You know how it is - you scoot out of dummy half, draw in the "B" defender and put the runner you'd told to come with you through a huge hole with a perfectly timed pass, allowing him to stroll to the line for a try. It's not often when you're as talentless as I am that the runner turns out to be a multiple cap Great Britain international with numerous league championship and Challenge Cup winners medals to his name.
That was the case last Thursday though, in a charity touch and pass Sevens competition organised by Virgin Media. They had asked along former international rugby league players turned media pundits Barrie McDermott and Terry O'Connor as special guests, and through one of our team knowing Barrie we ended up with both on our side in the later stages of the competition. Sadly for Barrie however, it was Terry who benefitted from my slight of hand although he did look a little embarrassed touching down against opposition who were basically there (as we were) for a bit of fun.
It's certainly surreal, going out onto the field and playing alongside or against players you've marvelled at as recently as these two, who were both playing at the top level of club rugby in the UK as recently as 2005. Huge credit has to go to both lads however (and I can call them lads, as they're both still younger than me) for the spirit in which they joined in the day. They didn't try to take over or show off, they weren't interested in being the centre of attention but were approachable, polite and all the things that you're sporting heroes all too often aren't when you eventually get to meet them.
Much is written about rugby league being a family sport in the context of the behaviour of its spectators towards each other. It's a family sport in another way in my opinion, in that those who play, officiate, spectate or just generally enjoy the game all form part of the rugby league family whatever level their interest in the sport is at. Like any family we have our occasional fallings out, but in the main we look after each other and treat other family members (and the game itself) with a respect some more popular sports would do well to reflect upon.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The Madness of King Ganson III
You can't beat a bit of controversy at the end of a big game, can you?
With time running out and Bradford Bulls clinging to a two point lead, Steve Ganson penalises Matt Cook for being offside when replays show the ball coming off the boot of a grounded Leeds player. Kevin Sinfield opts for a 46m kick at goal in an attempt to tie the scores, which rebounds off the post. Jordan Tansey is first to react and gathers the loose ball before touching down under the posts as the hooter sounds to snatch a dramatic win for the Rhinos. Despite pleas from the Bulls players to refer the decision to the video referee (as he had done a multitude of times earlier in the game), Steve Ganson awards the try, despite the wide angle showing Tansey some two metres in front of Sinfield when he struck the kick.
Referees - like players, coaches, administrators and fans - are only human and are going to make mistakes. Ganson had to make a snap decision on the initial incident, moving at full speed at the end of a frantic game and looking into a crowd of players. That he got the decision wrong in those circumstances is unfortunate but entirely understandable. That he chose not to refer the try to the video referee is a little less easy to comprehend, given what was riding on the decision. There's little doubt that the try would have been disallowed and a penalty awarded to Bradford, from which they could have closed out the game and claimed the win.
Course, it's not a first for Steve. A couple of years ago at Headingley, he managed to find a phantom offside decision against Keith Senior, which allowed to Hull FC to clinch a last minute draw with the penalty. Later the same season he penalised Rob Burrow for "waving his arms around" at dummy half, an incident which cost Leeds two points in a game that finished level. The latest blooper appears to be the third part of this particular Leeds-Ganson trilogy, but the first one that has gone the Rhinos way.
While it's difficult not to have some sympathy for the Bulls in all this, refereeing bloopers are unfortunately an integral part of any sport and sometimes will clearly impact on the result of a game. Sometimes they'll go for you, other times against you and it's best to accept them with good grace whichever way they go. Making comments such as "we feel cheated" and "the referee created a penalty in order to make the game a draw" - both of which have been attributed to Bulls coach Steve McNamara - tend to get you labelled as a whiny cry baby, as well as being seen as bringing the integrity of the officials into question. I'd be surprised if McNamara wasn't at least asked to explain his comments by the RFL.
Even worse is insisting that the "right" thing to do would be for the winning side to give up the two competition points they have earned over 80 minutes, as Bradford chairman Peter Hood has done. Leeds went into the game without Peacock, Diskin, Bailey and Gibson, and Ali Lauitiiti was able to contribute very little before his injury. Despite this, the sin-binning of Brent Webb and being behind for most of the game, they had stayed in touch with a very good Bradford side to be in a position to benefit from Ganson's indiscretion. Asking for the result to be overturned on the basis of one bad decision sets all sorts of ridiculous precedents. Perhaps Leeds could ask for the 2003 Challenge Cup, the final of which saw a number of controversial decisions go Bradford's way? Or the results of the two games above being annulled and the points dropped being added to their total for this season?
