England 16-26 Australia
It wasn't pretty was it?
To summarise the first half from and England perspective, it was nothing short of abysmal. Poor defence, poor organisation and a one dimensional attack thanks to a lack of organisation from both Danny McGuire and Sam Thomkins.
Greg Inglis consistently ran through the England right wing like a knife through butter. Tim Sheens used the obvious tactic and targeted Tom Briscoe on that right hand side, taking advantage of Briscoe's lack of experience. They did it by streaching the England defence, and it looked like they were able to do it on any area of the pitch.
Billy Slater scored what I would consider the try of the game. From a play the ball on the Australian right side,Cameron Smith passed what the players call an 'X ball' (where the recieving player runs behind an option runner, but its timed so to not obstruct the defence) to Thurston, who did the same to Lockyer, who did the same to Slater to score in the other corner.
Once the floodgates opened early on, it looked like Australia would repeat their 52-4 mauling of England in Melbourne last year. Thankfully, Australia decided not to to enflict their wrath and the second half reflected that.
The million pound question has to be, did Australia take their foot off the gas or did England actually play some decent rugby in the second half?
The second half allowed England to throw the ball around a bit more. They were able to get into their opponents half, which Australia prevented in the first half. Eorl Crabtree put his hand up and showed he is a good prop after all, out playing both Adrian Morley and the out of position Jamie Peacock.
Sam Burgess, the worst England forward on the pitch in the first half, improved his work rate and ultimatly scored his try before he deserved it. But it lifted the spirits of both the England players and the fans.
Even Thomkins showed a spark of cretivity and doubled a one dimenstional attack with the help of Kevin Sinfield, and Kyle Eastmond later in the game. Although he didn't have the perfect game. His execution was too slow against the fast paced Australian defence, which meant most of the time he was forced to take the tackle which lost momentum for the English side.
As for McGuire, it was ironic when he was finally taken off that so many fans jeered the Leeds stand off. He didn't show any enthusiasm and looked like he didn't know what he was doing most of the time.
So where now for England?
I firmly believe if the second English side turn up to Huddersfield to face New Zealand on next week. If England can throw the ball around a bit and the halfs are given the space to move around, then England can defeat New Zealand and secure their place in the final at Leeds.
The New Zealand side, whilst good, are very young and may suffer from jet lag and the amount of travelling they will have to face. They looked bery dodgey in the first half against France and looked very exposed.
Its do or die for both England and Tony Smith.
Saturday 31 October 2009
Thursday 29 October 2009
Four Nations preview - England V Australia.
The England line up for their match against Australia is as follows.
Shaun Briscoe
Tom Briscoe
Lee Smith
Michael Shenton
Ryan Hall
Danny McGuire
Sam Thomkins
Adrian Morley
James Roby
James Graham
Gareth Ellis
Jamie Peacock
Kevin Sinfield
Sam Burgess
Eorl Crabtree
Kyle Eastmond
Ben Westwood
Compare that to the Australian team that line up as follows;
Billy Slater
Brett Morris
Greg Inglis
Brett Hodges
Jarryd Hayne
Darren Lockyer
Jonathan Thurston
Ben Hannant
Cameron Smith
Petro Civoniceva
Anthony Watmough
Paul Gallen
Nathan Hindmarsh
(From four of the following)
Brett White
David Shillington
Luke Lewis
Robbie Farah
Kurt Gidley
Trent Waterhouse
They say rugby league is a seventeen man game. Now without disrespecting the Australians, their bench doesn't look as threatening as I first feared no matter who is filtered out. But their starting thirteen is more threatening than when they annihilated England in Melbourne last year.
As I said twelve months ago, England's forward pack can beat Australia on top of their game. Its the English back line I fear will let the side down. Tom Briscoe's nerves must be shaking like a Tickle Me Elmo with the thought of facing up to who was considered the NRL's best player, Jarryd Hayne. With 26 first team apperances and 13 tries, its a complete mis-match in terms of experience when you consider Hayne has starred in 109 NRL and representative games scoring 90 tries in total.
Despite his man of the match performance against Wales, I wish Sam Thomkins all the luck in the world when he faces the four time consecutive State of Origin winning half back pairing of Darren Lockyer and Jonathan Thurston. Thomkins will be buoyed by playing on his club's home ground at international level. But he will have to be on top of his game to even have a chance of out smarting Lockyer or Thurston.
