31 May 2022

Episode 343 - Brando From Last Tango - 2022 Cup Final Recap Show

This is our cup final recap show. We’ve got guest Wigan fan David to take us through his Cup Final day, his experiences, emotions and Wigan's celebrations. Alan tries to provide some balance, and your fan views try to provide some more balance. We also have a bit of a dig in on some potential new structure changes in light of the push for both 1895 Cup Final teams to be given promotion. There’s also some silly fan reviews, some bits of news and some predictable predictions. Get strapped in, it’s a long one. 

Episode Sponsor:
Rob’s Megastore stocks a wide variety of toys, stationery, arts and crafts ideas, pet accessories, books and of course Rugby League birthday cards. Search for Rob’s Megastore on eBay or click here. And SLP listeners can use the code ‘SLP10’ at checkout to get 10% off any orders over £5. Or enter ‘SLPDiscount’ and give your 10% towards funding SLP’s running costs instead.

Episode running order:

04:45 Challenge Cup Final recap & fan reviews
105:30 Other results
115:30 Feedback on Sarah's blog re. refs & structure change SLP poll 
144:15 Predictions
155:15 Quiz & Recommendations

Rugby League Record Keepers Club link: www.rugbyleaguerecords.com

How to Listen

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts here: SLP on Apple Podcasts
If you're not an Apple user, get the show here: SLP on Spreaker
You can also find us on YouTube, or search for us on whatever podcast app you use.

Get Involved
Send us YOUR view on the week's news HERE.
Send us YOUR Fan Match Reviews on the weekly match action HERE.
Save the links so when the forms are open you can get your views in for us.

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or get in touch by email: superleaguepod@gmail.com

Please support our friends:

  • Rob's Megastore - Enter 'SLP10' on checkout to get 10% off your order.
  • Little Warden - Vital alerts for hidden issues!
  • Sarah's Bookcase Sarah sells books and with access to over 3000 titles from baby to teenager there's something for everyone. 

You can make a donation to support SLP if you like: paypal.me/superleaguepod

All donations are hugely appreciated, large or small. 

24 May 2022

Episode 342 - Scarer

It’s a special week where all the Super League teams join the NRL teams in earning unique new nicknames from one listener’s *ahem* cousin. We have an SLP host derby to cover along with all your fan reviews on the weekend’s action. Find out who consensus says was a bell end on the field, and we talk a bit about another man who just can’t help himself from missing games. Plus Jake Connor makes a great case for England selection and as great a case for non-selection, in the continuing saga of the two sides of the snake. Not forgetting, our guesses and poll results previewing the Challenge Cup Final. 

Episode Sponsor:
Rob’s Megastore stocks a wide variety of toys, stationery, arts and crafts ideas, pet accessories, books and of course Rugby League birthday cards. Search for Rob’s Megastore on eBay or click here. And SLP listeners can use the code ‘SLP10’ at checkout to get 10% off any orders over £5. Or enter ‘SLPDiscount’ and give your 10% towards funding SLP’s running costs instead.

Episode running order:

15:30 Super League match reviews
92:45 Other results
110:30 Cup Final Predictions
125:00 Quiz & Recommendations

Rugby League Record Keepers Club link: www.rugbyleaguerecords.com

How to Listen

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts here: SLP on Apple Podcasts
If you're not an Apple user, get the show here: SLP on Spreaker
You can also find us on YouTube, or search for us on whatever podcast app you use.

Get Involved
Send us YOUR view on the week's news HERE.
Send us YOUR Fan Match Reviews on the weekly match action HERE.
Save the links so when the forms are open you can get your views in for us.

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or get in touch by email: superleaguepod@gmail.com

Please support our friends:

  • Rob's Megastore - Enter 'SLP10' on checkout to get 10% off your order.
  • Little Warden - Vital alerts for hidden issues!
  • Sarah's Bookcase Sarah sells books and with access to over 3000 titles from baby to teenager there's something for everyone. 

You can make a donation to support SLP if you like: paypal.me/superleaguepod

All donations are hugely appreciated, large or small. 

23 May 2022

Referee Abuse - by Sarah

 

Today, news is emerging from the NRL that there have been death threats made to Australian referees. These threats were described as being “credible death threats”, resulting in the arrest of at least one individual and causing the NRL to increase the security at their games going forward, in an attempt to protect the match officials. Combine this with last week, when a Twitter user responding with death wishes to Chris Kendall’s announcement of the birth of his son, this should provoke outrage and disgust in people’s minds.  Who has the right to do this? Who thinks its acceptable to wish death upon another individual or their family?