It would be unfortunate if ten seconds of one game was allowed to detract from what was otherwise a successful weekend for the game in general. Over 60,000 people attended across the two days, including thousands from non-traditional rugby league areas. Within that number will have been some for whom this was their initiation to the family atmosphere of live rugby league, and they'll hopefully be back. The RFL are already looking at what changes could be made to the format for next year in an attempt to improve it further, and it looks as though the event - or something similar - could become a fixture in the rugby league calendar in an attempt to spread the game to a wider audience and create high profile events.
With time running out and Bradford Bulls clinging to a two point lead, Steve Ganson penalises Matt Cook for being offside when replays show the ball coming off the boot of a grounded Leeds player. Kevin Sinfield opts for a 46m kick at goal in an attempt to tie the scores, which rebounds off the post. Jordan Tansey is first to react and gathers the loose ball before touching down under the posts as the hooter sounds to snatch a dramatic win for the Rhinos. Despite pleas from the Bulls players to refer the decision to the video referee (as he had done a multitude of times earlier in the game), Steve Ganson awards the try, despite the wide angle showing Tansey some two metres in front of Sinfield when he struck the kick.
Referees - like players, coaches, administrators and fans - are only human and are going to make mistakes. Ganson had to make a snap decision on the initial incident, moving at full speed at the end of a frantic game and looking into a crowd of players. That he got the decision wrong in those circumstances is unfortunate but entirely understandable. That he chose not to refer the try to the video referee is a little less easy to comprehend, given what was riding on the decision. There's little doubt that the try would have been disallowed and a penalty awarded to Bradford, from which they could have closed out the game and claimed the win.
Course, it's not a first for Steve. A couple of years ago at Headingley, he managed to find a phantom offside decision against Keith Senior, which allowed to Hull FC to clinch a last minute draw with the penalty. Later the same season he penalised Rob Burrow for "waving his arms around" at dummy half, an incident which cost Leeds two points in a game that finished level. The latest blooper appears to be the third part of this particular Leeds-Ganson trilogy, but the first one that has gone the Rhinos way.
While it's difficult not to have some sympathy for the Bulls in all this, refereeing bloopers are unfortunately an integral part of any sport and sometimes will clearly impact on the result of a game. Sometimes they'll go for you, other times against you and it's best to accept them with good grace whichever way they go. Making comments such as "we feel cheated" and "the referee created a penalty in order to make the game a draw" - both of which have been attributed to Bulls coach Steve McNamara - tend to get you labelled as a whiny cry baby, as well as being seen as bringing the integrity of the officials into question. I'd be surprised if McNamara wasn't at least asked to explain his comments by the RFL.
Even worse is insisting that the "right" thing to do would be for the winning side to give up the two competition points they have earned over 80 minutes, as Bradford chairman Peter Hood has done. Leeds went into the game without Peacock, Diskin, Bailey and Gibson, and Ali Lauitiiti was able to contribute very little before his injury. Despite this, the sin-binning of Brent Webb and being behind for most of the game, they had stayed in touch with a very good Bradford side to be in a position to benefit from Ganson's indiscretion. Asking for the result to be overturned on the basis of one bad decision sets all sorts of ridiculous precedents. Perhaps Leeds could ask for the 2003 Challenge Cup, the final of which saw a number of controversial decisions go Bradford's way? Or the results of the two games above being annulled and the points dropped being added to their total for this season?
It would be unfortunate if ten seconds of one game was allowed to detract from what was otherwise a successful weekend for the game in general. Over 60,000 people attended across the two days, including thousands from non-traditional rugby league areas. Within that number will have been some for whom this was their initiation to the family atmosphere of live rugby league, and they'll hopefully be back. The RFL are already looking at what changes could be made to the format for next year in an attempt to improve it further, and it looks as though the event - or something similar - could become a fixture in the rugby league calendar in an attempt to spread the game to a wider audience and create high profile events.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Happy Easter Bunnies?
Not the Super League coaches, that's for sure.
Not surprisingly, they have been united in decrying the Easter fixture format, which can see sides playing four games inside fourteen days depending where the pre and post bank holiday double header fixtures fall.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you make anyone - even a seasoned professional athlete - play one of the world's most punishing collision sports on a Friday it's a big ask for him to get up and do it all again the following Monday. Fatigue is certain to take its toll both mentally and physically, and the quality of the product you're offering to customers will decline as a result. So why do we do it?
