We're the Greatest Kingston Rovers and we're off to Wembley!!!

24 hours before our first Challenge Cup semi final for 9 years I was sat under a canopy in the bar of my hotel sheltering from 45 degree temperatures, following an early morning swim in the gorgeous pool, in the South West Turkish resort of Marmaris watching England finish off the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston whilst waiting for the coach transfer to Dalaman Airport for a late night flight to Leeds Bradford Airport.

We landed at Leeds Bradford at 0130hrs on Saturday morning and the first thing I felt was rain – welcome back to the UK – we arrived home in Hull shortly before 4 a.m.

Mcdonald's Breakfast

After just 4 ½ hours sleep me and 2 of my sons, Kelland and Kingsley, headed back west to Leeds (after a McDonald's breakfast) to watch the mighty Hull Kingston Rovers take on Warrington Wolves for the right to play in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 29th August - exactly 120 years to the day since the birth of the game in the George Hotel in Huddersfield.

Rovers have not played in a Challenge Cup final since losing to Castleford in 1986, one of 3 Cup Final appearances in the 1980's - all of which I attended, whilst Warrington have won 3 Challenge Cup finals in the last 6 years and have also appeared in 2 Grand Finals since Tony Smith took charge in 2009 and turned them into winners after years of under-performing.

2015 has been an inconsistent season for both teams, more surprisingly for the Wolves than Rovers who have had a large number of new signings come in throughout the season and failed to qualify for the top 8 whereas I expected the Wolves to take out the Grand Final this year but they have struggled to string wins together and have really struggled to have a settled half back partnership throughout the year. They finished 6th after 23 rounds and will find it hard to break into the top 4 after the next 7 rounds of fixtures which will determine who plays for the right to play in the Grand Final in October.

When the semi-final draw was made, the vast majority of Hull KR fans were delighted with drawing Warrington - we had played well in the quarter final defeat of Catalans and had comfortably beaten the Wolves in the League just a couple of weeks earlier so felt confident that if we finished the season well, we had a real chance to win the semi-final.

Two days after the semi-final draw we edged Salford Red Devils at home for our fourth straight win - confidence was high and the Wolves were struggling having only just overcome the challenge of Championship favourites Leigh Centurions in the quarter finals.

Then our season imploded because, unfortunately, we are not allowed to play every game at home - put simply our away form this year has been atrocious and has cost us a top 8 spot.

8 of our 9 league wins have come at home with our ONLY away win coming over Easter at Hull FC - we have lost all of our other 11 league games played away from the KC Lightstream Stadium - only bottom team Wakefield have a comparable record - Catalans have only won one away game also but at least they got a draw at the Magic Weekend against Huddersfield.

On the back of defeats away to Huddersfield and Salford (after leading 18-4 at half time) at home to Hull FC and a final game hammering at St. Helens, it is fair to say that Rovers confidence would not be at it's highest going into the semi-final - however we have usurped our away form in the Cup registering away wins at Championship side Bradford Bulls and the famous last 16 win against Wigan Warriors - a defeat that amusingly devastated Warriors coach Shaun Wane.

On the other hand – Warrington have won 3 of their 4 league games since losing 36-10 at Rovers and last Sunday they dismantled the Castleford Tigers 44-6 at The Jungle – Tony Smith has been quoted as saying that the defeat to Rovers ‘’had turned their season around.’’

So, after a few hours sleep and a quick breakfast at McDonland’s we headed west along the M62 looking forward to a good day out but not hoping for too much – certainly not daring to dream about a first visit to the ‘new’ Wembley Stadium.

We reached Leeds in good time but hit the expected heavy traffic around the Yorkshire TV Studios on Kirkstall Road and up in to Headingley – there were scores of Hull KR coaches, mini buses and cars making the same journey as us and we encountered Warrington fans the closer we got to Headingley.

Having found a decent parking spot ½ a mile from the ground we walked towards the stadium and became engulfed in a sea of Red and White and Primrose and Blue as we made or way into the ground.

The boys at the Cricket venue.

One of the many things I like about Headingley is the opportunity to have an unhindered view of the wonderful Test Match cricket arena situated just behind the North Stand and as we walked around the Test Match venue to get to the Western side of the North Stand where we were to be seated we saw Leeds Rhinos Chief Executive Gary Hetherington in a very snazzy pin striped suit and former Rovers full back Shaun Briscoe – now working on the Community Development side for Warrington Wolves and I also bumped into an old friend, David Howes, who has held many positions of power in the game of Rugby League and is one of the best MC’s and compere’s on the after dinner circuit as well – he is a very nice chap and a Hull Kingston Rovers fan.

The BBC crew.

We found our rightful seats and as we were climbing the stand I saw another old friend of mine who I have known for many years and played rugby alongside as well – we had a good chat and we took some photograph’s of the BBC team of Mark Chapman, Jamie Peacock, Jon Wilkin and Brian Noble who had just started presenting the programme on BBC1 and my youngest son Kingsley had a photograph taken with Rovers mascot Rufus the Robin along with one of his school friends, Harvey, who he also plays rugby alongside for Skirlaugh Bulls U6s.

