and the loop fixture thing is also wrong.
Couldn't they just extend the Super league by 2 more teams. Then we'd get proper teams in again, like Bradford or Widnes or Halifax or even Feath lol.

 

Being a follower of Barnsley and Castleford is a dispiriting experience these days. The fare on the field is dreadful in both cases. Both Clubs look like they are still in freefall and haven’t hit the bottom yet. The only discernible difference is the off field experience. It’s still brilliant at Cas but thoroughly depressing at Barnsley.

However, I live in hope.

 

Fingers crossed though, although its worrying, we/Barnsley Fc might be onto something here with Conor.
Obviously we've got to try to be positive, and see what happens.
Btw, has Barnsley ever had a RL team (at any level), and does it have any connections with the game ?.

 

My mates' son plays for Bradford, Ebon Scurr. His other lad, McKenzie, plays for Hunslet.

 

I remember Rich, in the mid-late 80s, when it was the Stones Bitter Championship lol.
No RL Super league then of course, and no footy Premier league either. In fact there was no Sky sports, full stop!!.
Bradford were called Northern, and Hunslet had at least one season in the top division. And I think they played at Elland road, the Leeds footy stadium.
Out of interest, where do they play now then ?.

 

Only an amateur RL team, started in the 1970's at Farm Road, Kendray. Barnsley RUFC dates back a fair way though.

 

Ohh ok, that's interesting. However, I'm not a RU fan lol.
Apart from England in the World cup and Six nations, I hardly bother with it.

 

I believe Dodworth had a RL team not that long ago ..

 

Aye I remember those days. Had a couple of seasons following Leeds 'Loiners!!' (Hanley, Lowes, Tait days) with a mate who was a fan (RIP Biff), went to a few home and away games.

Hunslet now play at South Leeds stadium according to Google.

I'm not a fan of RL at all anymore, never watch it these days.

 

Rugby league is far more exciting than Union. Faster, more skilful, more tries, fitter more agile blokes overall.

 

It's a never ending argument is RL v RU.

I find union much more interesting, it's far more nuanced, so much more to the game than run, tackle, run, tackle, run, tackle...kick/handover. League is too one dimensional.

 

Ahh we had a love-hate (love to hate) relationship with Leeds for years at the classic old Boulevard stadium. Especially with the big mouth Ellery Hanley.
And it made it worse with two star players like Gary Schofield and Lee Crooks, both also leaving us for them!!.

 

My fatha knew Hanley in a professional capacity. Was on his wing in jail, lol.

(Fatha was in prison service for about 35 years).

 

They still do! Dodworth Miners RLFC, based at the Welfare Ground behind the Health Centre. It's amateur level of course, but no less competitive than the pro game. They have a great setup, with mens and womens senior teams, and kids teams at all age levels.
Come on all you RL fans, give em a try!

 

Ellery Hanley was likeable away from the pitch, always giggling and mucking about lol.
I remember an episode of A question of sport, where he and Emelyn Hughes, just acted like two silly school boys.
But when he played, when it was against your own team, he was like Joey Barton. Somebody who you just really wanted to smack!!.

 

When I watch Union, the ball spends half the time off the field with the fly and scrum halves booting the ball into touch all the time. I find all the scrums, rucks and mauls incredibly boring.

 

Each to their own. Seems to be a definite split, if you like one you don't like the other.

 

I don’t mind top level international Union. I played Union at school in the Midlands and only really started watching League at Uni. When working on the Leeds Student newspaper as Sports Editor I watched Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Tykes most weeks at Headingley and from my own view there was no contest in the entertainment levels.

 

Apparently my mate has taken over the role of the Cas mascot - 54 walking around dressed as a tiger

 

At international level, I’d take Union every day of the week.
At Club level, unless you’re watching European Rugby or the URL it’s league for me.