Kerching - that's why. The Easter Monday/Tuesday round of fixtures this year created a single round record attendance for the history of Super League. The Hull derby played a major part in the final figure, but there were other good crowds at St Helens and Leeds in there too. Bank holiday live sport is very popular. In the most part there's no worrying about school or work getting in the way, the telly's usually rubbish and roads to the coast or countryside tend to be jammed as far as the eye can see. Chuck in a healthy dollop of that old rugby league staple condiment "tradition" and it's no surprise that club chairmen want to milk it for all it's worth.
Well here's an idea for all those coaches who object to the double header over Easter and the impacts it has on their squads for the next two or three weeks after. Next year, field virtual Academy sides for the second round of fixtures over the bank holiday. All get together, and agree to do the same thing in the interests of protecting your players. Let's see how chairmen and broadcasters like the idea of not being able to put their prize livestock on show twice in such a short space of time. As things stand, it may take something as radical as that to force those in charge of the game to take a closer look at what they are expecting from the most important assets the game of rugby league has - the outstanding athletes that play it.
Not surprisingly, they have been united in decrying the Easter fixture format, which can see sides playing four games inside fourteen days depending where the pre and post bank holiday double header fixtures fall.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you make anyone - even a seasoned professional athlete - play one of the world's most punishing collision sports on a Friday it's a big ask for him to get up and do it all again the following Monday. Fatigue is certain to take its toll both mentally and physically, and the quality of the product you're offering to customers will decline as a result. So why do we do it?
Kerching - that's why. The Easter Monday/Tuesday round of fixtures this year created a single round record attendance for the history of Super League. The Hull derby played a major part in the final figure, but there were other good crowds at St Helens and Leeds in there too. Bank holiday live sport is very popular. In the most part there's no worrying about school or work getting in the way, the telly's usually rubbish and roads to the coast or countryside tend to be jammed as far as the eye can see. Chuck in a healthy dollop of that old rugby league staple condiment "tradition" and it's no surprise that club chairmen want to milk it for all it's worth.
Well here's an idea for all those coaches who object to the double header over Easter and the impacts it has on their squads for the next two or three weeks after. Next year, field virtual Academy sides for the second round of fixtures over the bank holiday. All get together, and agree to do the same thing in the interests of protecting your players. Let's see how chairmen and broadcasters like the idea of not being able to put their prize livestock on show twice in such a short space of time. As things stand, it may take something as radical as that to force those in charge of the game to take a closer look at what they are expecting from the most important assets the game of rugby league has - the outstanding athletes that play it.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Kids Are Alright
James Roby, James Graham, Ashley Gibson, Jordan Tansey, Sam Burgess, Ryan Atkins, Brett Ferres, Danny Washbrook, Tommy Lee, Scott Murrell, Eamonn O'Carroll, Chris Melling, Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook.
Core of a decent little side there, and perhaps more importantly they're all young, British and featuring regularly in Super League this season. Some, such as Roby, Graham, Gibson, Atkins and Ferres are no strangers to representative selection either at Great Britain or England level. The others won't be too far off the radar of those responsible for identifying talent for the future international programme providing they maintain form and fitness.
Add in the spine of the side that played in the Tri Nations last year who still have miles in the tank at top level such as Pryce, McGuire, Yeaman, Burrow, Fielden, Peacock, Hock, Wilkin and others and it all looks reasonably rosy. So, why aren't I confident that the 2008 World Cup will end in anything other than a mauling for England at the hands of the Aussies and Kiwis?
Truth is, we've been here before in terms of crops of oustanding youngsters who could more than hold their own against Antipodean opposition at Academy level, without them being able to translate it into results once they're in with the big boys. What we seem to be no nearer to solving is why?
Core of a decent little side there, and perhaps more importantly they're all young, British and featuring regularly in Super League this season. Some, such as Roby, Graham, Gibson, Atkins and Ferres are no strangers to representative selection either at Great Britain or England level. The others won't be too far off the radar of those responsible for identifying talent for the future international programme providing they maintain form and fitness.
