Cas will canter back to Super League

Not that any of you will be surprised.








Last night's televised demolition of Doncaster Lakers set the benchmark for the rest of the National League promotion contenders and Doncaster, if you believe the people that run the club, were supposed to be one of them.

The Tigers racked up 66 points from 13 tries, starving Doncaster of possession throughout the game, forcing errors and clincally finishing their attacking plays.

Having spoken to people at the club prior to the National League kicking-off, it's clear the people at Welford Road are on a mission. The squad is right and the off-field operation looks to be moving in the right direction, with a new home at Glasshoughton in the pipe-line. Unusually for a Rugby League club, they're also thinking long-term. Having had to patch up a Super League squad in the space of a few months last season, it's evident that Super League recruitment has already begun. The squad is filled with quality, not least with Awen Guttenbeil and Danny Brough committing to the club despite last years relegation and as evidenced last night, the club's junior ranks are starting the bare fruit.

Widnes will obviously have something to say about this and it would be easy to forget how they dismantled Leigh last week. Whilst Castleford will end the regular season at the top of the tree, promotion does ultimately come down to one day in October at Headingley.

As for Doncaster, if that is a potential Super League franchise then perhaps it's time for a rethink on the whole concept. The club does have a stadium that would be the envy of certain Super League clubs and the pre-match entertainment is very much reminiscent of the "Bullmania" that has made Bradford famous, but the playing side is a long way from the required standard. The club made the decision to go full-time this season and so far, it's not paying off. Super League in 2009? They've got no chance.

Eggsciting Weekend

The Easter weekend is upon us and in Rugby League land, that doesn't just mean that the crappy Easter puns will be resurfacing.





Easter is by far the busiest period in the sport's calendar. Not only does the National League kick-off today with Leigh's trip to Widnes, but Super League starts to get serious with two rounds played in the space of one weekend.

The coaches hate this weekend, claiming that it's just too much too soon but the RFL, Sky and I suspect most fans love it. With three derby games, including the first Hull derby for twelve years, this weekend definately captures the imagination.
Monday's clash at the KC Stadium sold out two weeks in advance, with tickets changing hands on eBay for in excess of £100. Wigan have sold out the JJB Stadium for the visit of St Helens and Leeds' trip to Bradford will attract the usual big crowd. The following round has a couple of attractive ties as well, with Bradford going to Wakefield and Leeds hosting Wakefield in dress-rehersal's for the side's respective Challenge Cup ties.

But aside from the accountants, the club's hate this weekend. Leeds have got arguably the easiest schedule, with four days break between their games over the bank holiday but even then, bruising encounters with the Bulls and Warriors in such a short space will take their toll. The usual complaints from coaches will inevitabley surface over the course of the weekend but whilst it fills the schedules of Sky Sports, it's a part of the season that's here to stay.

Has the cup lost it's magic?

The forth round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup gets underway this weekend and to be honest, nobody seems that bothered.






In the past few years, the forth round of the competition has been seen as something of a joke amongst many. This week, as in previous years, sees a host of one-sided mismatches which are far from catching the public's imagination.

Despite various attempts to revive the competition, leading to the final being switched from May to August, it's still not until the latter stages when the crowds start to take an interest in the Challenge Cup. Wigan have sold the majority of their allocation for their trip to Widnes and so a good crowd will be expected at the Halton Stadium, as perhaps it will at Warrington but apart from that, the sight that will greet most spectators this weekend is that of empty seats and deserted terraces, despite the host of cut-price tickets on offer.

It's not hard to see why supporters are somewhat apathetic about the early stages of the cup. Fancy taking in the Cumbrian part-timers of Workington battling it out against an international filled Leeds side? How about Batley's trip to the world champions St Helens? If not, then how does Hull FC vs Hunslet float your boat?

Even if the lower rounds come in with something of a whimper, it is far from the end of the competition. The Challenge Cup Final has always been the "day out" event in the calendar and with Wembley now ready to host the showpiece event, the RFL should have little trouble in peddling the 90,000 tickets that the new venue offers.

The Challenge Cup is in many respects, an unfortunate problem borne from the success of the professional divisions. As the Super League players get fitter and more NL1 sides opt to go full-time, the minnows have to go through the mere formality of bowing out of the competition, but making a few quid in the process.

For the time being, we've just got to hurry up into the quarter finals and pretend to care whilst we try and get there.

Smith named new Great Britain coach

For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past week in RL land, Leeds Rhinos coach Tony Smith has been named as the new Great Britain chief.






The Aussie, who will see out the remaining six months of his contract at Leeds, will take part-time charge of the squad for June's friendly with France before taking on the role full-time.

Opinion appears to be divided on whether the 40-year old is the right man for the role. RFL Chief Exec Richard Lewis hopes that Smith's track record of success with a young, British squad at the Rhinos can be transferred to the Lions to break a 37-year duck without a test victory against Australia.

In his three and a half years at Leeds, Smith has walked out at two Grand Finals, winning one as well as a Challenge Cup Final. He also led the side to a World Club Challenge victory over Canterbury in which of all the points scorers, all bar Willie Poaching had come from the Leeds academy.

But there are some dissenting voices. Since his first season in which Smith brought home the Super League trophy, the side has progressively gone backwards. Runners-up in 2005 could be attributed to some bad luck but an early play-off defeat at home to Warrington had many at Headingley calling for Smith to be shown the door, as has the side's indifferent performances thus far in 2007.

