I have to admit, this is the time of year that I love, not for cold bright crisp mornings or for using lots of de-icer and elbow grease, but for the fact that the Gillette Rugby League Yearbook is available.
Like other years I've been Quick-Draw McGraw and ordered early. Once more it has delivered and failed to disappoint.
Now for a self confessed statto like me there is so much to admire and commit to the brainbox - for example did you know that Danny Washbrook of Wakefield was the top tackler in Super League and despite Rangi Chase playing just 17 games all season for Castleford, he got 29 try assists?
It still pales into insignificance compared with Leigh's Martyn Ridyard (hope he enjoyed the plug there) who had a hand or foot in 51 tries for the Centurions. Okay that is from my stats and not the Gillette Rugby League Yearbook but you get the idea of the myriad of facts that adorn its pages.
For someone who spends a lot of time preparing for games so that my commentary is as full as possible, this book is the perfect addition to my library but I don't feel it just suits RL folks like me, there is lots in here for fans to like and enjoy, from the review of the year, a look back on Grand Finals, Cup Finals and the international scene and lots of brilliant pictures too.
I'd certainly recommend it!
Thursday 29 November 2012
Saturday 17 November 2012
#rugbyleague #Blog: Post Season / Pre Season
It is interesting to note the different terminology being used by people within the game.
For our international players, still bruised from autumn campaigns this is post season while for lots of other players pre-season training is back on the agenda with obligatory hill runs, weights sessions, rowing machines and sick stomachs.
Super League fixtures are out this coming Monday with Championship fixtures also to be worked out and published.
It is the time of year when fans find out what shirts they will be spending their hard earned cash on and also the point where season ticket deals run to and then get extended beyond.
It also seems to be the time of year where the likes of Hull, Hull Kingston Rovers and London Broncos realise there are no more antipodean players they can sign and they turn to signing British based players (on that note best of luck to Adam Walker and Greg Eden).
The 2013 season in my opinion is a watershed season for the sport with the changes to academy level seeing a wealth of British talent head down under to try their luck. Will these bring about the desired results? Will we see better young players coming through?
I'm sure we will find out!
For our international players, still bruised from autumn campaigns this is post season while for lots of other players pre-season training is back on the agenda with obligatory hill runs, weights sessions, rowing machines and sick stomachs.
Super League fixtures are out this coming Monday with Championship fixtures also to be worked out and published.
It is the time of year when fans find out what shirts they will be spending their hard earned cash on and also the point where season ticket deals run to and then get extended beyond.
It also seems to be the time of year where the likes of Hull, Hull Kingston Rovers and London Broncos realise there are no more antipodean players they can sign and they turn to signing British based players (on that note best of luck to Adam Walker and Greg Eden).
The 2013 season in my opinion is a watershed season for the sport with the changes to academy level seeing a wealth of British talent head down under to try their luck. Will these bring about the desired results? Will we see better young players coming through?
I'm sure we will find out!
Sunday 7 October 2012
#RugbyLeague Hats off to Leeds
You have to hand it to Leeds. When the chips are down and the pressure is on, is there a better team in the country?
All week prior to the Super League showpiece event I had favoured the Rhinos. I thought their general know-how and big game experience would see them through and so it proved.
To be honest this was one of the best Grand Finals, a tough, tense, tight encounter and I expect for Rhinos fans, completely makes up for missing out on lifting the Challenge Cup.
I know that Kevin Sinfield has his critics in the game and also for performances at international level but he is a superb captain, he marshalled his troops throughout and prompted and kicked well out of hand, despite being felled after one such kick with an almighty blow to the jaw. His 21 successive play-off goals points to nerves of steel and indeed he kicked five on the big Old Trafford stage. I have long been an admirer of his traits, his professionalism and suggest to the Headingley paymasters that if they are considering "making statues of them" to quote Brian McDermott then they look no further than Sinfield initially.
