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Forty20 On or near the 13th every month Editorial address 47 Street Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire. LS8 1AP email: editorial@forty-20.com General queries Tel: +44 (0)113 225 9797 Fax: +44 (0)113 225 2515 admin@forty-20.com Editor-at-large: Tony Hannan tonyhannan@forty-20.com Managing editor: Phil Caplan philcaplan@forty-20.com Forty20 TV: Mark Wilson markwilson@forty-20.com Editorial policy Forty20 magazine is committed to delivering the best writing by the best writers – old and new. Email editorial@forty-20.com Photography: SWpix.com, NRL Imagery, Simon Hall, Richard Long, Paul Clayton Illustrations: Mark Eastbrook www.markeastbrook.co.uk Administration Executive: Ros Caplan roscaplan@forty-20.com Eastbrook ark Illustration: M Cover: Santa Louie – Advertising +44 (0)113 225 9797 or email advertising@forty-20.com Distribution Seymour Distribution Limited, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT Tel: +44 (0)207 429 4028 Emily.Evans@seymour.co.uk Subscriptions Postal and online subscriptions to Forty20 are available, the latter via iPad and iPhone app. Subscribing is the cheapest and most reliable way to get your copy, straight to your doorstep. For details see page 6 or email subscriptions@forty-20.com Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd, Loscoe Close, Normanton Industrial Estate, W Yorkshire. WF6 1TW. Tel: 01924 220633 All material copyright Forty20. Views expressed are those of individual contributors. Publisher Scratching Shed Publishing Ltd Registered office: 47 Street Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire. LS8 1AP Registered in England & Wales No. 06588772 Chronicle Special measures: Salford welcome Catalans to the SCS in round 27 SWpix.com n Fans reacted positively to the confirmation that the World Club Challenge will be played at the DW Stadium on Saturday 24 Februar y when Wigan will host Penrith. And it is interesting to see that the town’s football side have moved their scheduled game to accommodate the prestigious fixture, a sign of the benefit of having entrepreneur Mike Danson majority owning both clubs. Let’s hope it’s a similar occasion to the only time the sides previously met. Wigan won 21-4 at Anfield in 1991 in front of 20,000 fans. Not such acclaim for a Magic Weekend in mid-August at Elland Road however. The new date, to accommodate the move of the Betfred Challenge Cup to ear lier in the season, rules out most Premier League grounds in the nor th with aspirations for European action and is par tly in response to the recent Test matches against Tonga in traditional areas not selling out. Are these the final embers of a concept whose strategic purpose has never been defined? It cer tainly looks that way. IMG aims to abolish it along with other loop fixtures (the aforemention medical evidence on player load also suppor ting that). At least in Leeds next year it will still work for the primar y broadcaster, can still be sold to the outside world as a celebration of all the top sides and their fans in one venue, and should draw a crowd commensurate with previous events. n IMG’s grading proposals are star ting to have an impact, with Castleford the latest to announce a new investor, Mar tin Jepson of Ergo Real Estate, whose seven-figure cash injection has bought him a third of the shares. And this despite losing their indicative grading appeal after failing to provide correct data. Conversely, Salford have been placed in special measures due to concerns relating to their financial sustainability, having taken central funding ear ly while negotiations with the local council and management company over the stadium lease terms continue amid hopes it will be renegotiated to their advantage in the opening quar ter of 2024. n St Helens head coach Paul Wellens has been fined £2,000 for a breach of operational rules following their Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Leigh in July. He accused the RFL of failing to protect player s in an inter view with BBC Radio Good call “RL Samoa will work with the IRL and RFL to understand any hurdles we need to overcome in making the tour a successful reality...” – IRL chair Troy Grant reflects on Toa Samoa’s possible change of hear t Big call “I don’t think it’s a make or break year for the event. It’s more like another step on the journey of Magic Weekend...” – RFL CEO Tony Sutton spins the move to Elland Road like a top on LoveRL.com Poor call “Union’s move to outright professionalism in 1995 all but put paid to the century of league pilfering [sic] the 15-man game...’ – ABC News return to a centur y of loaded language, as Wallaby winger Mark Nawaqanitawase ‘defects’ to league Merseyside afterwards. Bradford chief executive Jason Hir st was also in hot water, fined £1,000 for three operational rules breaches following the suspension of Jorge Taufua. Paul King, chair of Salford was fined £2,000 for media comments about the match review panel in September and Warrington chair Stuar t Middleton £1,500 for an open letter sent to the media following the suspension of Paul Vaughan in September. Derek Beaumont was fined £2,000 for his conduct after the fixture against Wigan in September and Leigh player Oliver Gildar t £1,000 for his comments. All of the above will have half their amount suspended until next season ends. Hull KR, meanwhile, will review stewarding arrangements after an incident in their home fixture against Catalans Dragons on September 1. n League was well represented when RFL president and House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle hosted a Disability Histor y Month reception