iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

The longer things drag on, the less likely the NRL takever is. Which is obviously good. But that doesn't solve the the governance problems of the game in the UK, or the ridiculous situation of not have league structures / particpants sorted at this point. Or a signed broadcast contract 🤯

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"For the problems are not all solved and the battles are not all won—and we stand today on the edge of a New Frontier" 26,074 days and counting. Does the clock stop at 26,075?

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Will this week never end?! It feels forever ago to be celebrating at Headingley. I've taken no pleasure from the build up so far & think the anguish will only get worse I blame Gary Slater in part: I can't get the title of his book of Wire's inter-war near misses out of my head: "So Close to Glory"

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It's alright grabbing the headlines with a one-off trip with glory in sight, but could they do it repeatedly on dark rainy nights across the M62 for the best part of 30 years?? ;-)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Delusion reason #5: pleasantly surprisingly to see the relative experience of the Wire team > Wakey in GFs. 5 winners, and only 2 to have played & not won (and only 1 of those with Wire). The players won't have the baggage the fans do! Wakey in contrast: 0 winners, 2 losers (McMeeken's lost 3!)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Delusion reason number 4: Wire have never lost a final to Wakey* (*they've also never won one either)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I've just caught the second semi. OMFG. Delighted as I was, I now feel slighty sick. I was comfortable playing Wigan knowing how it would conclude. Now we're in a 50:50 game. #itsthehopethatkillsyou

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

GF tickets booked. First time progeny in tow (just one of them; the other has more interesting things to do!), first time we're not in our doomed Stretford End. Delusional reasons #2 & 3 added to the list. Why do we do this to ourselves?! #itsthehopethatkillsyou

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I can't believe I've only just realised Ben Currie has never played in a Grand Final! Reason #1 to be delusional about next Saturday already in the bag.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I still think it should be top 5 - the perfect balance between reward for a season's endeavours & jeopardy and drama required for the end-of-season IMHO. Sadly, the top 10 play-offs aren't twice as good, and complexity doubles with the addition of every team it seems!

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

It's clear that many RL folk pay no attention to other sports. All, including soccer (in fact, maybe especially soccer?!) are prone to do things that would make even the brashest of RL officials blush.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

...'the bunker' than any individual player. This isn't the RL I fell in love with & TBH, I am struggling to keep the flame alive rn. And this is in the afterglow of a really enjoyable trip to the HJ last night. I can't help hankering for the 'good old days' though. I know this is my 'problem' btw 😀

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I think I'm officially an old man: thought I'd better watch the poster game of our new overlords to see what all the fuss is about. But NZ Warriors V. Newcastle I just found as unwatchable as most SL games. Apparently a 'great game' but all I saw was constant stoppages & more references to...

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

“All of these fans are witnessing something most of them have never seen before“ 😂

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

...a desire to recognise their more 'steady away' players. Personally I think there's 3 or 4 players who have better seasons despite where the teams finished. If O'Neill's playing for HKR at the level he has this season, I'd lay money he doesn't win that award.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Yeah, I get it. I think there's plenty who take a similar view, as evidenced by comments around the Dream Team & numbers of Leeds players V. Wigan. I think there's a bit of recency bias in here personally, and the 'problem' is Wigan are a well balanced team, but the stars have missed games. Hence...

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Caught me by surprise. Has the feeling of “must give it to a Pie Eater but who? Can’t be French or Field as too obvious” Sometimes recipients of these awards are fortunate, and feels like this is one. He’s been good, but…? Might not even play for England (outside chance he might not make the squad!)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

RLWC? These guys are doing real cards for WC26 (IRL for IRL!!). I 'collected' the virtual cards as part of the Voono fantasy game (just not the same); that was a confusing mish mash - could have been great, but didn't know what it was trying to be. This is the way though: back to the future :-)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This could be interesting / disappointing / addictive / expensive... www.superleague.co.uk/article/6587...

superleague.co.uk

Super League and Select Cards announce landmark trading card partnership

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Oh god, I can see it panning out again: beat Rovers at home, beat Leeds away, then another GF loss to Wigan. It’s inevitable isn’t it?! Or maybe we’ll just get hammered next week 😂

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Been meaning to do this for a while. I've a long list of honours for other players. I won't spoil the fun by sharing here, so feel free to play along and guess away...

