XIII Oceans

Gareth, Gareth, Gareth.  It is with dismay that I write about your cocaine blues, less from concern for Wigan and more from England’s point of view.  Hock remains one of the few British back row forwards that looks likely to make a break against a side.  His loss to our sport is something to, well maybe not mourn but you can be sad about it.  To cheer yourself you can always consider the plight of Wigan who still remain an enemy of the people despite their decade and a half hiatus from the pinnacle of our sport.  If the task of securing a contract extension was difficult before, Noble certainly has his work cut out and I can forsee only a Challenge Cup trophy win keeping him in his spot.

Leeds (2nd) v Bradford (11th)
Am I the only British RL fan that doesn’t side with either Queensland or New South Wales?  Choosing between rednecks and rapists is no choice at all.  What does this have to with Leeds-Bradford?  Well it’s one of those games isn’t it where you’re more interested in seeing the underdog win than a particular team.  You’d have to go back to the murky days of the first couple of Super Leagues to find a league table ladder with so many spaces between these two teams.  It’s depressing isn’t it?  First Gareth Hock now Bradford.  Where will all this calamity end?  It’s not even on TV anymore!  Get Brian Noble back in town so we don’t have to feel guilty about his coaching struggle.  He deserves some sympathy as does Steve Mc for all the injuries that his side is running into.  No coincidence that two of the worst have been of the over thirties mob.  Good signings there cocker.  Leeds by 24.

Salford (13th) v Huddersfield (4th)
Does it really matter where this calamity will all end?  Along with Hull KR and Harlequins RL, Huddersfield are the Super League New Wave and bemoaning the collapse of former powerhouses like Bradford and Wigan gives no credit to how these three smaller clubs have managed their resources well enough to have them competing for a top four spot.  Critics of competition haven’t cited any of these three teams progress as examples of lack of quality because all three of these teams have improved no end from even just a couple of years ago.  Consistency remains a problem for them as it does for Salford although the home side are still putting the effort in.  It’s all about effort when your down in the bottom section of the table.  Without effort you will get no reward.  When your skills fall short of your opponents in rugby league you are up against it.  Hustle, bustle and commitment can make a impact now like it never used to.  The best example this year has to be Wigan’s demolition of Saints at Murrayfield.  A fighting performance overcame a superior side which hasn’t always been the case in league.  Prior to the salary cap you could put in 110% effort and still be blown away by a team which turns up for five minutes in the game.  Needless to say that can still happen but the frequency by which teams are beating superior opposition through a professional attitude appears to grow increasingly greater.  This is a long commentary and maybe if Salford stuck this on the wall they would realise the Giants are hot and cold, ready for being laid flat out by a haymaker.  Backing the Giants on a regular basis this season, I’ve had mixed fortunes.  In the biggest games they’ve come up short only to resurrect their top four hopes a week later by pulling off a shock win somewhere else.  At their best Huddersfield walk this one.  The loss at home last week should have their mind focussed enough to not let this one slip away, however I’m going to plump for The Pogues.  Salford by 1.

St Helens (1st) v Celtic (14th)
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.  There I’ve done a longer sentence than is probably necessary for this one.  Saints by 24.

Castleford (9th) v Catalans (12th)
Terrific win in Huddersfield for Cas last week.  Given the way the Giants controlled the second half of the cup-tie I was very surprised at their victory.  The defence that kept them in that game was on display again and if they can repeat those kind of efforts there no reason they can’t hang on in here and push for seventh, maybe eighth.  Putting four points between themselves and Wigan would go some way to isolating Hull as the main threat even though I expect Wigan to move upwards.  Catalans will probably be dead and buried for this year if they lose here.  Walters’ coaching has done nothing to move his side forward.  He’s taken them backwards.  He should be given a run next year to see how he goes.  Could be a good game if the Tigers defence keeps its feet and the Dragons beef up the pack battle.  Have to go for the home win for all the reasons that you’re thinking of too.  Castleford by 4.

