OT: Super League starts this weekends

[ali]

We all seem to follow it closer every year, given more and more of our former players end up over there every year.



I think St Helens are probably the team to beat followed by Leeds and Wigan. I like Saints simply going by the quality of their imports. Jamie Lyon, Jason Cayless, Francis Meli, Vinnie Anderson etc. Plus they have a core group of GB internationals and some great young players such as that red headed prop Graham.



Leeds have signed some pretty crappy imports such as Mark O'Neill and Shane Millard, but I think this is more a sign of the quality of their English players. I'd say their English guys are eating up most of their cap. McGuire, Diskin, Mathers, Bailey, Peacock and Chev Walker are all class. They will be tough to beat.



Wigan were knocked around badly by injury last year. The likes of O'Loughlin and Hock missed nearly the whole season and both are quality backrowers. Their new signings such as Iafeta P and Pat Richards are also good players.



Bradford have also been very mysterious in the transfer market. Signing golden oldies such as Mckenna, Bai and more. They looked good against the Tigers, but I'm not convinced they can win it again.



The others are all much of a muchness, though probably of a higher standard across the board than in previous years. In Sharks news Sullivan is set to start at 7 for Warrington and McGoldy will start at 6 for Cas. Cas has a halves crisis, and see McGoldy as a short term solution until they sign another half.



The real interest is seeing how new French side Catalan Dragons get on. Led by Stacey Jones and with big Beats up front, they should be quite tough. They should be great to watch with a few French firebrands in the pack. The kid to watch out for is Jamal Fakir. He is the guy that steam rolled Lockyer 2 years back and has since knocked back several approaches from Union whilst waiting for the Catalans to reach Super League.



The first round is shown on Fox next Thursday arvo.

 

[ghoti]

I always look forward to the ESL (minus their arsehole commentators.) IMO, Hull will put in a good showing as they always do. With Horne and Cooke running the show (potentially the two best playmakers in England today) and a superb hooker in the form of Richard Swain, they will do great things just as they did last year. They have good underdog status too, being outside the top four teams.

As for Catalans, keep an eye out for their hooker Berthezene...he's a fantastic player that guy..been rated as among the best hookers in the world by soem league 'experts.'

 

[Special K]

I don't really have a ESL team as such that I support - I only really watch it because half the matches end up in brawls and are full of high shots.

Nutley and Zeus... Thats enough for me to support Castleford. Shame they didn't sign Peachey

 

[ali]

Hull aren't a bad side, and again pose as the mostly like threat to finish ahead of one of the big 4. Admittadly I didn't see much of the Super League last year when they were amongst the top sides. I'm probably not so confident about them as they've been fairly quiet in the transfer market. Having said that, it's not like they've lost much. I like Yeaman in the centres, Horne is good but I was expecting he'd turn out far better.

 

[ali]

Not a good start for Nuts and McGoldy.

TIGERS MAULED ON RETURN
By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport Rugby League Correspondent

New boys Castleford provided some glimpses of promise on their return to the top flight but they were no match for Challenge Cup holders Hull on the opening night of engage Super League XI.

A comprehensive eight-try, 42-18 defeat emphasised the Tigers' status as relegation favourites while confirming Hull as serious title challengers.

Sid Domic scored the first try of the 2006 season on an impressive debut for Hull, while playmakers Paul Cooke and Richard Horne caused all sorts of problems for a fragile home defence.

Ex-St Helens and Widnes centre Gray Viane, one of 10 new faces for the Tigers, scored two tries and their fans among the bumper 10,188 crowd were delighted with the displays of prop Danny Sculthorpe and skipper Danny Nutley.

Former Warrington and Wakefield centre Domic, who formed a new second-row pairing for Hull with Lee Radford, took advantage of some smart passing by Paul King and Danny Brough to cut through for an eighth-minute touchdown to put Hull on their way.

The visitors were already 2-0 ahead thanks to an early Brough penalty and they extended their lead on 24 minutes when a superb break from Horne set up the position for full-back Shaun Briscoe to cross for a second try.

The Challenge Cup holders were far more organised and threatening and it was no surprise when loose forward Cooke added a third try on 32 minutes, stretching out of a last-ditch tackle to plant the ball on the line.

Castleford were full of energy and enthusiasm, as befitting the promoted side, but made too many handling errors and paid for a lack of discipline, conceding the first four penalties of a scrappy first half.

They scored their first points when substitute Richard Fletcher kicked a 19th-minute penalty and Sculthorpe caused Hull problems with his lively running and skilful offloads.

Sculthorpe also demonstrated his kicking ability to set up the first Tigers try a minute before the break, with winger Michael Shenton taking advantage of a kind bounce to send Viane over.

The score worked wonders for Castleford's confidence as they put the Hull defence under intense pressure early in the second half.

But the visitors held firm and struck back in cruel fashion, scoring twice in four minutes through their wingmen to seize control of the match.

First Domic showed his class with a beautifully-timed pass to get substitute Nathan Blacklock over with his first touch and then Cooke and Horne produced some clever handling for Great Britain international Gareth Raynor to finish off at the other corner.