at Speaker’s House in London, which brought together people from the worlds of politics, enter tainment and spor t, including RL presenter Adam Hills. And five members of Hull FC’s Centre of Excellence took par t in RL patron the Princess of Wales’s Together At Christmas carol ser vice at Westminster Abbey. Here at Forty20, we were delighted to be invited to UCLAN’s CJam event last month for media students and over the months ahead will be mentoring several new potential writer s for the magazine. n Our flat caps are raised to one of Oldham’s finest, Kevin Sinfield, for the completion of his astonishing ultra marathon feats that will raise another million quid for five MND charities. As you will no doubt have seen during its extensive media coverage, this time his epic ‘7-in-7-in 7 Challenge’ took in Leeds, York, Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Durham, Brighton and London. The man is an absolute phenomenon. Congratulations too to the six winners of our competition to win a copy of his and Rob Burrow’s book, With You Ever y Step, last month. They are Madeleine Hegar ty of Liver sedge; Philip Bouncer of Coventr y; Craig Clarkson of Leeds; Nick Jones of Wrexham; Ian Molyneux of Rochdale; and Emma Broadhead of Dewsbur y. Finally a Merr y Christmas to all our readers. See you in 2024 when we’ll still aim to bring you the best league has to offer. 43Forty20 4December 2023 150
page 5
Personality of the month Mark Eastbrook College and so that’s why I did a Sports Science course.” Losing his love for the game, he then switched back from round to oval ball with Leigh East, with whom he covered hooker and back row. Gene Kelly was An American in Paris; James Wormold, Graham Greene’s Man in Havana; while the Leyther in London is new man on the Betfred Super League block, Mike Eccles. The Broncos’ director of rugby and performance was schooled in Leigh and a playing member of Leigh East. You won’t, however, find him dressed in Leopard print any time soon or relishing next season’s meetings with the Challenge Cup holders above any other opponents. Eccles, 38, is also happy to be described as ‘accidental’ head coach of last season’s Championship Grand Final playoff winners; the Broncos beating League Leaders’ Shield winners Featherstone away, and then 2022 top-flight side Toulouse Olympique in the final in France. Again by his own admission this one-time schoolboy football prospect is not looking to reprise his latter title, even if Derek Beaumont one day came calling. “When I took the role I didn’t want to be known as head coach for various reasons,” confirmed Eccles. “It wasn’t my ambition. I thought it was going to be a temporary thing and it wasn’t. I don’t want to do this role for other clubs. “This works for London and London only and eventually I will work back into the avenue I am qualified in, which is in performance where I have the probably the highest expertise.” Growing up in Leigh, Mike, whose brother Shane is head of youth at Wigan Warriors, was a keen sportsman. He played league at school and union for Leigh RU because the club was handily located round the corner from home. Cricket and football were other passions. He was on Wigan Athletic’s books as a teenage right back or goalkeeper. Mike went on to play for Leigh RMI while his Tics’ fullback partner, Leighton Baines, went on to play more than 400 times for Everton and win 30 England caps! In his own words, Eccles wasn’t tall enough to be a ‘keeper or good enough to be an outfield player. “The dream had always been to be a professional footballer, rugby player or cricketer. I just didn’t make it,” he admits. By now he was employed in Salford Red Devils’ backroom team and returned to league more to develop as a person given his intentions to progress in the world of strength and conditioning. His move to the capital came in 2012, initially as an S&C coach before heading up the department in 2016. A year later he was further upgraded to head of performance. In 2019, Broncos won ten of their 29 games – only two fewer than Leeds that year – but were relegated from Super League on points difference. Three years on and, with Broncos at the wrong end of the Championship table, Eccles then succeeded Jermaine Coleman as interim head coach following their move to Plough Lane ahead of the 2022 season. And this year promotion, without a single northerner in the side. “We have players coming from Medway, Ipswich … we literally cater for everything and everyone below the Midlands,” he told The Guardian in September. “I never envisaged doing this,” he now underlines. “It was never my ambition. But what I think I am very good at is creating an environment for people to fulfil their potential whether that is as players or coaches.” Initially, Eccles upped sticks to the south for two years, now TREVOR BAXTER profiles London Broncos’ remarkable head coach Eccles takes cake stretched to a dozen. Wife Nicola also hails from Leigh and so he is affectionally known as ‘the Leyther in London’. But their children were born in “But off the back of that I started down the sports science route and it became apparent that I could make a career of it and play sport socially. “At the time Leigh RMI were doing well [they lost an FA Cup replay to Fulham after drawing at Craven Cottage] and had an academy aligned to Wigan and Leigh the ‘smoke’ and the English capital is now most definitely home. “I have so much respect for what Leigh have done,” adds the Betfred Championship Coach of the Year. “They have added serous value to the competition, as I believe the Broncos did in 2019. I hope we can do the same again next year.” December 2023 3Forty2045 150