But of all the possible appointments, this is probably the most logical choice. Smith has handled International players and has played a part in the development in much of what may well prove to be the GB side in November. I still don't think it's enough to beat the Australians, but in the current setup, I don't think any coach would achieve that feat.

Give to those less fortunate

With Comic Relief just passed, it's probably time to take advantage of the goodwill of the nation.







Please help this noble and worthwhile cause, to aid those less fortunate than ourselves. Those supporters who have little knowledge of the rules of Rugby League, who think that the referee hates them with a passion, those who think that referee decisions are influenced by Radio Leeds commentators and those who have the misfortune of supporting Wakefield.

Please sign this petition to make Belle Vue a safer place for our media. Just one lesson will help followers of the Wildcats understand that striking, persistent offsides, ball stealing and dissent are in fact, penalty offences. A small donation may even buy a Trinity fan an RFL rule book.

Thank-you for your support

Ashton switch reflects Wigan mis-management

After weeks of speculation, Wigan full-back Chris Ashton has confirmed that he will become a Rugby Union player at the end of the Super League season.




The 19-year old has been offered a £140,000 salary by bottom of the table Northampton Saints and looks almost certain to be plying his trade at Franklin's Gardens after his current deal at the JJB expires.

This, as you can imagine, has riled Wigan chief Maurice Lindsay - a man who evidently prefers to conduct salary negotiations in the national media. To anyone, it would seem unusual that such information would be freely disclosed until you start to bear in mind that Mr Lindsay is well known for being a strong opposer of the salary cap concept.

With club spending on salaries restricted to £1.8m per annum, Lindsay and his accountants have to constantly keep tapping away at the abacus in order to get each and every player under the limit and abide by the rules of the game and Mr Lindsay doesn't like that.

So when Ashton decides to leave Lancashire, the £140k figure gets banded about in yet another attempt to pester the RFL into ditching the cap so that he can then spend money in setting an impossible benchmark for the rest of the competition, making the sport as predictable as it was in the early 90's whilst running up huge debts in the process. The only difference is that this time, he can't sell the club's ground to a supermarket chain to get the club back in the black.

What Mr Lindsay and his comrade Brian Noble won't mention in their anti-salary cap campaign is the signings of ageing Antipodeans, big-name GB internationals and Aussie test stand-off's.

If properly managed, the salary cap is more than enough to ensure that our best talent remains in the 13-man code. If however, you spend a good chunk of your allowance on players such as Michael Withers, David Vaealiki, Pat Richards and Shane Millard, then you deserve no sympathy whatsoever.

The problem is not with a lack of talent in grass-roots Rugby League, nor does the problem lie with the salary cap. There are several Wigan academy graduates plying their trade in Super League away from the JJB Stadium.
Like all the clubs that answer to Red Hall, the Rugby Union clubs are bound by salary cap regulations laid down to them by the men at Rugby House. The numbers might look bigger but after you factor in the bigger Union squads and the compulsory employment of "specialist" players, the overall difference is minimal. Only the sponsorships and the International prestige make the numbers look bigger.

The problem therefore, lies with Wigan's reliance on overseas players to meet short-term success targets and for that, the buck stops with Lindsay.

The truth behind the Wigan salary cap (I think)

Like the Beast of Bodmin or a UFO landing, Wigan's salary cap is considered by many in RL land as just another urban myth.






After declaring last season that that Kris Radlinski was "playing for free" because the club "had no money", they then went and snapped up Great Britain forward Stuart Fielden. To say that a few eyebrows were raised is something of an understatement.

So when it gets announced on Tuesday that Aussie RU and former Brisbane winger Lote Tuquiri had recieved an offer from the JJB, questions were once again being asked.

But don't fret people, Maurice Lindsay has set the record straight by declaring that Brian Carney will not be returning to the club, even if Chris Aston leaves for Rugby Union.

So that's settled then, now we have to start taking new bets on which high-profile new signing will bail the club out of relegation trouble again.

Inside the mind of Terry Newton

Anyone with the slightest mediocum of knowledge of Rugby League will be unsurprised to hear that Terry Newton is no stranger to the Red Hall judiciary.



The Bradford Bulls hooker missed the start of his inaugural season at Odsal after receiving a suspension of 11 games, the biggest ban in Super League history, after incidents with Sean Long and Lee Gilmour whilst playing for Wigan and will now miss the next two games for the Bulls after being found guilty of striking St Helens forward Jon Wilkin.

It serves as another example of how the reputation of an extremely talented player can be tarnished by frequent moments of madness in the heat of the battle. Having been vilified by fans at Knowsley Road for his attacks on Long, Gilmour and Wilkin, the former Wigan St Judes amateur is hardly popular in Australia either following an incident with Craig Fitzgibbon in 2003.

Yet despite the misdemeanors, Newton is still held in high regard on the M62 corridor. He made his professional bow as a youngster at Leeds before moving to his hometown club Wigan in 2000. He soon established himself as a first-class hooker and in the eyes of many, was the most talented adopted of the number nine shirt in Super League.

His complicated transfer to Bradford last season despite the lengthy suspension hanging over his head typified the high regard in which he is held and having ousted Ian Henderson, it appears that he has now finally solved the Bulls problematic search for a hooker after the departure of James Lowes.