Hull KR (3rd) v Wigan (10th)
When I looked at this game last week I had game-of-the-round rattling inside my head.  Okay, Rovers have battered Wigan over the past couple of years.  What Rovers haven’t done is faced a caged Brian Noble side revelling amidst a siege mentality.  You know how Noble goes.  Trundling along until the chips are on the table and it’s a full house.  Not this time.  The Wigan squad could develop that siege mentality if there were circumstances to generate it.  Where are you going to get your above and beyond inspiration from for this one?  Hock’s actions are of his own doing so persuading the world and his friend is against you might be difficult for the heroes of Murrayfield to accept.  Up until Tuesday I was quietly confident that Noble would bring his troops into town and have them marching to the two points on the back of a misfiring Rovers outfit.  We should find out what impact this will have on Wigan and with a week off there’s every chance of Nobby’s Nuts giving Rovers poor form another test.  Rovers by 8.

Warrington (7th) v Hull (8th)
Close in league positions without being close in form.  Warrington came away from Spain with two points and even though Hull triumphed I just can’t see how they are going to do so here.  Typing for some games can often be a chore.  What do you write about Warrington versus Hull?  You’d have to be a fan of one of the teams involved to go into any depth about the importance of the game.    Level on points, we all fancy Warrington to move further up the table ready for a final run at the top four.  They’re clawing back some of the early front runners and could well be just two points away from fourth by the end of this weekend.  If they do it that’s some achievement already.  What price a cup final win?  Warrington by 12.

******GAME OF THE ROUND******

Wakefield (6th) v Harlequins RL (5th)
With Huddersfield at Salford there’s a real chance of a loss here acting as a stiff arm to the nose, putting four points between fifth and sixth.  Harlequins RL found out how hard it is busting open those top teams.  After an impressive opening Leeds quality shone through with wave after wave of attack blasting Harlequins RL back to basics.  How much will their confidence have taken a knock from that?  Certainly there are similar season defining possibilities for Harlequins RL as well.  Losing for them may well put third out of reach, however as pointed out last week, there is scope for a decent run to the playoffs.  This away trips represents the highest placed opposition team.  I fancy this could be a kitchen sink face-off where the home side just want it too much for a visiting team to take it.  Wakefield by 2.

Last week’s predictions;

Huddersfield by 12 (lost by 7)
Hull by 8 (won by 2)
Warrington by 2 (won by 12)
Rovers by 12 (won by 14)
Saints by 14 (won by 26)
Leeds by 6 (won by 30)

More predictable week last making it 65-50 overall.

Breathtaking stuff last week.  On a weekend when Chelsea slowly dismantled The People’s Club, rugby league gave the country’s viewing public a feast of entertainment not seen on terrestrial television outside of the Champions League.  Saturday’s game between Hull KR and Warrington must rank as one of the finest cup ties I have ever seen.  There was everything in it.  The amazing tries took a back seat me for me next to the powerful game winning rugby of Adrian Morley.  It might well be the best display I’ve ever seen from him.  Tony Smith is the man!

On Sunday we experienced something equally as exciting in what was a slightly less competitive match.  Castleford hung on a bit but their defence at times was incredible.  Huddersfield had to work to win.  How can anyone complain about our sport when it tosses out first pitch fastballs like this?

Hull v St Helens
Sean Long is all the talk of this one when there might be a decent game in the offing here.  Saints’ record at the KC is poor, salvaged by winning results against weak Hull teams.  This is a week Hull team.  It is also a Hull team that has had a week off and a week to get focussed and motivated for the visit of the league leaders.  To me you should expect the home side to be throwing themselves around the park to compete.  We know the teams’ relative strengths and weaknesses and on form there is only one winner.  This is a new Super League and upping your effort can get you a result these days because the gap between the best and the worst has decreased.  Difficult to plump for Hull even if they give us some top notch effort.  Saints by 6.

Wigan v Salford
Disappointment for Salford in the cup shouldn’t detract from a good run of results that has them above the Bulls.  Nobody outside of New Jack City figured we’d be saying that fifteen rounds in.  I bumped into a Salford fan when I was shopping for food the other day.  He said it’s just like Salford to win this week but I wasn’t aware that Salford had suddenly turned into pre-Super League Saints were they win the less important games after losing the big one.  Suppose they have.  It still isn’t enough to beat Wigan at The Cruste.  Wigan are embedded with high octane talent like Gleeson, Roberts, Riddell and Bailey.  Frost those logs with some internationals and bigger forwards and what do you have?  Wigan by 12.