Add in the spine of the side that played in the Tri Nations last year who still have miles in the tank at top level such as Pryce, McGuire, Yeaman, Burrow, Fielden, Peacock, Hock, Wilkin and others and it all looks reasonably rosy. So, why aren't I confident that the 2008 World Cup will end in anything other than a mauling for England at the hands of the Aussies and Kiwis?
Truth is, we've been here before in terms of crops of oustanding youngsters who could more than hold their own against Antipodean opposition at Academy level, without them being able to translate it into results once they're in with the big boys. What we seem to be no nearer to solving is why?
Monday, March 26, 2007
Lonely at the Top?
Certainly not in the 2007 engage Super League.
A quarter of the way into the season, and only three points separate the top 8 sides. Everyone (with the exception of bottom club Huddersfield) has registered at least two wins from their opening 7 games, and despite losing all of theirs the Giants points difference is still only minus 30, which gives you an idea how close their games have been.
That top 8 includes Wakefield (10th last year and saved from relegation on the final day), Catalan Dragons (12th last year and saved from relegation only by their 3 year exemption) and Hull KR (promoted last season from National League One).
So far this season, Harlequins have beaten St Helens who were the dominant force in 2006, Hull KR and Catalan have beaten Leeds and 2006 Grand Finalists Hull FC have won only two games. Yesterday the league leading Bradford Bulls were deservedly beaten by Catalan 29-22 at Grattan Stadium (Odsal in old money).
Yes, there's a long way to go before the end of the season. Yes, you'd expect the "big" clubs with the deep squads to come into their own once injuries start to bite. Isn't it nice though after many years of watching the NRL competition where anyone could beat anyone on their day (with the obvious exception of Souths) to see the domestic game in this country moving in a similar direction.
Here's to the uncertainty of results continuing over the coming weeks, hopefully to the continuing dismay of one-club believists who consider that any defeat must come out of either their team playing badly or the referee being "bent" (are you listening out there, Wildcats fans?)
A quarter of the way into the season, and only three points separate the top 8 sides. Everyone (with the exception of bottom club Huddersfield) has registered at least two wins from their opening 7 games, and despite losing all of theirs the Giants points difference is still only minus 30, which gives you an idea how close their games have been.
That top 8 includes Wakefield (10th last year and saved from relegation on the final day), Catalan Dragons (12th last year and saved from relegation only by their 3 year exemption) and Hull KR (promoted last season from National League One).
So far this season, Harlequins have beaten St Helens who were the dominant force in 2006, Hull KR and Catalan have beaten Leeds and 2006 Grand Finalists Hull FC have won only two games. Yesterday the league leading Bradford Bulls were deservedly beaten by Catalan 29-22 at Grattan Stadium (Odsal in old money).
Yes, there's a long way to go before the end of the season. Yes, you'd expect the "big" clubs with the deep squads to come into their own once injuries start to bite. Isn't it nice though after many years of watching the NRL competition where anyone could beat anyone on their day (with the obvious exception of Souths) to see the domestic game in this country moving in a similar direction.
Here's to the uncertainty of results continuing over the coming weeks, hopefully to the continuing dismay of one-club believists who consider that any defeat must come out of either their team playing badly or the referee being "bent" (are you listening out there, Wildcats fans?)
Monday, March 05, 2007
Sporting cliches number 376
This week's offering - "it's a game of two halves".
It's often said that a particular period of time in a game is a "big five or ten minutes". Could be at the start, where a side looks to impose its tempo and style on the opposition, or towards the end of a half where a team is looking to protect a lead against a late onslaught. Is there a bigger five or ten minutes though than the time a coach gets to spend with his team at half-time?
The hooter goes and by the time players are back seated, rehydrated, patched up and sufficiently stabilised in terms of fatigue and adrenaline levels to listen the coach has a very limited window in which to get across what he wants them to do in the next forty minutes. It's a relatively easy job if your team is coasting to victory, as Justin Morgan and Daniel Anderson must have felt on Friday night. If you're in Brian Noble or Steve McNamara's shoes though, that five minutes must pass in an instant as you attempt to rally the troops, raise their effort levels and correct technical and tactical problems that have left you behind the 8-ball at oranges.
Whateve they said must have had some effect, as both Bradford and Wigan played with much more purpose and effect in the second half of their games although both had left themselves way too much to do to pinch the two points. Perhaps Noble and McNamara should try delivering their half time team talks before the first half next week?
