Michaela Blyde signs NRLW deal for 2025

So he got away with it OK this year, but will he get found out and tested in the future? It does certain restrict you in how you can play, think that loop that Sam did off Jordie, but as you said, so such a freak with speed he can make up for it.

Razor is going to give his quarter back as much time as he needs, that for sure. I hope he returns and is eligible for Nov tour next year. Looks like Sam will be the "quarterback" too from now on, no needing to rotate and fill in other positions like his competition have had to do before him👍

It's a good period for the mainstay ABs to stay in europe. Dmac is doing it next year with La Rochelle by some reports. His Chiefs team have a number of young flyhalves waiting in the wings who really need some game time. One has already had a season in Japan playing solely 10 to see if he can take over, and the other would have needed to do the same (or just left for France etc).

Same with Jordie and the future 12, possibly AB even, at the Hurricanes having to do the Pendergast, Frawley, Osbourne thing at the Canes at the moment. Hopefully not just at Leinster though.

It's not getting a spot based on bigger base persay, its the league having a higher performing base (so your idea about English getting a 3 way share flipped back at you). If it is also a very merit based system, as in if those teams performed just as well or better than English for example, why should they not have more? It's the idea that if South Africa and Ireland, and the rest of URC really, all have models that promote 4 Elite teams, why should the struggle for basically half the spots that the English teams get?

If you haven't even tried to get down to the basic premise (you appear to be stuck of a few WC spots), it's that league performance trumps EPCR performance. I think you'll get consistently better performing teams if you work out a fair share between the leagues and remove half the wildcard entries. Your other slimmed down 4x4x4x4WC is better than the 8x verion imo, two 16 team euro comps. If the 2nd tier euro sides struggle a bit too much in the challenge cup, then perhaps theyre better off only playing the bottom sides from each other league.

But ok, I've got your point.

What about 5 each + last year winners?

I am suggesting an equal share. England is not 1/3 of european rugby, and yet it gets the same number of entrants does it not?

Yes! Now were on the same page Finn.

6-8 last year, or the year before Finn? I think you're getting confused. Of Exeter Chiefs, Bath, and Bristol Bears, first none had a winning percentage in the prem, where Bulls, Connacht, Sharks, all had winning seasons, as did France's Bordeaux Bègles, Toulon, Bayonne, with of of each getting to their semi finals, with two of those also making, and performing well I may say, in the CC quarters. That is not significantly outplayed to me.

But think you're beginning to understand. No on is doubt the English teams performances for the most part, especially while they remain a 10 team league, that also isn't really what an EPCR style tournament is about. Your idea is more like the Football Super League they tried to get kicked off, just the best of the best and who gives aa sh#t about the rest.

maybe the solution would be for the clubs to opt out of the champions & challenge cups and just focus on the URC?

N.B. (sic) is used to signify that a mistake contained in quoted text was present in the original text

Bit of a shame only in that Padua and Treviso are much closer together so you've really further condensed fully professional rugby's geographic footprint within Italy.

Other than that doesn't seem to be a huge change for the URC.