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Forty20 On or near the 13th every month

Editorial address 47 Street Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire. LS8 1AP email: editorial@forty-20.com General queries Tel: +44 (0)113 225 9797 Fax: +44 (0)113 225 2515 admin@forty-20.com Editor-at-large: Tony Hannan tonyhannan@forty-20.com Managing editor: Phil Caplan philcaplan@forty-20.com Forty20 TV: Mark Wilson markwilson@forty-20.com Editorial policy Forty20 magazine is committed to delivering the best writing by the best writers – old and new. Email editorial@forty-20.com Photography: SWpix.com, NRL Imagery, Simon Hall, Richard Long, Paul Clayton Illustrations: Mark Eastbrook www.markeastbrook.co.uk Administration Executive: Ros Caplan roscaplan@forty-20.com

Eastbrook ark

Illustration: M

Cover: Santa Louie –

Advertising +44 (0)113 225 9797 or email advertising@forty-20.com Distribution Seymour Distribution Limited, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT Tel: +44 (0)207 429 4028 Emily.Evans@seymour.co.uk Subscriptions Postal and online subscriptions to Forty20 are available, the latter via iPad and iPhone app. Subscribing is the cheapest and most reliable way to get your copy, straight to your doorstep. For details see page 6 or email subscriptions@forty-20.com Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd, Loscoe Close, Normanton Industrial Estate, W Yorkshire. WF6 1TW. Tel: 01924 220633 All material copyright Forty20. Views expressed are those of individual contributors.

Publisher Scratching Shed Publishing Ltd

Registered office: 47 Street Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire. LS8 1AP Registered in England & Wales