Its a worrying thought that England's 52-4 defeat last year may not have been a one off after all.
Shaun Briscoe
Tom Briscoe
Lee Smith
Michael Shenton
Ryan Hall
Danny McGuire
Sam Thomkins
Adrian Morley
James Roby
James Graham
Gareth Ellis
Jamie Peacock
Kevin Sinfield
Sam Burgess
Eorl Crabtree
Kyle Eastmond
Ben Westwood
Compare that to the Australian team that line up as follows;
Billy Slater
Brett Morris
Greg Inglis
Brett Hodges
Jarryd Hayne
Darren Lockyer
Jonathan Thurston
Ben Hannant
Cameron Smith
Petro Civoniceva
Anthony Watmough
Paul Gallen
Nathan Hindmarsh
(From four of the following)
Brett White
David Shillington
Luke Lewis
Robbie Farah
Kurt Gidley
Trent Waterhouse
They say rugby league is a seventeen man game. Now without disrespecting the Australians, their bench doesn't look as threatening as I first feared no matter who is filtered out. But their starting thirteen is more threatening than when they annihilated England in Melbourne last year.
As I said twelve months ago, England's forward pack can beat Australia on top of their game. Its the English back line I fear will let the side down. Tom Briscoe's nerves must be shaking like a Tickle Me Elmo with the thought of facing up to who was considered the NRL's best player, Jarryd Hayne. With 26 first team apperances and 13 tries, its a complete mis-match in terms of experience when you consider Hayne has starred in 109 NRL and representative games scoring 90 tries in total.
Despite his man of the match performance against Wales, I wish Sam Thomkins all the luck in the world when he faces the four time consecutive State of Origin winning half back pairing of Darren Lockyer and Jonathan Thurston. Thomkins will be buoyed by playing on his club's home ground at international level. But he will have to be on top of his game to even have a chance of out smarting Lockyer or Thurston.
Its a worrying thought that England's 52-4 defeat last year may not have been a one off after all.
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Aussies can't have it both ways.
Australia are unhappy with the appointment of Steve Ganson as the referee of their crucial game against England on Saturday. According to sources, ARL Chief Executive, Geoff Carr, refused to accept a neutral referee claiming both the New Zealand and French representatives (Leon Williamson and Thierry Alibert) were not full-time referees.
This left Stuart Cummings (RFL Match Officials Director) with no option but to appoint one of Steve Ganson or Australian, Shane Hayne. He eventually settled on Ganson, no doubt under the pressures of the RFL to select the English referee like Tony Archer was appointed in the corresponding fixture 12 months ago.
But this appointment left the Australian coach, Tim Sheens, in fury after Sheens was disappointed with Ganson's performance in his side's 20-all draw with New Zealand.
So to cut a long story short, the Aussies are not happy they can't have their own way and have their own man in the middle of the pitch. What amazes me is that they can throw their dummy out of the pram, knowing full well they can beat England fair and square in the first place.
This is a prime example of one of the obstacles the international game has to overcome if it is to expand and become more creditable. Neutral referees must be appointed at international level, regardless of the persistent argument that certain referees are not up to standard.
Geoff Carr's excuse doesn't even make sense to begin with, as Thierry Alibert has been officiating full time for two years in the Super League.
This issue, along with player eligibility with players supposedly swapping and changing nations, are two key issues that in the short term the RLIF must address for the international game and its post-2008 World Cup era to flourish to the best of its ability.
This left Stuart Cummings (RFL Match Officials Director) with no option but to appoint one of Steve Ganson or Australian, Shane Hayne. He eventually settled on Ganson, no doubt under the pressures of the RFL to select the English referee like Tony Archer was appointed in the corresponding fixture 12 months ago.
But this appointment left the Australian coach, Tim Sheens, in fury after Sheens was disappointed with Ganson's performance in his side's 20-all draw with New Zealand.
So to cut a long story short, the Aussies are not happy they can't have their own way and have their own man in the middle of the pitch. What amazes me is that they can throw their dummy out of the pram, knowing full well they can beat England fair and square in the first place.
This is a prime example of one of the obstacles the international game has to overcome if it is to expand and become more creditable. Neutral referees must be appointed at international level, regardless of the persistent argument that certain referees are not up to standard.
Geoff Carr's excuse doesn't even make sense to begin with, as Thierry Alibert has been officiating full time for two years in the Super League.
