XIII Oceans

Unfortunately I’ve been a bit waylaid with things and not been able to review as many chippies as I’d hoped to since starting this blog so it’s been a bit slow, only managing to review Haydock Supper Bar and Farndale’s.  Recently I have been fortunate enough to experience more chippy action and will be putting my reviews up in due course.  When I say that I’ve been fortunate enough I should really expand because of my travels there’s been opportunities for me to sample the food from some of the most consistently high performing outlets in the UK.  Mainly I’m up and around in the north and recently passed through Biggar in Scotland which allowed me to taste the experience that is the current Fish And Chip Shop Of The Year, The Townhead Café, (which got a bad review elsewhere) so that review will follow.

The Fish And Chip Shop Of The Year is, of course, not just just based on the food itself but encompasses many other aspects of the business, including where a chippy sources its fish from, with an emphasis on sustainable fishing.  I say all this because it is a thing that I’ve noticed and off all the chippies that I have been in, I have had no complaints about the quality of the fish from those that use sustainable fish resources.

Previous winners of the Fish And Chip Shop Of The Year are available on Seafish, the industry organisation that looks to promote good quality and sustainable seafood.  There’s a full run down of regional winners available here if you want to have a look. 

2006 - Petrou Brothers, Chatteris, Peterborough
2005 - Hodgson’s Chippy, Lancaster 
2004 - Finnegan’s Fish Bar, Bridgend, South Wales
2003 - Finnigan’s Fish Bar, Bridgend
2002 - Brownsover Fish Bar, Rugby
2001 - Allports Fish and Chip Shop, Pwllheli

Hopefully I should have another one or two previous winners to review as well in forthcoming weeks with trips to last year’s winners, Petrou Brothers, and Hodgson’s in Lancaster.

Is it just me or is Danny Orr turning into Michael Stipe?  Onto this week’s previews…

Hull KR v Leeds
Now here’s a chance for a team to make a name for themselves.  After the pushing the champions all the way in Super League XIII’s opening game, Hull KR are faced with living up to that performance and a degree of expectation will be in the air.  Rovers have slid out of view in eighth position, despite lying just one point off third, so the pressure is off them delivering top six results week in week out which their opening form suggested.  Now they find themselves in the mix at the bottom end of the playoffs table with a competitive points difference and forthcoming matches with fellow post season contenders, Harlequins RL and the Giants.   An interesting few weeks for Rovers and they can start it with a win tonight that would be payback for that first round defeat.  Again it’s a tricky game to call, Leeds start as favourites and I expect them to win, however we’re not looking at Leeds with the same awe as we were a few weeks back.  The post-party loss to Castleford has been akin to buckling your wheel with the champs still heading in the right direction but on some hills they’ve been caught and on one overtaken.  Okay so there’s niggling injuries and a slight loss of form going against Leeds which narrows the gap between the two without giving Rovers a head start because even with those factors Leeds remain an excellent sight, competitive until the last minute and sometimes electric before then.  First hit out Hull KR were on a reasonably level footing, form was still to be found so ball handling wasn’t as smooth and such surprises have a tendency to decrease in frequency as the season goes along.  I’m holding out hope that Hull KR can dominate the Leeds pack, which I don’t think is beyond them as a side, control the football and more importantly defend well.  They should be able to force the Rhinos to break into a sweat and the Warriors have shown that if you compete with them physically and don’t allow them to settle, Leeds can be beaten.  Hull KR can raise their game so their fans are right to expect a good showing, I just think that the cup weekend will have allowed Leeds to recharge when they probably need it.  Leeds by 8.

Warrington v Saints
Amidst a week of game of the week contenders this is my selection because it’s a fixture that carries with it more than just a local rivalry in the frontier towns of Earlestown and Newton-le-Willows.  This is a game that has produced the most one-sided head-to-head result in Super League and now has the added drama of a team in crisis looking to overcome that hoodoo against all odds.  I’m not sure it could get that much worse for fans of the heavily tipped slumping side.  Following some good performances and results at the start of the season, inconsistency, poor defence and disappointing attitude has crept into their play and in conjunction with shock losses to Harlequins RL and at Wakefield they found themselves looking to arrest that slide with trips to Leeds and a homer against Saints.  There are no eyes of envy on Warrington over these two weekends.  Can the home team rock up and throw everything into this game to show us they’re not going to fade from view in the playoff picture?  I don’t think anybody really knows.  Early in the season confidence was good, results were and flashes of brilliance were on show but that loss to McDermott’s men has really flattened them leading them to face their least favourite opponents at a time when they’re struggling to inspire themselves to victory.  Okay, you can look at the players, their ability and the gameplans, usually managing to see how things are going to work out but league is as much about mental strength as it is skill and ability with this being one of those times where Warrington need to apply determination and resilience.  Warrington have to be more committed, more enthusiastic and more physical if they are to win this game because I don’t think they can wait around to see if the passes stick or whether Briers’ latest Airbus pass hits its target or not.  At times like this when things aren’t connecting you need to hustle and bustle to make something happen to give you that confidence, which is something that Harlequins RL do well so its no coincidence that Wire’s poor run of form happened then.  It was a theory designed to test the coaching credentials of Paul Cullen.  Can Cullen lift his men?  Is this the time that Warrington lift themselves above their rivals?  I don’t think you will find one statistic that will support that they can.  The odds have been better before and worse results have followed so whilst the two teams are level on points and Saints are hardly in blistering form themselves the weight of historical results plays a part in this fixture even though coach after coach will tell you they don’t.  For me, Saints at Warrington is normally a keenly-fought, entertaining encounter full of drama and excitement.  Warrington might not be in that run of form that would have you fancying them for the win yet I still expect Cullen’s dictionary diatribe to rouse a competitive display from his troops that puts them in the running for at least sixty minutes of the game, after that history suggests Saints will take the two points which is difficult to go against.  Saints by 4.