Meanwhile in the community game we hear stories of parents and coaches shouting abuse at, and threatening, referees for decisions they make. We hear of referees giving up the game because they can’t cope with the ongoing hassle they receive, and this should shock us. What other job do people do where if they make a mistake they get threats of violence? Do we go shopping and when the wrong amount is rung into the till we hurl abuse at the sales assistant? Or if an item of clothing is hung on the wrong coat hanger do we think it acceptable to make death threats to a nearby worker? I suspect for most people the answer is a resounding no.

How is it then acceptable for this to happen to someone who has chosen to be a professional referee?  And this is only touching on the times that the referee makes a mistake.  More often than not, it is not the referee who makes the mistake. It is the players whose mistakes are called out by the referee, or the supporter who doesn’t know the laws of the game, who are in the wrong. Yet it is not they who get the abuse, it is still the referee who is on the receiving end of this.

This is a serious matter. We talk more about mental health, and rightly so, but are we giving any thought and consideration to the mental health of our match officials? Without whom there would be no matches any more. We need to give them some serious respect and consequences need to be harsher for people who contravene acceptable behaviour. 

I am thankful that, so far, my 12 year old hasn’t had any real abuse thrown his way since starting his journey as a young referee. But, sadly, I am fully expecting the day to come when it happens and I know its probably not far down the line. At a recent competition, after the match a player called him “a joke of a ref”. The player was spoken to about this and told it was unacceptable. 

At the same competition, my son refereed from 10am-3pm on a one game on, one game off situation in temperatures of 20°c plus, for 2 consecutive days. Compared to the players who played maybe 6 games over the course of the weekend. Large groups of these players felt it acceptable to boo at the officials at the end of competition presentation. What are the coaches and parents instilling in their children that they find it acceptable to boo the very people who are enabling them to play the sport that they love? 

Do I have the answers on what to do to prevent this? No, I’m not sure what the solution is. But I do think that all clubs, grassroots and above, have a real obligation to protect the match officials, particularly as normally it is simply the referee there on his or her own. They don’t have assistants or anybody else supporting them with their decision making. Currently, touchline marshals are meant to be in place to control their fans, but this very often isn’t enough, and several times I have heard of them being the ones shouting the most abuse. There needs to be more accountability in punishing clubs and individuals who are abusive. Maybe some coaches, players and parents would benefit from actually undertaking a refereeing course or being handed the whistle and see how they can manage the pressure of a match when there are so many different things to be thinking about. 

Above all else please think about how you would like your son/daughter/brother/sister/mother/father to be spoken to. Remember it is a game, and the likelihood is your team will make more mistakes than the referee does. And without the match officials there will be no game.

By Sarah

If you have any thoughts on Sarah's piece, please let us know and we'll try to discuss your views on an upcoming show. Get in touch on Twitter, message us on Facebook, or send us an email to superleaguepod@gmail.com

17 May 2022

Episode 341 - Rotating The Kits

This week the Wire fans that show the coach how to respond to an embarrassing collapse without bogus excuses in your fan match reviews. We get a spin on the EFC rumour mill and we find that over-confidence is alive and well in Castleford. Plus, round 1 of the Womens Super League & millions of Wheelchair challenge cup scores as we bring you up to speed on the last week in rugby league. 

Episode Sponsor:
Rob’s Megastore stocks a wide variety of toys, stationery, arts and crafts ideas, pet accessories, books and of course Rugby League birthday cards. Search for Rob’s Megastore on eBay or click here. And SLP listeners can use the code ‘SLP10’ at checkout to get 10% off any orders over £5. Or enter ‘SLPDiscount’ and give your 10% towards funding SLP’s running costs instead.

Episode running order:

10:00 Super League match reviews
86:30 Other results
108:30 Predictions
118:00 Quiz & Recommendations

Rugby League Record Keepers Club link: www.rugbyleaguerecords.com

How to Listen

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts here: SLP on Apple Podcasts
If you're not an Apple user, get the show here: SLP on Spreaker
You can also find us on YouTube, or search for us on whatever podcast app you use.

Get Involved
Send us YOUR view on the week's news HERE.
Send us YOUR Fan Match Reviews on the weekly match action HERE.
Save the links so when the forms are open you can get your views in for us.