This issue, along with player eligibility with players supposedly swapping and changing nations, are two key issues that in the short term the RLIF must address for the international game and its post-2008 World Cup era to flourish to the best of its ability.
Four Nations - Week One.
The first round of the Four Nations has come and gone, and what a weekend it was. There were near misses, heart warming performances and great escapes that would make Steve McQueen blush. There was also relatively impressive attendances to both games in Doncaster and in London, which shows twelve months after the World Cup the hunger for international rugby league was not a one off.
England 34-12 France
The highest crowd for a Anglo-French test match signified the beginning of a new era for international rugby league in the UK. The attendance of 11,529 exceeded anyone's expectations for what are usually one-sided contests. Bobbie Gouling and his team had other ideas and gave the hosts an early Halloween scare when France went 12-4 ahead at half time. Tries from Vincent Duport and Kane Bentley were both converted by Thomas Bosc.
It was a poor first half performance from England by anyone's standards. The half back combination of Danny McGuire and Richie Myler looked one dimensional on the French goal line, and the defence at the opposite end of the field stood solid like a wet paper tissue towards the final moments of the half. It was a stark reminder of twelve months ago in Townsville, when Papua New Guinea went into the half time break leading 16-12 in the World Cup opener.
But thankfully the scriptwriters had included the same ending. England changed a few tactics around and started to play with a bit more flair and creativity. Myler pushed forward in attack and did well to support the line breakers, which he was rewarded with his second try when Kevin Sinfield found he gap on the French line. The game was wrapped up by the English when Ryan Hall intercepted Thomas Bosc's pass out intended for Duport, and the Leeds' winger showed his pace to beat Clint Greenshield to the corner post.
Despite the strong efforts from France, David Ferriol and Jean-Philippe Baile both faced disciplinary yesterday after Ferriol quite badly elbowed Kevin Sinfield in the tackle eight minutes from time and Jean-Philippe Baile caught Richie Myler with a stiff arm to the jaw. Baile was shown the red card by the New Zealand referee, Leon Williamson while Ferriol's incident was put on report. As a result of the disciplinary hearing, Ferriol will receive a one game ban, excluding him from playing against New Zealand this weekend. Meanwhile Baile is free to face New Zealand despite the serious nature of the offence. I can only assume the panel have given Baile the benefit of the doubt after the centre showed remorse to Myler and apologised as he left the field. The news will make life a bit sweeter for Goulding after the French hooker, Remi Castey, was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a broken hand.
Australia 20-20 New Zealand
12,360 people saw a thrilling contest next to the home of rugby union at the Twickenham Stoop. In fact, it was one of the best games I've seen all year and it was between the two nations that are most likely to get to the final.
The crowd, made up primeraly of Australian and New Zealand ex-pats based in London, witnessed a young New Zealand side fight toe-to-toe with an experienced Australian side that included almost every big name in the NRL. New Zealand caught Australia napping early when Frank-Paul Nuuausala ran on an angle to Adam Blair's offload five minutes into the game. For me personally, the story of the first half was made by New Zealand's SAS-style of defence. For aproximatly fifteen minutes inside the first half, New Zealand were forced to defend consecutive sets of six on their own try line due to disiplinary errors. When they finally recieved posession, they were guilty of handling errors within their own half. It was a minor miracle Australia didn't put ship past twenty points in that time frame. In the end, Brett Morris finally broke through, but the landslide didn't come and the half time scores remained 6-6.
When Jonathan Thurston stripped the ball one-on-one from Lance Hohaia early in the second half, you sensed that all the luck would go Australia's way. This was not the case, as New Zealand stood up and fought back to lead by six points with five minutes left thanks to Frank Pritchard's try in the left corner. But Australia's never say die attitude over powered the New Zealanders and from Thurston's short kick off, Australia forced their way down field. On the back of a penalty, the resulting set of six saw Australia throw the ball around until Greg Inglis spotted the gap in the New Zealand defense and an offload to Cameron Smith gave Australia the try and the conversion oppertunity they needed to tie the game. Thurston, with nerves calmer than a mountain lake, slotted over the vital goal to earn Australia a point.
If England fail to make the final now, I don't think I could care less so long as both these nations play with similar enthusiasm, passion and skill at Elland Road in a few weeks time.
