Super League Super League XIV Round Seventeen Previews

June 18, 2009 at 7:31 pm | Posted in Rugby League, Sport, Super League | 1 Comment
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Waffling amongst the previews is now commonplace I’ve noticed.  Last week’s game of the round didn’t attract too much comment from me which is pretty understandable given the way my mind drifted onto matters more appealing.  Are there things more appealing than a round of Super League fixtures?  Okay, let’s start again with my pro-Super League commentary.  We all go through peaks and troughs of interest with our great game, usually hitting the lows when our team does, our interest waning at the same time.  Therefore any pro-Super League comments I make have to be considered in the light that I have been fortunate enough to watch a competitive side year-on-year, subsequently enjoying every single season unfold even when it ends with a wet fart.  What is indisputable is that now I follow the rest of the weekends results with as much interest as my own team’s.  Seeing the lower profile teams edging their way up the table, an underachieving giant rising from the foot of the table, non-M62 teams making progress and being entertained by teams battling to make the playoffs are as great as sport gets for me.  You don’t need to be winning trophies to get excited about Catalans or Celtic.  You just need to love our game.

Huddersfield (5th) v Castleford (10th)
Love this game do you?  Love it enough to watch a re-run of an epic Challenge Cup Quarter Final?  Of course you do.  I expect a good crowd for this one.  Castleford have just committed themselves to keeping Terry Matterson at the helm and I hope their fans come out to mark that.  Has Matterson got it in himself to lift this team further up the table?  The Tigers have got to be impressed with the way he’s invested his own neck in producing young playing talent.  Remember getting to the top can require a long-term approach to planning and here is where I believe Castleford are coming out and backing that.  Huddersfield wouldn’t be singled out as a club which has taken the same kind of gamble but why?  Haven’t Huddersfield contributed with their own youngsters and stopped other players from being lost to reserve/amateur RL?  We’ve seen that several of the Giants players have been gambles on potential.  Some don’t appear to be working e.g. Robinson.  Others, like Wild and Mason, just might be.  It’s those riskier signings which have attracted most of our attention in response to their contributions to the Giants.  I loved Keith Mason’s stats for one of the recent Giants games (think it was the Hull KR one) when I’m sure he racked up over 200m.  It’s a first rate attitude like that which will push you into the top half of the table and it’s evident in the way the Giants have played this year.  Even when their ball handling has evaded them, they’ve kept on going.  Brown hasn’t lost faith in his side’s ability to be creative because he knows it’s the way to go.  Practice makes perfect and even if there’s lots of work to do I’m pleased with Huddersfield’s progress and I expect Brown’s men to be rewarded again.  Huddersfield by 12.

Hull (8th) v Salford (13th)
Cup-tie heroics still mean something for Salford despite their exit from that competition.  It was the win at Hull which gave them the belief that led to the historic win at Leeds.  Have Salford built on that?  I think they have.  If you look at what has happened to Hull since the cup game you can see Hull haven’t been able to find that belief within themselves.  Where is it going to come from for Hull?  It’s a question their fans have probably stopped asking.  A week’s rest for Salford should ensure any Hull victory will be earned and with my typically insightful analysis I’m plumping for higher table position and home advantage ahead of anything technical.  Hull by 8.

Catalans Dragons (12th) v Warrington (9th)
It seems Warrington’s recent exertions finally caught up with them as the Bulls ground out an impressive win.  It’s a journey to Barcelona this weekend where a 15k crowd is expected at a ground which isn’t the Nou Camp.  It’s okay to be jealous of Warrington fans’ luck with this draw.  They’ll get the opportunity to sample an open-top bus if they take one of the many guides that dart around the city.  If you do go to Barcelona and get on one of the buses you’ll get a relatively ordinary headphones guide that, last time I went on, actually stated “On your left is of no significance.”  A bit like a tour through the visitors trophy cabinet.  Times are changing and as Catalans slide further away from the top four so Warrington move towards it.  An initiative like this can unsettle home teams if fans fail to follow the club’s lead.  On Saturday we’re expecting to see more home fans than we see in Perpignan so this might be closer than I would have normally suggested.  Playing in France this year hasn’t been the test it can be and I expect a raised level of intensity from the home boys, I’m just not sure extra effort will be enough to beat a unit like Smith’s.  Warrington by 2.

