Rugby League Today: Win signed GB shirt, Toronto make staggering Sonny Bill offer & Leigh tease

James Gordon

What’s on site

In our latest competition with Batchelors Mushy Peas, we’ve got a signed Great Britain shirt to give away.

Plenty of transfer gossip in this week’s Paper Talk, including murmurs on the first signings being lined up by the New York franchise.

The latest editor’s column looks at the demise in coverage and stature of Great Britain, the unrealistic expectations of amateur nations and some genuine great expansion work being done in the north east.

As part of that expansion, Newcastle Thunder are aiming to win Super League by 2030. A bold aim, but good luck to them.

Back on Great Britain, prop Tom Burgess reckons they’re disadvantaged by the fact GB (or any of the other home nations) didn’t have a mid-season test match.

And sticking with the international theme, we speculate what the England team could look like at the 2025 World Cup.

What’s on social

Leigh’s social media manager had a busy Monday, teasing plenty of signing announcements could be set for next week…

It’s very hard to look at the Bradford situation and think something untoward hasn’t gone on somewhere.

This sounds really encouraging.

What’s in the papers

According to reports Down Under, Toronto Wolfpack have made a staggering $9m (approx £4.7m) offer to Sonny Bill Williams over a two-year contract. Only the first £175k of his salary would count towards the salary cap due to the marquee player rule.

Jake Connor is eager to step up and make his mark for Great Britain, after centre Oliver Gildart was ruled out for the rest of the tour, reports The Mirror.

The situation surrounding Odsal continues to cause controversy, reports The Telegraph & Argus, amidst revelations it will cost clubs a cumulative £200,000 to maintain the stadium in 2020, despite Bradford moving out to play at Dewsbury.

Birthdays

Leeds’ Cumbrian-born Ireland international prop Brad Singleton turns 27 today (October 29).

Also celebrating: Salford winger Ken Sio (29); new Keighley signing Jake Webster (36); former Leeds and Bradford back-rower Chris McKenna (45); Australia and Cronulla legend Andrew Ettingshausen (54)

Trivia

Andrew Ettingshausen made 328 appearances for Cronulla Sharks, which was then an Australian record for most games at a single club, before it was beaten by Darren Lockyer.

Features Bradford Bulls