England 34-12 France
The highest crowd for a Anglo-French test match signified the beginning of a new era for international rugby league in the UK. The attendance of 11,529 exceeded anyone's expectations for what are usually one-sided contests. Bobbie Gouling and his team had other ideas and gave the hosts an early Halloween scare when France went 12-4 ahead at half time. Tries from Vincent Duport and Kane Bentley were both converted by Thomas Bosc.
It was a poor first half performance from England by anyone's standards. The half back combination of Danny McGuire and Richie Myler looked one dimensional on the French goal line, and the defence at the opposite end of the field stood solid like a wet paper tissue towards the final moments of the half. It was a stark reminder of twelve months ago in Townsville, when Papua New Guinea went into the half time break leading 16-12 in the World Cup opener.
But thankfully the scriptwriters had included the same ending. England changed a few tactics around and started to play with a bit more flair and creativity. Myler pushed forward in attack and did well to support the line breakers, which he was rewarded with his second try when Kevin Sinfield found he gap on the French line. The game was wrapped up by the English when Ryan Hall intercepted Thomas Bosc's pass out intended for Duport, and the Leeds' winger showed his pace to beat Clint Greenshield to the corner post.
Despite the strong efforts from France, David Ferriol and Jean-Philippe Baile both faced disciplinary yesterday after Ferriol quite badly elbowed Kevin Sinfield in the tackle eight minutes from time and Jean-Philippe Baile caught Richie Myler with a stiff arm to the jaw. Baile was shown the red card by the New Zealand referee, Leon Williamson while Ferriol's incident was put on report. As a result of the disciplinary hearing, Ferriol will receive a one game ban, excluding him from playing against New Zealand this weekend. Meanwhile Baile is free to face New Zealand despite the serious nature of the offence. I can only assume the panel have given Baile the benefit of the doubt after the centre showed remorse to Myler and apologised as he left the field. The news will make life a bit sweeter for Goulding after the French hooker, Remi Castey, was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a broken hand.
Australia 20-20 New Zealand
12,360 people saw a thrilling contest next to the home of rugby union at the Twickenham Stoop. In fact, it was one of the best games I've seen all year and it was between the two nations that are most likely to get to the final.
The crowd, made up primeraly of Australian and New Zealand ex-pats based in London, witnessed a young New Zealand side fight toe-to-toe with an experienced Australian side that included almost every big name in the NRL. New Zealand caught Australia napping early when Frank-Paul Nuuausala ran on an angle to Adam Blair's offload five minutes into the game. For me personally, the story of the first half was made by New Zealand's SAS-style of defence. For aproximatly fifteen minutes inside the first half, New Zealand were forced to defend consecutive sets of six on their own try line due to disiplinary errors. When they finally recieved posession, they were guilty of handling errors within their own half. It was a minor miracle Australia didn't put ship past twenty points in that time frame. In the end, Brett Morris finally broke through, but the landslide didn't come and the half time scores remained 6-6.
When Jonathan Thurston stripped the ball one-on-one from Lance Hohaia early in the second half, you sensed that all the luck would go Australia's way. This was not the case, as New Zealand stood up and fought back to lead by six points with five minutes left thanks to Frank Pritchard's try in the left corner. But Australia's never say die attitude over powered the New Zealanders and from Thurston's short kick off, Australia forced their way down field. On the back of a penalty, the resulting set of six saw Australia throw the ball around until Greg Inglis spotted the gap in the New Zealand defense and an offload to Cameron Smith gave Australia the try and the conversion oppertunity they needed to tie the game. Thurston, with nerves calmer than a mountain lake, slotted over the vital goal to earn Australia a point.
If England fail to make the final now, I don't think I could care less so long as both these nations play with similar enthusiasm, passion and skill at Elland Road in a few weeks time.
Wednesday 21 October 2009
Four Nations preview.
Twelve months after the World Cup, the biggest names in Rugby League arrive in the UK and France for the start of a rebuilding process for International Rugby League.If the international game and the RLIF learnt anything from last year's World Cup, its that there is still a hunger for international Rugby League, especially across both Europe and the Pacific.
So with that in mind, France have join England/Great Britain, Australia, and world champions New Zealand in the inaugural Four Nations after the Tri-Nations became an annual success.
With the first game only two days away when England host France at the Keepmoat Stadium, A Tap on the Twenty presents a quick preview focusing on all four teams.