Catalans v Castleford
Who can stop the Dragons?  The form team of the competition can recognise the contribution their Saints-bound coach has made by propelling themselves to second in the table, if only for a day.  At the beginning of the season there wouldn’t have been many people who would have said that the Dragons would be so high up the table at any point in the season but they are and although this middle act presents them with some tough away games at Saints, Bradford and Hull they should still be in the playoff hunt come the final third of the season.  Castleford unfortunately capitulated at The Stoop last week as Harlequins RL just ran through them in a very disappointing second half for the Tigers.  Can they hope to push the Dragons close on their own turf?  People say that Catalans are strong at home but I don’t see them as being stronger at home than most other teams and I think the defeats and draw support that so it stands that they must have improved away from home.  What does this mean for the Tigers chances?  I’d say not much which isn’t to undermine Castleford but is to fold my opinion up and tuck it in behind the Dragons form.  Castleford have certainly played in spurts this year and them performing at a level that can compete with the third placed side is something that I fancy might happen on Saturday, however I can’t see that Potter will let his side undo the good work they’ve done away from home with defeat here.  Catalans by 6.

Wakefield v Harlequins
Regular SKY Saturday night viewers will remember the mess that the first game between these two was and will be hoping for no repeat this weekend.  That night Wakefield turned on the Kear gears in the first half only to find their handling dawdling behind their creativity, consequently allowing Harlequins to regroup at the break and exploit the loss of Jason The Argonaut to good effect.  How is this one going to work out?  Well Wakefield banished their zero away wins column at Huddersfield, following that up with Sunday’s cup win and now they should feel quite confident that, at home, they can turn over Harlequins, who lie above them by one point in the table.  Just how close is this competition so far?  Wakefield who have stuttered along this year, fighting against key personnel losses, are within immediate striking distance of the playoffs and that’s something that won’t have escaped Kear’s attention.  How is this one going to pan out?  Difficult to say because these are two different football teams, Wakefield mixing the more traditional expansive game with the modern needs of collision competency whereas Harlequins revel in that physical contest which is something that we’ve not been able to say since the days of Peter Gill.  Away from home utilising the ball in the manner that Wakefield do can prove a problem against fired up hosting sides, but at home there’s usually some scope for error without punishment on the scoreboard.  Harlequins’ RL tight game can be a perfect counter to that and their second half against Castleford was great for their burgeoning confidence, another win here and I think they can talk seriously of a playoff place.  As it happens, I’ve gone against Harlequins RL when I’ve been right to and they’ve overturned my prediction so my standard prediction of a Harlequins RL loss goes in here and I think that because Wakefield are a bit more intelligent in their use of the ball this is a top six pressurising victory for Wakefield.  Wakefield by 4.

Bradford v Wigoon
Fifth hosts second in my backup game of the week, a match-up that has lost some of the pizzazz of earlier Super League years as both teams attempt to get back in amongst the trophies.  Saddened by the news that Trent Barrett may well be putting his villa in Whelley up for sale, I don’t think the visitors’ fans will be looking at this game with any fear.  In the last meeting the ball was on the floor more times than Didier Drogba and the Warriors reluctantly accepted control of the game forging out an important and relatively safe win.  Steve McNamara has his side tucked nicely in behind the leaders, within striking range moreover his side’s loss at Hull KR is not as big a surprise as it would have been twelve months ago so the Bulls are considered to be a side in better form than most.  Are they really though?  Just look at those victories that they’ve had in recent weeks, at Hull and two home games against Castleford and an injured ruptured Harlequins RL side, hardly turned-the-corner stuff.  I’m sure Brian Noble will be aware of that fact and there’ll be some mention of it in his preparation because good results can create the impression of mental toughness when really there’s none there.  Now I’m not dismissing the Bulls or their league position I’m saying that after that drubbing Leeds gave them they’ve won three out of the next four league games with the one they lost being the not only the most recent but probably most challenging.  This to me suggests that the Bulls had done what was expected of them in their three wins and nothing more.  Who do you go for?  Both are coming off loses in the last round of Super League matches but because there’s a cup game between them does that mean losing two games in a row is now out of the window?  If it does that alters things dramatically.  If it doesn’t, that record the Warriors have of not losing two games in a row since August is looking good for pushing them to another win here and I think that this Wigoon team, welcoming back several regulars, has  more resilience and spirit in them than their receding opponents.  Wigoon by 4.

