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.