Super League 2013

Dozen Wicked Words

So the new season got under way over the weekend.

Big wins for most of the usual suspects who are going to be there or there abouts for the play offs. Saints got off to a bad start, but don't think they are ever great starters.

Broncos started as they normally intend to go on and got beaten at home. Doesn't bode well when its Widnes who beat them though.

Steve Menzies continues to play, continues to score, aged 105 or however old he is. The sunshine of Perpignan probably helps him.

toomevara

Was massively impressed with the way Huddersfield came out of the blocks. Anderson has assembled a team of big hitters playing a refreshingly old-fashioned, no-nonsense form of RL. (Surely though Saints won't play as badly again).Lets hope its not the usual blistering start followed by the inevitable tail-off in form we've seen under Brown. Cannot wait for Friday nights clash between Wigan and Wire, will be really interesting to see how wigan re-jig following a spate of changes..(last weekends milk-run was hardly a genuine test)...

Beasty

Wigan v Warrington getting very interesting now with the Wolves just scoring a converted try to lead 16-12 early in the second half

WakeyTyke

Cracking game, all that is good about RL on display. Huge commitment, toughness and courage, an abundance of skill. Pity that the refereeing is still amateurish (to put it mildly )

Dozen Wicked Words

WakeyTyke wrote: »

Cracking game, all that is good about RL on display. Huge commitment, toughness and courage, an abundance of skill. Pity that the refereeing is still amateurish (to put it mildly )

Fantastic game, even when watched on a terrible stream! Complete turn around in the second half. Deserved point all round. Just wish sky wouldn't go to the red button for most of the analysis.

Re the refs. Wasn't great tonight, are the NRL refs significantly better? Haven't seen enough to know.

toomevara

Rugby League at its absolute best and only week two. Wigan looked amazingly good given the amount of young players on show. Amazing stat for the super league era,nearly all Wigan players brits and nine actually from Wigan. Fair play to them, thats got to be the only viable way forward for a seriously cash strapped sport. Just shows it can be done and the Wigan academy system should be the blueprint for every club.

Dozen Wicked Words

Broncos beaten again today, not a great surprise though, Giants now 2 wins from 2, and scoring heavily. Broncos were within 6 first half but were scoreless 2nd. In the other games Saints got their first win under their belts away to Widnes and Hull beat Bradford at home.

Onwards and upwards for the Broncos, that or they hope that relegation isn't reintroduced to Super League!

Castleford have beaten Leeds which is a turn up for the books.

toomevara

dooferoaks wrote: »

Castleford have beaten Leeds which is a turn up for the books.

Haven't seen a decent match report yet but spoke to a few who were at the game. By all accounts Rangi Chase was the engine behind the Cas win....

couerdelion

toomevara wrote: »

Haven't seen a decent match report yet but spoke to a few who were at the game. By all accounts Rangi Chase was the engine behind the Cas win....

Lots of disappointed but unsurpised Leeds fans. Our inconstancy is depressing.

Sure we can win it from 5th place but how about we challenge for a top 2 spot this year...:mad:

toomevara

Just saw a highlights reel on SL fulltime. Looks like it was a typical derby, dogged, trench warfare stuff. Rangi Chase will probably be missing a few games though, knocked Zak Hardaker out with a tackle which I can only describe as a flying headbutt...

Dozen Wicked Words

At the top, Huddersfield have started like a train this year, and Warrington are going to be there or thereabouts come the play offs. Familiar look to bottom of the league so far, Broncos and Reds manfully battling away as the only winless teams this season. Next franchise round both must be in massive danger. Neither pulls in the crowds and neither has any semblance of success to look forward to I don't think.

toomevara

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

At the top, Huddersfield have started like a train this year, and Warrington are going to be there or thereabouts come the play offs. Familiar look to bottom of the league so far, Broncos and Reds manfully battling away as the only winless teams this season. Next franchise round both must be in massive danger. Neither pulls in the crowds and neither has any semblance of success to look forward to I don't think.

Funnily enough I was going to post something today about the Broncos. It seems to me that they are living on borrowed time. Salford would appear to be safe given that they've rounded up a rich sugar daddy to provide the bank roll (assuming the guy is everything he's made out to be).

The London club though, its just not happening for them despite the best efforts of some very dedicated people, rugby league just isn't taking root in Blighty. I've been to the stoop on a number of occasions to watch both codes. When you go to watch the Broncos play there is absolutely zero atmosphere and, last year at least, Leeds travelling support (we were about 400 I'd say) almost out numbered the home crowd.

Obviously it would be great to have a functioning, viable club in London to showcase the game, but sometimes realism has to supervene, as we saw with the Crusaders saga. Everyone in League desperately wanted a thriving SL team in Wales but the infrastructure, support and money just weren't there. Wishing it so will never make it so, alas. I think Broncos, sadly, are on the way out....

toomevara

World club challenge tonight, Rhinos V Storm. Anyone bothered with this? As a leeds fan I'll be watching but reckon the Aussies just see this as part of their pre-season warm-up.

Dozen Wicked Words

Glorified friendly, don't think it's ever more than a blip on the NRL teams radar most seasons.

toomevara

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Glorified friendly, don't think it's ever more than a blip on the NRL teams radar most seasons.

Speaking of the NRL, anyone know if premier have secured the TV rights this season?

WakeyTyke

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Glorified friendly, don't think it's ever more than a blip on the NRL teams radar most seasons.