Australia
Despite no longer being world champions after 33 years, Australia will be all out for revenge in order to avenge their 2008 World Cup final defeat to New Zealand when Ricky Stuart's side lost 34-20 in Brisbane. The noise coming out of the Aussie's camp seems to one of vengeance. They want to keep hold of the trophy they won under the Tri-Nations banner when they defeated New Zealand in extra time during the 2006 Tri-Nations final in Sydney. As a result, the bookies only have them at 1/4 to win the tournament.
Despite making one of the biggest errors in World Cup history, Billy Slater is no less of a threat. He will not be looking back that that pass to Benji Marshall that gifted New Zealand a try in the final minutes of the game. He will go about his business as usual like he has done all year for Melbourne.
New to English fan's ear, Jarryd Hayne has been in fascinating form with Parramatta winning the Dally M medal on the back of several perfect performances. As usual, Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston all strike fear into English fan's hearts when they have possession with the ball.
Prediction - Group & final winners.
England
Its all change for 2009, and with it comes what could easily be described as fresh meat for our antipodean cousins. Names such as Burrow, Pryce, Senior and Wellens are no more. They are replaced with Tomkins, Eastmond, Hall and Briscoe. Of course, a few names remain in Peacock, Morley and Ellis. But like last year, England's strength came in the forwards who worked exceptionally hard down under 12 months ago, but were let down by the halfs and three-quarters.
Jamie Peacock will lead the side from example again, with Adrian Morley being the other experienced prop forward who will continue to mentor James Graham and the Souths-bound Sam Burgess. Looking at Tony Smith's 24-man squad, the three-quarters pick themselves with Smith, Shenton, Hall and the young Tom Briscoe replacing the injured Sean O'Loughlin. The Headache for Smith must lie in the half backs, with potentially five players to pick from McGuire, Eastmond, Thomkins, Myler and Bridge. For me, the answer lies in McGuire at stand off and Tomkins at scrum half. Eastmond doesn't possess the creative flair to penetrate the Kiwis or Kangaroo defence, while his kicking game is one of the worst I have seen in a Saints shirt for some time. Myler is lacking of match fitness having only played one game against Wales since July, while Bridge can play at stand off or scrum half, he hasn't done so since Tony Smith took over Warrington in March.
Prediction - 3rd in group.
France
Adrian Lam and Papua New Guinea will have sympathy for the French, as the Kumuls were in a similar situation last year and certainly made their mark despite not winning a game. While the 'guinea pigs' are now coached by Bobbie Goulding, his presence and knowledge should provide the same attitude and passion Adrian Lam installed into Papua New Guinea. They still have some excellent individuals, but its only individuals. Thomas Bosc is the stand out Frenchman, while Australian-born Clint Greenshields and James Wynne both qualify for France under the residency rule, (a rule A Tap on the Twenty will assess at a later date.)
Elsewhere France hold Jean-Philippe Baile, Oliver Elima and Jamel Fakir and a large proportion of the Catalan squad that made the semi-final qualifiers losing to Leeds with dignity at Headingley.
I fear if England take this team too lightly, there could be a massive upset on the first day of the competition.
Prediction - 4th in group.
New Zealand
World champions New Zealand will be looking to progress after their famous win against their Tasman rivals by clinching the Four Nations tournament away from them as well. They certinaly possess the squad capable of achieveing such a feat. Their squad is littered with big names in the NRL that have brought plenty of talent to the domestic competition. Wests star, Benji Marshall will lead from behind the pack once again, while World Cup winning captain resumes his role.
Leeds-bound Greg Eastwood will add size and power to an already dominant pack, while Kristan Inu adds flair to the back line. Melbourne power-house Jeff Lima will make the front row indestructable with littel Issac Luke frigtening off opponents with is passionate rendition of the hakka in the hooking role.
Theres plenty of talent in this New Zealand side, because I haven't even mentioned Fuifui Moimoi yet. But I fear they may just finish short.
Prediction - Group runners up & losing finalists.
Sunday 18 October 2009
Part-time Wales perform against full-time England.
It would have been one of the most insignificant upsets in sporting history. For seventy minutes a part-time Wales squad fought toe-to-toe with Super League's finest English players and very nearly succeeded, not for the lack of fitness in the Welsh team.
After conceding 74 points a year ago in Doncaster, the Wales side did their country proud to have limited England's score to less than fifty. They did even better to stay within touching distance, trailing only by eight points after Ian Watson's quick tap from some quick thinking when England were penalised on their own try line early in the second half.