Saturday's live game gave new meaning to the word "dour". Catalan Dragons, who the previous week had put Leeds to the sword with a scintillating second half display, travelled to Salford and the two sides combined to produce eighty minutes of turgid, one-dimensional rugby punctuated by a steady stream of errors and penalties that would have done nothing for the neutral viewer. While the visitors were missing the influential Stacey Jones and Aaron Gorrell, you have to wonder what Mick Potter does with them during the week as he seemed to have extracted all the flair and confidence from the Leeds performance out of his players. His opposite number Karl Harrison has been touted as a potential Great Britain coach. Based on the way his Salford side staggered direction-less from one set of six to the next those who called so loudly for Brian Noble's head may find it's much better the devil you know.
On a side note - kudos to Mick Potter for leaving out one of the outstanding teenage talents of French rugby in order to get more game time out of a mediocre Aussie journeyman in John Wilson. Visionary thinking like that is sure to make a roaring success of the Dragons franchise.
It's often said that a particular period of time in a game is a "big five or ten minutes". Could be at the start, where a side looks to impose its tempo and style on the opposition, or towards the end of a half where a team is looking to protect a lead against a late onslaught. Is there a bigger five or ten minutes though than the time a coach gets to spend with his team at half-time?
The hooter goes and by the time players are back seated, rehydrated, patched up and sufficiently stabilised in terms of fatigue and adrenaline levels to listen the coach has a very limited window in which to get across what he wants them to do in the next forty minutes. It's a relatively easy job if your team is coasting to victory, as Justin Morgan and Daniel Anderson must have felt on Friday night. If you're in Brian Noble or Steve McNamara's shoes though, that five minutes must pass in an instant as you attempt to rally the troops, raise their effort levels and correct technical and tactical problems that have left you behind the 8-ball at oranges.
Whateve they said must have had some effect, as both Bradford and Wigan played with much more purpose and effect in the second half of their games although both had left themselves way too much to do to pinch the two points. Perhaps Noble and McNamara should try delivering their half time team talks before the first half next week?
Saturday's live game gave new meaning to the word "dour". Catalan Dragons, who the previous week had put Leeds to the sword with a scintillating second half display, travelled to Salford and the two sides combined to produce eighty minutes of turgid, one-dimensional rugby punctuated by a steady stream of errors and penalties that would have done nothing for the neutral viewer. While the visitors were missing the influential Stacey Jones and Aaron Gorrell, you have to wonder what Mick Potter does with them during the week as he seemed to have extracted all the flair and confidence from the Leeds performance out of his players. His opposite number Karl Harrison has been touted as a potential Great Britain coach. Based on the way his Salford side staggered direction-less from one set of six to the next those who called so loudly for Brian Noble's head may find it's much better the devil you know.
On a side note - kudos to Mick Potter for leaving out one of the outstanding teenage talents of French rugby in order to get more game time out of a mediocre Aussie journeyman in John Wilson. Visionary thinking like that is sure to make a roaring success of the Dragons franchise.
Monday, February 26, 2007
One ninth down, eight to go
So, one ninth of the weekly rounds out of the way and it already looks like this is going to be the bestest Super League season ever in the history of the whole world (in the world of Eddie and Stevo anyway).
The atmosphere around the British game got its annual early season lift in the form of another World Club Championship win on Friday when St Helens narrowly overcame the Brisbane Broncos at Bolton. Of course, Saints had "home" advantage, the benefit of a full pre-season and two competitive Super League games under their belt but it still shows how great the British game is when we can take on and beat the best club side Australia has to offer. No, really it does.
The odds are so stacked in favour of the British sides under the current structure of the WCC that it should be a huge surprise to everyone if they don't win it and certainly puts the 38-0 whupping the Roosters handed out the other year in some perspective.
Meanwhile back in the domestic game the topsy turvy results continued much as they had in the previous two weeks. Leeds travelled to Les Catalans off the back of two wins and managed to get nilled in the second half as the "French" side picked up their first win of the season. The improved standard of imports this year certainly looks like making the expansion venture more competitive judging by the first three rounds, but that's not really why it's there. Hopefully the success will encourage more young French players to stay in the game rather than taking the more lucrative career in Union and improve the player pool for the national team.
Harlequins continued their good start to the season with a win at newly promoted Hull KR, bursting the Robins unbeaten bubble in the process. The return of Paul Sykes and the core of young British players at the club such as Purdham, Worrincy, Melling, Mills and McCarthy-Scarsbrook show movement in the right direction and away from the team full of backpackers they've been labelled in the past.
