Talking RL: Why no Wigan involvement in the rugby league World Cup 2021?

Leigh and Wigan are to act as a training base for Lebanon during next year’s World Cup, said the statement.

'Leigh and Wigan' is listed as one of the hosts.

Read the details, and it’s Leigh Sports Village.

So, Leigh then.

Not Wigan at all.

Nor will Wigan host a game during the tournament, though nearby Leigh, St Helens and Warrington all get three games each and Bolton – a similar size to the DW – get an England group game and a quarter-final. All of those towns will also act as hosts for different teams, as does Preston.

I’m not privy to the details of the bids. But it seems odd having a rugby league World Cup focused in the north, without involving one of the sport’s biggest names.

Morgan Escare, I believe, is close to reaching a deal with Wigan to be released from the final few months of his deal.

It’s no surprise, given the 2018 Grand Final winner hardly figured last year.

Those who link the Frenchman’s slide down the pecking order with Adrian Lam’s arrival miss the point. At the same time Lam arrived, Zak Hardaker replaced Sam Tomkins at full-back.

And in doing so, removed the option of the ‘switch-a-roo’ – Escare coming off the bench and Tomkins moving into the halves.

The capture of the excellent Bevan French further limited his chances.

So I understand, completely, why he has been released.

It was obvious Escare’s future lay elsewhere.

But still, I remember some of the highlights, the French flair – pun intended – he brought, the frequent breaks and the occasional brave tackle, and I can’t help think it’s a shame it didn’t work out.

I’m sure he’ll give his next club great service.

The longest rugby league article on the Guardian website – by far – this week was an in depth interview with RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer.

Ralph seems to have risen to the challenge during the coronavirus crisis. He has certainly changed many previously-held opinions, and power to him as the sport plots a return back to some sort of normality later this summer.

But plenty seem to have forgotten that the £16m “cash injection” he secured from the government wasn’t a a gift.

It wasn’t a grant.

It was a loan.

A loan which will not only need paying back, but one in which the details remain confidential.

So we don’t know if the terms are like a student loan or a payday loan.

Which is not a criticism of him, by the way; just a gentle reminder to those who would want him knighted for his efforts in the past few weeks.

Many good judges have not been surprised to see George Williams make an early impression at Canberra.

He always had the toolbox of skills which marked him out as a special player, and he’s using them to unlock the tightest of defences.

But after legend Brad Fittler hailed his recent display as “10/10”, it was amusing to hear the thoughts of England, and ex-Wigan, coach Shaun Wane: “The Aussies went over the top. If George had delivered that for me at Wigan, I’d have been into him.”

Never change, Waney. Never change.

If you’d have asked me two weeks ago what I thought of the idea of broadcasting artificial crowd noise over the top of a ‘behind closed door’ game, I’d have said it was a ridiculous idea.

But I imagine most people who have watched the NRL will say it has really improved the spectacle.