Celtic Crusaders (14th) v Hull KR (3rd)
How wonderful to have a reliable retro brand name visiting one week and then another 80s success story with even more millions of fans coming down the next.  Rugby league does not get bigger than this for Celtic Crusaders.  The invite to Russell has been extended and it’s just a shame they weren’t aware of him being in the area earlier.  Marketing around Gladiator would have been limitless especially with heathens like Rovers suitably filling the villain role.  He might come he might not.  He might bring his pub band with him and blast out a few classics for the visitors like Stevie Wonder or The Kinks.  It could get pretty raucous out there.  Well done on beating Wigan.  You can’t beat these guys though.  Rovers by 12.

Bradford (11th) v St Helens (1st)
Bulls against the Saints not on SKY?  Rightly so.  If you forget the most recent breath taker between these two teams you wouldn’t be looking at this as prime time entertainment.  We all know the Bulls have slumped, are on the verge of playing at Valley Parade again and Saints are cruising towards another ill-fated Grand Final appearance.  Where’s the excitement in this one?  Well I’m pretty excited about it.  Haven’t Bradford just upset the competition’s other form team?  Wasn’t it away from home as well?  Haven’t the Bulls handed Saints their sodded jockstraps back to them at Odsal before?  Not for a while they haven’t.  Saints by 14.

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

Harlequins RL (4th) v Leeds (2nd)
Give the people what they want.  This is what we want!  Harlequins RL on the verge of breaking through into the corridors of on-field playing power.  Look down their fixture list for the season and you will see Harlequins RL’s remaining road games are against sides sixth placed or lower.  There is no trip to Leeds, Saints or Rovers and there are home games versus the Bulls, Salford and Castleford.  There is reason for hope for our rat race enthralled friends.  Huddersfield could not make that adjustment yet they’re still in the hunt for second as both of these teams are.  Leeds, rightly, have aspirations for catching Saints and with trips to Warrington, Rovers, Leeds and Harlequins RL to come for Saints there’s no reason for the other top five teams to stop believing they can too.  Harlequins RL will get some belief if they notch this win.  The parallels with the Giants situation do not need discussing.  A win for McDermott will surely see his side finish in the top eight.  Will it instil the belief we’ve talked about?  It’s a start.  This increasingly efficient McDermott mob are tightening themselves up every week and with that is coming consistency.  The demolishing of Paul Cooke’s pretenders was typical of Harlequins RL.  I commented about how Rovers could gift the game to the visitors last week and so they did.  Were you expecting Harlequins RL to be as ruthless?  Only a lunatic would have anticipated such a comprehensive win.  With the visitors it feels like I’ve lost touch with them since they were obliterated out of the cup.  Where are they up to these days?  It seems to me that they’re just chugging along preparing for the business end of the season when it will miraculously come together like a Froch fist.  For the first time Harlequins RL are expected to produce.  It’s an almost identical situation to the first Huddersfield-Leeds game.  Hopefully we can avoid the same car-crash-clash and see one of the n00bs test a big gun.  I’m hoping.  Leeds by 6.

Last week’s predictions;

Hull KR by 4 (lost by 30)
Saints by 24 (won by 40)
Wigan by 12 (lost by 6)
Wakefield by 10 (won by 15)
Warrington by 12 (lost by 11)
Leeds by 10 (won by 8 )

A 50/50 week thanks to three upsets making it 60-49 overall.

Super League XIV Round Five Previews

March 12, 2009 at 7:28 pm | Posted in Rugby League, Sport, Super League | Leave a comment
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Exciting games last week even if the outcomes were more predictable than previous weeks.  Hull had little trouble in maintaining their unbeaten record thanks to Huddersfield’s willingness to drop the ball.  The Crusaders and Saints conspired to produce the lowest scoring Super League result since Super League II and Castleford racked up another two points with a great display in France.  Hull KR’s win against Wakefield meant their efforts in the opening rounds haven’t been wasted whilst Wigan annihilated Bradford in a Bulls shocker.  Finally, Tony Smith’s return to Super League saw an improvement for Warrington that wasn’t quite enough as their energy levels held them back.

St Helens v Salford
Comfortably the most one-sided match-up of the round as the maladroit Mancs head over to Saints for what should be a ritual flogging.  Saints may not be firing on all cylinders with the ball in hand so this should be a perfect opportunity for them to try out some moves in anticipation of next week’s thundering clash with Leeds.  Saints by 30.

