We're back in the studio as we discuss the options for the World Cup, which we're very confident on happening, just not sure who will be there, and try to make a Rugby League version of The Hundred, but with a smaller budget.   A look at the weekend's results, wonder what is going on with the number of postponements and enjoy your comments, which poo-poo our rip-off of The Hundred while we discuss it.

Forty20 Rugby League Podcasts

Forty20 LIVE: 26th July 2021

Unlike Wally Lewis in the title of Wakefield's legendary fanzine, Australia and New Zealand are not coming, having released a statement this morning, minutes after telling the World Cup organisers. Thanks. For. That.   We discuss that, and remain confident of some kind of global Rugby League competition being played for in 2021, especially with government funding and the busy calendar in 2022.   That, and other bits of news, after the real meat of the show as former London Broncos coach Danny Ward joins us to talk about what he's up to these days, RL in London, what he thought of the sport down there before moving to Harlequins, his coaching inspirations, working under Wayne Bennett, nearly signing for Featherstone and much more...

Forty20 Emergency Programme - 22nd July 2021

As we've just about recovered from the heat of Wembley, we reflect on a Saturday afternoon which saw a high-scoring cracker between Featherstone and York, and a comeback from St. Helens to see off Castleford. How good was the 1895 Cup Final? How good is this Saints side? Where do Castleford go next? What's wrong with the Lance Todd voting procedure? All these questions, but do we have the answers? Plus: integrity, social media, why the Championship isn't on TV and Women's Super League highlights are, new signings for Leeds, the World Cup and much more...

Forty20 LIVE: 2oth July 2021

(The issue with the echo disappears, so stick with it!)   It's Wembley Week, and we're genuinely excited for Saturday afternoon at the national stadium, with the 1895 and Challenge Cup Finals to look ahead to on our latest show.   As well as look back at the results from the weekend, we've got the disciplinary to look as at Wakefield's Michael Carter takes aim as St. Helens will be missing men for their match with Castleford.   There's all the rest of the nonsense from the week, as postponements and rearrangements mean the calendar is a mess, while the WSL sees games called off while the players are warming up.   Plus, positivity as Leeds unveil a statue for one of the greats, if not the greatest, while the World Cup is happening, whether the NRL like it or not... 

Forty20 LIVE: 14th July 2021

We're back NOT LIVE, thanks to Leeds playing Warrington on Monday night, for one week only to look back on the week in Rugby League.   Much of that is off the field, with games not being played, coaches leaving, consultants arriving, and many of your questions answered.   Danny Ward leaves London, and where is the sport in the capital city, while defeat to Coventry could have been the last straw for Gary Thornton, who departs from Hunslet while Brian McDermott is back in the sport at Oldham, second bottom of the Championship. Nothing is predictable.   With postponements in our sport, and elsewhere, we ask what would happen if the fate of the England men's cricket team happened on one of the finalists in the Challenge Cup or 1895 matches with Wembley fast approaching as well.   Plus, action from on the field, the retirement of Greg Inglis, and much, much more...

Forty20 NOT LIVE: 7th July 2021

International "Break" is over, and we report on a weekend which saw England win two of their three matches, those being the actual official test matches, and a defeat to a bunch of men with a purpose. We've got plenty of praise to hand out, not least to a Wales side led by captain Shaunni Davies who lead by example, against England in their first ever Test, while we both saw our first live Wheelchair RL match, marvelling at the skills and brutality of the hits we were promised, and over delivered on. Phil had an afternoon listening to Ken Davy, from which he came away with very little to tell us, while we were entertained by Shane Richardson's plans for independence last week and spoke about those too. Plus, all domestic action, which we saw and what we've only read about, your questions and comments and six, yes SIX, Terry O'Connor's. (Though that is more visual than anything else.)

Forty20 LIVE: 28th June 2021

It's International Week! And what an utter mess we're in. Some on our own making, some, Covid related. Rugby League, innit?   We discuss the whys and wherefores and such of the squads announced, and yet to be, as there's a triple header of action to look forward to.   An unpredictable week of results in Super League saw Saints unable to score a try at home, Hull KR dominate Wigan at the Piedome, and Salford edge out Huddersfield in a case of mistaken identity with Ian Watson looking for Perry Mason's phone number.   You made plenty of good points in the comments throughout, which is good.   Plus, as a bonus, before the show we caught up with the Head Coach of England's Wheelchair RL team Tom Coyd, as they prepare to meet Wales on Saturday, and talk about their preparations ahead of the World Cup this autumn, and their new chairs.     (If anyone fancies a game of Mobility Scooter RL, please get in touch.)  

Forty20 LIVE: 21st June 2021

Another weekend of some Rugby League to talk about, and we're building up to a representative weekend too, so former England international and star of BBC 2 Danika Priim joins us again in the studio to give us her knowledge on everything we know nothing about. We talk about the late postponement of her game on Sunday, which left just one game standing in the Women's Super League, and how that will affect preparations for those hoping to represent England against Wales in a fortnights time. There's other issues in the women's game to talk about, plus plenty with the men too as England and the Combined Nations meet while Super League games will also take place, so how will that change selections for both teams? We discuss that and more on the rep scene after the Origin blowout in Australia. Speaking of the NRL, there's Boyd Cordner's retirement at 29 to discuss, and his career for club and country, and much more besides...a fun two hours!