It was actually a pleasant surprise to watch an NRL team genuinely want to win the Challenge, so hats off to Bellamy for expecting and getting his players to really get stuck in. Consequently quality told in the end but well done Leeds for making it an excellent and compelling game of rugby.

toomevara

WakeyTyke wrote: »

It was actually a pleasant surprise to watch an NRL team genuinely want to win the Challenge, so hats off to Bellamy for expecting and getting his players to really get stuck in. Consequently quality told in the end but well done Leeds for making it an excellent and compelling game of rugby.

Yeah, really enjoyable game to watch. Leeds did themselves justice but the skillset on display from Melbourne at times was on another level. They do the basics so well, superb kicking game, claustraphobic defence and an ability to maximise possession. You sense that Leeds, committed though they were would struggle against the Storm were they to meet them mid-season.

Dozen Wicked Words

Cracking win for Salford means the Broncos on zero points all by themselves after another hammering, this time from Wigan. Castleford and Catalans sounds like a cracker too, couple of draws already this Super League season.

toomevara

Delighted for Salford, a much needed win and done with some style to boot. hopefully the start of an upward trend. Huddersfield also retain their 100% record....

couerdelion

toomevara wrote: »

Delighted for Salford, a much needed win and done with some style to boot. hopefully the start of an upward trend. Huddersfield also retain their 100% record....

That strip to score the try in the first half was somethign specal. Would have looked stupid had it not worked though!

Enjoyed the WCC and thought Storm played superbly. Leeds gave it a real go too spreading it wide on the last tackle - and it could have gone either way. You always felt that melbourne were playing well within themselves though.

Oh, and Sinfield - he's converted his last 39 kicks. That's some record!

toomevara

Some bad news for Wakey...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/21615782

..and premier sports have secured the NRL for 5 years, they've also knobbled live origin, the Anzac day tests and the grand final...

couerdelion

toomevara wrote: »

Some bad news for Wakey...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/21615782

..and premier sports have secured the NRL for 5 years, they've also knobbled live origin, the Anzac day tests and the grand final...

Hopefully Wakey will secure a new sponsor and come out from this secure.

Looking forward to the Rhinos vs Saints match tonight. Reckon saints by 10.

toomevara

couerdelion wrote: »

Looking forward to the Rhinos vs Saints match tonight. Reckon saints by 10.

Indeed, I'm expecting the now traditional Leeds post-WCC slump, but Saints still have no Hohaia, Wellens or Perry. That said Saints definitely have the wood over us at the minute and I'm expecting a big performance from them tonight at home.

Dozen Wicked Words

Broncos hammering of fellow whipping boys the Salford City Reds on Friday has caused the demise of Phil Veivers job there. Great for London to get their first win on the board.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/mar/03/salford-sack-coach-phil-veivers?CMP=twt_gu

Will the rich owner at Salford become the Super League equivalent of Roman Abramovich I wonder!!

toomevara

Really hard on Veivers. The guy kept Salford afloat with minimum resources and feck-all back up. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the club and the payment of wages he effectively had no pre-season this year and I find it hard to lay Salford's woes at his door. This guy Koukash might prove to be an Abramovich in more ways than one. There are some pretty outlandish names being touted around for the job including Tim Sheens!

Also a shock result at KR, knocking over Wire and Huddersfield lose their 100% record. Apparently Sammut was absolutely on fire for Bradford yet again. Really good to see Widnes get a decent win over FC, though Kevin Brown suffered an ankle injury in the process.

couerdelion

Missed the Vievers announcement - tough alright.

Nice to see Wakey replacing their sponsor so fast.

Leeds topsy turvey form though continues as they get smashed by top of the table Giants.

toomevara

couerdelion wrote: »

Missed the Vievers announcement - tough alright.

Nice to see Wakey replacing their sponsor so fast.

Leeds topsy turvey form though continues as they get smashed by top of the table Giants.

With Leeds it's the dreaded post WCC slump I reckon. Saw the highlights, Huddersfield were great value for the win but Leeds looked dead in the water, zero energy and non-existent concentration. They barely completed an error-free set all night and some of the tacking was of the powder-puff variety.

Result of the weekend must be the Widnes draw against Bradford, Coming back from 20-4 down at HT to draw the game 22 all despite having Hock sent off early on for cussing out a touchy (lord alone knows what he must have said!). Got to hope Widnes are on the cusp of making a real go of it at SL level. Wigan also utterly destroyed a seriously out of sorts Catalan side who gave one of their all too common 'on-the-road' performances....shame.

rchendz92

Cracking game at Headingly tonight!

Dozen Wicked Words

Always pleased to see Wigan lose, what I saw of it was excellent. In the other games there were heavy defeats for Wakefield away to Saints and Salford at home to Warrington.

Big game for the Broncos on Sunday away to fellow strugglers Castleford. I just hope they manage to last through this season and see how they fare in a better ground, somewhere with decent transport links and somewhere that might attract a few more casual fans who turn in to regular supporters. (fingers, toes and everything else crossed). That should, realistically be the last throw of the dice for them and the experiment. Off-Topic slightly but I'm still gutted the Northampton Rebels getting into the Championship never took off, and can't for the life of me think why the chairman suddenly decided against it after doing all the ground work.

toomevara

rchendz92 wrote: »

Cracking game at Headingly tonight!

Jesus though, how many try scoring oppos did Leeds squander? Hall should have had a hat-trick by half-time. Good performance though particularly after last week...

toomevara

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

. Off-Topic slightly but I'm still gutted the Northampton Rebels getting into the Championship never took off, and can't for the life of me think why the chairman suddenly decided against it after doing all the ground work.

Something obviously gone on in the background there...whether we'll actually find out or not.....