There are always two arguments when you talk about players with short fuses. One camp argue that "one-man penalty machines" such as this are nothing more than a liability whilst the others put the case forward that such attitudes make players what they are, and they are right.

James Lowes is a classic example. Referee's hated stepping onto the same field as the Bradford hooker. Every decision was met with derision and often he'd earn his side a 10m penalty for dissent. But despite that, he was the best hooker in Britain at the time.

Newton is far from the personality that Lowes was but it's a 'siege mentality' that perhaps brings out the worst, but more often the best in him.

Sharp's teams lacking cutting edge

With four rounds of the season gone, it's not been a good start for Super League's 'Sharp' duo, with Huddersfield Giants and last years Grand Finalists Hull FC propping up the table.





Peter Sharp's Hull side currently sit in eleventh place, with just a solitary point to their name courtesy of a 10-10 draw at home to the Dragons whilst Jon Sharp's Giants have found themselves cut down to size on all four outings in 2007.

For the Hull faithful, it's a situation made worse by the fact that their rivals from the East of the City are currently perched in second place, although how long that persists remains to be seen.

There have already been premature rumblings around both camps as to how long both coaches can last at their respective clubs. Hull fans point to the board's decision to rid themselves of John Kear shortly after the Challenge Cup success. With what appears to be one of the strongest squads in Super League, the season has started disasterously for the black and whites.

Jon Sharp may be on more shaky ground. Whilst he can take solace in the fact that his side have gone toe-to-toe with three of the pre-season favourites, the defeats need ceasing before they become a habit.

Sharp is now in his forth year at the Galpharm and despite guiding them to Twickenham last season, has yet to deliver that coveted top six place. The Giants hierarchy are not renowned for their impatience but at the same time, suspicions must be that Fartown are expected to be rubbing shoulders with the Super League giants come September.

Fellow strugglers Hull FC along with Salford and Catalans are next up for Huddersfield and they should be looking for a minimum of four points from the six avaliable. If the next few weeks prove to be fruitless, then the pressure will certainly mount.

Saints push for new stadium

After many years of talk, St Helens vision of a new home is still far from becoming a reality, despite plans being drawn up for a brand new 18,000 capacity home last year.


The Independent Saints Supporters Association (ISSA) have now put the matter at the top of their priorities list as the World Club Champions look to vacate their Knowlsey Road ground and move to e venue that not only befits a team of Champions, but one that will actually meet 2009's ground criteria.

ISSA's campaign is bourne out of sheer frustration at the apparent apathy of the local council to put the issue further up the agenda and it seems somewhat unusual that a local council would be lacking in support for the only symbol, barring a fat comedian, that puts the town on the map.

Knowsley Road will hold some fantastic memories of St Helens fans as well as those that have enjoyed fantastic away days at the ground. But sport is about progress and Knowsley Road is simply not in a position to provide the sustained support that is needed in modern sport.

More information about the campaign can be found here.

Your guide to the World Club Championship

The Carnegie World Club Challenge kicks off on Friday, with English champions St Helens taking on Australia's finest, Brisbane Broncos.





This year's WCC has followed the trend set by previous years in attracting the usual annual argument over the validity of the fixture.
The marketers at Red Hall bill this as the game that will decide "the best team in the world", yet it's hardly a claim that has many backers. Since the competition was reincarnated in 2000, only Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters have taken the trophy back down under, both sides trouncing St Helens in the process. In the meantime, Brisbane, Newcastle, Penrith, Canterbury and Wests Tigers have all failed, whether they tried in the first place is debatable.

This year, Brisbane claim that they are actually trying this time. They've had the game put back three weeks so that they can send what they feel is their strongest side and on Thursday they got off the plane and straight onto Brewery Field in Bridgend for a warm-up fixture with NL2 side Celtic Crusaders, all with the intention of going into Friday's clash at Bolton to avenge their 20-18 defeat to the same side at the same venue in 2001.

But nevertheless, regardless of Friday's eventual result, the usual platitudes and clichés will be emanating the length on the M62. Here, we aim to clear the confusion with our World Club Championship "quick response" guide.

Should St Helens win by a big margin: Brisbane weren't trying.
Should St Helens win by a small margin: It's a meaningless fixture that disrupts valuable NRL preparation time and has no place in the RL calendar.
Should Brisbane win by a small margin: Brisbane weren't trying
Should Brisbane win by more than a converted try: It is a sad indictment on the state of the British game and yet further proof that we will never, ever be able to compete with the mighty Australians. All bow down before your ruthless Australian overlords.

Superstars stuck in the mud

Super League is only just two (and a sixth rounds) old and we're now starting to see the unpredictability that we've been craving.





Bradford and Leeds apart who currently lead the table, the Super League has somewhat of an unfamiliar appearance.
New boys Hull KR currently boast one of only three 100% records after wins over Wakefield and Huddersfield. Harlequins and Wakefield currently occupy unfamiliar positions in the top six and Wigan have been reacquainted with a play-off position.

At the other end of the scale, St Helens are struggling with just two points from six, despite playing three sides with wouldn't be expected to challenge and elsewhere, expected front runners Hull FC have just a solitary point to their name, being involved in one of the two draws seen already this season. So far, only Huddersfield Giants are yet to register a league point in three outings.