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or get in touch by email: superleaguepod@gmail.com

Please support our friends:

  • Rob's Megastore - Enter 'SLP10' on checkout to get 10% off your order.
  • Little Warden - Vital alerts for hidden issues!
  • Sarah's Bookcase Sarah sells books and with access to over 3000 titles from baby to teenager there's something for everyone. 

You can make a donation to support SLP if you like: paypal.me/superleaguepod

All donations are hugely appreciated, large or small. 

11 May 2022

Episode 340 - A Ghost Or A God

Special returning guest host Warrington fan Leigh joins Mark on this week's show. We give you the fan’s perspective on the Challenge Cup triple header, from the ground, to the atmosphere, to the match action, covered in full detail with your fan reviews. Find out how you get blistered hands at a semi-final, how the sport maintained sartorial integrity and who are the spice boys of Rugby League. We take a deep dive into Warrington’s challenges this year and scrap some news to do extra quizzes.

Episode Sponsor:
Rob’s Megastore stocks a wide variety of toys, stationery, arts and crafts ideas, pet accessories, books and of course Rugby League birthday cards. Search for Rob’s Megastore on eBay or click here. And SLP listeners can use the code ‘SLP10’ at checkout to get 10% off any orders over £5. Or enter ‘SLPDiscount’ and give your 10% towards funding SLP’s running costs instead.

Episode running order:

08:30 Challenge Cup match reviews
70:15 Warrington's season from the fan's perspective
90:45 Other results
101:30 Predictions
111:30 Quiz & Recommendations

Rugby League Record Keepers Club link: www.rugbyleaguerecords.com

How to Listen

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts here: SLP on Apple Podcasts
If you're not an Apple user, get the show here: SLP on Spreaker
You can also find us on YouTube, or search for us on whatever podcast app you use.

Get Involved
Send us YOUR view on the week's news HERE.
Send us YOUR Fan Match Reviews on the weekly match action HERE.
Save the links so when the forms are open you can get your views in for us.

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or get in touch by email: superleaguepod@gmail.com

Please support our friends:

  • Rob's Megastore - Enter 'SLP10' on checkout to get 10% off your order.
  • Little Warden - Vital alerts for hidden issues!
  • Sarah's Bookcase Sarah sells books and with access to over 3000 titles from baby to teenager there's something for everyone. 

You can make a donation to support SLP if you like: paypal.me/superleaguepod

All donations are hugely appreciated, large or small. 

4 May 2022

Episode 339 - Wire Stages Of Grief

We get all seasonal this week despite it being the start of May, with a new Christmas song for Hull FC fans and find out what festive purposes allow you to do in France. We recap Round 11 of Super League with your fan reviews, included some drums banged and others not. We cover other results & news from around the world of Rugby League, with big headlines in the Championship and big score lines in League 1. We also make our guesses for the Challenge Cup triple header in Leeds.

Episode Sponsor:
Rob’s Megastore stocks a wide variety of toys, stationery, arts and crafts ideas, pet accessories, books and of course Rugby League birthday cards. Search for Rob’s Megastore on eBay or click here. And SLP listeners can use the code ‘SLP10’ at checkout to get 10% off any orders over £5. Or enter ‘SLPDiscount’ and give your 10% towards funding SLP’s running costs instead.

Episode running order:

17:45 SL R11 match reviews
93:15 Other results
104:30 Challenge Cup Predictions
116:45 Quiz & Recommendations

Rugby League Record Keepers Club link: www.rugbyleaguerecords.com

How to Listen

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts here: SLP on Apple Podcasts
If you're not an Apple user, get the show here: SLP on Spreaker
You can also find us on YouTube, or search for us on whatever podcast app you use.

Get Involved
Send us YOUR view on the week's news HERE.
Send us YOUR Fan Match Reviews on the weekly match action HERE.
Save the links so when the forms are open you can get your views in for us.

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or get in touch by email: superleaguepod@gmail.com

Please support our friends:

  • Rob's Megastore - Enter 'SLP10' on checkout to get 10% off your order.
  • Little Warden - Vital alerts for hidden issues!
  • Sarah's Bookcase Sarah sells books and with access to over 3000 titles from baby to teenager there's something for everyone. 

You can make a donation to support SLP if you like: paypal.me/superleaguepod

All donations are hugely appreciated, large or small.