Hull v Huddersfield
Two teams fighting for scraps and coattails of those above, hoping to not fall out of the playoff race.  Losing here does not mean that you’re out of the picture for some knockout football with things so close up above, however the way that the competition is playing out this year, coupled with each team demonstrating that they can compete at higher levels than before, it’s going to be hard to get back up the table with so many ahead of you.  One thing that these two teams have shown though is that they can count amongst their accomplishments second half of the season surges going into that postseason and I see no reason why that kind of effort can’t be repeated.  Huddersfield took the two points at home and the expectation is here that the home team will be able to secure the points again this time.  I can’t really disagree with that.  At Castleford I was expecting the Tigers to be fired up enough to unnerve Hull still Hull showed poise in traversing The Jungle, hacking through a pretty lame defence.  Huddersfield are unlikely to give Peter Sharp relaxing thoughts and he will point to them putting on a couple of good shows this year.  Sadly for Giants fans though that regularity hasn’t appeared, leaving them to look forward to another surge which will gradually moves towards the status of miracle as each loss comes along.  Numerous times this year I’ve made reference to the Giants pack and I’m on the verge of giving up talking about it if they lose here.  It’s more than good on paper, I’ve seen it perform in the flesh so my constant harping on about it is getting as stale as Warrington’s Brasso.  Hull are a team that I’ve not backed often this year, here though I see this as a good test of them, one that they can pass and give themselves some belief that they can get back into contention.  What a good way to prepare for a derby match.  Hull by 6.

Last round’s predictions;

Tigers by 4 (lost by 20)
Leeds by 10 (won by 20)
Saints by 6 (won by 46)
Wigoon by 10 (lost by 2)
Giants by 8 (lost by 2)
Bulls by 6 (lost by 2)

Another stinker there with only two correct predictions although only three of those results were as the bookies predicted and there’s three two-point games in there as well.  You’ve got to love this competition this year.  Overall it’s 38-30 (56%), mid-table mediocrity for me.

Tonight at 8pm on BBC2 is Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, the film of fruitcake millionaire mogul Howard Hughes.  After Gangs Of New York this enabled Scorsese to arrest a potential decline thanks to a story that tells itself.  As you’d expect the direction is excellent, quite a way from his best, and whilst the film never really gives us that much more for a biopic, it’s still enjoyable.  DiCaprio shows promise at times during the film, showing that he was starting to find his feet as an actor, but he doesn’t really grab enough hold of your attention to be anything other than a learning project for him.  There’s a star studded cast to go with him, covering several Hollywood icons, not least of which is Cate Blanchett being the pick of the film with her portrayl of Katharine Hepburn.

Monday night on Channel 4 at 11.20pm sees the Nick Cave scripted film The Proposition.  Shifting the western genre over to Australia, sets the usual tale of developing civilisation against a seldom explored backdrop of early life in one of the colonies.  It’s a very interesting film and one that I have had mixed reactions to.  The first time I caught the film I was disappointed, probably because I was expecting something different to what I saw.  Second time out I thought it was great and the disappointment of a script that I felt undersold itself with some of its commentary on Australia was overtaken by the visual look of the feel and some great action set pieces.  More recently I watched it again and my thoughts fell back a bit, however it’s still an interesting film.  Featuring a top notch cast with Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Emily Mortimer and the ever superb, John Hurt, I think that amongst the aesthetics Cave does delve a bit into the soul of his own country and those bits are the film’s strength.

On Wednesday is a film from Vincenzo Natali, the director of minor cult sci-fi success, Cube.  Cypher (11.25pm Film4) received lukewarm reviews and as a result this was overlooked by many despite being one of the best sci-fi films in recent years.  It’s a very stylish piece of work and, unlike many films, manages to hit a consistenly good level from the beginning all the way through until a great end.  This isn’t your guns and aliens kind of sci-fi and is more a thriller in a futuristic setting and even if you don’t normally watch this kind of film I think that anyone who enjoys a good thriller will appreciate this film.  My film of the week.