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

A great weekend for RL games: looks like I've wrapped up my Fantasy league, and I hit peak prediction accuracy... Wigan by 46 (spot on) Wire by 6 (was by 2) Wakey by 18 (was 16) TOXIII by 10 (spot on) Yellow cap in the RKC Superbru goes a long step towards securing the podium.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Edit: ignore me - I'd forgotten it was the BH, as I'm working! And obviously ignored the date on the 500 emails I've had asking me to go along to support Laarndan 🤦

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Are you expecting a long period of golden point? Or just the game to last as long as a typical SL match between Hull & Wire?!?

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I'd say Waggy, Rossy & Clark from TTOATT might be the best 'holy trinity' call from a single side. Maybe Murph, the Wild Bull & TVV a close second? Hanley, Edwards, Offiah on the podium. Irwin, Williams and Currie to join the discussion by 3rd October 😂

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I imagine it's a resouce thing. I think there's a huge gap in expectations from fans about what the RFL/RLC could and should be doing & what they are able to do with the financial and human resources at their disposal.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

To add on the branding piece: why face the furore of changing red to navy blue last time, and then not retain it, move to royal blue on the shoulders, and have socks that do retain the earlier shade (on the official photo shoot). tbf, I don't think the RFL's new marketing manager has started yet...

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Bevan & Bath. In the same team 🤯

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Nothing picky about it. It demonstrates where we are as a sport in this country atm. I'm no marketeer, but I've worked with large brand teams in big corporates & even I know that you'd brief attendees for this type of thing (indeed, I've had those briefings myself). It's just amateur really.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

We stayed at a place in Coniston earlier this year; would like to move over there one day, so thought we'd have a look how much something similar would be. Turns out the place we were staying was for sale! Nearly turned into a very expensive weekend!!

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

So, after months of 'negotiations', the NRL offer is... £425k per club per season for a 50% stake in SL 😂 Funded by a TV deal in Aus that SL could probably get most of themselves if the NRL didn't interfere. I expected a lowball offer, but that's ridiculous. Time to move on.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Of all the things to adopt from soccer’s international game, use of the term ‘friendly’ for international matches falling outside specific tournaments is one everyone should rail against!!

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

But we’re using that prime playing month by playing what should be the most important games of the season (play-offs, GF, internationals)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

This is total fantasy Andy. The Aussie couldn’t even find time to play France on the last tour. When they next tour in 8-20 years, it’ll be 3 games. One of the biggest challenges facing RL in this country is how ubiquitous the EPL / soccer is. How would we be reclaiming winter?

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Thanks @collinstony.bsky.social for sharing this with me months ago. No longer behind a paywall, so sharing on here! Enjoy (especially @ancientandloyal.com I suspect!) www.nytimes.com/athletic/626...

nytimes.com

How many games have Manchester United actually played? (Published 2025)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Something I’ve investigated before without resolution @andywislon.bsky.social re what the ‘official’ names of teams are and where they are ’held’. Matters for recording keeping purposes where we strive to be as accurate as possible in such matters! It seems an unanswerable question though.

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

One of my favourites in a good while. Love a good origin myth buster and no-one does it better than @collinstony.bsky.social

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Wigan come out on top in the battle of the fascist voters. Not good news for Wire, who now face what looks like an insurmountable double hurdle of beating the quad holders AND overcoming their final pie-eating nemesis to win the cup. #alwaysouryear

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

How would you feel? On one hand, he's just done something many thought impossible. On the other... Kipchoge's 'artificial' sub-2 illustrated the impossible wasn't. It was only a few years ago the logic was that the person to run sub-2 had yet been born. Carbon plate shoes admittedly changed that!

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Sub-2... Just mind-blowingly, staggeringly, utterly incredible. I don't think the enormity of this means that much to most folk, but Sabastian Sawe's performance today must surely be the peak of human sporting performance (so far!)

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Neil Ormston @neilormston.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Does need a caveat on accuracy (I mean, it labels Wigan "a leading club" ;-) )

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