Firstly Merry Christmas to all forum members and especially those who post regularly. Your contributions continue to ensure that YR.net remains the largest and most vibrant independent rugby forum in England. We have an incredible wide range of members from very senior RFU officials all the way down to the very bottom like builders mate (
, let's see if he's got a sense of humour). This is the 'must-go' to medium for all the latest information, background chat and revelations...let's keep it up for another year.
As for N1E... Morpeth finished the year yesterday with a fine win away at Driffield.
Regarding the league table I don't think there will be many people who would have expected at Christmas to have Scarborough sat at the top and Brid and West Leeds in relegation positions. However enjoyable as it is to sit at the top it will be undeniably hard to stay there. Scarborough have the hardest of starts after Christmas beginning with an away trip to resurgent Cleckheaton who, reading their last match report, seem to have signed a number of players from neighbouring clubs. Their win away against B&B shows that they will be a force. However B&B will still get stronger, whilst YM and Morpeth continue to push. I have no confidence what's so ever that the top two places will definitely come from the current top four. The league is so tight it is only going to take a team to hit a bad patch to drop a number of places in the league. York will recover and have a charge as their injuries return.
As for the bottom, it's unlikely that Consent will survive although they will win more games at home. West Leeds have an almighty fight on their hands to stay up and having lost a few players might benefit from regrouping in Y1. Brid will have to be much better than they were at Silver Royd if they are not going to avoid the drop. Their discipline is very poor and Tbh, they were probably the weakest team (on the day )that we have played. However I don't think Brid will go down, besides we want them beating some of the top teams not giving up and dropping a division.
There is then four or five (or more) teams above the drop who could easily be dragged into a relegation fight or alternatively motor on up the league.
Of the 5 promotion/relegation places the only one I will predict with a degree of certainty is (sadly) Consent will go down.
Heres to an exciting, intriguing and competitive 2019 with lots of good rugby and even more good chat!