Several good films on this week and as is usually the case there are plenty that are on at unreasonable times of the day which I can never understand, especially when Lethal Weapon gets its millionth airing at 9pm on one of the lesser ITV channels. It’s like the quality of Film4. What a shit channel that’s turned into after promises of great films. There are plenty of good films on the channel but nine times out of ten they’ll be on late whilst some film gets its tenth repeat showing or we end up with Changing Lanes (Wednesday), Monster-in-Law (Thursday) and Heartbreak Ridge (Friday) at the prime time 9pm slot. That’s not to say that all three of those films are poor, they’re not although I haven’t seen Monster-in-Law. It’s just that of all the films to put on a peak time they’re all pretty mediocre.

Onto this week’s three choices. First up is on Wednesday morning when you can catch Howard Hawks’ Only Angels Have Wings on BBC2 at 10.30am. “Thrilling As Love Born Amid A Thousand Fabulous Adventures!” it stars Cary Grant and the wonderful Jean Arthur in a story set in a small airport in South America. The script is great and a reminder of just how good Hollywood can be when it invests some time in its characters and a lot of credit for that is down to Hawks himself, a legendary director.

My second film choice of the week was a tough one. Charles Laughton stars in in Alexander Korda’s 1933 The Private Life Of Henry VIII but it’s on at 3.40am on Thursday morning so I doubt anybody will be up for watching that one. Likewise Jack Nicholson stars in Antonioni’s The Passenger at 1.05am on Friday morning. Two films that are definitely worth your attention but I’ve got with the more viewing friendly time of 11.00pm for Wednesday night on Film4 when Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies. It was only recently that I managed to watch this film and I was sorry that I’d left it so long. Telling the story of a woman who traces her birth mother it was nominated for the Best Picture award at the 1997 Oscars and won three BAFTAs including the Best British Picture award and best actress for Brenda Blethyn. Blethyn is tremendous in this with a wonderfully natural and moving piece of acting ably supported by a similarly excellent Timothy Spall.

Friday night allows the television viewing public to sample one of the most enjoyable British films of recent years. 11.40pm on BBC1 sees Paul Kaye take on role of DJ Frankie Wild in It’s All Gone Pete Tong. I was pleasantly surprised when I first watched this film due to not expecting much about it but by the end of the film, the mix of comedy, social commentary and soundtrack ahad delivered an entertaining film.   Visually the film hooks straight into its subject matter and whilst some might find the final third testing I think the film manages to pull it off.  A film that I think any music lover would enjoy.  My film of the week.

The last round of fixtures of the first act for Super League XIII throws up some exceptional games.  From Warrington’s trip to the champions to Castleford’s attempt to leapfrog off the bottom there’s an evenly matched game somewhere for every neutral.

(+4) Castleford v Hull
A true cellar dwellers ding dong this one’s shaped up to be.  The champagne was popping last week for the Tigers and this match-up represents an opportunity to lift themselves off from the bottom for the first time this season before their cup grudge match against Harlequins RL.  With a trip to Perpignan following the cup weekend and a home game for Hull to Huddersfield there might not be a chance as good as this to bring themselves back into the fold and a loss here would put three points between them and the next rung on the ladder.  In contrast Hull continue to exhibit the characteristics of a club that’s lost, with good cause, just but how acceptable is that as an excuse.  In situations like this there are three things that go through your mind as a fan;  the first being the inevitable “The coach who led us to a Grand Final now isn’t good enough” comment;  the positive outlook and patience approach that deems these things even out and “we’ll have our run” at some point, and thirdly;  the least known and subscribed to viewpoint, the competition’s tougher now and we have to re-evaluate our expectations in that context.  Where does it lie for Hull?  There’s elements of all three in but I don’t think the last one can be underestimated anymore by any set of fans and if Castleford win this game with form and confidence suggesting that they should, it will see Hull sat at the bottom of the league and the chopping block out in the Marina.  Should it?  No but when the rabble is having their say the frequency of cool heads decreases disproportionately.  Tigers by 4.

Leeds v Warrington (+10)
Certain game of the week on paper but I’d say that there’s at least three games that will probably be tighter than this tussle promises.  It’s not that this is an uneven contest, far from it, you just fancy that the loss last week for Leeds coupled with the away sides complete loss of attacking form indicates a more comfortable home win than had this game taken place a month ago.  The schedule hasn’t done Paul Cullen any favours here because his side is looking at a possible third defeat in a row and although there can’t be many Warrington fans that would have been expecting a win here there’s still redisdual fallout from the two disappointing losses.  All this will heap pressure onto the heavily backed coach and a third loss here will mean that next week’s Challenge Cup game will be a godsend just to disrupt the losing streak because Round Twelve sees the return fixture with Saints and even with Saints’ current form I don’t think Warrington fans would like to be going into that game looking to turnaround a four game losing streak.  Leeds should find a return to winning ways and form here because Warrington’s defence hasn’t really toughened as we’ve progressed (not that many sides’ have) and if Cullen’s forwards are unable to make good headway up front I can imagine plenty of coughed up ball giving the home side good field position.  Of course, Warrington have pulled off less likely wins than this one but that’s usually with no pressure on them and all the evidence this week points towards a relatively straightforward home win.  Leeds by 10.