No. 06588772

Chronicle

Special measures: Salford welcome Catalans to the SCS in round 27 SWpix.com n Fans reacted positively to the confirmation that the World Club Challenge will be played at the DW Stadium on Saturday 24 Februar y when Wigan will host Penrith. And it is interesting to see that the town’s football side have moved their scheduled game to accommodate the prestigious fixture, a sign of the benefit of having entrepreneur Mike Danson majority owning both clubs. Let’s hope it’s a similar occasion to the only time the sides previously met. Wigan won 21-4 at Anfield in 1991 in front of 20,000 fans. Not such acclaim for a Magic Weekend in mid-August at Elland Road however. The new date, to accommodate the move of the Betfred Challenge Cup to ear lier in the season, rules out most Premier League grounds in the nor th with aspirations for European action and is par tly in response to the recent Test matches against Tonga in traditional areas not selling out. Are these the final embers of a concept whose strategic purpose has never been defined? It cer tainly looks that way. IMG aims to abolish it along with other loop fixtures (the aforemention medical evidence on player load also suppor ting that). At least in Leeds next year it will still work for the primar y broadcaster, can still be sold to the outside world as a celebration of all the top sides and their fans in one venue, and should draw a crowd commensurate with previous events. n IMG’s grading proposals are star ting to have an impact, with Castleford the latest to announce a new investor, Mar tin Jepson of Ergo Real Estate, whose seven-figure cash injection has bought him a third of the shares. And this despite losing their indicative grading appeal after failing to provide correct data. Conversely, Salford have been placed in special measures due to concerns relating to their financial sustainability, having taken central funding ear ly while negotiations with the local council and management company over the stadium lease terms continue amid hopes it will be renegotiated to their advantage in the opening quar ter of 2024. n St Helens head coach Paul Wellens has been fined £2,000 for a breach of operational rules following their Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Leigh in July. He accused the RFL of failing to protect player s in an inter view with BBC Radio

Good call

“RL Samoa will work with the IRL and RFL to understand any hurdles we need to overcome in making the tour a successful reality...” – IRL chair Troy Grant reflects on Toa Samoa’s possible change of hear t

Big call

“I don’t think it’s a make or break year for the event. It’s more like another step on the journey of Magic Weekend...” – RFL CEO Tony Sutton spins the move to Elland Road like a top on LoveRL.com

Poor call

“Union’s move to outright professionalism in 1995 all but put paid to the century of league pilfering [sic] the 15-man game...’ – ABC News return to a centur y of loaded language, as Wallaby winger Mark Nawaqanitawase ‘defects’ to league

Merseyside afterwards. Bradford chief executive Jason Hir st was also in hot water, fined £1,000 for three operational rules breaches following the suspension of Jorge Taufua. Paul King, chair of Salford was fined £2,000 for media comments about the match review panel in September and Warrington chair Stuar t Middleton £1,500 for an open letter sent to the media following the suspension of Paul Vaughan in September. Derek Beaumont was fined £2,000 for his conduct after the fixture against Wigan in September and Leigh player Oliver Gildar t £1,000 for his comments. All of the above will have half their amount suspended until next season ends. Hull KR, meanwhile, will review stewarding arrangements after an incident in their home fixture against Catalans Dragons on September 1. n League was well represented when RFL president and House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle hosted a Disability Histor y Month reception at Speaker’s House in London, which brought together people from the worlds of politics, enter tainment and spor t, including RL presenter Adam Hills. And five members of Hull FC’s Centre of Excellence took par t in RL patron the Princess of Wales’s Together At Christmas carol ser vice at Westminster Abbey. Here at Forty20, we were delighted to be invited to UCLAN’s CJam event last month for media students and over the months ahead will be mentoring several new potential writer s for the magazine. n Our flat caps are raised to one of Oldham’s finest, Kevin Sinfield, for the completion of his astonishing ultra marathon feats that will raise another million quid for five MND charities. As you will no doubt have seen during its extensive media coverage, this time his epic ‘7-in-7-in 7 Challenge’ took in Leeds, York, Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Durham, Brighton and London. The man is an absolute phenomenon.

Congratulations too to the six winners of our competition to win a copy of his and Rob Burrow’s book, With You Ever y Step, last month. They are Madeleine Hegar ty of Liver sedge; Philip

Bouncer of Coventr y; Craig Clarkson of Leeds; Nick Jones of Wrexham; Ian Molyneux of Rochdale; and Emma Broadhead of Dewsbur y. Finally a Merr y Christmas to all our readers. See you in 2024 when we’ll still aim to bring you the best league has to offer.

43Forty20 4December 2023 150

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