The reason they lost was simply due to the high level of consistency maintained by the English side, which is due to all of its players being full time professionals. The English level of fitness shone in the final fifteen minutes and they ran in 28 points within the final quarter of the game, which was so similar to watching a Super League side take on a Championship team in the Challenge Cup.
But full credit to Iestyn Harris and the entire Welsh squad for giving England a kick up the backside. Its encouraging from an expansionists point of view because it shows Wales are developing, despite the misfortunes of Celtic in recent months. Now what concerns me the most is England's upcoming performance in the Four Nations, and the form of certain individuals who played in this international friendly.
The most concerning of all is Paul Sykes. At full back he was inept at catching the simplist of kicks, with his knock ons giving Wales the ball within England's twenty metres on two occesions.
Admittingly Sean O'Loughlin played out of position in the centres, but even he failed to show his face until his try sixty minutes into the game. Even when he was moved into the loose forward's role, he went missing like a set of house keys minutes before your about to leave.
Richie Myler has an excuse for playing like he did. He hasn't played since July, which makes his inclusion into England's Four Nations squad even more unusual. I think he was played as a chance for him to blow off the cobwebs. I expect him to star in England's opener against France.
As for Thomkins, I would start him at scrum half on Friday. I would start him in the number seven shirt against Australia and I would put him at number seven against New Zealand as well. Yes, it was only a friendly against part-time opposition, but when you consider who else can play in the halfs in that 24 man squad he is easily the best man for the job.
So while Wales can look forward to a exciting European Nations Cup with games against Serbia and Ireland, England will be working hard in preperation to face Australia, France and New Zealand in a weeks time.
A previw on England and the entire Four Nations tournament is coming soon...
After conceding 74 points a year ago in Doncaster, the Wales side did their country proud to have limited England's score to less than fifty. They did even better to stay within touching distance, trailing only by eight points after Ian Watson's quick tap from some quick thinking when England were penalised on their own try line early in the second half.
The reason they lost was simply due to the high level of consistency maintained by the English side, which is due to all of its players being full time professionals. The English level of fitness shone in the final fifteen minutes and they ran in 28 points within the final quarter of the game, which was so similar to watching a Super League side take on a Championship team in the Challenge Cup.
But full credit to Iestyn Harris and the entire Welsh squad for giving England a kick up the backside. Its encouraging from an expansionists point of view because it shows Wales are developing, despite the misfortunes of Celtic in recent months. Now what concerns me the most is England's upcoming performance in the Four Nations, and the form of certain individuals who played in this international friendly.
The most concerning of all is Paul Sykes. At full back he was inept at catching the simplist of kicks, with his knock ons giving Wales the ball within England's twenty metres on two occesions.
Admittingly Sean O'Loughlin played out of position in the centres, but even he failed to show his face until his try sixty minutes into the game. Even when he was moved into the loose forward's role, he went missing like a set of house keys minutes before your about to leave.
Richie Myler has an excuse for playing like he did. He hasn't played since July, which makes his inclusion into England's Four Nations squad even more unusual. I think he was played as a chance for him to blow off the cobwebs. I expect him to star in England's opener against France.
As for Thomkins, I would start him at scrum half on Friday. I would start him in the number seven shirt against Australia and I would put him at number seven against New Zealand as well. Yes, it was only a friendly against part-time opposition, but when you consider who else can play in the halfs in that 24 man squad he is easily the best man for the job.
So while Wales can look forward to a exciting European Nations Cup with games against Serbia and Ireland, England will be working hard in preperation to face Australia, France and New Zealand in a weeks time.
A previw on England and the entire Four Nations tournament is coming soon...
Thursday 15 October 2009
Super League Grand Final - The Big Debates.
Was he onside?
That's the big debate that has arose after Leeds clinched their third successive Grand Final victory 18-10 against the team they beat in 2007, 2008 and now, 2009. On a side note however, it was interesting to note the attendance for the match was the lowest in Grand Final history since Sean Long kicked the winning drop goal against Bradford in 2002. Was it the economic recession that has caused such a steep decline, or was it the fans voting with their feet after three straight Leeds-St Helens Grand Finals? But enough about the attendances. We all know Rugby League fans can't complain enough if there's a drop in the number of bums on seats.