Whether this competitiveness will last is questionable. With the majority of Super League pitches, including that in the south of France currently resembling quagmire's, handling and kicking skills are hampered and the fleet-footed runners quickly find themselves bogged down. When the summer hits I'd fully expect the strong to feed amongst the weak, but for the time-being at least, this competitive edge will hopefully draw in the crowds.

Running the rule

With the first full week of Super League underway, the knives are already out for the men in the middle.









Every year we see new edicts, interpretations and innovations come out of Red Hall and for 2007, it's the obstruction ruling that's had a little tweaking yet so far at least, the results are far from fantastic.

This weekend's round of six Super League games saw a total of 137 penalties. A staggering 29 off which came at Bradford, Wigan and Warrington traded 26 stoppages, 25 at Craven Park, 24 at Hull FC at the clash between Salford and Leeds saw with whistle blown 20 times. Only St Helens and Harlequins managed to keep the referee relatively subdued, given away just 16 penalties between them.

The result so far has been close games, but ones which have been extremely stop-start affairs. Without making references to the other code, the games have not been the free-flowing end-to-end encounters that we had perhaps expected.

Ashley Klein's performance at Huddersfield last week was roundly criticised for the same reasons. However Klein was in the unenviable position of controlling the first game under the new laws. With little guidance, no benchmark and little communication being made to the viewing public, he was set up by Cummings and Co to be shot down.

When the referee's met today at Carnegie, the number of penalties was no doubt on the agenda, with the noises being made by the paying public, expect the number to drop this coming week.

Super League Preview: Salford

In the last of our previews of the new Super League season, we head to the Willows to look at the Salford City Reds.








Salford are a club on the up. With a new stadium around the corner the club are looking to the future and if last season was anything to go by, the club are also progressing on the field.

After being tipped for the drop by many alleged experts, Karl Harrison went and led his side to their first play-off place in their Super League history. The season may have ended on a sour note with a heavy defeat at Bradford, but the Reds certainly earned the respect that came their way.

Next year will be tougher. Teams will certainly be aware of what they are capable of, if they weren't already, and after having the lowest gates last season, their salary cap spending power is somewhat limited against that of their rivals.

Nevertheless, Luke Dorn, Michael Korkidas and Gray Viane have arrived in Greater Manchester along with Mark Edmonson from Sydney Roosters to strengthen the side whilst the key losses will be Andrew Dunemann and Sean Rugertson.

Repeating last year's feats may be difficult for the Reds, but this is a side I tipped for the drop last year.
The competition is stronger and as a result, Salford will struggle to make their second play-off series.

The One Pointer Prediction: 8th
Player to watch: Luke Dorn - can he repeat the form that he showed at Quins?

The One Pointer Final League Table
1. Hull FC
2. St Helens
3. Leeds Rhinos
4. Bradford Bulls
5. Wigan Warriors
6. Huddersfield Giants
--------------------
7. Warrington Wolves
8. Salford City Reds
9. Harlequins
10 Les Catalans Dragons
11. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
--------------------
12 Hull KR

Super League Preview: Wakefield

In the penultimate preview of the new engage Super League season, we look at last years relegation survivors Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.


After leading the great escape last season, Wakefield boss John Kear may well find himself on similar ground. With a small squad reliant on a select few to provide the quality, Super League XII may prove to be a similar struggle at Belle Vue.

Jamie Rooney and Ben Jefferies' qualities are well known with last season's signing of Ryan Atkins proved a masterstroke by Kear and that trio will be expected to provide the creative spark for Wakey.

David Solomona's controversial transfer to Bradford may hit the Wildcats hard. Brett Ferres has arrived as the replacement but is a far different player to the departed Kiwi. Elsewhere, Michael Korkidas has departed, leaving Danny Sculthorpe to fill a big void in the Wakefield front line.

The players coming in at Wakefield certainly don't look better than the players that have departed, indicating that they are in for a frustrating season. Their survival may depend on how Hull KR perform rather than being down to their own doing.

The One Pointer prediction: 11th
Player to watch: Jamie Rooney - surely he won't remain at Belle Vue for much longer?

Super League Preview: Wigan

After looking at Warrington Wolves yesterday, we now assess the chances of their opponents in tonight's game, Wigan Warriors.





2006 was a year to forget for everyone involved with the Rugby League operations at the JJB Stadium.
After flirting with relegation for much of the season, dismissing Ian Millward with just two months of the season gone and a two point reduction for salary cap breaches, the Warriors ended the year in seventh place after new coach Brian Noble managed to string together a credible run of results.

Last years failings haven't gone un-noticed by the Warriors hierarchy and Maurice Lindsay has certainly splashed the cash for 2007.
Trent Barrett is the big name to arrive in the town and new half-back partner Thomas Leuluai has arrived from Harlequins, replacing Danny Orr who has headed in the opposite direction.
Phil Bailey's arrival from Cronulla will mean that Pat Richards can now move from the centre position to his favoured wide berth and Michael Withers will add experience to a back line which struggled last term.

Squad depth is again an issue though. Rather than manage the salary cap effectively, Wigan's approach always seems to mean spending large amounts on a small squad and then whinge about the restrictions once injuries kick-in.

That said, an improvement is expected at Wigan and a play-off spot is certainly on the cards. Brian Noble is known for getting the best out of players, and some may be giving him too little credit int he signings he has made.