As we took our seats I saw another 3 ex rugby playing colleagues from my amateur days and another two at half time and also one after the match had finished– it really was a case of a Reckitt’s old boys day out.

Officially, Rovers had sold over 6,500 tickets for the semi-final – the most of any of the four semi-finalists – but there must have been at least 9-9,500 Rovers fans in a crowd of around 13,500 and the atmosphere when the two teams came out was exceptional with the Rovers fans making far more noise than their Wolves counterparts.

As you will all know by now this was an epic match with the result in doubt until the last few minutes and you will realise that I am one very happy Hull Kingston Rovers fan as I write this over my first beer of Saturday night.

However, we made the worst start possible as we cocked up the Wolves kick off, had to drop out and then conceded a try to Ryan Atkins all in the first couple of minutes – to say we felt slightly deflated and worried was an understatement as the Wolves continued to pummel our defensive line – but something happened that hasn’t too often this season – our defence held and some wonderful last ditch heroic defence held the Wolves at bay.

Somehow we managed to restrict the Wolves to just one try and then we started to get a foothold on the game in the second quarter – a great back line move saw Kieran Dixon put Super League’s top scorer Josh Mantellato in at the left corner. Mantellato did really well to score the try as the pass from Dixon was high and he had to collect it at pace and throw himself in at the corner. Mantellato hit the post with the conversion but it wasn’t long before Rovers actually hit the front.

Ken Sio scores.

A great high kick by Albert Kelly saw the on rushing Ken Sio jump higher than his opposite wingman Gene Ormsby to juggle the ball before collecting and diving over for Rovers second try. Mantellato converted this time and Rovers led 10-6.

The game was now on and Rovers were giving the Wolves a real hammering in defence and Ben Harrison felt the effects of the tough tackling when he had to be taken from the field suffering from concussion not to be seen again in the match.
 

It wasn’t all Rovers though.

The Wolves back line was looking dangerous and their swift handling moves were causing problems but the Rovers defence held firm.

The problem was that Rovers were making headway into the Wolves half but would then make an unforced error or concede a penalty and would then be consistently defending within their own 10 metre line and anyone who has played the game will tell you that this is the toughest area of the field to defend because you are under constant pressure but unbelievably they didn’t crack and the Wolves started making some unforced errors of their own.

Rovers eschewed a couple of earlier opportunities to kick penalty goals but eventually they did so at the third time of asking and Mantellato converted to give us a 12-6 half time lead.

I spoke to a few of my former rugby playing colleagues at half time and we were all of the opinion that the Wolves would come out fired up after half time and that Rovers needed to get the first score – I had seen this position so many times as a Rovers fan and seen us blown away in a quick fire 10-15 minute spell – I was not certain that this would not happen again. I still did not dare to fully believe!!!

But in fact it was Rovers who made the stronger start – the Wolves certainly were not as fired up as I expected them to be and the boys extended their six point half time lead to an almost unbelievable 14 points.

French second rower Kevin Larroyer somehow took four defenders with him and he managed to squeeze a hand out near the line to touch the ball down – referee Richard Silverwood went to the video referee, having given the no try signal, but it was clear that Larroyer got the ball down and the refs verdict was overturned and the try was awarded – cue hysteria amongst the Rovers contingent.

Mantellato converted and kicked his second penalty shortly afterwards and Rovers had a 20-6 lead – this was scarcely believable, Garry Schofield thought the game would be over by half time and we know he is always right!!!!

I was keeping an eye on the clock and I wanted us to retain that 14 point lead until the 60^th minute – probably just a psychological thing but I just felt that one Wolves try would quickly lead to another and we needed to keep them out as long as possible.

Richie Myler scores.

Sadly, it was not to be. The game was being played in atrocious conditions and the Wolves piled the pressure on the Rovers line and scrum half Richie Myler was the man who kick started the Wolves comeback as he forced his way over for O’Brien to convert. It was now 20-12 and those Mantellato penalty goals were looking very important but Rovers were going to experience a torrid 10-15 minutes.

Within a few minutes of Myler’s try, the Wolves thought they were over again – they created the overlap and Joel Monaghan threw himself in at the right corner but the cover tackle of Kieran Dixon and Kris Welham was enough to dislodge the ball from his grasp and after a number of views by the video referee it was declared a no try and there was a huge sense of relief but the pressure was still on and Rovers started to make some unforced handling errors.

First Adam Walker lost the ball in the tackle before Kris Welham did the same thing close to our line and this time it cost us dearly.

The Wolves quickly moved the ball left and a brilliantly delayed pass by Myler allowed Ben Currie to charge over the line – O’Brien again kicked the conversion and there was now just two points in the game with 13 very long minutes to go – the confidence was draining out of me but the boys were showing tonnes of character and spirit in tough conditions and the Rovers fans were making enough noise to carry them through – hopefully!!

Lunt scores the match winner.

