Big sports fan (Wigan Warriors, Pittsburgh Steelers, Manchester United, Lancashire CCC), walking enthusiast.
The Fylde, Lancashire
Joined March 2011
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Mark Illingworth retweeted
Thing is with #MUFC, the people who have the power to sack people are actually the people who need to be sacked.
Mark Illingworth retweeted
Farcical
Michael Cheika @LebanonRL Head Coach divulges that either the RLPA and/or @IntlRugbyLeague prevented the Cedars from playing a ‘warm up’ game prior to the World Cup, with Lebanon last playing a Test Match at the 2022 World Cup. This is an area that needs urgent attention #RLWC26
Mark Illingworth retweeted
It doesn’t matter who is linked with becoming Manchester United manager, because whatever the name (and most of those in circulation have previously already been ruled out), they are set up to fail.
The parasitic Glazer ownership has bled and broken the club, putting a financial noose around it.
In 2024, Sir Jim Ratcliffe talked a big game about a “three-year plan” to rival and outdo Manchester City and Liverpool. But the decision-making under INEOS’ charge of football operations has not just been woeful, but costly too. There is zero accountability for expensive mistake after expensive mistake.
There is still no clear direction on club identity, including style of play, which leads to profiling the right signings and manager. That was a major promise made by Ratcliffe, which hasn’t been kept.
To borrow his own words: “There have been a whole series of coaches, some of which were very good. And none of them were successful, or survived for very long.
The only conclusion you can draw is that the environment in which they were working didn’t work.”
It still doesn’t. It never will as long as the people who own and run the club betray Manchester United and what is required to be successful in the modern era.
You can harp on about structure, vision, and sell fanciful projects, but you will never have the right operation with the wrong people.
Mark Illingworth retweeted
If you want to know why this World Cup is on Premier Sports and not the BBC - start here...
The Premier League isn't just strangling rugby league - it's killing other parts of soccer, too.
Bournemouth, with a stadium holding 11k in a city the size of Warrington, just beat AC Milan 3-0.
That's Bournemouth, who have never won a major trophy but happened to win promotion in the year that the biggest TV deal in history kicked in and thus get £170m before a single fan buys a ticket.
Bournemouth get 80% of their income from a TV deal they barely contribute to, and just 4% from their fans.
For reference, that's half of the *entire* NRL revenue, just from TV, and five times the value of the Brisbane Broncos.
That's AC Milan, the team of Maldini, Baresi, Kaka, van Basten, Rivera, Gullit and Rijkaard.
They get half what Bournemouth get from TV - despite being one of the biggest clubs in the world with an average home attendance of 60k fans.
Bournemouth beating Milan isn't a surprise. They were $2.10 (11/10) favourites before kick-off.
Now remember that there's 19 other Bournemouths in the UK, each competing for attention, and this is what Super League is up against every single week for media spend and oxygen.
The BBC shouldn't be driven by this - Lord Reith wants a word - but commercially, they are. They follow the clicks, and the money, like everyone else.
Rugby league suffers. So does the rest of football. So does cricket, rugby union and anything else you might suggest.
Mark Illingworth retweeted
We’ve spent £490m on forwards since 2021 haven’t signed a better forward than Rashford
We’ve spend £100m on attacking midfielders since Bruno joined and haven’t signed anyone remotely close to replacing Bruno or offering him decent cover
We’ve spent £210m on central midfielders since we sold McTominay and none of them are better than him only Mainoo who wasn’t bought and was almost sold by INEOS
We’ve spent £200m on centre backs since Maguire was bought and he’s still our best CB
We’ve brought in eight fullbacks that can play LB since 2018, none have been improvements on Shaw the only one that could be was sold to Benfica for pennies
Wan Bissaka was sold to buy Mazraoui and promote Dalot to starting RB, both of whom have underperformed against Wan Bissaka and have fewer crosses, chances created and g/a
We’ve spent £65m on goalkeepers none of which are better than Dean Henderson
This is INEOS’s legacy, this is Man United now
“ole’s dross” are still our best players, no manager has managed to be as consistent as he was despite having twice the funding
Incredible
Mark Illingworth retweeted
Not sure if I would say rugby league is dying, but agree with the stuff about coverage. As I wrote in last weekend's column there is an unhealthy lack of variety in sports coverage now, as it focuses on just a handful of association football teams. morningstaronline.co.uk/arti…
Slow death of rugby league is down to data, algorithms and football’s hegemonic ‘Big Six’
It’s one of Britain’s best-attended sports but you’d struggle to find the World Cup on TV. What hope do the rest have?
