5 live Rugby League

With Shaun Edwards yet to sign a head coach contract at Wigan Dave Woods, Toronto’s Jon Wilkin and Warrington and ex-England half-back Kevin Brown discuss what’s happening at the club and identify their potential candidates for the job, plus the team reveal some tough mental strength training regimes and ask if it’s time to reinvent the positions on the field.

Former Wigan and Widnes coach Denis Betts joins Dave Woods and Jon Wilkin to reveal what it's like getting sacked as a Super League coach and what happens afterwards; the panel discuss what is going wrong at Wigan Warriors under new Head Coach Adrian Lam following yet another defeat on Friday; how well the schools rugby league system is working and what more can be done to get kids involved in the game; and the CEO of the rugby league International Federation Nigel Wood discusses the new Oceania Cup and the decision to put the hosting of the 2025 World Cup out to new bidders.

This week’s panel are Dave Woods, Jon Wilkin of the Toronto Wolfpack and Super League’s Chief Executive, Robert Elstone. Following the announcement of the return of a Great Britain Rugby League side to tour New Zealand, Tonga & Papua New Guinea later this year, the panel discuss the merits of ‘Team GB’ over four individual teams representing England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. We hear from former GB star, now Rugby Director at the RFL, Kevin Sinfield who says every player who is qualified to represent GB, wherever they are in the world, will be considered for the squad. Plus, following the financial difficulties faced by Widnes Vikings over the last week or so, is it time to rethink the promotion & relegation model that exists from Super League to the Championship. Finally putting the best interests of the sport first, rather than just trying to keep everyone happy. And, do attendances point to the fact that rugby league should go back to games just being played on a Sunday?

Dave Woods is joined by Scott Taylor, England & Hull FC prop forward and John Kear, Wales and Bradford Bulls Head Coach to discuss Shaun Edwards, Wales rugby union defence coach who is due to take up the head coach's role at Wigan in 2020... or is he, and if so for how long? We hear from Edwards who says he definitely wants to coach in the Six Nations again. The interview is from the Today programme. Plus Scott’s team, Hull FC, became the first to win a Super League game via Golden Point on Sunday when they beat Wigan Warriors 23-22. And we hear from his teammate, Marc Sneyd, who kicked the winning drop goal in extra time.

Dave Woods, Matt Newsum, Robbie Hunter-Paul and Brian Noble discuss a video in which Wigan players Joel and Sam Tomkins are seen abusing bar staff which led to Joel being suspended for four weeks and fined £10,000 and Sam being fined £5,000; plus two of this season's most successful coaches St Helens’ Justin Holbrook and Warrington’s Steve Price talk to 5 live’s Will Perry about a wide range of rugby league issues including their approach to the season, the future of Ben Barba and the challenges facing the new CEO of Super League Robert Elstone.