We needed a score and I wasn’t sure where it was going to come from – the conditions were too poor for us to try and spread the ball through hands quickly and at the end of the day we didn’t need to score but something was needed to settle my nerves and it came in the shape of Cumbrian hooker Shaun Lunt who, somehow, managed to break a couple of tackles, quickly push off from the ground and just about touch the ball down on the line – it was another decision that went to the video referee and when the try was awarded the roof came off Headingley as every single Hull KR fan in that ground realised we were going to Wembley for the Challenge Cup Final for the first time since 1986.

I missed Mantellato’s fifth goal of the day as I was still busy celebrating the fact we were going to Wembley with my two boys and singing ‘’We’re Hull Kingston Rovers’’ – the final couple of minutes was played out to a chorus of Hull KR songs and the noise was so loud it reminded me so much of our trophy laden heyday of the early to late 1980’s.

At the sound of the final hooter we raced down to the side of the pitch and waited for the players to come around to our side of the pitch and sang ‘’A Little Respect’’ by Erasure while we did so – we all certainly are so in love with our team after this semi-final performance.

The boys celebrate.

As the players came around to our side of the stadium in the pouring rain we had a hand shake with Shaun Lunt, a big hug with Kieran Dixon who looked in shock and got a wave from Chris Chester and John Boudebza – what a find he has been this season – he was outstanding once again.

Man of the Match Mantellato.

I know Mantellato took the official man of the match award and he played very well as he always does – again what a find he has been – but for me the stand out performer was Kris Welham.

He tackled everything in sight and constantly made good yardage from dummy half – he really has been outstanding this season after looking like he was on his way out of the club before the season started and there also has to be a special mention for Maurice Blair – he might not grab the headlines like his former Gold Coast Titans team mate Albert Kelly but we would be a lesser team without him and his defensive effort, along with all of his team mates, was absolutely brilliant.

See you at Wembley. (I still can’t believe it)

HULL KR AND HULL FC ACADEMY MERGER

There are not many ways to get the fans of Hull Kingston Rovers and Hull FC to have the same point of view, but the decision announced last week that the clubs would be merging their Academy set ups from 2016 certainly did that.

Social media was awash with negativity and incredulity from both sets of fans with many voicing their concerns that this was the first step towards a complete merger of the clubs and others stating that they didn’t want the two clubs to have anything to do with each other at any level of the game.

The plan is for the two teams to run joint under 16s and under 19s Academy teams playing in neutral colours, blue and yellow, and with a name that is yet to be decided. The team will play out of Bishop Burton College.

The reasons for the merger, which has apparently been discussed between the two clubs for the last 3 years, differ depending on who you listen to.

Hull FC owner Adam Pearson clearly stated that the decision was made due to the increased costs of running Super League and Academy teams and also due to the lack of talent currently available.

"It is a case of a decline in the talent pool in Hull with less school kids playing the game. We've not got the number of talented players. The cost of running a Super League team and an Academy is high, sponsors are drifting away and we have a decline in talent.

"That decline in talent and the costs basis means this is a logical step and it's one we believe will help both clubs to produce Super League players.

"We will be the first, but we won't be the only clubs to merge their academies in the next few years."

On the other hand, Hull Kingston Rovers vice-chairman Rob Crossland openly discussed the merger with fans on Twitter and stated that ‘’Despite what people think - this is needed to compete not about cost’’

Crossland and Hull KR chairman Neil Hudgell have both insisted that a full merger will never happen with Hudgell, a lifelong Hull KR fan, insisting it would never happen ‘’on his watch’’.

Both sets of fans in the city would be ferociously opposed to even the thought of a merger between the two clubs and I firmly believe that this will never happen – I do recall that it was discussed at the start of Super League back in the mid-90’s when it was announced that there would be plans to merge a number of clubs together to make bigger and, supposedly, stronger clubs. Those mergers never materialised because club fans are tribal and the backlash against the proposals was evident for all to see.

The city of Hull supports two professional rugby league clubs fairly comfortably – obviously both clubs would like bigger attendances – and both have good Academy set ups. In fact Hull’s was recently rated ‘’excellent’’.

So why do the powers that be feel the need to merge the clubs at the younger age levels and is the reaction of the majority of fans just blinkered?

It’s clear from the reactions of the fans that the clubs did not consult the supporters because they knew exactly what the response would be and they must believe that they know what is best for their clubs – they are all experienced and successful businessmen after all and will not have made this decision overnight.

Lets look at the two main reasons that this decision will have come down to – cost and competitiveness.

Quite clearly running one Academy set up with costs split between the two clubs will save money – instead of 2 squads of 25 players at U16s and 2 squads of 25 players at U19s there will now be a reduction of 50% in the playing staff which will save money pretty quickly on basic equipment, training kits, playing kits, travel expenses, insurances, ground rent, medical expenses, competition fees, player payments and probably a whole host of sundry items that we don’t generally think about but soon mount up to a considerable sum of money.

It should also make it easier to raise money through sponsorship. An Elite Academy that promises, and hopefully, delivers results on the pitch and produces players that will then go on to represent their country at the highest level of the game professionally is a far more attractive proposition for either large local or multi-national companies to spend their marketing money on rather than two well run local Academies that are not producing the ELITE standard of player that both Hull clubs want and desperately need.