With Wigan, Saints and Hull all struggling to find their best form at the start of the year, it would be nice to think that the likes of Quins and Les Cats could be pushing for a play off place come the end of the season. With 24 games to go however, it's still early days and it will be interesting to see how both clubs cope with injuries to key personnel given they don't have the deepest of squads.
The atmosphere around the British game got its annual early season lift in the form of another World Club Championship win on Friday when St Helens narrowly overcame the Brisbane Broncos at Bolton. Of course, Saints had "home" advantage, the benefit of a full pre-season and two competitive Super League games under their belt but it still shows how great the British game is when we can take on and beat the best club side Australia has to offer. No, really it does.
The odds are so stacked in favour of the British sides under the current structure of the WCC that it should be a huge surprise to everyone if they don't win it and certainly puts the 38-0 whupping the Roosters handed out the other year in some perspective.
Meanwhile back in the domestic game the topsy turvy results continued much as they had in the previous two weeks. Leeds travelled to Les Catalans off the back of two wins and managed to get nilled in the second half as the "French" side picked up their first win of the season. The improved standard of imports this year certainly looks like making the expansion venture more competitive judging by the first three rounds, but that's not really why it's there. Hopefully the success will encourage more young French players to stay in the game rather than taking the more lucrative career in Union and improve the player pool for the national team.
Harlequins continued their good start to the season with a win at newly promoted Hull KR, bursting the Robins unbeaten bubble in the process. The return of Paul Sykes and the core of young British players at the club such as Purdham, Worrincy, Melling, Mills and McCarthy-Scarsbrook show movement in the right direction and away from the team full of backpackers they've been labelled in the past.
With Wigan, Saints and Hull all struggling to find their best form at the start of the year, it would be nice to think that the likes of Quins and Les Cats could be pushing for a play off place come the end of the season. With 24 games to go however, it's still early days and it will be interesting to see how both clubs cope with injuries to key personnel given they don't have the deepest of squads.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Seconds out, Round One
So, after playing one-sixth of Round 3 the week before all of Round 1, the 2007 Super League season finally got into full swing this weekend. There were some surprise results, injuries and things that really shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone.
It was the two geographically furthest flung sides that came up with the performances of the round. Harlequins travelled to Knowsley Road to take on a Saints side that had already got a competitive game under its collective belts and in positively polar conditions came out on top. Quins have recruited well for 2007 with the likes of Scott Hill and Danny Orr, and if they can keep their playmakers fit could pose a threat to the playoffs.
Les Catalans have undergone more of a transformation on the playing front, and can possibly consider themselves unfortunate only to come away from last year's Grand Final losers Hull with a point having lead for the majority of the game. Travel sickness was one of the reasons the French side were rock bottom after the weekly rounds in 2006. If they can cure that, an improvement could be on the cards particularly when Kiwi playmaker Stacey Jones returns.
Injuries are part of a collision sport such as rugby league, but big players picking up potentially serious ones on the opening weekend is a coach killer. Warrington appear to be the weekend's big losers in that respect, with both Chris Bridge and Adrian Morley looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines after their game against Wigan. Bridge did a hamstring very early in piece, which is an occupational hazard at this time of year. Morley's however was another example of the reckless nature that saw him spend as much time on Coogee Beach as he did on the field in his career in the NRL.
The Warrington "enforcer" was making his debut for the club and went to put a big hit on young Wigan prop Eamonn O'Carroll. A little deft footwork from the youngster saw Morley grasping at thin air and ended with a clash of heads which appears to have caused significant damage to the Great Britain front rower's eye socket. This was the cause of much delight to the Wigan fans who saw the incident replayed and the outcome close up courtesy of the Sky Sports big screen.
The "Surprise, Surprise" awards for the opening round however both belong to the Saturday night game at New Craven Park, which saw Hull Kingston Rovers take on Wakefield in the Robins debut in SL. The first one goes to the result itself, which was as predictable as night follows day. Even with Wakefield leading by a point with time running out, it still looked like the Robins would be celebrating a win at the final hooter and once Wakefield coughed up the ball with a couple of minutes to go the stage was set.