I thought that Carl Ablett would have got a lot closer to Sinfield in chasing man of the match. He played a varied centre/back row role and scored a crucial try in addition to having a hand in the clincher with the final movement and pass before Ryan Hall gleefully crossed at the corner.
Rob Burrow too was magnificent out of dummy half. Last season's Harry Sunderland trophy winner for me had far more control on his game and was more readily involved than his classy cameo from 2011 yet came nowhere near Leeds captain marvel in the end.
What of the losers Warrington?
They were brave, Ben Westwood played it tough and Richie Myler and Lee Briers never stopped while it was a fascinating confrontation in the centres between Ryan Atkins and Kallum Watkins and both Mickey Higham and Michael Monaghan. I also thought that Chris Hill did not disgrace himself and has certainly gone from strength to strength since stepping up from the Championship, but crucially for me Leeds had the edge.
The Wolves started the game superbly and deservedly edged the first fifteen minutes with Richie Myler spotting the slightest of gaps in Leeds line to cross for the opening try just a couple of minutes in with a combination of quick thinking and quick feet. Fullback Brett Hodgson converted but the Rhinos served notice of their danger when a long ball from Kevin Sinfield seemingly put Ryan Hall in at the corner, only to be ruled forward.
The sides swapped difficult hanging kicks with Ben Jones-Bishop being targeted by Warrington.
Leeds then steadied the ship and a towering kick from Sinfield was spilled under pressure by Joel Monaghan, allowing Carl Ablett the chance to step into an opening, twist in the tackle and offload for Sinfield, looping round to plant the ball over the line in the 18th minute and convert to level the match from an acute angle at six-all.
The next 15 minutes belonged to Leeds with Sinfield nudging the Rhinos in front with a 24th minute penalty and Jones-Bishop casting his earlier handling nerves aside to finish smartly on the right hand side for Sinfield to make it 14-6.
Similarly to their Elimination victory over St Helens, Warrington surged back in the last seven minutes of the half and gained momentum with quick play and when Leeds were split down the Wolves left side, clever link up work created space and numbers for Lee Briers to bullet a pass for right winger Joel Monaghan to claim his 22nd try of the season. Hodgson converted and was on hand to kick a penalty to level the game at 14-all on the stroke of half-time.
Early in the second half, Warrington enjoyed a greater share of field position and possession and Leeds saw skipper Sinfield felled after making a clearance kick, a clash of heads with Michael Monaghan putting the Leeds man on the floor. Somehow, Sinfield regained his feet and played himself back into the game. Clinically the Wolves took advantage of the confusion with Hodgson's smart work out of dummy half catching Leeds out and Ryan Atkins went one on one with Kallum Watkins and over the youngster to claim a try that put Warrington in front again.
Leeds kept their composure and laid on the pressure with only good defence holding the Rhinos at bay, but as the penalties began to stack up against Warrington, the Wolves reeled and Shaun Lunt spied the opportunity to dive forward out of dummy half and release the ball at the right time for Ablett to go over Briers to claim a crucial try with Sinfield again potting a difficult conversion to edge the Rhinos in front at 20-18.
Warrington tried to come up with a telling play but handling errors broke their rhythm and Leeds countered superbly to score the clinching try eight minutes from time with some excellent passing and poise that eventually saw Ablett stand up Joel Monaghan long enough for Hall to skirt around the outside and Sinfield converted magnificently to secure a sixth title in nine years for the Rhinos.
All week prior to the Super League showpiece event I had favoured the Rhinos. I thought their general know-how and big game experience would see them through and so it proved.
To be honest this was one of the best Grand Finals, a tough, tense, tight encounter and I expect for Rhinos fans, completely makes up for missing out on lifting the Challenge Cup.
