Totally outplayed for most of the game by a far better team.
I thought that a play-off place would be good this year, but outside of Leigh and Featherstone, we are up there on our league performances to date and have a good chance of a 3rd place.
Leigh have the nucleus of a decent SL team, especially if Beaumont is likely to invest further if promoted.
It seems very likely that Leigh and Featherstone will be competing for the 2023 SL spot. What has happened to the proposal of two SL divisions? Are we fighting for a place in the SL2 in 2023 (and the club's very existence)?
Totally outplayed for most of the game by a far better team.
I thought that a play-off place would be good this year, but outside of Leigh and Featherstone, we are up there on our league performances to date and have a good chance of a 3rd place.
Leigh have the nucleus of a decent SL team, especially if Beaumont is likely to invest further if promoted.
It seems very likely that Leigh and Featherstone will be competing for the 2023 SL spot. What has happened to the proposal of two SL divisions? Are we fighting for a place in the SL2 in 2023 (and the club's very existence)?
The SL2 will start after next season, so a top 8 finish in 2023 should clinch a place.
Paulie xx
@pauliewalnuts Thanks for that, but it will only work if central funding is distributed fairly between the two divisions.
So a good season this year could count for nothing, if we are not in a position to retain key players and strengthen the squad in 2023.
Anyway, I guess we should first of all enjoy a good season this year. It will not be before time for long suffering fans.
I would have preferred the qualifying year to be this year not next. Could be weaker next year if Smith retires he is 35 in July. For starters we would not have won at Halifax without him. To make top 8 next year could be more challenging. Newcastle & York for two will be more established.
We have no real influence on just how the leagues are organised, but we do know that we need to be as high up the rankings as we can possibly be.
There are no big spenders looking to help out, as far as we know. The Board, imo, are doing what they can in trying to boost crowds on the top of a good start to our league campaign. The unfortunate acquisition of the usual badly behaved juveniles doesn't help of course.
If we can continue to win the majority of our games we should have a chance of being somewhere in the new league hierarchy, whenever its organised.
Sure clubs will be looking to poach our players, which means that we are doing something right, but other players will be looking to jump into our team just as our present players did.
As we stand we are way above where we were last season so be thankful! Build the support and it will build the clubs ability to upgrade playing staff etc.
There is a long way to go yet!!!!!
Not heard anything official yet about a SL2.
As pointed out by gpo, nothing has changed, it's still Leigh and Featherstone for promotion but the result was still deflating for us.
Doesn’t matter if it’s SL2 or Championship, it’s still division 2
There's very little point in full time teams playing part time ones these days. Clear from minute one Leigh were just bigger, fitter and stronger.
That being said, it never seemed to be the case in reverse when we were full time! Which perhaps says more about the way the club was back then.
I've not seen anything so far this season that suggests we can't be the best part-time team and come third. York away will be a good next test of those credentials.
I think the quality of the players was a bigger factor than the full time status of Leigh on reflection. Multiple NRL signings in the side against us. Being full time wasn’t a panacea for London last year and doesn’t look like Newcastle are anything special this year despite having full time status.