I bet they were cheering at RFL HQ thinking that Salford were going down and that the pain in their backsides M.K. would walk away. The mood must have changed dramatically when that drop goal went over.

This crack pot system was voted for by the club owners. The SL owners thinking their particular club would never be in danger of being beaten by any Championship teams if they finished in the bottom four and the Championship owners seeing it as a way of getting rid of the franchise system. Sky want it because it gives them more games.

I wonder what the reaction would have been if the really unthinkable had happened and all four SL clubs had been beaten and gone down?

What should happen is that at the end of the 2017 season bottom team in SL is relegated and top two from Championship are promoted bottom one in Championship is relegated and top three in Championship 1 are promoted. This will give 13 teams in SL and Championship from 2018 other teams could be invited to join Championship 1 to bring the numbers up to 13, Within each division the teams play each other once home and once away and all get a bye. From 2018 onwards straight two up two down between divisions. Scrap the Magic and Summer Bash Weekends from 2018 onwards I'd also scrap the Grand Final as well but accept that might be a step too far. So have top four in SL play off one v four, two v three and the two winners going into the Grand Final.

The Challenge Cup should be returned to its old position of May not the back end of August.

But what do I know I'm a Londoner who has always liked rugby league and have been a season ticket holder at Fulham etc. etc. since 1980.

PS
Before Fulham came along I used to "support" from afar Hull KR for no other reason than I liked the name!!!

Why ?

I'd hesitate to suggest that at the magic weekend, with Leigh back in the top flight it may well be that any combination of Salford, Leigh, Warrington and Widnes will appear. Hull may be left with Catalan.

I meant that in a good way, looking back, it might have been possible to read it in a negative light.

The relative size of both clubs, and the fact that they are both reasonably well known, hopefully will mean good crowds for both matches, as it will hopefully be two good sides going at it.

It is always hard trying to find a rival of sorts for Catalan, seeing as they are way away from most other sides geographically, someone ends up with the short straw so to speak.

I fancy that, with no real derby, the Magic Weekend will see Saints play Wigan, Widnes play Warrington, Leigh play Salford, Wakefield play Castleford, Leeds play Huddersfield and yes, Hull play Catalans mainly because they know that Hull fans will attend in their thousands so there will be a good crowd regardless

Sky will want changes as viewing figures have dropped . Toulouse and Toronto are appealing to sky in many ways , can expect changes in next the couple of years

There's more to rugby league than Magic Weekend and Cup Finals (that said, there were isolated incidents at both Magic Weekend and the Grand Final last year). Fans of your home town clubs haven't been averse to a scrap (including with each other) over the years. Rugby league isn't some sort of utopia, as much as they've tried to push the 'family game' narrative.

The Hull FC v Hull KR fans brawl, the famous one, was 35 years ago in 1981. Are you seriously saying fan trouble in rugby league is common practice ? It's as rare as Stevo talking sense.

I didn't say it was "common practice". I said that your assertion that it is "unheard of" is patently incorrect.

It is a very rare thing, the fact we are mentioning it on here is testimony to that. I omitted the word virtually, will know next time

I've only seen three incidents since I started going to matches in 1980. Two were caused by too much drinking and the other was a group of away supporters fighting among themselves.

Tony the attendances at the Super 8 and other matches did seem to be down and the Sky viewing figures also seem to be lower than during the regular season. Sky's figures will be one less next season as I am cancelling my subscription - getting fed up with their coverage.

Alan, their coverage will be considerably better next season as Stevo goes after the Grand Final. I just wish he would take Phil Clarke with him

Darren, not so much the commentators that finally p***d me off I can get rid of them with the mute button it is the rubbish that Sky run along the bottom of the screen and the even more intrusive "what's coming up" banners that pop up.

Perhaps it is appropriate that ending my Sky Sports sub. coincides with Stevo's departure. I originally got British Satellite Broadcasting just for the coverage of rugby league and he and Eddie Hemmings were the commentators back then.

I've got Premiere Sports so I will get my fix watching the NRL.

Who are we all rooting for then??

Personally I am in the corner of Wigan, I have always had a soft spot for them.

I think it could easily go either way though!

Warrington for me , In Chris Hills corner , hate Wigan with a passion , the way leigh gets very little money from the council and the road designs are a complete joke , the money they charge leigh to rent their ground and they way they virtually destroyed leigh east is absolute disgrace , and then they have the cheek to refuse leigh players doing community work in local schools ,leigh schools. have to Wigan drilled in them as youngsters .

Never forget that day if Whelans helicopter had landed on my delivery van everything would have been so different for us both

Couldn't agree more. ANY other team but Wigan for me. Loathe them like you but for different reasons, mine because the way they always seem favoured by the RFL and bloody Sky commentary team.

Wigan are the most hated team in the SL. I reckon if Sky have 800,000 watching tonight then 750,000 of them will be cheering on Warrnigton

Had a great night in Leigh last night with Paul Cooke and Adrian Durham for Cookies book , look forward to a great read

Ah nice one. Cookie has a great footballing brain, as he has shown at Leigh. The book is great. Be prepared to "have something in your eye" at times

OK, that's fine boys, can we just get on with the game now, please?

Blimey O'Reilly, Wigan are worse under the high kick than the Drumtochty under-10s RU team that I played for in 1969.

do they have extra time if it's a draw ?

Yes, but if somebody scores a drop a goal in extra time then the game is over

Golden Point. So first try, goal, DG etc and its over

Warrington's wait will go on. Great defense from Wigan at the end