The second belongs to Wakefield front rower Richard Moore. The former Leeds, Keighley, Bradford and Leigh prop has never been the sharpest tool in the box, except for the decision to shave off his curly hair which made him looked like an outraged Ronald McDonald sans make up. Sadly Moore has never shared the burger clown's demeanour, and can usually be guaranteed to come up with at least one piece of rank bad discipline per game. Saturday's was an attempt to shake the limbs off Rover's full back Ben Cockayne. If there was a market for it on Betfair, you could have laid that Moore would throw a punch, it would be against a bloke significantly smaller than him, he'd get sin binned and then stare at the referee blankly while it sank in. Frankly you'd never have to work again off the proceeds.
If Wakefield are not to find themselves slipping into the National Leagues for 2009, they need to keep as many players as possible on the field for as long as possible. You do wonder what the logic was in allowing the likes of Korkidas and Griffin to move on if they were only going to be replaced by indisciplined boneheads?
It was the two geographically furthest flung sides that came up with the performances of the round. Harlequins travelled to Knowsley Road to take on a Saints side that had already got a competitive game under its collective belts and in positively polar conditions came out on top. Quins have recruited well for 2007 with the likes of Scott Hill and Danny Orr, and if they can keep their playmakers fit could pose a threat to the playoffs.
Les Catalans have undergone more of a transformation on the playing front, and can possibly consider themselves unfortunate only to come away from last year's Grand Final losers Hull with a point having lead for the majority of the game. Travel sickness was one of the reasons the French side were rock bottom after the weekly rounds in 2006. If they can cure that, an improvement could be on the cards particularly when Kiwi playmaker Stacey Jones returns.
Injuries are part of a collision sport such as rugby league, but big players picking up potentially serious ones on the opening weekend is a coach killer. Warrington appear to be the weekend's big losers in that respect, with both Chris Bridge and Adrian Morley looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines after their game against Wigan. Bridge did a hamstring very early in piece, which is an occupational hazard at this time of year. Morley's however was another example of the reckless nature that saw him spend as much time on Coogee Beach as he did on the field in his career in the NRL.
The Warrington "enforcer" was making his debut for the club and went to put a big hit on young Wigan prop Eamonn O'Carroll. A little deft footwork from the youngster saw Morley grasping at thin air and ended with a clash of heads which appears to have caused significant damage to the Great Britain front rower's eye socket. This was the cause of much delight to the Wigan fans who saw the incident replayed and the outcome close up courtesy of the Sky Sports big screen.
The "Surprise, Surprise" awards for the opening round however both belong to the Saturday night game at New Craven Park, which saw Hull Kingston Rovers take on Wakefield in the Robins debut in SL. The first one goes to the result itself, which was as predictable as night follows day. Even with Wakefield leading by a point with time running out, it still looked like the Robins would be celebrating a win at the final hooter and once Wakefield coughed up the ball with a couple of minutes to go the stage was set.
The second belongs to Wakefield front rower Richard Moore. The former Leeds, Keighley, Bradford and Leigh prop has never been the sharpest tool in the box, except for the decision to shave off his curly hair which made him looked like an outraged Ronald McDonald sans make up. Sadly Moore has never shared the burger clown's demeanour, and can usually be guaranteed to come up with at least one piece of rank bad discipline per game. Saturday's was an attempt to shake the limbs off Rover's full back Ben Cockayne. If there was a market for it on Betfair, you could have laid that Moore would throw a punch, it would be against a bloke significantly smaller than him, he'd get sin binned and then stare at the referee blankly while it sank in. Frankly you'd never have to work again off the proceeds.
If Wakefield are not to find themselves slipping into the National Leagues for 2009, they need to keep as many players as possible on the field for as long as possible. You do wonder what the logic was in allowing the likes of Korkidas and Griffin to move on if they were only going to be replaced by indisciplined boneheads?
Monday, January 22, 2007
The old razzle dazzle
Prince, Cirque du Soleil, Louie Vega and renowned artist Romero Britto. The coin toss conducted by one of the great players in the history of the game, and the trophy presented by one of the great coaches. These are the sideshows that will accompany the game to make Superbowl XLI in Miami one of the great spectacles in world sport.
The London Community Gospel Choir, an Army brass band, Deacon Blue, Madness and Lesley Garrett. The sideshows that have accompanied recent rugby league Grand Final and Challenge Cup Finals in the UK.
Yes, I know nobody goes to big games just to see the pre-match and half-time entertainment. Yes, I know essentially it's just something to distract you from the impending tension of the match itself.