Saints v Harlequins (+12)
I don’t believe that Saints have been lower that Harlequins RL this late in the season since 1997 so the round’s most intriguing head-to-head carries historical as well as current relevance.  There is just one win between the two clubs but a world in expectation and reaction to how this season is already padding out.  McDermott has already won at Knowsley Road before, in last season’s opener, and Saints’ recent run of results will give him reason to believe that victory is not out of the question.  The home side have scraped wins at Knowsley Road against Hull and Wakefield so there’s a suggestion there that their home form just isn’t what you’d expect and I don’t see why Harlequins should be intimidated by that, knowing McDermott that’s unlikely anyway.  However, don’t let Saints seventh position have you believing too much about their frailties because of their five losses, four have been by two (twice), four and six points which are not disasters.  So is it a case of Harlequins work ethic coming into play again and hoping that’s going to be enough to hang onto Saints coat tails?  I don’t think so really because Saints, with one exception, have struggled to put teams away at home and they’re still having problems in the forwards and with their defence so this isn’t the same side that’s been as solid as a rock over the past three seasons.  I expect Harlequins RL to compete although how well will depend upon their ball control.  There is one thing that Saints have punished this season and that’s poor ball retention so a nice, efficient and tidy display from Harlequins RL should see another cracker at Knowsley Road.  Saints by 6.

Wigoon v Catalans Dragons (+
A week after toppling the champions the visit of Les Catalan Dragons presents the home side with the chance to register a fourth win in a row with an easy home cup tie to follow, it’s a good run that should allow ample preparation for the return match against the Bulls in the next round of the competition.  Two of those three wins have been against lower league opposition at home so even after bossing the Rhinos for eighty minutes you’re still looking at that victory as being a springboard rather than an indicator of performance.  The Dragons, alongside their hosts, are one of the form sides of the competition having disposed of Harlequins and Huddersfield on the road, in their recent unbeaten run.  Can they continue that run?  This is a side that has some history of beating their more infamous opponents so there’s little for them to be afraid about and with good ball control I think they can turn this into rough, tough, scrap that might be too much for the home side to deal with.  The law of averages though dictates that this unbeaten run has to come to an end sooner and not later for the lesser lights and this is looking like that time.  Casey McGuire is in the frame for a first game for several weeks, however so is Trent Barrett and although the man of steel contender appears to waiting for the hard tracks to come along you have to expect that his return is likely to boost his side’s confidence further, which given their efforts last week they may well need so that they can lift themselves physically and keep that run going.  Wigoon by 10.

Huddersfield v Wakefield (+6)
Tenth and ninth in the table and defeat here pushes the loser into playing catch up if they’re going to make the top six this year.  It’s not the end of the season for whoever loses, of course it isn’t, but with the way that every team is battling away for each two points you have to expect that teams in freefall are not going to be commonplace and springing back into those playoffs isn’t going to be quite as easy as it has been.  Having backed the Giants for improvement during the year I’m a bit disappointed not only with the results but the feedback from their performances.  Inconsistency is a problem for many teams, however this side just appears to be the most inconsistent thanks predominantly to a series of away results that indicate their league position is not that big a lie.  At home they’ve lost a few close ones and could easily be four points higher up the table with a bit more luck so we’re left wondering whether this Giants side is going to string results together.  An invitation to the travel weary Wildcats might be just the tonic that Sharp’s men need and whilst John Kear masterminded another downfall last week his side have not been able to repeat their heroics on the road.  Kear though will be looking at the Giants and sensing that this is a side that might well fold at home, representing his side’s best chance since Saints stole the two from under their noses.  I see this as a contrast in styles, reflective of their coaches, Wakefield playing carefully planned football against Huddersfield’s more aggressive, modern approach and although Wakefield can contain, sometimes surpass that kind of opponent, their away form just isn’t strong enough to pull support towards them for a win.  Giants by 8.