And this is basically the crux of the matter and THE main reason for the merger.

Although the Hull FC Academy is routinely rated as EXCELLENT and the Hull KR Academy has recently received a GOOD rating, the fact is that these ratings were not based on the quality of players that are making the transition from Academy star to acclaimed Rugby League international.

For a number of years now Hull FC have produced a stream of highly talented players through their Academy system that have become regular first team players – Steve McNamara, Richard Horne, Paul Cooke, Kirk Yeaman, Paul King and more recently Callum Lancaster, Jack Logan, Jason Abdull and  Ben Crooks amongst others Some have even made it onto the international stage and won Grand Finals and Challenge Cups but how many have or will become regular long term high quality international players who have or will make a major mark on the sport – who have or will become future legends of the club and international game?

Because of the fact that Hull KR where outside of Super League for it’s first 12 years, they were behind the times when it came to the running of their Academy when they made the step up to Super League in 2007.

They have made giant strides over the last few years and have started to produce good quality players, Kris Welham, Liam Salter, James Green, Jordan Cox, Frankie Mariano (let go for some reason) have all made it to Super League level and will be followed by Josh Guzdek, Matty Marsh, Macauley Hallett and Steven Holker but how many of them can you say will become an ELITE international rugby league player?

Josh Hodgson came through the Hull FC Academy system before joining Hull KR and progressing into the first team and becoming good enough to gain selection for the England Knights and then the full England squad for the Four Nations tournament in Australia and New Zealand last year – but don’t forget that he was selected because James Roby and Michael McIlorum were stood down from the tour because of injury – if one of them had been fit he may well still be waiting for his full England debut.

From what I can see the clubs want to produce homegrown ELITE players on a regular basis to enable them to challenge for the top honours in the game season after season so they do not have to rely as much on whether or not other British or overseas players will settle in well and, just as importantly, they won’t have to pay sometimes exhorbitant wages and transfer fees for players that are looking for a final pay day.

I know that this is not always the case and both clubs have made good signings from home and abroad over the last few years – but there have been a number who have not made the grade or settled into life in East Yorkshire and the fans have felt letdown.  

The fact is that homegrown players will be paid less than even an average player who has NRL experience and also the fans like nothing more than to see one of their own succeed – I remember only too well the Hull KR heyday of the 1980’s and a successful team that included a plethora of local players who are now legends of the club – Phil Lowe, Steve Hartley, Dave Hall, Steve Hubbard, John Millington, Ian Robinson and Mike Smith for example.

The merger of the two Academies means that the cream of the crop of young players coming through the local youth ranks should rise to the top and be subjected to more concentrated and high level coaching and training which, in theory, should lead to a better quality of player coming through the ranks – the old saying of less is more so to speak.

As the dust settles and you look beyond the hysteria of the vast majority of Hull FC and Hull KR fans who have condemned the move and organised the #notohullmerger hashtag on Twitter and a local meeting and petition which has got over 1600 signatures to fight against the merger you can understand some of the reasons why the two Hull clubs have come to this decision.

The clubs have decided that they now need to concentrate on the genuinely elite players and give them the very best opportunity to become the best of the best.

Yes, it does mean that a large number of players will be cast aside by their local clubs and may have to move to other professional or semi-professional clubs to further their careers – but it should also mean that the most elite players in the city will be training, playing and improving together rather than being held back by a pool of less talented players that they would generally have alongside them at their individual club Academy’s – it sounds harsh I know but it is also true.

It is difficult to admit but it is also true that less kids are playing rugby league in Hull, the number of amateur teams are dwindling at youth and open age level and I honestly don’t believe that there is currently enough talent to fill two Academy teams with players of a high enough standard – there will be some that will progress to the professional or semi-professional ranks but how many will go on to be GREAT players when they are subjected to a watered down system.

As the merger will not commence until 2016, the two clubs have ring fenced the players that have already been signed at u16 and u19 level and these will go on to represent the senior club for which they have signed if they are good enough – however, a very interesting question is how will each club pick players from the new merged academy.

The clubs have decided that a draft system will be used to select players for each club at the end of each season – how exactly this will work is yet to be made public but based on the NFL system in America the lowest placed team gets the first pick of the new players available. Will this be based on which team finished lowest in Super League – should either or both teams be playing in the top competition next year?

This is where I begin to see flaws in the plan.

In the days before Hull KR were in Super League, lots of player who were Hull KR fans – such as Richard and Graeme Horne and Paul Cooke – signed for Hull FC because Rovers were outside of Super League and they wanted to play at the highest level.

Now both clubs play at the top level, this year anyway, and there will be players, mark my words, who will not want to play for the team that selects them.

I know this will sound stupid to some people from outside of Hull or the game of rugby league but I know that my two sons who currently play rugby league would not want to sign for Hull FC and being totally honest I would really have to think long and hard before eventually coming to a sensible decision and seeing that they cannot waste an opportunity for a great career just because of the colour of the shirt they are playing in.