Castleford v Huddersfield
Last week was painful for Giants fans.  From where I was sat this is a team that’s looking to promote the ball and cause opponents problems by recycling the ball with speed.  Unfortunately their skill levels aren’t quite up to their approach which resulted in an ugly effort in front of the watching millions across the world.  I hope they stick with it because the alternative is five drives control football to get into the playoffs which we all know can only take you so far.  Castleford meanwhile have quietly assassinated their way through the ranks, knocking off some high-profile teams on the way, none less so than Catalans in a thriller last week.  Isn’t it brilliant to see a team persisting with a long-term approach to success reaping those rewards.  The Tigers always looked like they could score and, in fairness to Matterson, that aspect of their game hasn’t been blamed for their failure to progress.  Defensively they are holding their own even if I still need convincing of their solidity.  If the Giants gift possession away as easily this week they’ll place undue pressure on their coach.  They’re not quite their yet so keep with it Giants even if you lose here. Castleford by 2.

Harlequins RL v Warrington
It’s not lonely for Warrington at the bottom with Celtic keeping them company and it doesn’t matter anyway because Tony Smith has arrived so everything is about to change.  A trip down to London village can be dangerous although not for Warrington, who ripped apart McDermott’s men and sent false hopes through the supporting ranks last year.  Less knowledgeable fans of sport prefer not to dole out too much praise to the coach, often singling players out in moments of success and yet here we are looking at a Warrington side that would have been flogged mercilessly last week if Tony Smith hadn’t been appointed in time to inspire the players.  The turn around isn’t going to happen overnight but there will be an increase in belief, an increase in commitment and a reason to want to play for Warrington and not hop back on the next flight to Melbourne.  Harlequins RL fans, I know this is all about Warrington and I’m not ignoring last week’s result at The Willows.  It’s just that a coaching appointment as exciting as Smith’s needs hyping and talking about so to bring this discussion back down to the basics, Warrington won’t have gelled yet but they’ll be up for it.  Harlequins RL will face sterner defence this week and will need to hold onto the ball if they are to take the points from this game.  I’m dwelling too much on the failure to bring Wigan to task two weeks ago and with better quality strike players in Warrington’s line-up it should end up with a similar outcome.  Warrington by 4.

Bradford v Hull
Steve McNamara is feeling the heat.  Last week’s pitiful performance against Wigan was one of the worst showings that I’ve seen from the Bulls in Super League.  Usually you can apportion a lot of the credit to the winning side and without wanting to take anything away from Wigan, the visitors were appalling.  It’s one thing having injuries and we know how big a part they can play.  It’s another thing just not being able to tackle and issues like that lie firmly in the coaches sphere of influence i.e. basic coaching.  Whilst Bradford flounder on the rocks of uninspired leadership, Hull continued their ever-increasingly impressive start with a much-deserved victory over a disappointing Huddersfield side.  It was relatively dull yet effective stuff as Agar’s men exploited the Gaints’ ghastly ball retention.  Some Hull fans want to wax lyrical about how they’re heading back to the lofty Peter Sharp era of 2006 and their frustration at not getting much recognition yet is becoming obvious.  You can’t take anything from them.  They’ve beaten whoever has been put in front of them and with Castleford (H) and Harlequins RL (A) to follow this game there is every chance they could still be unbeaten come the first round of the cup.  Agar is starting to mould his team into a workmanlike outfit that can maintain consistent and committed displays.  That should be more than enough for Steve McNamara to have a brain fart about, however I can’t honestly see the Bulls flopping again like they have done before no matter how rubbish they appear to be.  Bradford by 2.

Hull KR v Celtic
If Jace had been playing last week we might have been looking at the first contest between defeaters of St Helens.  Van Dijk is set to return this weekend which probably won’t be enough for Celtic to push Rovers although this is the kind of match where teams that aren’t prepared properly to challenge for silverware come up short e.g. Warrington.  This is one of your bread and butter games and Justinho won’t let his side forget that.  Hull KR by 18.

