Adam SutcliffeEnglish Super League - Review, Results and Info
July 11th 2008 15:25
Bradford BULLS
Paul Sykes was sent off against Huddersfield for dissent. Referee Steve Ganson had called for a time-out at a scrum with just seconds remaining but blew his whistle immediately on hearing the hooter, denying the Bulls a chance to snatch a further score. Ganson had earlier sent four players - two from each side - to the sin bin and placed three other incidents on report. Sykes has been charged with using foul and abusive language to a match official, a grade C offence which carries a ban of up to four matches.
Terry Newton, who was twice placed on report, has been cleared of any wrong-doing. Newton was alleged to have hit Stephen Wild with a late challenge and spear-tackled Andy Raleigh, but the RFL match review panel decided Newton had no case to answer. He is free to take his place in Bradford's side for their trip to Warrington on Friday, although he is currently nursing an ankle injury.
Sam Burgess will see a specialist to discover the extent of a shoulder injury sustained in the Hudderfield defeat.
Chris Nero returned on the weekend after a six-match absence with a broken collarbone.
Castleford TIGERS
Coach Terry Matterson after his team’s win over Hull KR: "We've been performing well and not getting the points but we had to win, we had to find a way of winning and it was ugly, it wasn't a pretty match to watch. We laid the platform in the first half and then stopped playing after half-time so there's plenty to work on still but I'm really pleased. It was important because we don't want to finish last."
Mark Leafa was a surprise inclusion in Castleford's 19-man squad after sitting out the last 11 games with a broken arm. Leafa took the place of Craig Huby, who damaged his shoulder in training. The Tigers also welcomed back Kirk Dixon and Scott Moore, who had both missed the last two games.
Castleford have enlisted the help of Government minister Yvette Cooper in their efforts to gain clearance for new signing Mitchell Sargent. Sargent’s departure from Australia has been held up by red tape.
Catalans DRAGONS
Potter after his team’s win over Hull FC: "We haven't put ourselves in a bad position this week by grabbing the two points. Our for and against isn't as favourable as it is for Leeds and St Helens but it's nice to have the points right now and we'll see where we end up. I was happy to come to Hull and get two points as they tested us out across the park, and I don't know if it was a culmination of the French players having three games in the space of nine days or two away games in a week but we looked tired."
Dimitri Pelo, Jerome Guisset and Jason Croker are still sidelined through injury.
Pelo has become the latest player to re-sign with Catalans. Pelo has signed a new two-year contract which will keep him in the south of France until the end of the 2010. "I'm very happy to re-sign with the Dragons for the next two years," he said. "I have learned a lot of things from a new club. It is a very nice place to live and the people are very supportive of me."
Widnes have signed French international Adel Fellous until the end of the season. Fellous, who had a spell on loan with Hull FC earlier this year, is likely to sign a long-term contract if the Vikings are successful in their application for a Super League licence.
Harlequins RL
Harlequins coach Brian McDermott after his team’s loss to Saints: "The scoreline makes it look like we rolled over but we did not. Saints were just white hot. It is worrying for the rest of the competition the way they are playing at the moment. We are struggling with injuries but that would be too easy an answer. It is a reason but it is not an excuse. We just have to put our bodies on the line and battle through."
Harlequins were boosted by the return of captain Rob Purdham and Rikki Sheriffe, who both missed the last three matches.
Danny Orr was out with a hamstring strain and David Howell remains sidelined with a groin injury.
Harlequins have lost five of their last six games.
Huddersfield GIANTS
Chris Thorman has been charged by the RFL with biting. Thorman was put on report by referee Steve Ganson during Sunday's match against Bradford and has now been ordered to face the league's disciplinary panel. Bradford’s Michael Platt made the allegation during the frantic last 10 minutes of his side's 25-24 defeat by the Giants. Thorman could face a ban of up to eight matches if found guilty of the offence when he faces the panel on Tuesday.
Huddersfield earned the praise of acting boss Paul Anderson after their win against Bradford. "We played for 80 minutes, dug in and got our rewards at the end," he said. "We played for 17 minutes with 11 men and only conceded one try in that time, so you've got to give credit to the boys. I thought we defended really well."