Obviously, the Hull rivalry goes deeper than just the colour of the shirt but what if a player refuses to sign for the club that has first choice in the draft system should they offer him a contract?

Surely, they must have the legal right to turn down that contract?

Then what if they get offered a contract by the other club and accept that contract even though it’s not as good as the one originally offered but it is made by the team they have supported all of their life – how will that work? – how will that affect the relationship between the two clubs at senior level? - put simply you cannot force any player to sign a contract with a club he does not want to play for – an unhappy player is not going to play to the best of his ability at any age level.

This is where the problems will arise – players will turn down contracts because they do not want to play for the team that selects them.

The clubs need to clarify how this draft system will work because I can see it becoming a major stumbling block to what is, in theory, a good idea with the right intentions.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the rugby league supporting people of Hull are vehemently opposed to the merger and have already said that they will not support the merged teams which is totally unfair on the players as this move is nothing to do with them.

This is a brave move by the two clubs and I can see the rationale behind the decision and the only way the fans will totally accept it is if they start to see ELITE players coming through and representing BOTH clubs so that they start competing at the top end of the game on a regular basis – that isn’t going to happen overnight and it could be at least 5 years before we see this merger of the Academy systems making any difference to the recruitment policies of either club.

Fans are both fickle and impatient – will we have the patience to see this merger through in the long term?

SIX TO GO – CHALLENGE CUP, RETIRING LEGEND & HAPPIER WILDCATS

Welcome to the latest edition of Six to Go, looking at some of the things that have caught my eye over the past week or so.

1.         CHALLENGE CUP DELIGHTS 

What fantastic Challenge Cup action we had last weekend. Three of the four ties lived up to expectations, some fantastic tries were scored, the crowds were very healthy which brought some cracking atmosphere’s to the ties and the BBC totally outclassed Sky’s TV coverage thanks mainly to their use of relevant and current rugby league players of standing like Jon Wilkin, Jamie Peacock and Eorl Crabtree, their doffing of the cap to the history of the competition plus the brilliant innovation of the PlayerCam – first used by Jamie Peacock and this weekend highlighting Warrington Wolves enforcer Ashton Sims who came across as a really top man in his analysers role on Sunday afternoon.

Hull KR opened the cup weekend with a fantastic first half performance last Thursday night. They powered into a 24-0 lead after half an hour before having to hold off a stunning Catalans Dragons second half comeback, inspired by hooker Ian Henderson, to win the tie 32-26 and qualify for the semi-finals for the first time since 2006. Albert Kelly and Josh Mantellato were in great form for Rovers and winger Ken Sio’s opening try of the night was one of the try’s of the round.

On Friday night Hull FC entertained Leeds Rhinos in a game that should have been the pick of the round. It turned out to be a damp squib in more than one way. Friday was a beautiful sunny day in East Yorkshire but something had to give and the heavens literally split in two during the first half and the rain was torrential at times. The Rhinos handled the conditions more efficiently and professionally and took their opportunities when they came along without forcing them to come like Hull tried to do. Hull created opportunities but pushed passes too often and dropped far too much ball to compete against the Rhinos who won the game comfortably 24-6 thanks largely to the guiding hand of skipper Kevin Sinfield.

Saturday afternoon saw a cracking cup tie between Super League Warrington Wolves and promotion chasing Leigh Centurions. The lower league side have been criticised at times for their overly aggressive approach this season but on Saturday they let the quality of their rugby league do the talking. They put in a great performance before going down 34-24. Scrum half Ryan Brierley will surely be playing Super League rugby in 2016 even if Leigh aren’t. He is far too talented to be playing in the Championship and we can’t leave this match without mentioning the spectacular diving finish by Kevin Penney for his second half try – simply beautiful and brilliant.

St. Helens entertained Widnes Vikings in the final tie of the round on Sunday afternoon and finally managed to overcome a strong Vikings performance. The Saints were superbly led by Jon Wilkin and Adam Swift and Mark Percival were responsible for two of the tries of the round.

The draw for the semi-finals was made immediately after the Saints victory with St. Helens legend Paul Sculthorpe and former footballer Chris Kamara conducting the draw. My team, Hull KR, definitely got the draw I wanted them to have and will play Warrington Wolves with heavyweights St. Helens and Leeds Rhinos facing off in the other semi- final. The Saints v. Leeds semi-final will break new ground by being played on a Friday night, July 31^st, with an 8p.m. kick off at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and will be televised live on BBC2 whilst the Hull KR v. Warrington semi-final will be the following day at Headingley with a 1245p.m. kick off and will be televised live on BBC1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3sr05_ujCY - Hull KR v. Catalans Dragons match highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUXTToojUxo - Kevin Penny's amazing try v. Leigh Centurions

 

2.         SAINTS LEGEND

Paul Wellens

St.Helens legend Paul Wellens announced his retirement last week due to a longstanding hip injury which requires immediate surgery. Wellens has been lauded as the greatest full back of the Super League era and whether you agree with that opinion, expressed by Jamie Peacock amongst others, or not there is no doubt that he has served his club and country outstandingly well and will rightly go down as one of the best players ever to pull on a St. Helens shirt.