The One Pointer Prediction: 5th
Player to watch: Thomas Leuluai - with the focus on Barrett, he may sneak in under the radar.

Super League Preview: Warrington

As Super League round one approaches, our preview heads down the M62 to take a look at the Warrington Wolves.










Paul Cullen could well be a man under pressure. Despite having a solid squad at his disposal and a multi-millionaire backer bank-rolling star signings, the Wolves remain one of Super League's enigmas.

Having yet to make a major final under the leadership of events promoter Simon Moran, Warrington have failed to string together any notion of consistency. Fantastic results against the league's elite are all too-often marred by inept performances against sides that the Wolves should be pouncing upon.

2007 way well prove to be different. Adrian Morley is without doubt the major signing at the Halliwell Jones Stadium whilst the dependable Paul Johnson and versatile Vinny Anderson have also arrived to add some spark to the Wire.
Elsewhere, Lee Briers will be hoping to impress a new Great Britain coach and Brent Grose may well find the form that earned him rave reviews in 2005.

If the Wolves can put together a solid run of results in Super League XII, then they are easily a top 6 sides and one that should be challenging for honours. Should that fail to materialise though, then their season could crumble and Paul Cullen may well be first across the line in the Super League sack race.

The One Pointer prediction: 7th
Player to watch: Lee Briers - with a GB half-back spot up for grabs, he's going to perform.

Super League Preview: Leeds

In the eight installment of our season preview, The One Pointer heads over to Headingley to take a look at Leeds Rhinos.





After promising so much in the early stages of Super League XI, Leeds' season nose-dived in spectacular fashion. A shock Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Huddersfield being the centrepiece of a 5 game losing streak and the Rhinos' 2006 season demise. Good performances against Warrington and the Catalans Dragons helped lift the lingering clouds above Headingley before a Lee Briers drop goal in the play-offs brought an end to Super League XI for the Southstanders.

This season, coach Tony Smith is a man under pressure. After winning the competition in 2004, he has yet to deliver another trophy to Headingley. This year however, he certainly has a capable squad at his disposal.

Brent Webb, arguably the world's best fullback has arrived from New Zealand to replace Richie Mathers and Smith has also bolstered last years threadbare pack with the signing of Kylie Leuluai, in addition to the mid 2006 signing of Jamie Thackray.

Strike power has never been a problem as far as Leeds are concerned. Only St Helens crossed the whitewash more often last season whilst in 2005 and 2004, they topped the points scoring charts. The problem for Leeds has been closing out the tough games and overcoming the strong packs. Warrington took Leeds to the sword last season at the Halliwell Jones, simply overpowering the Leeds forwards.
You can look at the Leeds front six and pick out names such as Ellis, Peacock and Sinfield, but the bulk and presence is sometimes lacking despite these. This years improvements may not stop that, but will make those occasions much less frequent.

The One Pointer prediction: 3rd
Player to watch: Brent Webb - front runner for Man of Steel

Super League Preview: Hull KR

Our Super League XII preview moves onwards to East Hull as we assess the prospects of new-boys Hull Kingston Rovers.









After slaying all who opposed them in the National League last season, as well as Warrington in the Challenge Cup quarter final, Hull KR will finally make their long-awaited debut in the Super League.

The Robins, who lost just three games throughout the course of 2006, had built a young squad which was full of enthusiasm and skill which shone through against National League opposition.
Unfortunately for Justin Morgan, it will be a different scenario in 2007.

The biggest criticism of the current promotion system is the lack of time in which the NL1 champions have to built a squad capable of maintaining Super League status for 12 months at least.
Despite that, Aussie test forward Michael Vella, former Leeds Grand Final winner Danny Ward and former NRL winner Mark O'Neil have come in to bolster the pack whilst crowd favourite Stanley Gene has returned to his former club.
Those players will be complimented by the likes of Scott Murrell, Tommy Gallagher, both products of the Leeds academy, and Ben Cockayne who have shown themselves to be potential Super League players in their time at Craven Park.

It will be a tough ask for Rovers to be able to preserve their Super League status. Their squad certainly looks the weakest of the twelve Super League squads (on paper at least) and they may still need time to develop as a team.

Some of the Hull KR squad, not least the younger players, go into the new season with a point to prove. Whilst they may well give some sides an almighty fright over the course of the year, expect them to be holding up the rest of the league come September.

The One Pointer prediction: 12th
Player to Watch: The evergreen Stanley Gene

Super League Preview: Hull FC

Our Super League preview moves on to Humberside where, for the first time in the Super League era, both East and West Hull will be represented. We start in the West with Hull FC.



After a shaky start, Hull eventually ended the 2006 campaign as runners-up, eventually sucumming to St Helens in the Grand Final. After John Kear was relieved of his duties in April, new coach Peter Sharp transformed the Airlie Birds into Championship contenters.

This winter, the club have recruited well if at least modestly. Matt Sing is the big name import from North Queensland who will replace the dissapointing Nathan Blacklock but elsewhere, Hull's imports are not perhaps the stars that the faithful had hoped would grace the KC Stadium.

However, in hooker Wayne Godwin they have recruited a player that has the ability to turn even the tightest of defences in knots. The obvious aire to the Richard Swain's shirt when he departs at the end of the season, Godwin will certainly give teams something to worry about.
He is joined by fellow Wigan team-mate Danny Tickle, a second row who may not be the most spectacular ever to grace the back and white shirt, will fill an important role, as will Willie Manu, in the Hull pack.