Wakefield v Catalans
Wakefield’s run to the top of the table came to a predictable halt at Hull KR last week so a home fixture against the tenth placed and struggling Catalans Dragons presents another opening to climb up the table.  Catalans weren’t expected to be as strong this year despite some great signings and I’m hopeful that this is just the standard problems that appear when a new coach takes over.  It shows the progress of this competition when you talk about Wakefield expecting to win against a side that did so well in the previous season.  It’s also a reflection of the way that John Kear has built a competitive team out of scraps.  We’ll get to see just how competitive this Wakefield side is when they travel to Wales next week before welcoming Saints for SKY’s Friday night game, until then it’s a case of going with the form book.  Wakefield by 8.

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

Leeds v Wigan
With all this talk by Saints fans about the quality of their defence this year, Leeds have quietly gone about their business, continuing on from last year with a physical game that has yielded less points than anyone else.  It’s that which makes me uncertain that this is really the pick of this week’s games.  Wigan’s two victories against Harlequins RL and Bradford, in front of the TV cameras, are not evidence of having turned a corner.  They were evidence of their opponents’ shortcomings.  Wigan look to be heading for a hiding and building this game up to be one of those where form isn’t as big a factor as history is probably just getting you excited for no reason.  If I take a flippant attitude towards this game there’s a chance that it will defy form and turn out to be one of those great Wigan against-the-odds outings that we’ve seen over the past decade.  Brian Noble, as well all know, only bothers to coach his side for when they play Leeds so there’s a chance Leeds’ defence will be breached.  It’s a chance anyway and the home team do have a tendency to offer more handling errors to Wigan than they do against other teams.  Maybe, just maybe it’ll be another one of those powerhouse clashes.  Leeds by 10.

Last week’s predictions;

Harlequins RL by 4  (won by 30)
Catalans by 6 (lost by 2)
Saints by 12 (won by 4)
Wigan by 8 (won by 34)
Hull KR by 6 (won by 13)
Leeds by 6 (won by 6)
Huddersfield by 6 (lost by 4)

Only a few points away from a rare perfect week to 16-11.

Super League XIV Round Four Previews

March 5, 2009 at 9:41 pm | Posted in Rugby League, Sport, Super League | Leave a comment
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Sadly, James Lowes Doomwatch lasted less than a week.  The bookies and their 1/3 odds on him going first were outsmarted with a great, visionary appointment by the Wolfs.  If Smith can get his side tackling they can throw another team into the playoff mix this year.  Also last week, Wigan and Harlequins RL served up the kind of game last seen in Workington, Manly mounted Leeds, Castleford went above .500 and the league rocked to the sound of Hull KR’s magnificent millions bringing the Eddington End down at Saints.  Maybe not a week to forget but plenty for us to consider.

Salford v Harlequins RL
This might be evenly matched.  It probably isn’t.  Let’s face it, Harlequins RL gifted Wigan the game last week by managing to flunk chance after chance and turn the ball over with their lacklustre attack.  Did I say lacklustre?  Yeah, you’re right, I’m probably being too kind.  Defensively, Harlequins RL did well last week , getting the better of the Wigan pack only for them to show us a very limited offensive armoury.  Salford’s defence will be a lot less threatening than Wigan’s and even at home I can’t see that being any tougher than fronting up last week.  I’m not repeating myself about needing to find form but when you have Castleford mullering you so early in the season you have a right to be a bit concerned.  Anti-depressant salespersons, I’ve just spotted a growing domestic market for you to exploit.  Harlequins RL by 4.

Catalans v Castleford
Here’s an interesting game.  Have Castleford improved or have their opponents just not woken up?  We’ll see this week.  Catalans one win from three is what you think it would have been with their win at Warrington compensating for the home loss to Huddersfield.  I’ve yet to see Cas so can’t comment on how effective their defence is.  It will need to be strong for the physical challenge of going to France.  It might be a good time for the Tigers to play Catalans.  Their recent wins must have given them a positive attitude that they’ve not had since the Stuart Raper days.  Again, this is one of those background matches that will ask intriguing questions about both sides and their direction for the early part of the year.  Catalans by 6.