I know that Kevin Sinfield has his critics in the game and also for performances at international level but he is a superb captain, he marshalled his troops throughout and prompted and kicked well out of hand, despite being felled after one such kick with an almighty blow to the jaw. His 21 successive play-off goals points to nerves of steel and indeed he kicked five on the big Old Trafford stage. I have long been an admirer of his traits, his professionalism and suggest to the Headingley paymasters that if they are considering "making statues of them" to quote Brian McDermott then they look no further than Sinfield initially.
I thought that Carl Ablett would have got a lot closer to Sinfield in chasing man of the match. He played a varied centre/back row role and scored a crucial try in addition to having a hand in the clincher with the final movement and pass before Ryan Hall gleefully crossed at the corner.
Rob Burrow too was magnificent out of dummy half. Last season's Harry Sunderland trophy winner for me had far more control on his game and was more readily involved than his classy cameo from 2011 yet came nowhere near Leeds captain marvel in the end.
What of the losers Warrington?
They were brave, Ben Westwood played it tough and Richie Myler and Lee Briers never stopped while it was a fascinating confrontation in the centres between Ryan Atkins and Kallum Watkins and both Mickey Higham and Michael Monaghan. I also thought that Chris Hill did not disgrace himself and has certainly gone from strength to strength since stepping up from the Championship, but crucially for me Leeds had the edge.
The Wolves started the game superbly and deservedly edged the first fifteen minutes with Richie Myler spotting the slightest of gaps in Leeds line to cross for the opening try just a couple of minutes in with a combination of quick thinking and quick feet. Fullback Brett Hodgson converted but the Rhinos served notice of their danger when a long ball from Kevin Sinfield seemingly put Ryan Hall in at the corner, only to be ruled forward.
The sides swapped difficult hanging kicks with Ben Jones-Bishop being targeted by Warrington.
Leeds then steadied the ship and a towering kick from Sinfield was spilled under pressure by Joel Monaghan, allowing Carl Ablett the chance to step into an opening, twist in the tackle and offload for Sinfield, looping round to plant the ball over the line in the 18th minute and convert to level the match from an acute angle at six-all.
The next 15 minutes belonged to Leeds with Sinfield nudging the Rhinos in front with a 24th minute penalty and Jones-Bishop casting his earlier handling nerves aside to finish smartly on the right hand side for Sinfield to make it 14-6.
Similarly to their Elimination victory over St Helens, Warrington surged back in the last seven minutes of the half and gained momentum with quick play and when Leeds were split down the Wolves left side, clever link up work created space and numbers for Lee Briers to bullet a pass for right winger Joel Monaghan to claim his 22nd try of the season. Hodgson converted and was on hand to kick a penalty to level the game at 14-all on the stroke of half-time.
Early in the second half, Warrington enjoyed a greater share of field position and possession and Leeds saw skipper Sinfield felled after making a clearance kick, a clash of heads with Michael Monaghan putting the Leeds man on the floor. Somehow, Sinfield regained his feet and played himself back into the game. Clinically the Wolves took advantage of the confusion with Hodgson's smart work out of dummy half catching Leeds out and Ryan Atkins went one on one with Kallum Watkins and over the youngster to claim a try that put Warrington in front again.
Leeds kept their composure and laid on the pressure with only good defence holding the Rhinos at bay, but as the penalties began to stack up against Warrington, the Wolves reeled and Shaun Lunt spied the opportunity to dive forward out of dummy half and release the ball at the right time for Ablett to go over Briers to claim a crucial try with Sinfield again potting a difficult conversion to edge the Rhinos in front at 20-18.
Warrington tried to come up with a telling play but handling errors broke their rhythm and Leeds countered superbly to score the clinching try eight minutes from time with some excellent passing and poise that eventually saw Ablett stand up Joel Monaghan long enough for Hall to skirt around the outside and Sinfield converted magnificently to secure a sixth title in nine years for the Rhinos.
Saturday 6 October 2012
I'm back!
Yes I've been away for what seems like forever and a day but I will blog my Rugby League thoughts right here for everyone to see.
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