Ignoring the favourable fixture draw, Hull look a strong bet to end the season as Champions. Their squad is strong, they have depth in key areas and in coach Peter Sharp, they have a great tactical mind leading the way.

The One Pointer Prediction: 1st
Player to watch: Wayne Godwin - Richard Swain may lose his place sooner than he might have expected.

Super League Preview: St Helens

With the big kick-off around the corner, The One Pointer's season preview tales a look at last years treble champions St Helens.





Daniel Anderson's Saints marched their way into the history books last season, winning an unprecedented treble of the Challenge Cup, League Leaders Shield and Super League. Of the 35 games played by St Helens, only four were lost, typifying their dominance over the course of the season.

The men from Knowsley Road still look a formidable side, one which is not too dissimilar from the class of 2006. Jamie Lyon has been the most high-profile loss and fellow Aussie Matt Gidley has arrived from Newcastle to try and fill the void whilst the two Andersons, Paul and Vinnie have departed.

That could prove a bigger blow than most people may imagine. Paul Anderson was perhaps one of the most consistent and dependable performers in the St Helens side. His experience, go-forward and reliability often got the Saints out of tough spots. Vinnie on the other hand is perhaps a victim of the salary cap restraints. Anderson, the quality player that he was, struggled for game-time last season. But in any squad, players with the utility value offered by Anderson are always vital and when injuries and suspensions start to bite, it's those players than can dictate whether you win or lose.

For that reason alone, St Helens will fail to repeat the heroics of last season. They set the highest benchmark possible in 2006 and whilst other sides still haven't reached that, the Saints will probably fall short of it as well.

The One Pointer Prediction: 2nd
Player to Watch: Matt Gidley - Can he fill the big shoes left by Jamie Lyon?

Super League Preview: Huddersfield

With two sides kicking off the Super League a bit earlier than the rest, The One Pointer swiftly moves it's focus to Huddersfield Giants.





John Sharp's Giants made big strides in 2006, yet despite making a Challenge Cup final that prized 6th place still remains elusive.
Huddersfield ended the season three points off the pace, their second 7th place finish in three years but 2007 could well be the year that Fartown finally get the monkey off their back.

Wests Tigers NRL winning trio of Shane Elford, John Skandalis and Jamahl Lolesi have jetted into the Galpharm whilst shamed forward Ryan Hudson returns to the game following his two year absence.
Every year, Super League presents us with a surprise package and Huddersfield could well be the team for 2007. They appear to have built a strong squad. Giants teams may not be the best to watch but they are efficient in what they do. Chris Thorman is a dependable half-back and vice captain Brad Drew is the creative spark they will look to in the dummy half role.

John Sharp will quickly want to look away from their abject pre-season performance at Leeds but even though they failed to perform then, they did turn in a performance against Wigan, perhaps an indication that their season will be one of inconsistency.
However, their squad certainly looks stronger than those teams that will finish below them, which is enough to boldy predict that they'll be in the play-off mix at the end of the year.

The One Pointer Prediction: 6th
Player to watch: Brad Drew - Huddersfield's livewire at dummy half.

Super League Preview: Harlequins

The One Pointer heads to the capital as our Super League preview focuses on Brain McDermott's Harlequins.





Super League's London based side have always been a difficult team to measure. Whilst they can, and will, be utterly dreadful one week they are equally capable of upsetting the league's big boys through the course of the season. Bradford and Hull will be two teams that will vouch for that whilst Wigan, Warrington and Salford will also reluctantly admit to falling short against the Quins.

But whilst they are happy to punch above their weight on occasion, the Londoners can appear lost at times. A 60-0 defeat at home to Leeds, a 62-14 reverse at Huddersfield and a 34-0 thumping at Salford typified the Quins fluctuating fortunes.

But under the leadership of Brian McDermott, Quins ought to be more consistent and the smattering of stars that league fans in the South have become accustomed to have been complimented over the off-season.
Aussie test playmaker Scott Hill has arrived from Melbourne Storm and his experience will be invaluable whilst former Wigan and Castleford stand-off Danny Orr could provide the perfect foil for the NRL veteran.
Julian Rinaldi has jetted in from Les Catalans and joins Henry Paul in a side that lacks no competition for the 6 and 7 jerseys.
But the player to watch could well be one youngster who made a real impact with the opportunities that were handed his way. Talented loose forward Michael Worrincy made an immediate impact against Warrington Wolves last season and is one player who may well cement a place in Brian McDermott's starting line as the season progresses.

The problem for the Harlequins will be stringing a series of results together. On any given day they can leave any visiting team lost in the big smoke. The experienced heads of Orr, Hill and Paul playing in key positions may well be turns that around in 2007 and the 'Mighty Quins' may well make the top six this time around. The odds are against them however. Even if they manage to develop the winning habit, few would envisage them toppling the likes of Warrington and Wigan.

The One Pointer Prediction: 8th
Player to watch: Michael Worrincy - one for the future.

Super League Preview: Les Catalans

In the second installment of our Super League season preview, we head over the channel to check out Les Catalans Dragons.