Forty20 LIVE: 14th June 2021

Saints march on to Wembley having picked up the Women's Challenge Cup, where they'll meet Cas, and there were plenty of talking points on a big day of rugby in Leigh.   Speaking of, they've lost a coach, and another match, so there's something else to talk about, and to give us his expertise on developing young talent, Francis Cummins joins us to talk about everything in the world of Rugby League.

Forty20 LIVE: 8th June 2021

After a high scoring weekend on the pitch, and some hot headed actions (perhaps blamed on the heat at the Disciplinary) as well, we had plenty to talk about on a Bank Holiday Monday edition of Forty20 LIVE. Fresh from Old Trafford, Jonathan Doidge joined us to make his debut on the show to talk all things Rugby League, and we're surprised it took him more than an hour to do his Eddie Waring impression. Impressive wins for Catalans, Leeds and Wakefield, not forgetting Warrington and Hull KR in Super League, plus Coventry pulling off the surprise of the weekend in League One. Are Castleford in crisis and having just won seven in a row, are there question to answer for Wigan? We try and sort out what went on on the pitch, and discuss the end of that game in France which saw the retaliator graded harsher than the instigator.  There's a big weekend for Leigh and in the town too to look to, with St. Helens taking on York in the Women's Challenge Cup Final, while their men both face semis in different competitions on the road to Wembley too...

Forty20 LIVE: 31st May 2021

It has been a while, but, finally, we were back LIVE in front of the wall of Forty20 magazines, to talk some Rugby League. Granted, our technological skills are still rusty, so you're getting the full show here which had missing bits on YouTube, so worth wait, and lack of frustration if you didn't join us. John Davidson was first in the studio to join Phil, Richard and the socially distanced biscuits as we looked back on the weekend in the sport as Wigan remained unbeaten, Catalans beat Saints, Warrington won the Daryl Powell derby and Leeds and Hull played one for the purists. Wakefield won too, which was nice. We paid tribute to Bobby Fulton, tried to discuss the academy situation which everyone seems upset about, but not sure they know why they are, enjoyed a trip to the LNER Community Stadium to watch the Women's Challenge Cup semi finals, and much more besides as you got back involved in the comments...  

Forty20 LIVE: 24th May 2021

Welcome to the series finale of Forty20 NOT LIVE as fans return, and plan ours to our old pre-Covid home. We've a pair of guests to say goodbye to Skype and Zoom with as Andrew Quirke joins us again first. He was one of the lucky ones to be in the ground as St. Helens beat Salford in front of a crowd for the first time since the last game pre-lockdown. He tells us about the experience, how Saints are going and and we chat about the Super League in general, how the pandemic may have a further knock-on effect come the end of the season, how his latest book with our friend Danika Priim is going, and an update on Doug Laughton. Then we head to Sydney, where Fox Sports' George Clarke makes his dayboo to discuss the NRL post Magic Weekend, expansion plans, new rules, the state of Samoa and much more. Plenty to think about and be positive about too!

Forty20 NOT LIVE: 18th May 2021

As we count down to the return of fans to grounds, and us to the studio, we're back to talk all the action from a busy Challenge Cup quarter final weekend, which has left us with a tantalising set of semi-finals in both the men's and women's competitions, with Daryl Powell's present and future meeting, as we as the past Tigresses who have become Knights of York. We discuss the reaction to Tony Clubb's ban as the sport faces another disciplinary issue thanks to comments on social media. League One is back, and we've got the Championship to talk about too, and, to help us to do so, we're joined by the hosts of the Official Oldham podcast, the Hollingworth Brothers, with plenty of chat about the Roughyeds, supporting a team in the second tier, the future of the competition and how they got into podcasting!

Forty20 NOT LIVE: 11th May 2021

Phil and Richard are back with another episode of the Rugby League podcast with plenty to say, and not afraid to say it.   Social media boycott over, we talk the weekend in the Women's Super League, thanks to a tweet drawing attention to it, the new TV deal and what that means, before we get onto action on the field.   That action was dominated by Thursday's game between Wigan and Hull FC, starting with Connor vs. Hardaker, and ending with allegations of racial abuse. We discuss those, and how best the sport can deal with those who transgress. Your thoughts are always welcome...

Forty20 NOT LIVE: 4th May 2021

Welcome to our 187th Episode Spetacular here of the Forty20 Rugby League Podcasts channel! (We don't know how many we did on "the other place" to add on.)   To celebrate, Phil and Richard talk all the news in RL, including, but limited to, Lee Radford's appointment as Castleford Tigers coach from 2022, all the action from the weekend, potential TV deals for the Championship, and why streaming might be better all round.   Plus, our special guest this week is the Chairman of the York City Knights, Jon Flatman, as he, and they, prepare to welcome fans into their new home, the growth of the club, impact of the World Cup on the city and North Yorkshire as a whole, James Ford's impact and more.

Forty20 NOT LIVE: 27th April 2021

We talk Rugby League, it's what we do. The full Monday night show available as a weekly podcast and other special episodes too!

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Forty20 Rugby League Podcasts

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