Ryan Hudson is facing a heavy fine for his sin-binning following a clampdown on ill-discipline. Hudson was fined for showing dissent in last week's 46-16 defeat at St Helens. "I was very disappointed with the sin-binning and disciplinary action will be taken this week," said Anderson. "It's unfortunate it's the same individual, but he will learn."
Interviews for the vacant Giants’ head coach’s position are expected to get under way towards the end of next week. It is believed around 30 quality applications have been received and, once the interview process has started, it will be at least a further fortnight before a final decision is made. Among those believed to be in the reckoning are several from Australia, with Steve Folkes and Royce Simmonds still continuing to be linked.
Huddersfield are still none the wiser over the arrival of new signing David Faiumu who is still waiting for his paperwork to be completed in Australia so he can join the club. Caretaker coach Anderson admits it’s very frustrating.
Huddersfield were without prop Earl Crabtree for the first time this year because of a fractured finger. Martin Aspinwall has a back injury and scrum-half Luke Robinson is out with a facial injury.
Hull FC
Coach Richard Agar after his team’s loss to Catalans: "We were quite aimless and erratic in the first half and, at times, we probably looked like what we are and that's a team that's not doing much training together. The difference in the game was the smartness of the two teams. They played a simple, early kick chase and we tried to play sideways and off the back foot too much in difficult conditions. We need to perform for 80 minutes. We've been saying that message too often though and that's the most frustrating thing about it."
Graeme Horne returned for his 100th appearance for Hull FC after recovering from a calf injury.
Craig Hall was also back in the squad.
Garreth Carvell (hip), Willie Manu (knee) and Matt Sing (ankle) suffered injuries against Catalans.
Former Hull KR captain James Webster has signed with Hull FC until the end of the season, but the new deal is dependant on Webster securing his British passport which will make the 28-year-old a non-quota player.
Gareth Carvell has asked to be released from the three-year contract he had agreed to 24 hours earlier. Carvell has spent the last seven years at Hull FC and Agar had hoped he would be a key part of his squad until at least 2011.
Hull FC have been fined a record £100,000 - £40,000 of it suspended for 12 months - for fielding an ineligible player in the Carnegie Challenge Cup. Hull FC were found guilty of a breach of the RFL's operational rules when they appeared before an independent tribunal in Leeds on Monday night. They must pay £60,000 immediately, but will have seven days to appeal against the fine once they receive written confirmation of the verdict.
Hull KR
Coach Justin Morgan after his team’s loss to Castleford: "We spilt the ball far too often and gave away a couple of tries from kicks and we weren't at the races in the first half and 18 points is a little too much to claw back on. I feel like a broken record because I've said that a couple of times this year. We were certainly up for the game but we didn't execute and certainly didn't have the same desire as Castleford."
Peter Fox was hospitalised last week with an infected knee.
Hull KR have re-signed Chaz I'Anson. "Chaz has definitely benefited from training and playing alongside the senior players in the side," said Morgan. "His enthusiastic approach and thirst to learn demonstrates professionalism beyond his years. Chaz has improved as a player this season and is certainly pushing for a regular first team spot every week."
Leeds RHINOS
Coach Brian McClennan after his team’s loss to Wigan: "You want to win those close games. I know we've been involved in what you would regard as a great game but to lose is hard to take. The first 20 minutes, we were indisciplined and that's something that has got to improve. Going down 16-0 is what cost us the game. Rob Burrow is a fantastic player and I am disappointed he was put in that position."
Leeds is hopeful Kevin Sinfield will be fit for the Challenge Cup semi-final with St Helens later this month. Sinfield picked up a knee injury against Wigan and is facing a race against time to make the semi at Huddersfield on July 26. Coach Brian McClennan is confident he will not be facing a lengthy lay-off, as was first feared. "He came in on Saturday, pulled up reasonably well and we were pretty happy with him," McClennan said. "It is nothing major. It is a minor knee injury - a medial strain or cartilage. We will know more when we get the MRI but I don't think he's going to be out for too long."
Clinton Toopi could make his comeback against Huddersfield after recovering from shoulder and knee operations. Toopi has not played since dislocating his shoulder in the World Club Challenge win over Melbourne on 29th of February.
Leeds have now lost three of their last four games.
