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.

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.

The Super League Shirt Parade

Christmas is on the way and it's the time of year when Super League clubs start releasing the brand new kits that there players will be modeling next season.

Here at the One Pointer, we take a peak as they are officially unvieled and run the rule over the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Bradford Bulls
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Catalans Dragons
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Harlequins RL
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Huddersfield Giants
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Hull FC
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Hull KR
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Leeds Rhinos
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St Helens
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Salford City Reds
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Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
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Warrington Wolves
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Wigan Warriors
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Hudson's Giant Step

Ryan Hudson is set to make his Super League comeback in 2007 with Huddersfield Giants after two years out of the game.




The former Wakefield and Castleford loose forward was sensationally suspended from the game for two years in March 2005 after testing positive for the banned steroid stanozolol, just weeks after joining the Bradford Bulls.
Hudson has always claimed that he was unaware that he had taken the substance, claiming that he acted on the advice of a nutritionist whilst in Australia yet despite this, the former England U21 captain was sacked by the Bulls and has since spent the last two years in the Rugby League wilderness.

Hudson's, who's possible move to Huddersfield had been strongly rumoured for a while, has signed a three-year deal at the Galpharm Stadium, rejoining the club for whom he made his professional debut in 1998 and has immediatly signalled his intention to right the wrongs of the past 24 months.
Hudson has already pledged to work with UK Sport and the RFL on education programmes and if today's press conference is anything to go by, his attitude seems to be exactly right.

On the playing side, Hudson was one of the games hottest properties when he moved to Odsal and there are few reasons why he can't reproduce the form that got him to the fringes of the Great Britain side. Hudson owns his own gym business so fitness and conditioning won't be a major problem and Giants fans will hope that his quick thinking with the ball and handling ability won't have waned during his lay-off.

The 27-year old has never tried to hide his mistake and this isn't as big a gamble for the Giants as people might think. The versatile forward will fit into the loose-forward role but will also provide competition for hooker Brad Drew.

Hudson was an undoubted talent two years ago and if what people say about "form being temporary, class being permanent", then coach John Sharpe has possibly got one of the finds of the season.

Two Games to Go - Who's Slipping Through the Trap Door?

Round 26 has been and gone, the results are in and those at the Jungle and the Galpharm are already breathing a huge sigh of relief.





Whilst Castleford fans, players and Molly the Dog were busy congratulating each other on a job well-done against Quins, Wakefield were recovering from an inevitable defeat at St Helens.
But were the Tigers celebrating too soon? Saturday nights scenes were more like a minor premiership victory parade than that of a side that sits three points above the relegation zone.

The current table stands as such after 26 games:

8. Huddersfield - 20pts (-140 diff)
9. Harlequins - 19pts (-290 diff)
10. Castleford - 19pts (-371 diff)
11. Wakefield - 16pts (-146 diff)

At first glance, it looks like Wakefield will be the ones plying their trade in National League 1 next season, but it's not that simple, as Wakefield will play host to Castleford on the last day of the season at Belle Vue.

Looking at the remaining fixtures, heres theonepointer's predictions.

Round 27:

• I expect a desperate Wakefield to cause an upset and win at Odsal against an out-of-sorts and unconvincing Bradford.
• Salford need to book a play-off place and they will beat Castleford.
• If Catalans turn up, they could turn home advantage into points against Huddersfield. Unfortunatly, they won't turn up and Huddersfield will win.
  
• Wigan will beat Harlequins at The Stoop.

Round 28:

• Quins will probably beat Salford. Brian McDermott will have his side fired up for a game that will keep them in Super League.
• Bradford will overcome Huddersfield.
• That leaves the Wildcats against the Tigers and to be honest, I'd be tempted to go for Wakefield. Home advantage will be key and to be perfectly honest, I rate John Kear as the better coach. The win for Wakefield for me.
  

If that turns out to be true, then that leave the following table:

8. Huddersfield - 22pts
9. Harlequins - 21pts
10. Wakefield- 20pts
11. Castleford- 19pts

So on that basis, it'll be goodbye to Castleford. I do believe it'll go down to the last day of the season and if I were a Cas fan, I would be seriously worried if they leave the Willows with nothing next week.

Saints will Canter to Super League Glory

Saturday's Challenge Cup Final turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax. The build-up to the game was generally muted, the ground didn't quite fill-up and as for the game itself, the second half was meerly an exibition match for the superstars of St Helens.

Daniel Anderson's men have brushed aside all that have stood in their path this year in Super League and now that the Challenge Cup sits proudly on the Knowsley Road mantlepiece, the Saints are looking odds on for the domestic treble.

Despite the determination of Huddersfield in the early exchanges, the brilliance of a St Helens side, which could even afford to leave out Great Britain forward Nick Fozzard, shone through. Shaun Long's superbly crafted try just prior to half-time effectively turned the game in the favour of St Helens and from that point on, it was always going to be one-way traffic.

With the minor premiership effectivley in the bag, only a fool would back against Anderson's men, but the Saints fans would be forgiven for being just a little wary.
At this point last year they were also looking like Champions but ultimatly, the season ended disasterously, becoming the first minor premiers in the Super League era not to reach the Grand Final after a plethora of injuries hit star players including Sean Long, Paul Sculthorpe and Darren Albert.

This year though, the Saints look unstoppable. Daniel Anderson has created a confident team that oouses class and is by far the best British side to watch with ball in hand. Not only that, but they have a pack of forwards which can compete with the biggest around.
St Helens teams in the passed have been accused of relying too heavily on the so called 'big three' of Sulthorpe, Long and Cunningham yet that is not a criticism that could be levied at this side. The likes of Leon Pryce, Jamie Lyon and Jason Hooper are all capable of changing games through moments of individual brilliance and the emergance of young players such as James Graham and James Roby has added even more competition to an already star-studded line-up.

Whilst the likes of Hull, Leeds and Bradford will all be targetting a place at Old Trafford on October 15th, it'll be the Saints who'll be wearing the Super League crown.

Another Challenge Cup Upset?

Huddersfield Giants will be hopinbg to emulate the Sheffield Eagles this weekend as they travel to Twickenham for Saturday's Challenge Cup Final.


The Giants go into the game with runaway league leaders St Helens as huge underdogs in a clash which is being likened to the 1998 Final between Wigan Warriors and Sheffield Eagles. That year, Sheffield pulled off what is regarded as the greatest shock in Rugby League history, beating the eventual league Champions 17-8 at Wembley.
The year following that victory, the Eagles contraversially merged with the Giants, a relationship that has since been extirpated and now Huddersfield will prepare for their first Challenge Cup final for 44 years.
The odds are stacked against them. Fartown are currently ninth in the league, just two points ahead of the relegation zone whilst the Saints are four points clear at the top of the league and looking odds on for the Super League championship.
But despite going in to the game as overwhelming favourites, they would be foolish to take the injury-hit Giants as lightly as Leeds Rhinos did in the semi-final. Huddersfield became the first side to beat the Saints his season, with a 19-16 home victory back in May and coach Jon Sharp as also masterminded impressive victories over Warrington, Leeds and Harlequins.
In Robbie Paul, the giants will be led by a Cup Final veteran and Chris Thorman, should he pass a late fitness test, is capable of unlocking the best of defences. If the physical Giants forwards can get on top of the Saints then Daniel Anderson's men may not have it all their own way.

I, as do most people, expect St Helens to be lifting the trophy on Saturday afternoon but at the same time, I don't necesseraly see the walk-over that some people are proclaiming it to be.
If the Saints don't show and the Giants put on a solid, error-free performance, then we could see a repeat of 1998.