XIII Oceans

Writing endlessly about sport must be a thrill to some.  Waxing lyrical about the physical combat and enhancing the importance by making reference to some bygone historical warrior race or conflict.  In rugby league such writing is mainly the preserve of the Australian press.  In the UK RL journalists are usually dealt column space akin to 10cc with the occasional big item every couple of weeks (broadsheets, Daily Mirror, The Sun) or once per year (Daily Express, Daily Star).  It must be thankless task being forced to just report with little opportunity to comment about the game, which is why I like to use this blog to bring into our RL world as much as possible.

For those of you who like great game reports there is League Express, coverage unparalled here in the UK.  There are the RLfans sites for more lively and biased reporting with occasionally commentary and then of course we have the RL forums if you feel like inducing an aneurysm.  Here it’s your chance to immerse yourself in rugby league culture of the highest order.  Far too often rugby league is pushed to the wayside whilst other sports celebrate their place amongst popular culture.  Only last week I caught the lead singer from those god awful corporate whores, Bush, having it away in the Centre Court box at Wimbledon.  It’s not the first time we’ve had to put up with his showbiz sunglasses on his head look and it probably won’t be the last (is he chummy with Federer or something?).  Rugby league is unlikely to attract no-marks like that, we only bring to our game the great believers in life’s philosophies.  People like Russell Crowe, Ant’s mate from The Royle Family and Johnny Vegas.  Man I love this sport and I love our fans!

Wakefield (6th) v Leeds (2nd)
I think I’m correct in saying Wakefield haven’t won a home Super League game against Leeds.  Shame really because Wakefield have started to get some momentum going and we know it’s not beyond them to keep ticking over.  Who is going to counter the killer statistic of Leeds’ dominance in this fixture?  It’s going to come to and end eventually. I’m just not prepared to suggest it’s this Friday even if this one might be a scare for the big boys.  If I’m not correct what I’ve just said still stands, sort of.  Leeds by 6.

Wigan (8th) v Catalans Dragons (10th)
You can’t knock Wigan or more specifically Brian Noble.  Just when you think they’re down and out, up comes Brian to deliver a win against the odds.  What usually happens next is his teams go on a run up the table.  Can that happen this time or will his side’s losses through injuries and hardcore drug abuse hamper this run?  You know I was thinking this morning about Wigan.  When I was at school, in Ashton-in-Makerfield (one of the satellite shanty towns that surround Wigan) I can remember a lad who I used to sit next to in maths who was a Wigan Athletic supporter.  I believe, although I am not 100% sure, he was one of maybe two in my year (i.e. out of about 200).  Those school years ran from 1983-88 so you don’t need me to tell you how many Wigan RL fans there were.  Now I work on the outskirts of Liverpool.  The outskirts of Liverpool.  Football country, except there’s a Widnes fan, a few Wire folk and a couple of Saints fans here.  There are four Wigan fans though.  Four?  I know, obscene isn’t it?  Except that three of them are Wigan Athletic fans.  Three Wigan Athletic fans?  How on earth did that happen?  Are people so easily led that they’ll happily follow a football team which has done nothing ever over a rugby league team rich in not only its own heritage but the town’s?  Three Wigan Athletic fans?  Funked if I know.  Wigan by 6.

Celtic (14th) v Salford (13th)
Close contender for game of the round after about two or three other games.  Simply brilliant last week from Salford, giving them an incredible two wins against the top two.  Nobody expected what happened as Salford came out strong and took advantage of a sleeping Saints side, waiting for their more sophisticated visitors to have their moment.  It never came.  With Bradford in their sights and Celtic in turmoil this should be easier than last week.  Salford by 4.

Harlequins RL (5th) v Huddersfield (3rd)
These two have featured prominently this year in my games of the round with varying degrees of success.  Neither side has been able to establish the consistency required of a team with serious Grand Final aspirations and we’ve seen both hit a ceiling at different parts of the season.  Of the two, it’s the home side which has hit the rougher form yet I’m not writing them off now.  By the end of this month we will be in the final strait.  From around now is when the real contenders come through.  Not all teams are able to kick for home this far out.  Some prefer to wait until we are off the bend whilst others are already at the front of the race and don’t need or maybe even can’t find that burst.  As the other new kids on the block are falling off the tracks Huddersfield are budging forward seemingly an inch at a time.  This may not be your traditional four-pointer but with such close proximity a Giants win will give them six points on Harlequins RL.  Belting game in prospect and I’m going to go for the home side shaking off a disappointing effort at Wigan.  Harlequins RL by 2.

Castleford (9th) v Hull (11th)
Sorry folks but I’m not sure anyone is really that bothered about this game.  Hull fans can look forward to seeing Mark ‘Pommie Slayer’ O’Meley bouncing up the pitch next year.  We all know what happened to the last Australian tough guy who talked up how he was going to leave British players scattered across the battlefield.  Yes, he was banjoed by Penis Betts.  If O’Meley gets back the first three rounds without being laid out by some average Joe he’ll have done well.  Both sides are still very much in the hunt for the last play-off spot, it’s just that neither of them thrill me enough to be confident the rest of their season won’t be spent in a fruitless chase to catch Wigan.  Castleford by 6.

Hull KR (4th) v Bradford (12th)
That crazy interception killed off the Bradford Bulls for 2009.  I cannot see any way back for Steve McNamara.  The pressure is now off.  You can go about your normal game, develop your talent and build for next year.  If Justinho isn’t careful his dream is going to be just a fading daytime memory and fifth becomes a save.  How long can Rovers afford to keep losing before their good fixture list becomes less relevant in determining where they’ll finish?  Time to get back on track.  Rovers by 6.

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

Warrington (7th) v St Helens (1st)
Here it is, the big one.  What I enjoy most about writing about the big one is it presents a great chance for me to test my double-entendre vocabulary to its very boundary.  The Halliwell Jones is the venue for this week’s meaty feast for SKY viewers to gorge on.  Even if you are watching as a neutral you will be salivating over a game that will have you choking on this fine specimen of manliness.  The revival of Warrington under Tony Smith’s keen nose, their blistering transformation and the outside chance of this being a cup final preview have boosted this already incredibly exciting fixture into the realms of what Leeds-Wigan is.  I do not need to emphasise the win-loss ratio in this one for you to be thinking this could be the one.  This could be that funky spunky big fat thrust into the big time for Warrington.  My oh my!  This really is the big time boys.  Here we go.  Tony Smith against Saints.  Nemesis has returned.  No Sean Long.  No Keiron Cunningham.  No Matt Gidley.  Cunningham’s absence is more than cancelled out by Mickey Higham’s loss to the home side.  How much of an impact the loss of the other two players for Saints will be is going to be dependent upon who gets on top in the forwards.  Will Rauhihi be missed too much by Wire?  To me it’s a fascinating tussle and with form in Warrington’s favour I’m hoping for a bald man in a boat.  Warrington by 2.

Last week’s preditions;

Saints by 12 (lost by 10)
Wigan by 10 (won by 28)
Rovers by 6 (lost by 11)
Warrington by 18 (won by 16)
Leeds by 12 (won by 13)
Bulls by 10 (lost by 2)
Huddersfield by 2 (won by 16)

Yet another 4-3 making it 73-56.