St Helens SAINTS
St Helens coach Daniel Anderson after his team’s win over Harlequins: “It was a very, very good performance. We scored some exceptional tries - I was gobsmacked myself. We were by no means perfect but it was a great display. I thought Leon (Pryce) was absolutely brilliant - he was totally on fire. He has trained exceptionally hard over the last two years to get to where he is today."
Anderson admits he has begun his preparations for the Challenge Cup semi-final with Leeds later this month. Anderson would cherish a hat-trick of cup final triumphs before returning to Australia at the end of the year and the last-four clash at Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium on July 26 is on his mind. "It's in our plans," he said. "From the time we played Leeds (in the league), we've been planning for the semi-final, physically. It's not like we're thinking about it but training has been tailored for that game and we're playing games along the way."
Keiron Cunningham, 31, is out of contract at the end of the season but looks sure to be offered a new deal given his excellent form. "Things are going well," he said. "I just want to enjoy my rugby this year."
Wakefield WILDCATS
Wakefield coach John Kear after his team's big loss to Warrington: "We'd better wake up before the Challenge Cup semi-final. I just felt Warrington could score every time they had the ball."
Ryan Atkins sustained a knee ligament injury during the Warrington defeat, while Jamie Rooney missed the match through illness.
Matt Peterson finally made his debut for the Wildcats after arriving in the country a week ago following work-permit delays.
Paul Reilly and Dale Ferguson have recovered from long-term injuries.
Warrington WOLVES
Lee Briers played his 300th game for Warrington against Wakefield. Briers becomes the 29th member of Warrington's 300 club and the first addition since recently-departed coach Paul Cullen.
Paul Rauhihi, who turned 35 last week, is in talks with Warrington about postponing his planned retirement and signing a new one-year contract.
Vinnie Anderson returned from a neck injury that forced him to sit out last week's win against Hull and England trio Adrian Morley, Martin Gleeson and Ben Westwood all start after being on the bench at the KC Stadium.
Kevin Penny's showboating during the 60-24 victory over Wakefield could be construed as 'disrespectful', admitted caretaker coach Jimmy Lowes. Penny bagged three of his side's 11 tries but the promising winger blotted his copybook by celebrating his third score by skipping over the line to mock Wakefield's outpaced defenders. "I'm not a big fan of that," said Lowes. "He could have got caught and it's just not my thing. It's a bit disrespectful to the opposition but that's part of Kevin's learning. How far Kevin goes is down to him really and all about keeping his feet on the ground. He's certainly got the potential because he does a lot of damage with the ball, but he was also helped a lot by his team-mates as well."
Wigan WARRIORS
Wigan coach Brian Noble after his team’s win against Leeds: "They really ripped into us towards the end but I thought we had done enough in the first 55 or 60 minutes, so we would have been disappointed if we had lost. The drop-goal just before half-time was probably a smart play in the end. The front row was good again. Stuart Fielden is back to something like international form and Andy Coley has showed why he was in the international set-up at the back end of last year. I thought both our starting props went really well, and Gareth Hock also made a big impact.”
Stuart Fielden admits that he has been stuck in a rut since the Tri-Nations series later that year, when he was famously floored by Willie Mason shortly after his mother had been diagnosed with cancer. Noble believes Fielden has shown welcome hints of a return to his rampaging best in recent weeks, and Fielden himself is feeling happier than he has for at least 18 months. "There's not one thing I can put my finger on but all I know is that for a year and a half I've been dying to enjoy it a lot more, and for the last three weeks I have," he said. "I know there was a period when a few things happened, and I can think about the odd thing that's maybe knocked me about subconsciously. Whatever the reason, I've not really performed. In my worst times I've been my own worst enemy. Part of that is having standards so high, which means you beat yourself up constantly and get even more down and short of self-belief. In the past it probably did me good because it helped drive me forward - it means you're never fulfilled, and even if you're happy with a game you're always thinking how you could have done better, and for 10 years I did, even when I was on the top of the hill looking down, in '05 and '06. But for the last year or so, looking back on those performances, I'd have given anything for a game like that. When you're looking up at where I was at it's a damned big hill. But the good thing is it wasn't that long ago. It's not like I'm 34 now looking back to the good old days in my mid-20s. Physically I'm no different, it's the mental side that's massive."
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