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.

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.

We Have the Technology

Deep in the bowels of Red Hall, the Rugby Football League super computer has finally finished compilling it's 'randomly' drawn fixture list and the The 2007 Super League fixtures have finally been released to the great unwashed.


After two months anticipation, fans can start bombarding the websites of Ryanair, Jet2 and bmiBaby for their sojourn to the Mediterranean.

It's also been confirmed who each side will now play at the 'Millennium Magic' weekend. Not surprisingly, the RFL have kept it to 'derby' fixtures.

For the event to prove the sceptics wrong, the RFL needs to attract a crowd, both from the North and from Wales and so to do that, they've put their flagship games on parade. Leeds will play Bradford, Wigan will play St Helens and the two Hull sides will also meet each other by the River Taff.

And that all seems fine. If you want fans to embark on a 500mile round trip, you've got to make it seem their while. But unfortunately, the RFL have shot themselves in the foot.

For the sides that face each other on that May weekend, it will be just one of four times they'll go toe to toe in the regular Super League season. That's four Leeds vs Bradford games, four Wigan vs St Helens clashes and four Hull derbys.

For a neutral and for Sky Sports, that's like Christmas and Birthday in one. Sky love the big games and so they'll be rubbing their hands with glee.
But for the rest of us, it's overkill.

Three times is enough, after you've factored in possible cup and play-off games but four, with a feasible possibility of seven games between two sides is doing nothing for the credibility of Super League and taking the excitement and anticipation away from what should be the stand-out fixtures in the calendar.
Derby's are more than just two local sides. They have a rivalry and intensity which makes them special. By having two sides play each other so frequently means that grudges don't have time to grow and the whole build-up to the game becomes shorter. They essentially become just like any other game.

And lets look at fairness. Whilst Leeds, Bradford, St Helens and Wigan are all likely to be taking points off each other, Hull FC can sit back, quietly confident of eight points against relegation fodder in Hull KR. Wakefield coach John Kear is fairly happy as well, knowing that whilst he's got four decent looking games against Huddersfield, Hull KR's draw means that they will probably be rooted to the bottom from rounds one to 27.

The game needs to revert back to the simple 'home and away' format. Playing sides three times is excessive, four times is overkill. Forget the arguments about making a free weekend for internationals, just do it for the games credibility.
Unfortunately, it's the small clubs that are the barrier to this, those who fail to realise that match days are not the only day to create revenue. Take a look around the 12 Super League grounds and you'll find a hotel, a University campus, an NHS clinic, an upmarket restaurant, an athletics stadium, a Rugby Union club, three football clubs and a multitude of conference and function facilities. Some clubs make use of them, some don't and instead, wait for a bumper pay day from the visit of one of the 'big four'.
But anyway, that's another argument entirely.

The RFL were onto a winner with the Millennium Stadium weekend but they've let themselves down. Would a supporter who reluctant to make the long journey south at first be tempted now, knowing that they'll have three more opportunities to see the same two sides in the other 26 rounds?

Nothing can be done now, the fixtures computer has spoken. Lets just hope the RFL take head for 2008.

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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Away:















Catalans Dragons
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Harlequins RL
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Huddersfield Giants
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Away:

Hull FC
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Hull KR
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Away:


Leeds Rhinos
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Away:


St Helens
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Away:


Salford City Reds
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Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Home (white) & Away (red & blue):
















Warrington Wolves
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Away:

Wigan Warriors
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Away:

Like any of the kits you see? Why not see it's stocked by our partners?

What Went Wrong for Hull?

After all the hype surrounding yesterday's Grand Final, St Helens eventually cantered to a 26-4 victory to complete a memorable and well-deserved treble.


A second-half blitz from the Saints overcame a Hull side that had promised so much, yet fell at the final hurdle despite a valiant attempt.

But where did it all go wrong?

St Helens are an outstanding side. They have created a side which can play superb attacking Rugby, keep the opposition scoring to a minimum and Daniel Anderson's side have set a benchmark that clubs will struggle to reach regardless of their resources. Give a side as strong as this an inch, and they won't only take a mile, they'll take far more than that.

As for the game itself, in my view, Hull made two critical mistakes. The first one came in the first 15 minutes. In the opening stages, Peter Sharpe's men had the better of the game. They took the game to St Helens and kept the minor premiers penned in their own half. They only thing they didn't do is score. They came close through Gareth Raynor, but after that initial quarter of an hour St Helens came back into the game and once Francis Meli gave them the lead, their tails were up.

The second mistake came on the stroke of half time. With the game at 4-4, Leon Pryce crossed to give St Helens the lead with the last action of the opening 40 minutes.

You can argue that the game was lost in the second half as fatigue caught up with Hull but that Pryce try took the wind out of Hull after a half where they probably should have been in front. Saints were ruthless in the second half, but they were allowed to take confidence from the first period by Hull's lack of composure in attack.

In the end, there was only going to be one winner of Super League XI. Hull can be proud of their performance this season, esspecially after overcoming a poor start to the season and the loss of their trophy winning coach from last season. Expect them to be around the higher reaches of the league next season and with the experience that yesterday will bring, they could go one better in SL12.