Brough was wide with both conversion attempts to leave himself with a 50 per cent record but, at 26-6, Hull were coasting to a predictable victory.

Viane collected a neat kick by Ryan McGoldrick to claim his second try and second rower Richard Fa'aoso and McGoldrick also touched down as Castleford gained reward for their persistence.

But Hull finished in complete control, with centre Kirk Yeaman (2) and Peter Lupton adding further tries and Cooke kicking two conversions.

 

[givmeabeer]

I have a ESL now '''Catalan Dragons'' cause Beats is playting for'em. Speak to him weekly, he can't wait to have a crack at the poms!!

 

[Frenzy.]

Viane collected a neat kick by Ryan McGoldrick to claim his second try and second rower Richard Fa'aoso and McGoldrick also touched down as Castleford gained reward for their persistence.

Amazing what a guy can do when played in position.

 

[beekershark]

Amazing what a guy can do when played in position.

what mate....lead his side to a glorious 24 point belting ??????

 

[Frenzy.]

1..

 

[beekershark]

1 glorious defeat ?

come on mate, you know better than to try and push zuessy's barrow based on one game, ( a loss) and a few lines in an online report !

You have been correctly pointing out over the past few seasons when ryan was at the sharks that one game and a few mistakes cannot be held as a good guide on a players ability, and also that the rest of the team, and tactics and stucture can have a huge bearing on how well a player goes...

So to make a comment so fast about one kick that led to a try , and the fact that he also scored one...how it was scored is anyones guess at the moment, is extremely premature mate ! you imply that he is gunning it because he played in a new first grade position !

 

[ali]

Amazing what a guy can do when played in position.

I really doubt he's going to set the world on fire from 5/8. He may have kicked 10 dead for 1 try. I'll have to make sure I'm watching on Thursday arvo.

 

[BeenThere]

I really doubt he's going to set the world on fire from 5/8. He may have kicked 10 dead for 1 try. I'll have to make sure I'm watching on Thursday arvo.

Please do -- as I listened on the radio and would be interested in your view from the tape. ;-)

 

[blacktip-reefy]

1 glorious defeat ?

come on mate, you know better than to try and push zuessy's barrow based on one game, ( a loss) and a few lines in an online report !

You have been correctly pointing out over the past few seasons when ryan was at the sharks that one game and a few mistakes cannot be held as a good guide on a players ability, and also that the rest of the team, and tactics and stucture can have a huge bearing on how well a player goes...

So to make a comment so fast about one kick that led to a try , and the fact that he also scored one...how it was scored is anyones guess at the moment, is extremely premature mate ! you imply that he is gunning it because he played in a new first grade position !

Maybe a premature call, maybe a premature snipe, who knows.
In the end, he has gone from PL at Sharks to starting 5/8 at another club. Already has improved purely by the change. & Frenzy is right, he is being played in position. Something none of the snipers or Sharks coaching(funky squad) know anything about.

 

[Frenzy.]

1 glorious defeat ?

come on mate, you know better than to try and push zuessy's barrow based on one game, ( a loss) and a few lines in an online report !

You have been correctly pointing out over the past few seasons when ryan was at the sharks that one game and a few mistakes cannot be held as a good guide on a players ability, and also that the rest of the team, and tactics and stucture can have a huge bearing on how well a player goes...

So to make a comment so fast about one kick that led to a try , and the fact that he also scored one...how it was scored is anyones guess at the moment, is extremely premature mate ! you imply that he is gunning it because he played in a new first grade position !

2..

 

[Frenzy.]

I really doubt he's going to set the world on fire from 5/8. He may have kicked 10 dead for 1 try. I'll have to make sure I'm watching on Thursday arvo.

3..

 

[ali]

Maybe a premature call, maybe a premature snipe, who knows.
In the end, he has gone from PL at Sharks to starting 5/8 at another club. Already has improved purely by the change. & Frenzy is right, he is being played in position. Something none of the snipers or Sharks coaching(funky squad) know anything about.

4. He's lucky he's landed at a club who has nothing in the halves due to being promoted to Super League after all the other clubs had finished their recruiting. Furthermore, if he was a 5/8, how come he rarely played there in the whole time he was at Cronulla. I'm not just talking recently, I'm going back to his Flegg days when John Lang was head coach. Mullane was playing 5/8, who easily could have been interchanged with him and gone to the centres.

 

[Frenzy.]

4. He's lucky he's landed at a club who has nothing in the halves due to being promoted to Super League after all the other clubs had finished their recruiting. Furthermore, if he was a 5/8, how come he rarely played there in the whole time he was at Cronulla. I'm not just talking recently, I'm going back to his Flegg days when John Lang was head coach. Mullane was playing 5/8, who easily could have been interchanged with him and gone to the centres.

4..

 

[beekershark]

Well done Frenz, your audition for a Hi Five cast member is going well, keep up the good work

 

[beekershark]

Also, remind me, that when I next need to sell a house or car, to get frenz or reefy to write the advert, you certainly can find positives and paint a rosie picture of anything you choose to back

 

[Frenzy.]

Well done Frenz, your audition for a Hi Five cast member is going well, keep up the good work

5..