If you happen to be residing in a WF postcode area, the chances are that you aren't overly keen on the Dragon's presence in the engage Super League. As Castleford and Wakefield battled against the drop to the National League, Les Catalans were the ones left propping up the rest of the table, taking advantage of their three year exemption. As most can imagine, that didn't go down very well in Castleford, who eventually made way.

This year the Dragons will be looking upwards and the signs are that the club is thinking positively. Supporters visiting Perpignan brought over £3m in tourist cash to the region, building strong support for the side in the city. 2007 will see the Catalans return to their renovated home, Gilbert Brutus, and they've invited some exciting new faces to the home coming party.

Queensland representatives Casey McGuire and Adam Mogg will add undoubted class to the Dragons back line. McGuire, who scored 25 tries in 117 games in the NRL, an impressive strike rate for a utility player, looks like forming an exciting partnership with Stacey Jones. Mogg on the other hand comes as a renowned scorer, with 33 NRL tries and three tries from as many State of Origin appearances.
Clint Greenshields and Aaron Gorrell arrive from St George whilst the more unknown Sébastien Raguin has signed from UTC's rivals Toulouse.
The French second-row is capable of competing with the best, as Leeds found out in the 2005 Challenge Cup semi-final and if he can produce the same form that saw Toulouse shoot to fame then the Dragons may have one of the finds of the season.

Defensive frailty was what ultimately proved the downfall of the Dragons. The side posted the second worst defence of Super League XI, yet still scored more points than sixth place Salford. How much of that was down to travel sickness is going to be difficult to prove but the players brought in are still not the sort of names you'd bring in to shore up a leaky defence, more add flair to an attacking line.

As for their prospects for 2007, I certainly don't think that they'll be bottom of the pile come September. Despite the poor league position, there were several positives that came out of the French side. Victories over Wigan, Warrington and Salford and having the league's top scorer amongst their ranks were the season's high points and the club ran the eventual Grand Final runners up extremely close on two occasions.
Much will depend on how the Catalans cope with the air miles and how well they can stop their own line being breached. They'll certainly score points, it's just at the other end that where there could be a problem.

The One Pointer prediction: 10th
Player to watch: Casey McGuire - how will his partnership with Stacey Jones develop?

Super League Preview: Bradford

The One Pointer has started it's preview of the 2007 Super League season and in our first installment, we look towards Odsal to assess the chances of the Bradford Bulls.




After what could mildly be described as an 'eventful' 2006, the Bulls still only ended up 80 minutes from Old Trafford.
After losing Brian Noble, Stuart Fielden and two league points, Bradford secured forth place in the league table, eased past Salford and battled their way to the Grand Final eliminator against Warrington before succumbing to Hull FC in the penultimate game of Super League XI.

Newly appointed captain Paul Deacon will lead a new look Bulls side into the Odsal bowl, with no fewer than five new players have arrived in BD6, some with their fair share of controversy, whilst seven first team players have walked through the exit door.

David Solomona's much maligned transfer eventually went through and he is certainly the most recognisable of names coming into the club.
Perhaps the biggest signing though could be that of Glen Morrison. The former Parramatta forward has clearly impressed his new employers enough to merit the vice-captaincy and he is one player who many of the Bulls faithful will liken to Brad Mackay, the Aussie lock who served them so well in 2000.
Also in the forwards, Steve McNamara will be hoping Andy Lynch returns from injury sooner rather than later but in 18-year-old Sam Burgess, they've uncovered a more than capable deputy.

But the Bulls do have their weaknesses. Whilst few would the partnership of Lesley Vainikolo and Shontayne Hape, the unexpected departure of Marcus Bai has left a considerable void in the Bradford three-quarter line. Youngster Andy Smith has scored tries for fun in the U21's but it remains to be seen if that form will carry over into Super League.

I wouldn't expect Bradford to finish in the top three but as they've proved in the past, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Bradford know when to peak and it'd be no surprise to see them pushing for a place in the season showpiece come October.

The One Pointer prediction: 4th
Player to watch: Glen Morrison - a workhorse at the base of the scrum

Into the Emerald Isle

Back when Murdoch and Co took over Super League in 1995, talk was of Rugby League teams being dotted all around the continent.



Amongst the proposed cities that would host Super League sides was Dublin. It's good transport links to the North virtue of low-cost airlines and ferry links and it's rugby loving public made the Irish capital the ideal venue, or so they thought. Alas, the collapse of the proposed mergers meant Dublin, or any of the other cities, were out of the picture.

Twelve years on, Leeds Rhinos have pushed the Irish case again. The Rhinos are currently training at the Dublin City University and by all accounts, have been impressed with what they've seen. Assistant coach and former Ireland international Francis Cummins has come out and sung the praises of Dublin and touted the merits of an Irish Super League franchise.

For the fans, support is likely to be high. Perpignan has proved a huge success with supporters and a hop across the Irish Sea is sure to be a winner amongst the various bands of travelling fans.
The city is renowned as an enjoyable 'city-break' destination and the area is easily accessible. Low-cost flights are available to Dublin from Leeds Bradford, Humberside, Doncaster Sheffield, Blackpool, Manchester and Liverpool whilst ferry links operate from the north-west.

But on the playing side it's where the pro-Dublin arguments start to falter.
Les Catalans worked for a very simple reason - it was a Rugby League area. The clubs were already in place, a competitive league structure was already in place and most importantly, there is an amateur and youth system which can support a Super League club. Perpignan had everything there, ready to go. It just needed Super League to raise the profile of French rugby.