The match itself had its fair share of controversy, not least the winning try eight minutes from full time. But like a soap-opera, we at A Tap on the Twenty like to unfold other unimportant plot lines before the big event gets dissected like a frog in a school science class. So instead we'll begin by having a stab at Kyle Eastmond, an action plenty of opposition fans would like a go at for real.
You may remember an article posted last year by yours truly about the amount of young players getting too much hype early in their careers. Well I'm afraid to say that it seemed I was right about young Kyle. He is not the saviour of English Rugby League we all seem to think he is. Pouncing on top of a kick that should have been safely collected by Scott Donald is not enough to be hailed the next best thing. We have got used to the sheer brilliance of Sean Long so much that after he broke his jaw earlier in the season, Eastmond was put in as replacement and flaws were being discovered in St Helens' game plan left, right and centre. If he is an example of the modern day half back, then he has no creative awareness and his kicking game is one of the worst I have seen in a St Helens shirt. If he is the example of a modern day half back in Super League, I bet Darren Lockyer will be smiling like a Cheshire cat on his flight to this side of the world for the Four Nations.
The next point is about video referee decisions, and despite the full use of technology they still can't seem to get a decision right no matter how small. It was a minor event in the Grand Final, but as a newly qualified match official it caused my blood to boil beyond the need for a thermometer. Kyle Eastmond's disallowed try was indeed the correct call. But Phil Bentham ruled that Eastmond was out of play after hitting the corner post, despite his foot being marginally on the touch line five metres beforehand. In which case, Leeds should have been awarded a scrum on the ten metre line. Instead they were given an optional twenty metre restart. A call which has the difference of ten metres might seem small, but when you consider that half the Leeds attacking line would be in the scrum for the first tackle it becomes significant that the attacking side couldn't have full use of all thirteen players.
And finally, the big debate. It wasn't quite in the same league as Jordon Tansey's infamous offside in Cardiff two years ago, but it was enough to cause controversy as Leeds' knowledge of the offside rule seems to be less than that of St Helens' in recent years. It was a good piece of play from both McGuire and Smith. McGuire saw the gap behind the defensive line and the kick was weighed to perfection under pressure. Smith darted from McGuire's right side, collects the ball before immediately side-stepping the scrambled St Helens defence to dive under the posts. All well and good and congratulations Leeds, except if you weren't a bunch of cheats and scored from an offside position.
But like Leeds on the day of the game, Stuart Cummings' defence of his official was solid. Although it did make me spit out half my coffee in disgust when I read about it in Monday morning's trade newspaper. The fact the camera was slightly ahead of play was used as an excuse to give the try. But if Bentham had used the different shades of grass as a marker, he would know there is more of a lighter shade of grass behind Smith than McGuire, before going back to a darker shade on the Old Trafford turf.
But after all the post match talk about being offisde or onside, Leeds were the better side at the end of the day with Kevin Sinfield giving an man of the match performance. But as he collected the Super League trophy, was it just me or did you think there was a hint of "Goodbye Leeds" in his after-match speech?
That's the big debate that has arose after Leeds clinched their third successive Grand Final victory 18-10 against the team they beat in 2007, 2008 and now, 2009. On a side note however, it was interesting to note the attendance for the match was the lowest in Grand Final history since Sean Long kicked the winning drop goal against Bradford in 2002. Was it the economic recession that has caused such a steep decline, or was it the fans voting with their feet after three straight Leeds-St Helens Grand Finals? But enough about the attendances. We all know Rugby League fans can't complain enough if there's a drop in the number of bums on seats.
The match itself had its fair share of controversy, not least the winning try eight minutes from full time. But like a soap-opera, we at A Tap on the Twenty like to unfold other unimportant plot lines before the big event gets dissected like a frog in a school science class. So instead we'll begin by having a stab at Kyle Eastmond, an action plenty of opposition fans would like a go at for real.
You may remember an article posted last year by yours truly about the amount of young players getting too much hype early in their careers. Well I'm afraid to say that it seemed I was right about young Kyle. He is not the saviour of English Rugby League we all seem to think he is. Pouncing on top of a kick that should have been safely collected by Scott Donald is not enough to be hailed the next best thing. We have got used to the sheer brilliance of Sean Long so much that after he broke his jaw earlier in the season, Eastmond was put in as replacement and flaws were being discovered in St Helens' game plan left, right and centre. If he is an example of the modern day half back, then he has no creative awareness and his kicking game is one of the worst I have seen in a St Helens shirt. If he is the example of a modern day half back in Super League, I bet Darren Lockyer will be smiling like a Cheshire cat on his flight to this side of the world for the Four Nations.