(+6) Hull KR v Bradford
Two teams going in different directions now and at the start of the season.  Opening up against Leeds and Saints is nightmare scheduling that allowed Rovers to test themselves at the beginning, passing with newfound respect amongst the league before failing to capitalise on those games and a nail-biting derby encounter.  Instead of sitting comfortably in the top six, Hull KR find themselves in eighth and must be wondering how they’ve ended up there when last week’s defeat at Harlequins represented the first time they’d lost by more than six points since the season opener.  Rovers have drawn, lost by two at Wakefield, one to Warrington and by six at Wigoon, tight games and as Saints have found out, losing close ones does nothing for your league position.  Conversely the Bulls started slowly and now have a secure third place in the table, quietly amassing a positive points difference on the way and a tricky away match now looks like it should be two valuable points.  Although the visitors haven’t really clicked matches against the two bottom teams have allowed them to find form and give themselves confidence even when missing key players like Morrisson and Vagana.  Meanwhile Hull KR will be apprehensive about this game because last week’s collapse against Harlequins doesn’t bode well for welcoming a team with the pedigree of Bradford and you have to imagine that the rhythm that was established in earlier rounds has now been replaced by the kind of doubt that creeps into your play when you don’t get the results you’d planned for.  It’s certainly a close game, however I have to think that the Bulls have had breathing space in their last two outings and that can make a lot of difference to the way you handle the ball so it’s going to be up to Rovers to get into the Bradford ranks and ask questions of their visitors because if they don’t take the game to McNamara’s men I can see their own hesitations causing them as much harm as the Bulls.  Bulls by 6.

Last week’s predictions;

Giants by 6 (lost by 4)
Bulls by 2 (won by 16)
Hull KR by 4 (lost by 19)
Leeds by 14 (lost by 4)
Saints by 14 (lost by 6)
Wolves by 4 (lost by 14)

Pretty terrible week of predictions overall, just one from six making it 36-24 in total (60%).  If anyone is interested I included the handicap scores just as a point of reference but last week’s results are a great indicator of just how unpredictable this year’s games are.  In four out of six of the results were against the favourite which is some going in any week and not something that we see very often in this league.

Not too much happening during the week this week filmwise so here’s three to take a peak at.

Wednesday night at 9pm on Film4 there’s an opportunity to catch Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar and BAFTA winning Pan’s Labyrinth that was lauded to high heaven by every critic around.  Me?  I enjoyed it but I wasn’t raving about it and I found there to be several films better than it released that year.  All that said it’s visually impressive and contains some truly memorable images.

Friday night on Film4 at 22.55 is a true little gem, American Splendour.  Based on the comics of Harvey Pekar it’s the one truly great comic book adaptation there’s been which is probably down to the fact that it’s not about latex nippled superheroes.  Pekar is one of those characters that could quite easily appear in a BBC documentary and is given life by the ever excellent Paul Giamatti.  My film of the week. 

Last up on Sunday night on BBC1 at 11.20pm is some cheap entertainment from the late 80s in She’s Having A Baby.  John Hughes directs Kevin Bacon and Eliazabeth McGovern’s newlyweds in what’s a fairly non-offensive comedy about getting involved in all that suburban aspirational lifestyle shit.  You know you get a good solid pair of hands with Bacon and here’s he supportedly wonderfully by McGovern who retains just the right level of irritability without annoyance and Alec Baldwin, as Bacon’s successful corporate bachelor.  It’s not taxing but it is quite enjoyable.

We’re almost at the end of the first act in this year’s competition and as we approach that point we’ve just come off the back of one of the most unexpected weekends of an already unpredictable season. 

Expansion Heroes
Harlequins RL and Les Catalans Dragons, the two surprise performers in Super League XIII without doubt.  It’s still relatively early in the season to talk about playoff appearances and past history suggests that both teams will fall off the pace and return to their expected lower table positions by the end of the season, however we think that we should be celebrating the success, so far this season, for the two most travelled teams in the league.  People tend to forget, when looking at Harlequins and Catalans just how far these teams travel every other week, forgetting the additional inconvenience, cost and how it can affect their performances on the field, having to go through this routine on a regular basis.  To overcome, what are excuses for other teams, and propel yourselves into fifth and sixth in the table is a feat especially when you consider that both sides have been suffering with the same injury problems as others but because they don’t have as many fans as, say, Hull we haven’t heard about it as much.  I could sink deeper into analysis about the strengths of Harlequins team spirit or the power of the French pack but I’d prefer to allow us the opportunity to soak in their success for a moment as they prepare for their final games in the round of fixtures, Saints and Wigoon, away because surely neither side can win those road trips…

Grand Final 2006 – Where Are They Now?
It’s been a mixed start to the season for one of the silverware favourites, Saints, with only three notable victories this season, albeit against the sides occupying second, third and fourth in the table.  The loss of your props is now perhaps as critical, if not more so, than your best playmaker and Hull’s current eleventh placed position in the league suggests that statement has more than a ring of truth about it with Saints’ missing similar players and struggling accordingly.  What’s happened to these two teams in the space of twelve months?  For some this is a continuation of last season’s form for Hull so it is not a shock but it is surprise.  What about Saints though?  Whenever this side has appeared in front of the SKY cameras this year they’ve entertained and competed at the level we all know they can, now they’re sitting seventh with an in-form Harlequins threatening to push them further away from the second placed spot they are after.  The thing is, for both teams, they could be in even worse positions had they had a touch less luck, particularly Saints who snatched two victories at home in the dying seconds so in theory Saints could well have been sitting third from bottom a point above Hull.  Talk of a Saints slide might be premature and many will still be fancying them for a top two finish but just look at that middle schedule of fixtures that sees them take trips to Wigoon, Warrington, Leeds, Wakefield, Harlequins and Hull.  The Saints of last year may have won five out of six of those but can the Saints of this year?  It should be an interesting middle third for Saints fans as their steel for a fight is tested.