Statistics don’t tell the full story and even though a career that has consisted of 495 club games for his beloved Saints, 231 tries, two Lance Todd Tophy’s, the Harry Sunderland Trophy, the 2006 Man of Steel Award (making him only the third player to win all of these top individual honours), 4 selections for the mythical Super League Dream Team, 10 Grand Final appearances with 5 winners rings, 5 Challenge Cup winners medals, 2 World Club Challenge wins plus 20 appearances for Great Britain and 11 for England is hugely impressive the esteem with which Wellens is held within the game and the respect and affection that has been expressed towards him is even more impressive.

From my point of view as a fan, Wellens was never a player that you felt overly concerned about your team coming up against. He wasn’t the type of player that would rip a team apart from full back like Sam Tomkins can – his play was more intuitive – he would pop up in the right place at the right time to take a try scoring pass, his support play was second to none and he always seemed to know what was going to unfold in front of him before anyone else did.

Add in rock solid defence, the ability to read a break and track an attacking player down and make brilliant cover tackles, coolness under the high ball and later in his career the ability to lead a team to Grand Final glory against the odds from half back or loose forward and you have a player every fan and opponent respected.

Wellens was a player very much in the Paul Scholes mould who never courted publicity or controversy, was committed to the cause of his one and only club and his country, acted professionally at all times, demanded excellence, inspired the players around him and was a great role model for the next generation of professional rugby league players.

And that is why St. Helens and rugby league in general must ensure that Paul Wellens is given a role within the game that can inspire and mould the next generation, to show what can be done through sheer hard work, professionalism and the will to succeed. I am sure St. Helens will already have something lined up for him but it is also an opportunity for the RFL to use him as an ambassador and a mentor as well – such is the reputation of the man throughout the game. All the best Paul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nVcNlbnscE - Paul Wellens Tribute

3.         FORAN STICKS WITH EELS 

Kieran Foran

Hot on the heels of the DCE saga at Manly has come the Kieran Foran saga as it appears that his fellow half back had become concerned about the situation at Parramatta and was looking for a way out of the 4 year multi-million dollar contract he had agreed with the Eels.

Foran couldn’t use the Round 13 clause as DCE did to backflip on his deal with Gold Coast as that deadline has gone and his contract has been registered with the NRL. What appeared to be the main cause of concern was the fact that the Eels were attempting to change some of the terms and conditions of the contract as it seems that there recently departed CEO Scott Seward did not rubber stamp the full contract with the clubs board.

It has transpired that Foran’s management company insisted, after negotiations had already been completed, that an additional clause be inserted. Put simply, it was a A$1 million get out clause that could be triggered should the Coach or CEO suddenly leave the club.

Seward was so desperate to get this big contract signed, sealed and delivered that he accepted the clause – but it appears that he did not tell his board of directors and this has only just come to light since Seward’s recent resignation which set the nerves jittering in the Foran camp.

This has led to tonnes of speculation along the lines of the DCE situation, re-negotiation of Foran’s contract with the Eels and other clubs – including his current club Manly – keeping an eye on the situation in the hope that the deal fell through.

One of the main reasons that Foran signed the deal with the Eels is his relationship with Head Coach Brad Arthur, a former assistant coach at Manly, who Foran gives a huge amount of credit too for making him the player he is. It is also pretty obvious that Foran has some integrity and didn’t just want to walk away from the deal as he probably could have done.

Instead he has given the Eels the opportunity to re-negotiate the contract and has today accepted a shorter 2 year deal with an option for a 3^rd and 4^th year should he be happy at the Eels. The A$1 million clause has been removed with a new clause inserted that gives Foran the opportunity to leave the club should Brad Arthur lose his job – which most Eels fans will think is highly likely within the original time frame of Foran’s contract – and seems to act more as a buffer for Arthur than a positive for Foran.

Sticking with Manly, as well as losing their 2 star playmakers for next season it looks like they are going to lose some other players as well. Luke Burgess – just one year into a 2 year contract – Feleti Mateo and Willie Mason are reported to be on their way out of the Sydney club.

This is not the decision of Head Coach Geoff Toovey – it appears to be the decision of the new Head Coach Trent Barratt who is expected to take over from Toovey from 2016 and beyond. Now this decision will not go down too well on the Northern beaches of Sydney as Manly fans are very insular and expect their club to be the same – basically they do not like outsiders coaching their club. It has not worked well in the past and all of the Sea Eagles success has come with coaches who have Manly in their blood.

Of the 10 coaches to guide Manly since their inaugural premiership in 1972, eight have played for the club on Grand Final day and the two outsiders, Graham Lowe and Peter Sharp, did not deliver a title. Trent Barratt needs to think long and hard about this decision - as do the Manly board - Toovey is a club legend and it will come across as a harsh decision should he be removed from his position. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2mHxwRg3oI - Kieran Foran highlights

4.         NO TO THE CROCODILE ROLL

I have mentioned frequently in this column my dislike of the cannonball tackle. Now there seems to be a new tackle in vogue that is just as dangerous and has been very prevalent over the last 3 weekends in particular – the ‘’crocodile roll’’.

