Simon, It'll take either a very entertaining Halifax side or one capable of lifting some silverware ( how many pieces are actually on offer to clubs at our level this season ? ) to get me back into the groove of regular visits to the Halifax games this season i'm afraid. I could even knock home midweek games on the head from now on as a Premiersports subscriber it's just easier to sit at home regardless of which night the live game is broadcast. Last season i attended more reserve games than 1st team and for a good reason, the standard of fare on the field was boring & predictable. I might be able to cope with that if it means topping the league table but the thrashings we took at Fev & Dour Valley sickened me. I don't wish to tell Karl & Lee how to select their team or which tactics to apply in any given fixture but his style hasn't altered since he coached Batley. That doesn't entertain me, BUT, a new season, new half backs ( who will only be effective if our big boys are bigger than the other teams' bigger boys, try & remember that

) and dummy halves ( i refuse to call them hookers, I haven't seen anyone actually "hook" a ball in years and the fact that numbers 1, 2 & 5 get that job in an exit or speed set ) gives me fresher eyes on how to look at things. I'm also interested to see which of the reserves can push through, the developments that Siddal are proposing to run a summer U23's side are very interesting in my view because as i've stated many times previously, 18, 19, 20 years old is too young to cut players. I know within the Fax camp the feeling is that if you sign a kid on a contract & cut his amateur status, the lure of 12 or 15 reserve games per season isn't anywhere near enough for young blokes to learn their trade in the playing arena. I have my own views on who is a future candidate to push through & will continue to watch these young blokes give it a go but the first team is the club's bread & butter, if they can't go some way to entertain me sufficiently, I'll be off doing other things away from the pro RL games.

So i ask the question, how good for the Championship comps is, or has Premiersports been for us ? I'm not talking about the NRL or WCC coverage, but our beloved Championship clubs & their competition ? I see over 50% of the games played out to desolate stadia usually on a thursday but that looks like changing. The fact that the finals day was all broadcast live sort of prevented me attending the big day, likewise the NRC last season.



Last word on this post, I really hope our homegrown lads push through the first team, the fact that we've brought so many in at this standard from other clubs is disturbing & goes against my principle way of thinking we run scholarships & service area then spend time and money nurturing the talent to just bring in lads from other clubs but i suppose to the average supporter they just wanna cheer on the lads in the matchday first team 17 who wear the blue & white. We actually followed RFL procedure & requirements at Halifax RLFC to meet their standards and SL criteria in this field despite any added funding, well done to the supporters trust for digging deep in their efforts & energies for keeping this going, we weren't the ones who lowered the age of the Academy teams or totally disbanded them just to play/pay Johnny-foreigner go bust and Johnny-foreigner moves on to pastures new. Credit to the current Halifax B.O.D. & head coach for sticking to their principles, they're principles i believe in & trust.

Simon, It'll take either a very entertaining Halifax side or one capable of lifting some silverware ( how many pieces are actually on offer to clubs at our level this season ? ) to get me back into the groove of regular visits to the Halifax games this season i'm afraid. I could even knock home midweek games on the head from now on as a Premiersports subscriber it's just easier to sit at home regardless of which night the live game is broadcast. Last season i attended more reserve games than 1st team and for a good reason, the standard of fare on the field was boring & predictable. I might be able to cope with that if it means topping the league table but the thrashings we took at Fev & Dour Valley sickened me. I don't wish to tell Karl & Lee how to select their team or which tactics to apply in any given fixture but his style hasn't altered since he coached Batley. That doesn't entertain me, BUT, a new season, new half backs ( who will only be effective if our big boys are bigger than the other teams' bigger boys, try & remember that

) and dummy halves ( i refuse to call them hookers, I haven't seen anyone actually "hook" a ball in years and the fact that numbers 1, 2 & 5 get that job in an exit or speed set ) gives me fresher eyes on how to look at things. I'm also interested to see which of the reserves can push through, the developments that Siddal are proposing to run a summer U23's side are very interesting in my view because as i've stated many times previously, 18, 19, 20 years old is too young to cut players. I know within the Fax camp the feeling is that if you sign a kid on a contract & cut his amateur status, the lure of 12 or 15 reserve games per season isn't anywhere near enough for young blokes to learn their trade in the playing arena. I have my own views on who is a future candidate to push through & will continue to watch these young blokes give it a go but the first team is the club's bread & butter, if they can't go some way to entertain me sufficiently, I'll be off doing other things away from the pro RL games.

So i ask the question, how good for the Championship comps is, or has Premiersports been for us ? I'm not talking about the NRL or WCC coverage, but our beloved Championship clubs & their competition ? I see over 50% of the games played out to desolate stadia usually on a thursday but that looks like changing. The fact that the finals day was all broadcast live sort of prevented me attending the big day, likewise the NRC last season.



Last word on this post, I really hope our homegrown lads push through the first team, the fact that we've brought so many in at this standard from other clubs is disturbing & goes against my principle way of thinking we run scholarships & service area then spend time and money nurturing the talent to just bring in lads from other clubs but i suppose to the average supporter they just wanna cheer on the lads in the matchday first team 17 who wear the blue & white. We actually followed RFL procedure & requirements at Halifax RLFC to meet their standards and SL criteria in this field despite any added funding, well done to the supporters trust for digging deep in their efforts & energies for keeping this going, we weren't the ones who lowered the age of the Academy teams or totally disbanded them just to play/pay Johnny-foreigner go bust and Johnny-foreigner moves on to pastures new. Credit to the current Halifax B.O.D. & head coach for sticking to their principles, they're principles i believe in & trust.