Warrington Grind To A Halt
As one titan shows early signs of rust a team tipped to become a new one is finding it difficult to live up to those expectations.  Following defeat to the Bulls a few weeks ago, Warrington returned home, beat the Giants with room to spare and fended off the Tigers on the back end of the bank holiday weekend.  The loss to the Bulls was not unexpected and a return to winning ways in the next two games was a sign that the old Warrington inconsistencies were being removed gradually.  Sadly for their eager fans, the heavens conspired to dampen their free flowing attacking style and Gareth “Son Of Roy” Haggerty snatched two home points that many thought were not even put out on the sideboard for discussion.  It was a loss that meant yesterday’s match with Wakefield was important because it would indicate just how serious the Wolves are about contending for a top two spot.  A day later and it’s two surprise defeats casting serious doubts over those credentials with Warrington fans themselves probably asking questions.  Those who are looking at the whole of the competition will note that despite these two defeats Warrington still lie only four points from the top and so it’s far too early to be questioning where these two losses leave the Wolves.

Noble Warriors
Whilst their two Mersey rivals show flashes of brilliance the faded glamour of cherry and white has never looked so good as Brian Noble’s men sit comfortably in second after their first league-notifying win of the season.  That that win was over the current champions and consisted of them simply putting opposition players on their backside repeatedly should not be forgotten.  Even now I think that most fans are bemused about Wigoon’s rise back to prominence and it will take some more similar big results to get people taking their title aspirations seriously but figure this;  Wigoon have travelled to Saints, Leeds, Hull, Harlequins, Huddersfield and Warrington in those first ten games which is some fixture list and given their head coach’s past record in peaking at the right time i.e. he won it once from third, this could be the fifth reich coming!

There’s No Easy Games Anymore
I wanted to write something a bit more in-depth about the competitiveness of this year’s competition but it might be better to leave that for another month or two when squad depth might have played a bigger impact.  However, I couldn’t leave without adding my voice of concern to the increasing of the league to fourteen clubs.  Given how long it has taken the competition to get to a point where we’re looking at every round of fixtures as being competitive, I’d be worried about taking that away until the sport has the player reserves to support it.

With Saints pushing the champions all the way, Harlequins shocking the next-big-things and Dwain Chambers promised some kicking tee duties on Sunday it’s been an interesting week in SL as we plough into round ten.  Round ten?  The NRL is, in contrast, heading into round five without any additional rounds for challenge cup ties or additional fixtures so just remember that come the end of the season when the superhuman efforts of Harlequins RL fade into obscurity at the World Cup as our exhausted heroes are dragged onto the paddock for humiliation at the hands of the Australians.  It’s a saddening thought because some of the forward efforts this year have been the strongest for years and finally just as it looks like Peacock might well get some fresh blood out there supporting him, they’ll probably be shattered. 

Huddersfield v Catalans (+
The Giants followed up an excellent win against Saints by pinching a point at Hull KR and they’ll be fancying their chances against the league’s most penalised side.  Although the Dragons are undefeated in four games they haven’t been conclusive victories and whilst this is a game that both teams can win I expect that Huddersfield’s form at home is going to be too good for them to let two points slip from their grasp, however don’t rule out a close game because this Catalans side has shown that it can put points on the board with Bosc and Mogg alleviating the absence of Casey McGuire.  Giants by 6.

(+4) Hull v Bradford
Last week Hull ruined their 100% record in the south of France, dropping a point in a draw that could easily have been a win.  The Bulls, on the other hand, took the Tigers to the cleaners and that was the kind of result that Brian Noble would use to stablise his side against a poor run of form.  Can the faltering Steve McNamara do the same?  Had Hull a first choice front row on the field then I would say no.  However, fortune is favouring McNamara in the same way that it did on occasions with Noble and it’s set up for the Bulls to take two points that would’ve been a bonus a few weeks ago.  Don’t let the Hull hysteria about injuries fool you though, they’ve had plenty of good quality players on the field during this crisis and now have the returning Ewan Dowes in consideration for Friday’s game.  The home side will have taken a lot of confidence from maintaining their unbeaten record in Perpignan so it should be another tight game between two teams looking to string together some results that will put them on a roll or in Hull’s case, back amongst the playoff hunt.  Despite the poor start the Bulls have had they still sit level on points with Saints and only two points from second, having conceded less points than all but two other teams in the league, Leeds and Hull KR.  This is a tough game to call and with an unchanged line-up for the Bulls you can overlook their stuttering form and presume that their pack will remain too big for Hull’s.  Bulls by 2.