This is where a player has hold of an opponent’s lower leg in the tackle and then twists the bottom half of the tackled players leg – causing or potentially causing serious injury to the tackled players ankle / achilles / knee or any combination of the aforementioned.

You may remember that Isaac Luke tried this tackle on Rangi Chase during the last England v. New Zealand Test Series back in 2011. Luke and Chase are cousins and the Kiwi international admitted that he wanted to break Chase’s leg because of his cousin’s switch of allegiance from New Zealand to England. Luke apologised but copped a 2 game ban for his cowardly actions.

It seemed to have been outgunned by the cannonball tackle but the crocodile roll now appears to have made a comeback. Last week Rochdale Hornets forward Tony Suffolk received a 10 match ban for a tackle on North Wales Crusaders player Alex Thompson. This was the worst case of this tackle I have seen and there is no doubt in my mind that Suffolk took his actions deliberately with the intent of injuring the opposition player. It was a despicable act and I would have given him a longer ban – I hope his club have the guts to serve up their own punishment as well.

The tackle now seems to have crept in at the highest level. Hull FC’s Marc Sneyd was given a 2 match ban last week for a tackle on Leeds Rhino’s half back Danny McGuire. Hull FC fans reacted in fury at the tackle on Social Media and where scathing of the Leeds Rhinos and McGuire in particular. Having seen the tackle I think the ban is justifiable. Sneyd’s twist had nowhere near the maliciousness and intent of Suffolk’s but he definitely held on too long and there was an unnecessary twist of the leg in my opinion.

Sneyd was originally charged with a Grade C contact offence which carries a ban of 3-5 games – this was downgraded by the RFL Disciplinary Committee and Sneyd was banned for 2 matches. Hull fans reacted in fury again later in the week when McGuire was named in the Rhinos squad for the Challenge Cup quarter final tie at the KC Stadium between the same two clubs.The fact he was selected for the squad appears to indicate he was fit and had been cheating – the fact is he did not play and even if he was fit to do so that does not make Sneyd’s actions any less punishable.

St. Helens forward Joe Greenwood was this week up on exactly the same charge as Sneyd for a tackle he made on Widnes Vikings captain Kevin Brown in last weekend’s Challenge Cup quarter final tie. Brown had already injured his ankle earlier in the match when he went into the tackle with Greenwood who then appeared to twist his lower leg before releasing him.

Brown was fully aware of what Greenwood did and gave him ‘’the look’’ that players do when they know something untoward has been done. Brown carried on but has now been ruled out for 6 weeks with ankle ligament damage – and whilst I am not saying that Greenwood’s tackle caused this, I am certain it did not help.

The fact that Greenwood was found not guilty of the charge concerns me – I expected him to receive the same ban as Sneyd – and it seems clear that the RFL will not be cracking down on this type of tackle, just as they haven’t done anything about the cannonball but I would hope that the game itself i.e. the coaches and / or players will have a word with each other and stop this kind of thing happening in what is already one of the toughest and most physical of sports.

5.         WILDCATS ON THE UP

Belle Vue

What a week it has been for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

They sign New Zealand international full back Kevin Locke on a contract until the end of the season, make 3 more signings, give 6 months notice of their intention to leave Belle Vue to their landlords, the Royal Bank of Ireland, and win their first league game since February with a 26-16 defeat of Hull FC – ending a 16 game losing run in Super League.

Locke has been touted as Wakefield’s modern day answer to Wally Lewis – one of the games true legends who had a short spell at Belle Vue in the mid 80’s and made a huge impact. Now, Locke is nowhere near the quality of Lewis but he is an excellent player, when fit and happy, and has the ability to make a huge impact on the Wildcats 2015 season and ensure that they are playing Super League in 2016.

He proved that immediately with a man of the match performance against Hull FC on Wednesday night which helped the Wildcats recover from a 16-0 deficit to record an amazing 26-16 victory – their first under new Head Coach Brian Smith who has brought a much improved work ethic and increased the professionalism of the players, the training and the club.

The main question at the moment is whether Wakefield, should they be in Super League or the Championship next season, will be playing at Belle Vue next year.

Chairman Michael Carter last week gave 6 months notice of their intention to vacate Belle Vue to the grounds owners, the Royal Bank of Ireland. Carter insists that the rent they currently pay is too high which makes it unviable for the Wildcats to remain at their spiritual home. The only way they will be able to continue playing at the ground that has been their home for 120 years is if the rent is lowered considerably.

Basically, Carter has tried to force the landlord’s hand and has given them, and the local council, 6 months to decide if they want to keep a rugby league club in the WF post code.

If a deal does not materialise then Carter has lined up Barnsley FC’s Oakwell ground as their new home from 2016. No-one wants to see the Wildcats leave Belle Vue – only to a new stadium with a WF post code and recent developments on that front have not been encouraging. However, I do predict that the Wildcats WILL be playing Super League rugby in 2016 – hopefully, at Belle Vue. 