What I also know however is that the quality of guests and entertainment a sporting event is able to attract is a fair indicator of its standing on both a national and global level, and the two lists above say a lot more about the NFL and rugby league in the UK than certainly the latter would like to acknowledge.
The London Community Gospel Choir, an Army brass band, Deacon Blue, Madness and Lesley Garrett. The sideshows that have accompanied recent rugby league Grand Final and Challenge Cup Finals in the UK.
Yes, I know nobody goes to big games just to see the pre-match and half-time entertainment. Yes, I know essentially it's just something to distract you from the impending tension of the match itself.
What I also know however is that the quality of guests and entertainment a sporting event is able to attract is a fair indicator of its standing on both a national and global level, and the two lists above say a lot more about the NFL and rugby league in the UK than certainly the latter would like to acknowledge.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
How do you like your eggs?
If you're the Bradford Bulls, the answer to that question is not poached - no siree Bob it most definitely is not...
They've been found to have "no case to answer" by the Rugby Football League in respect of an illegal approach to Wakefield's David Solomona, who they signed recently in a player plus cash deal. Solomona was still contracted to Wakefield at the time, but the contract would have become void had the Wildcats been relegated from Super League. According to Wakefield boss Steve Ferres, around eight other SL clubs had made approaches to Solomona while he was still a contracted Wakefield player, which is illegal under RFL bye-laws. All this speculation and the knowledge that bigger clubs were interested in him unsettled Solomona, and led to him submitting a transfer request to Wakefield which led eventually to his move to one of those clubs.
Of course, the problem then becomes proving it.
Back in the "good old days" it was fairly easy to spot. The only way to approach a player would be either directly or through his club. If the player got a better offer from somewhere else and nobody had approached his club, then the club knew the player had been tapped up.
These days of course it's much more difficult. Agents act for the player, agents act for the clubs and on some occasions an agent may find himself acting for both at different times. You don't have to actually make an illegal approach directly to the player in order to establish what he may want to sign for you should he decide to leave the club he's currently contracted to. All you do is get someone acting on behalf of your club to make informal contact with someone acting on behalf of the player to discuss the metaphorical scenario that he might be interested in playing for you. Strictly speaking, no rules have effectively been broken but the effect has been the same once the agent reports back to the player what he may be able to earn elsewhere.
It's so difficult to stop that in my opinion the RFL should just ditch its anti-tampering rules. Clubs don't have to sell a player even if he is approached from elsewhere, and it's no good any club playing the victim when they've all at some point been guilty of the same crime. Allow clubs to approach players under contract at other clubs in the same way they would be allowed to "head hunt" employees were they businesses in any other industry than professional sport.
They've been found to have "no case to answer" by the Rugby Football League in respect of an illegal approach to Wakefield's David Solomona, who they signed recently in a player plus cash deal. Solomona was still contracted to Wakefield at the time, but the contract would have become void had the Wildcats been relegated from Super League. According to Wakefield boss Steve Ferres, around eight other SL clubs had made approaches to Solomona while he was still a contracted Wakefield player, which is illegal under RFL bye-laws. All this speculation and the knowledge that bigger clubs were interested in him unsettled Solomona, and led to him submitting a transfer request to Wakefield which led eventually to his move to one of those clubs.
Of course, the problem then becomes proving it.
Back in the "good old days" it was fairly easy to spot. The only way to approach a player would be either directly or through his club. If the player got a better offer from somewhere else and nobody had approached his club, then the club knew the player had been tapped up.
These days of course it's much more difficult. Agents act for the player, agents act for the clubs and on some occasions an agent may find himself acting for both at different times. You don't have to actually make an illegal approach directly to the player in order to establish what he may want to sign for you should he decide to leave the club he's currently contracted to. All you do is get someone acting on behalf of your club to make informal contact with someone acting on behalf of the player to discuss the metaphorical scenario that he might be interested in playing for you. Strictly speaking, no rules have effectively been broken but the effect has been the same once the agent reports back to the player what he may be able to earn elsewhere.
It's so difficult to stop that in my opinion the RFL should just ditch its anti-tampering rules. Clubs don't have to sell a player even if he is approached from elsewhere, and it's no good any club playing the victim when they've all at some point been guilty of the same crime. Allow clubs to approach players under contract at other clubs in the same way they would be allowed to "head hunt" employees were they businesses in any other industry than professional sport.
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