Harlequins RL v Hull KR (+2)
Now here’s a game and a half.  High-flying Harlequins RL at home to a team they can beat but probably won’t.  Is this my own concern about Harlequins RL inconsistency coming to the fore or am I seeing last week’s brilliant win over Warrington for the watersplash coin toss that it was?  I don’t know.  Last week’s win at the HJ owes everything to Brian McDermott’s team ethos and was nothing short of sensational.  The star-studded wage packets of Wire were left fumbling around in the puddles trying to do something with the ball before finally giving the ball some air when it was too late.  I know the conditions were bad but against a side that was missing as many starters as Harlequins RL was, I think you have to push the pace a bit more and put some pressure on them.  Hull KR have the personnel that can apply that kind of game and unfortunatley for the home side I don’t think there’ll be the weather around to act as the leveller like it did last week.  This, of course, isn’t taking anything away from last week’s result, it’s to highlight that when you’re up against a pack that is similarly hardworking but has a bit more power and creativity behind it you expect them to get the upper hand eventually during the game.  Will Hull KR do that?  It’s a true 50/50 game that would put a bit of daylight between Harlequins RL and their rivals for one of the lower top six spots and I just doubt that McDermott can extract another tremendous performance out of his troops for a second week in a row.  Hull KR by 4.

Leeds v Wigoon (+12)
A tougher-than-expected victory over Saints will have provided the champions with perfect preparation for the visit of a side that has a knack of being able to beat them.  There’s a world of difference though this time out between the two sides as Leeds seek to consolidate their quest for the league leader’s shield whilst the visitors remain unconvincing even though their results have been positive against sides where more fancied teams have failed.  It’s unlikely that Wigoon will repeat some of their more amazing feats with their pack really up against a forward group that has proven steadfast versus more physical sides.  For many it will be a question of how many the visitors can keep Leeds down to, however I’m not sure that will be the case on Saturday.  Leeds continue to avoid severe injuries to key personnel whereas Wigoon have missed key forwards and against a side that can manhandle your big men it’s going to be a long night for the travelling support.  Trent Barrett is likely to miss out again and although that won’t make much difference defensively, other than give Leeds forwards the opportunity to run at Mathers, you imagine that his absence virtually eliminates any chance of getting a result for the visitors.  That said, Wigoon have done this to Leeds many times before however I can’t see anybody going against the logic in this one with the anticipated downpour keeping the scoreline lower than it might have been.  Leeds by 14.

(+16) Castleford v Saints
An impressive performance in defeat to the champions last week suggests that Saints may be establishing some form for themselves and although victory on Sunday won’t confirm that (it’s expected), the manner of the performance might give a good indication.  Castleford have a history of proving difficult opposition for Saints at home, however their last meeting in Super League showed that the Yorkshire club really had fallen off the pace in professional football.  It I was a Cas fan I wouldn’t be peturbed at this stage of the season, the fact that they’ve claimed the champions’ scalp is enough preparation for the forthcoming reverse fixtures when I’d expect the results to be closer, particularly against the clubs in the middle and lower half of the table.  Saints are resting a couple of players for this game so it might be closer than many think but I was expecting the same a couple of years ago when Saints’ intensity exposed that difference in experience.  Saints by 14.

(+6) Wakefield v Warrington
This is an interesting fixture and after the Hull-Bulls game my game of the week.  It’s an interesting fixture not only because it promises to be an entertaining and competitive match but because of its importance to Warrington who embarrassed themselves at home to Harlequins RL last week.  Admittedly the conditions were appalling but it was still an unexpected loss that undermines their claims to be a team that has progressed significantly over recent years.  In contrast, Wakefield battled hard at the Stade De La Crust falling short by just four points and sadly for them, they’ve lost their talismanic skipper, Jason Demetriou, for the rest of the season and that’s a blow that I think will make it too hard for them to make the top six.  John Kear has his team playing good football and I don’t think that Wakefield will be struggling but Demetriou has been so important for them in recent seasons so it could mean an interesting reaction at Hells Belles Vue on Sunday.  Will the home side respond to that loss and surprise the re-aligning Wolves?  They could but I’m putting a bit more faith in Adrian Morley’s ability to lead his side to a win after a couple of good personal performances from him this season, part-justifying his salary and hype.  Wolves by 4.

Last week’s predictions;

Leeds by 12 (won by 4)
Wigoon by 14 (won by 4)
Catalans by 6 (draw)
Warrington by 18 (lost by 2)
Bulls by 14 (won by 46)
Hull KR by 8 (draw)

Two draws last week throw out the average a bit, making it 35-19 (65%)