In Dublin on the other hand, that's not the case. The amateur set-up, although improving, is not capable of sustaining a Super League club. Given the strength of the GAA and the IRU, the talent pool is fairly shallow to begin with and the lack of exposure of the 13-man code to the natives makes it difficult to make the game an attractive proposition to the nation's youngsters.

That makes a Super League franchise an non-starter. In such an environment any side would be reliant on overseas imports and quota loopholes, very much reminiscent of Paris Saint-Germain in the mid-late 90's.

The other option would be to start from the bottom and work upwards. Instead of throwing Dublin in at the deep-end, let them work through the ranks, starting off in National League Two or even the Conference National (the new name for the defunct NL3). That brings it's own downbside though.
In both competitions, players still hold down full-time jobs. We've already seen the disapperance of teams from Coventry, Birmingham, Essex, Teeside and Carlisle due to the demands that travelling to and from Yorkshire placed on their players and an Irish side would quickly follow the same path. Once you've factored in flights and the associated problems and expense, you see that an amateur/semi-pro team from the emerald isle isn't a viable option either.

Leeds' intentions are good and in an ideal world, we'd see an Irish franchise in the not-too-distant future. Unfortunately, the practicalities just don't add up. This isn't like Perpignan. The Catalans had the foundations to build on. The IRL are starting from scratch.

Give that man a Medal!

Former St Helens stand-off Tommy Martyn has placed his Challenge Cup winners medal on eBay to raise cash for former team mate Steve Prescott.




Martyn, who won the medal against Bradford Bulls at Wembley in 1996, is hoping to raise at least £2000 to help ex Saints and Hull full-back Prescott in his fight against a rare form of stomach cancer.

With the target already broken with 48 hours still remaining on the auction, the target has already been broken and with the bulk of the bidding traditionally coming in the closing stages, one can only wonder what the final total will amount to.

Hat's off to Tommy Martyn for a fantastic gesture.

It Doesn't Quite Add Up

Today the RFL announced a brand-new, ultra confusing points method for the National Leagues for 2007.











Well, it's not that confusing, but it's more complicated than a league points system probably needs to be. Gone is the simple two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. This year will will see National League One and Two as well as the Northern Rail Cup sides pick up three points for a win, two for a draw and one for a defeat of 12 points or less.

All other competitions, including Super League will still maintain the traditional 2-1-0 format, with the new system appearing to be an experimental system.

The idea is to create more competitive games by giving sides something to play for when a game appears dead. In the 'old' system, being 18 points down with 5 minutes to go would struggle to motivate event the most enthusiastic of players, the new system will give them the incentive of one futher competition point should they manage to get over the whitewash.
It's an idea that has been used in Rugby Union. In the 15-man game, teams can pick-up bonus points for scoring four tries or more and for losing by less than eight points.
It's success has been difficult to gauge. Complete thumpings are becoming less common, but the salary cap, international weeks and rule changes have arguably had more of a influence than the offer of consolation points ever will so the question remains, will we see a difference?

Here's how last season's National League 1 table ended:
1. Hull KR - 32pts
2. Widnes - 28pts
3. Leigh - 26pts
4. Whitehaven - 25pts
5. Rochdale - 16pts
6. Batley - 16pts
-------------------------
7. Halifax - 14pts
8. Doncaster - 13pts
-------------------------
9. York - 10pts
10. Oldham - 0pts

And here's how it would have looked under the new system:
1. Hull KR - 48pts
2. Widnes - 42pts
3. Leigh - 42pts
4. Whitehaven - 39pts
5. Rochdale - 29pts
6. Batley - 28pts
-------------------------
7. Halifax - 27pts
8. Doncaster - 26pts
-------------------------
9. York - 20pts
10. Oldham - 2pts
(with thanks to www.blackandwhites.co.uk for the calculations)

Fundamentaly, there is no difference. Each team remains in the same position. What you can see though is a more competitive competition, particuarly in mid-table. Under the new system, Doncaster could have gone into the last game of the season with the possibility of securing a play-off berth. As it was, their final outing of 2006 was meaningless as far as they were concerned.

I wouldn't expect the new format to get the thumps up from supporters and to be honest, it's not an idea I'm overly keen on. Perhaps the new format will add fuel to the Eurosport fire, making the league more attractive to a prospective broadcaster.

Like with all experiements, it's easy to hold your hands up if things don't as you planned. The 2-1-0 system was simple and functional. We'll wait and see what chaos may or may not ensue with this one.

How long does it take to get in the England Rugby Union Team?

Well, how long do you reckon? How long would a complete novice need to prove that he is the man to defend Rugby Union's greatest prize.






Six weeks? Three months? A year? Nope, you'd be miles off. It's actually much quicker than you think.

According to nationaly renowned kick & clap hack Stephen Jones, it takes just eight minutes to prove you are up to task of representing the current World Champions.

Don't believe me? Check out today's Sunday Times:

In an eight-minute spell on New Year’s Day, Andy Farrell became a serious contender for the hugely problematic England inside-centre position.

It takes just ten percent of a Guinness Premiership fixture for a 32 year old code convert to prove that he is indeed the saviour the the RFU thought he would be, so much so that they took a seven figure sum out of the piggy bank back in 2005.

So much for the "specialst skills" needed in the fifteen man game.