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
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7. Warrington Wolves
8. Salford City Reds
9. Harlequins
10 Les Catalans Dragons
11. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
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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
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7. Halifax - 14pts
8. Doncaster - 13pts
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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
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7. Halifax - 27pts
8. Doncaster - 26pts
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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.

Bye Marcus

Bradford Bulls winger Marcus Bai has announced his retirement from the game this morning, leaving the Bulls with immediate effect.








The Papua New Guinean winger, who became so much of a crowd favourite at Melbourne Storm that they unofficially renamed the North East Stand in his honour, leaves Odsal after one year in which he scored 12 tries in 26 appearances.

At 34 years of age, Bai remains the only player to have won the World Club Championship with three different clubs, with Melbourne in 2000, Leeds Rhinos in 2005 and Bradford Bulls in 2006 as well as having joined the select band of players who have won a Grand Final in both Australia and England.

A superb personality on and off the field, the 'no-nonsense' Bai was probably one of the most underrated players of the modern game. With 127 league tries in 245 appearances for Melbourne, Leeds and Bradford, the South-Sea islander boasted a strike record amongst the best in the business and his work ethic and honesty was unquestionable.

Whilst Bai's retirement is a loss to the sport, Bradford will move on. Wingers are scarce on the transfer market at present and so academy winger Andy Smith will see this as a prime opportunity to make the step from the U21's whilst the experience of Marcus St Hilare can also cover the number 2 position.

Whilst Bai might not go down as one of the most well-known players ever to take the field, his name should still be among the modern greats.

Saints Rattle a few Cages

"Fix", "Swindle" were the cries that surrounded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in Birmingham last week.





As St Helens walked away with the Team of the Year and Coach of the Year awards for 2006, some people were not so congratulatory. OK, so Paul Sculthorpe is about as eloquent as an alcoholic on Christmas Eve and Sean Long might have looked entirely out of place surrounded by such sophisticated company but that doesn't detract from the achievements of the St Helens class of 2006.

The BBC have come out and defended the public voting system after various claims of rigging and suggestions that the voting system is open to abuse from Internet campaigns, stating that they will be retaining the voting system that clinched the night's major gong for Zara Phillips as well as seeing St Helens amass just over 67.6% of the public vote for team of the year, well ahead of Sussex County Cricket Club (17.1%) and the Ryder Cup boys (15.2%).

The Ryder cup apologists were distraught. Not only did Darren Clarke not win the individual prize, they were outraged that a European team didn't win the 'British Team of the Year' award by virtue of the fact that they beat an inept bunch of American golfers on a boozy week in Ireland.

So all the while the Southern-centric press start crying on their keyboards and typing with rage, we can sit back safe in the knowledge that the game isn't as 'minority' as those at Fleet Street like to think it is.

Mason Jets to NFL

Aussie cheap-shot merchant Willie Mason has found the perfect solution for off-season boredom.








The Bulldogs forward has jetted off the the States to take part in "non-contact" training with the New York Jets.

Mason, who is contracted at Canterbury until 2008, has made no secret of his desire to try his hand at gridiron will continue to train with the Jets before heading back to Sydney for the Doggie's NRL preparation.

Anyway, - if the Tri-Nations are anything to go by, those Yanks will be thankful of the extra headgear.

Vote Saints

The voting has opened for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year this week and Rugby League has a representative for the first time in I don't know how long.

Treble winners St Helens have made the three-name shortlist for the 'Team of the Year' award, along with the European Ryder Cup team and Sussex County Cricket Club.

To vote for the Saints, text the phrase "Team Saints" to 83199 or alternatively, stay tuned to BBC Radio Five Live (909MW)