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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Carney Coming Back to Super League?

If Fox News are to be trusted (and usually they arn't), then Brian Carney could be heading back to Blighty before he's even set foot in Gold Coast.





Rumour has it that the Irish winger isn't enjoying his time in Australia quite as much as he anticipated he would and could be booked on the next flight home once the Tri-Nations come to a conclusion in November.

The former Wigan favourite is currently on the books at Newcastle Knights, one year before he is due to join up with new club Gold Coast Titans next year and if today's reports are true, then he could become the forth player to turn his back on deals they signed with the Queensland new-boys, with Tony Puletua, Luke O'Dwyer and Steve Turner looking to negate on deals signed with the Titans prior to next year.

As for Carney, the usual suspects are being touted as possible destinations with Wigan and Warrington being the main names on everyones lips. Carney might favour a move to his old club but even Maurice Lindsay wopuld struggle to get him under the salary cap. Warrington looks a better shout though. With Toa Kohe Love out of contract and Brent Grose reportedly heading to Melbourne Storm, they have both the need and cap space for a star three-quarter.
Leeds will be another name no doubt mentioned and with Scott Donald, Lee Smith, Danny Williams and Ashley Gibson all struggling to replace the void left by Mark Calderwood and Marcus Bai last season, Tony Smith could be leaving a few hints for Mr Hetherington.

Carney is certainly one of the games likeable characters. He's a great player on the field and a good bloke off it as well. If it does materialise, then he's most welcome back in my view.