The next point is about video referee decisions, and despite the full use of technology they still can't seem to get a decision right no matter how small. It was a minor event in the Grand Final, but as a newly qualified match official it caused my blood to boil beyond the need for a thermometer. Kyle Eastmond's disallowed try was indeed the correct call. But Phil Bentham ruled that Eastmond was out of play after hitting the corner post, despite his foot being marginally on the touch line five metres beforehand. In which case, Leeds should have been awarded a scrum on the ten metre line. Instead they were given an optional twenty metre restart. A call which has the difference of ten metres might seem small, but when you consider that half the Leeds attacking line would be in the scrum for the first tackle it becomes significant that the attacking side couldn't have full use of all thirteen players.
And finally, the big debate. It wasn't quite in the same league as Jordon Tansey's infamous offside in Cardiff two years ago, but it was enough to cause controversy as Leeds' knowledge of the offside rule seems to be less than that of St Helens' in recent years. It was a good piece of play from both McGuire and Smith. McGuire saw the gap behind the defensive line and the kick was weighed to perfection under pressure. Smith darted from McGuire's right side, collects the ball before immediately side-stepping the scrambled St Helens defence to dive under the posts. All well and good and congratulations Leeds, except if you weren't a bunch of cheats and scored from an offside position.
But like Leeds on the day of the game, Stuart Cummings' defence of his official was solid. Although it did make me spit out half my coffee in disgust when I read about it in Monday morning's trade newspaper. The fact the camera was slightly ahead of play was used as an excuse to give the try. But if Bentham had used the different shades of grass as a marker, he would know there is more of a lighter shade of grass behind Smith than McGuire, before going back to a darker shade on the Old Trafford turf.
But after all the post match talk about being offisde or onside, Leeds were the better side at the end of the day with Kevin Sinfield giving an man of the match performance. But as he collected the Super League trophy, was it just me or did you think there was a hint of "Goodbye Leeds" in his after-match speech?
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Who says the lower leagues are dead? We finally have proof they're not.
All season Sky Sports have been broadcasting one game a week from either the Championship or Championship 1 on a Thursday evening. It has generally been the most anticipated game of the round from either league that has been shown. As a result, the enjoyment from watching the Championships has been unprecedented. Take the Grand Final as an very good example of what I'm talking about.
While the skill factor is not as high as that in Super League, the level of commitment and desire to succeed in what is becoming a very creditable and unique competition. Due to the high skill gap between the Championships and Super League, for many players winning this competition will be the highlight of their careers. With increased exposure on Sky Sports, the best may indeed end up playing at Super League level. However, due to the attitude of Super League clubs insisting of producing their own players, which is more cost effective, only a handful will ever move without being part of a club's successful license being approved.
But the problem for the RFL is the capture the public's imagination that the Championships are indeed a creditable competition. Having cut off automatic promotion and relegation (something British sport must have for it to be accepted in this countries sporting society, apparently) then an outsider sees the leagues as nothing more than a feeder competition and a graveyard for ex-professionals. This is an obstacle the RFL needs to overcome for attendances to grow and for both Championships to thrive in the local communities. Only after successfully targeting local areas can a club become ambitious because the communiy is the foundation to growing attendances and regular supporters.
While the skill factor is not as high as that in Super League, the level of commitment and desire to succeed in what is becoming a very creditable and unique competition. Due to the high skill gap between the Championships and Super League, for many players winning this competition will be the highlight of their careers. With increased exposure on Sky Sports, the best may indeed end up playing at Super League level. However, due to the attitude of Super League clubs insisting of producing their own players, which is more cost effective, only a handful will ever move without being part of a club's successful license being approved.
But the problem for the RFL is the capture the public's imagination that the Championships are indeed a creditable competition. Having cut off automatic promotion and relegation (something British sport must have for it to be accepted in this countries sporting society, apparently) then an outsider sees the leagues as nothing more than a feeder competition and a graveyard for ex-professionals. This is an obstacle the RFL needs to overcome for attendances to grow and for both Championships to thrive in the local communities. Only after successfully targeting local areas can a club become ambitious because the communiy is the foundation to growing attendances and regular supporters.
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