Castleford v Warrington
This was a contender for the pick of the round.  Is the extra day’s rest going to be enough for Warrington to continue their climb up the table?  It’s going to be interesting finding out with only two points splitting them which you wouldn’t think after their respective starts and appreciation for those starts.  Wire’s improvement under Smith has been expected, culminating in an amazing cup win.  I suspect Smith will allow his side the odd mistake after their heroics whereas Cas have to aim for the playoffs now.  Against Huddersfield Cas showed some big defence and it was this, alongside the Giants handling, which kept them in the game.  I didn’t see much from the Tigers with the ball to give me much reason to believe they will hang on in there.  Can Wire back it up?  If they do I see them winning.  I see Wire having an off day but even then I am not sure Castleford can get away from stagnating in the table.  Castleford by 4.

Catalans v Leeds
Easy one this?  Yeah I think so.  Leeds haven’t hit a rythmn and neither have Catalans.  In fairness this fixture doesn’t really excite me enough to write much about it.  The obvious thing to say is Catalans at home can surprise so let’s just leave it at that.  Leeds by 10.

Harlequins RL v Celtic
It was some performance at Knowsley Road by Harlequins RL a couple of weeks ago.  Yes they were outplayed and didn’t really deserve the win.  They were at the races and competed very well.  Many Saints fans were unable to recognise a team that didn’t roll over and die but hung in on Saints’ coat tails well enough to force drama into the game right up until the late stages.  Defensively was where Harlequins RL impressed me much.  By half-time the game could have been out of reach were it not for their goal line defence.  Game reports said that they controlled the ball well and to some extent they did.  For me though they could have done a lot better.  In attack there wasn’t that much on offer and too often I felt they let the ball slip out of their grasp in their own half.  If they hadn’t gifted Saints some good field position there could have been a shock.  I can’t see a shock happening this week despite Celtic’s first win.  Harlequins RL have banished the Crusaders before and I don’t forsee too much of a skirmish here.  Harlequins RL by 12.

Bradford v Wakefield

How’s it looking down there Bradford fans?  I remember Saints slobbing in the cellar before Alex Murphy came in to save us from complete disaster.  It’s awful.  Do the Bulls have a similarly historic icon to come and save them or are they going to give McNamara the time?  The beauty of no relegation means he can be given time and we all have to recognise the support the club are giving him during exceptionally hard times.  Wakefield’s arrival is no longer a fancied win.  Kear’s men can be up and down and a sixth place spot has been acheived on the back of that.  Win the Bulls must though.  You can excuse a defeat against a lesser team when they are red hot at their place.  A team with the Super League pedigree of Bradford have the right to expect to collect two points which is why a loss here would heighten the calls for Macca’s head.  Unwarranted?  Probably not but even if you don’t agree show some respect for the integrity the Bulls management are showing by not caving in.  Bradford by 2.

************GAME OF THE ROUND************

Huddersfield v Hull KR
Fourth v second.  Great stuff.  Almost as great as last week, for Huddersfield anyway.  Rovers couldn’t hold out against the resurgent Wolves and the better team won in the end as has happened the following day.  Huddersfield’s incompetence with the ball nearly cost them and my clichéd opinion of Rovers is they are a team that exploits such gifts as effectively as any other in the league.  In other big games this year the Giants haven’t been able to perform to the best of their ability and although this might not have been singled out as a big game when we started this season it is now.  Rovers, like Castleford, know they have to get on with it.  Unlike Castleford they have the evidence to back up a positive statement about them in this situation.  I honestly believe that at their best the Giants are the better team.  They can match Rovers in what they do, just lacking the consistency of Rovers.  It’s a consistency which is better than the word suggests.  Beating the big guns, Rovers now have a good fixture list from here on in and they are perfectly capable of staying in the top three, probably even top two.  They’ve had their west coast road trip and after their visit to Leeds their next trickiest away game might well be in France.  Forget last week’s disappointment scruffy fishbangers, Huddersfield will probably help you to win this one.  Hull KR by 6.

Last week’s predictions.

Hull KR by 10 (won by 10)
Bradford by 6 (lost by 8 )
Saints by 8 (won by 10)
Warrington by 4 (won by 8 )
Wakefield by 6 (lost by 48 lol)
Leeds by 14 (won by 30)
Celtic by 2 (lost by 12)

Another 4-3 week making it 53-43.