Celtic v St Helens
A fixture that’s guaranteed to have the locals flocking through the turnstiles you would think.  Hull are a big name in league circles and those in Wales still familiar with the 80s can probably member Hull and Wigan being successful teams, however twenty years later and one of rugby’s biggest names comes into town.  A great opportunity for those brought up on the legendary open and free-flowing Welsh union game to see a natural progression of those attack minded teams.  Losing at home to Hull KR came as a surprise to most except Justinho who remarked on the achievement that it was.  Saints’ ball control was a contributor to defeat, placing the defence under undue pressure although it took the magic of Michael Dobson’s kicking game to twice cross the whitewash.  This is the first of the big guns to come down to Wales and victory over Saints would give the new franchise a perfect launch into what is beginning to look like it will be a long and challenging season.  It’s inevitable Celtic will go one step further to win this one.  Will it be enough?  I don’t think it will.  Saints by 12.

Wigan v Bradford
Over to the JJBoooooooo for Saturday night’s Cholmondley-Warner fable of faded glories.  Long, long, ago in a competition not that far removed from this, Wigan v Bradford was a biggie.  This was one of SKY’s premier games and over the past two to three seasons it’s lost its magic.  You could never really predict this game as both used to be capable of going against form and winning away from home.  I seem to remember Wigan doing this relatively often in the Andy Farrell days.  Now I look to see where the game is being played and it favours Wigan at home.  Sam Tomkins did the one thing that has been missing at half back last week, he made a break.  It wasn’t the most dazzling appearance.  It was good enough to have Noble bring him on earlier this week.  The Bulls are not at the races currently and without some confidence, the coach has his work cut out.  Harlequins RL were bad last week, Wigan were just as poor though.  Harlequins RL found it relatively easy to go upfield and with the Bulls dour gameplan there might be some success there.  I can’t see it.  Wigan travel to Leeds next week and it should be with a second win under their belt.  Wigan by 8.

Hull KR v Wakefield
In another week and if it had been at Wakefield this would have been the game of the round.  John Kear’s men have survived their depleted ranks and exploited a good schedule to rise to second in the table.  We all remember how well Kear’s team did in the first half of Super League XII so nobody will be getting carried away.  It’s a good start though and as good as their fans could have expected.  Three points from two away games at Bradford and Saints plus a home game against the champions has left Rovers with three points which only the very best would be disappointed with.  The closeness of all three games offer hope for Rovers and with Wakefield being prone to losing on the road I have to go with Rovers who need to win this game to capitalise on their surprising opening.  Hull KR by 6.

Warrington v Leeds
Well this was going to be the après-ski parade for Leeds, cruising to a comfortable win and now it’s got to be a full house with enthusiastic Warrington hoodlums booming out across the turf, backing their slumping team.  Perfect timing.  What difference can it make?  The normal rule is a new coach signals a win in the first game.  What difference will it make?  We’re all hopeful that the inclusion of another good coach in the Super League ranks can push the Wolves on and give us more competition at the top of the table.  What about this Sunday?  It should be a good one you’d think.  Wire players saved from the de-motivating thought of  coaching gamble destroying their careers must be liberated into giving a little bit more.  Even allowing for the upside down, volatile nature of Warrington teams I can’t see them being strong enough to overturn a Leeds team that is beginning to look every bit as good as last year’s and the year before.  Warrington will need to be on fire for eighty minutes to compete and it’s the second half of that comment the highlights the weakness.  Eighty minutes.  Can they do it?  Well maybe Leeds partied too hard last week knowing that it was Lowes on his own.  Leeds by 6.

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

Huddersfield v Hull
Finally, a chance for us to get a good look at the competition’s second unbeaten team.  A perfect start for Agar will be put to the test here at Huddersfield.  I’ve repeatedly built up the Giants to be a team that could be capable of breaking into the top four so the game of the round gives us a chance to make our own minds up.  A win for Hull will have me taking note of them for this, not that defeat will have me writing them off.  I expect Huddersfield to continue their impressive play with a good backing from the home support.  Beating Catalans, Celtic and Wigan doesn’t say too much about your side so it is the first test of Hull’s playoff credentials.  Huddersfield bettered a dismal Bulls last week so that bad game might be out of their system.  This may well be the first time this game has been the plum one of the round.  Who would have predicted that?  Huddersfield by 6.

Last week’s predictions;

Leeds by 2 (lost by 8 )
Bradford by 2 (lost by 4)
Hull by 8 (won by 16)
Saints by 8 (lost by 1)
Wakefield by 6 (won by 26)
Castleford by 10 (won by 36)
Wigan by 4 (won by 8 )

Creeping up slowly to 11-9.

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