More than 1,500 at Kingston Park to see Newcastle Thunder beat Barrow 34-22 today. Really impressive performance. Here is the Newcastle Journal match report www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/ot ... rs-8979428

More than 1,500 at Kingston Park to see Newcastle Thunder beat Barrow 34-22 today. Really impressive performance. Here is the Newcastle Journal match report www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/ot ... rs-8979428

Great start for them and what an attendance,well done to all.

Coventry won as well in front of over 700 which is encouraging.

Well done Newcastle, future looks bright at Kingston park and after that performance hopefully pick up some new fans!

Impressive crowd figure, and only 100 less than potential super league outfit Featherstone.

Good to see.

They have achieved this even without the dazzling PNG winger Garry Lo, who has apparently and unfortunately disappeared from rugby league (He is not listed as being back with PNG Hunters).

As the article hinted, Super League clubs may come sniffing for the PNG talent, who were attracted to a competition which is below their playing standards only because of the new coach Stanley Gene. I hope that Stanley can retain his PNG contingent for at least this season, but if some do leave for greener pastures I hope he can attract others. The Newcastle Thunder could thus become the showroom for PNG talent worthy of a place in Super League.

Good results for both Newcastle and Coventry. Hope both are successful this season

Don't tell the anti-expansionists but the top 5 in Champ 1 are Gloucester, Hemel, Coventry, Keighley and Newcastle. I know it's only round 1 and won't last but this is good to see.

What's the delay in League 1 starting? There's 14 teams in the division, so it seems a bit odd.

I might be wrong with this but i believe I read that they are only playing 20 rounds in league 1. If I've got that right then I would presume its maybe something to do with travel because the newer expansion teams perhaps cant afford to sustain an entire 26 game season on their smaller budgets.

That's correct they will only play 20 rounds and then have playoffs involving the top 5 (1v2- winner promoted loser goes into playoff SFs with teams 3,4 and 5 to decide 2nd promoted team) so start the league later so that their season ends at around the same time as those of the KPC and SL. I think they play each team once with the remaining fixtures regionalised to make up 20 games.

Well done to Coventry in particular, starting with a win after the two defeats to Oldham in the cups.

Actually it's 22 rounds. Crusaders - Newcastle next week should be a good game.

Great effort from those two clubs!