✍️ @RorySmith
bit.ly/4yykinu
Mark Illingworth retweeted
How on EARTH Did this get through approvals?
Guys are calling it the Bird Reich
Mark Illingworth retweeted
Some more info on Crusaders-RFL. Told governing body were asked by clubs in strategic review to be more financially strict with new owners after demise of Halifax, Fev, Salford. RFL sticking to that and insist £150k escrow protects players/staff/club.
loverugbyleague.com/post/why…
Mark Illingworth retweeted
Carrick came in, got the players to buy in, did a great job.
Players got convinced to stick around that may have been looking to leave as they got assurances that the club would back the manager and invest in the summer.
Window ends with net 1 extra midfielder and Rashford who doesnt want to be there.
Big personalities and leaders feel like theyve been misled, manager feels like he's been let down, and the energy around the club falls off.
Its not rocket science. Carrick may not be the solution, but he's not the problem.
Rotten.
Mark Illingworth retweeted
The United cycle is now at the demand for a glamorous tyrant - Conte - to show these players what real work looks like. That'll be followed in 18 months by a giddy interim spell by an earnest club legend - Johnny Evans - and then by an Ineos-coded ideologue with good hair - Howe.
Mark Illingworth retweeted
🚨 Michael Carrick's decision-making at Manchester United is raising concerns behind the scenes. 🔴
Some of his tactical and selection choices are said to be raising eyebrows internally, including among members of the playing squad.
(Source: @Djaameel_)
Mark Illingworth retweeted
In light of the recent RFL statement
We have emailed the RFL, outlining our desire to work directly with Ian Nolan (CEO) face to face to present our business plan and ensure it’s measured accurately.
This meeting can take place anytime this or next week.
We repeat, we have the funds and are ready to compete.
Mark Illingworth retweeted
Rugby Union is in its worst position ever in Wales, clubs dying and thousands of fans left without a club.
So instead of investing in Wales what do @TheRFL do? Make it near impossible for RL to exist in the country and kick the only Welsh team out of the league!
Well done you idiots!
North Wales' owners say they've pulled out of the 2027 Championship and have been 'failed' by the RFL.
Governing body asked for £150,000 in an escrow, club complied, showed proof of funding ~£500k but still no licence given. So decision made to pull out.
loverugbyleague.com/post/rfl…
Mark Illingworth retweeted
Understand travel to the Rugby League World Cup was sorted by the tournament organisers, not the individual countries. All teams flew in premium economy.For example, have been told some of the French team went via China to get to Australia.
This is partly down to reduce costs, so teams fly in and fly out of the same airport. And because teams exit the tournament from different cities, so a central hub in Sydney was used for all flights.
The conflict between Iran and the USA has reduced some routes, as has the quick turnaround from grand final to World Cup opener.
Just some context.
Mark Illingworth retweeted
THE NFL HAS BEEN FULL OF DRAMA THIS SEASON 😳
There have been 31 games with a game-winning score in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime.
That's the MOST through Week 6 in NFL history!
Mark Illingworth retweeted
The elephant in the room of England's defeat to Tonga is what it says about the Super League and its talent pathways.
This is a weak link sport, so if you spent most of your time playing against teams with obvious weak links, you don't get better.
So while top end SL talent is good enough, it's not tested enough.
The best players England had were the ones with the most NRL exposure, not necessarily the best raw talent or skill.
Anyone who celebrates a great young player - Nsemba for example - re-signing with Wigan is choosing a poorer England.
Welsby was the best talent England had in a long time, and has regressed because he hasn't had to get better. What worked as a 19 year old will work in most games he plays.
This could also be Harry Smith, Brad O'Neill or Zach Eckersley - all are at a core level good enough but for whatever reasons haven't moved.
Consider Jojo Fifita and Lehi Hopoate. Talent wise they're not better than Welsby - but they've improved out of sight by repeated exposure to higher competition.
Unless Super League improves - and probably contracts to 10 teams to fit the lower end of the talent pool - or the best 30 English players are in the NRL, nowt changes with England.
Here's a graph of underlying performance from 14 Super League clubs in 2026. 7 good ones, 7 shit ones.
An elite English talent only has to be elite half the time. If a Tongan did that they'd be in reserve grade.