6.         BITS AND PIECES

I have written previously about the impact that unwanted Parramatta Eels half back Chris Sandow would have on Super League and it appears that at least two clubs agree with me. Although Sandow would like to stay in the NRL it appears that his option swill be limited and he may have to look to England to pursue his career. Apparently Hull KR have made him an offer – which I find hard to believe because they have no quota space available for next year at the moment – and it seems Warrington Wolves maybe lining up a 2 year contract offer now that they have been rebuffed by long term Marquee target Cooper Cronk who will stay at Melbourne Storm.

St. Helens have signed utility back Adam Quinlan from Parramatta Eels. Quinlan is an unknown package and has not played first grade for the Eels this year and made only 25 NRL appearances for his former club St. George Illawarra Dragons. He will be over in the UK in the next two weeks and will fill the injury plagued full back slot for the Saints after Shannon McDonnell was recently ruled out for the rest of the season. McDonnell was brought in as cover for Jonny Lomax, also out for the rest of the season, and now club legend Paul Wellens has retired.

                Melbourne Storm stalwart Ryan Hinchcliffe has signed a 3 year contract with Huddersfield Giants.

Pat Richards has been linked with a move back to Super League with Catalans Dragons the most likely destination.

                Junior Sau and George Griffin have signed 2 year contract extensions at Salford Red Devils.

Jake Webster is rumoured to be leaving Castleford Tigers ta the end of the year. Webster is currently playing some superb rugby league for the Tigers and has been linked with a move to Salford Red Devils and former club Hull KR – however Rovers coach Chris Chester has said that won’t be happening.

Prop forward Mitchell Garbutt has left the Brisbane Broncos to join Leeds Rhinos with immediate effect. He has signed a 2 ½ year contract and will be available to play against St. Helens this weekend if selected.

Last week Warrington back Chris Bridge was rumoured to be interesting Wigan Warriors for 2016 and beyond. This week he is being linked to Widnes Vikings. Bridge is a quality centre or half back and I cannot understand why the Wolves would let him go.

Hull Kingston Rovers have offered a new contract to long serving centre Kris Welham. The former Myton Warriors junior looked like he was on is way out of the club before the season started. He had a couple of poor seasons in 2013 and 2014 were injuries affected his form and confidence. He lost his coveted no. 3 jersey this year and instead was handed no. 19 as his squad number. However Chirs Chester gave Welham an opportunity to prove himself in pre-season and, to put it simply he has been outstanding in 2015 and fully deserves a new contract. Rovers have also extended the contract of unheralded French hooker John Boudebza who has been absolutely brilliant all season and has really stood up and been counted in the last 2 months since Shan Lunt has been injured.

Former Wakefield Wildcats coach James Webster has been linked with a move back to former club Parramatta Eels as assistant coach.

Gold Coast Titans former Australia international Dave Taylor, a supposed target for Salford Red Devils two weeks ago, looks more likely to be heading to Japanese Rugby Union. There seems to be no interest from other NRL clubs.

Leeds Rhinos full back Zak Hardaker has signed a new 4 year contract with the club that will keep him at Headingley until the end of the 2019 season.

St. Helens monster Mose Masoe has now confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the year and take up a 2 year contract with St. George Illawarra Dragons.

Hull Kingston Rovers have apparently been offered the services of half back / hooker Josh McCrone by Canberra Raiders to cover for injured skipper Terry Campese. Campese is out for the year with a knee injury and McCrone filled in for him in similar circumstances at the Raiders in 2011. Rovers and the Raiders have built up a good relationship in the last year with Josh Hodgson impressing in the Aussie capital and Campese and long serving prop Dane Tilse coming over to the UK. I’m not sure the McCrone deal will come off as former London Bronco Josh Drinkwater is still being linked with the club but the incumbent pair of Maurice Blair and Albert Kelly have been outstanding and have inspired Rovers to 4 wins in a row.

               A bit of extra time thinking…

What a great win for Featherstone Rovers at Bradford Bulls Odsal Stadium (or Friends Provident or whatever) on Wednesday night. The stunning 37-18 victory has put a real spanner in the works with regards to the Bulls title challenge and ended their run of 17 straight league wins. They still head Leigh Centurions by 2 points but the Centurions now have 2 games in hand and have a superior points difference. The downside of the night was that it appears Leigh’s Director of Rugby, Derek Beaumont, was refused a ticket to the game whilst Head Coach Paul Rowley was allowed to attend.

Daly Cherry Evans may have a bumper new contract in his back pocket from Manly Sea Eagles but that didn’t guarantee him a spot in the Queensland squad for the State if Origin decider. Evans stood in for the injured Cooper Cronk in the game 2 loss and has now been dumped from the squad totally as coach Mal Meninga relies on the experience of Cronk to help his state regain the SOO shield.

Sad news last week that Leeds Rhinos brilliant Liam Sutcliffe is out for the rest of the season after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Hull FC in their league game 2 weeks ago. Young Warrington Wolves forward James Laithwaite also suffered a season ending spiral frature of the fibula in the Challenge Cup quarter final victory over Leigh Centurions at the weekend.

Have a look at the Steve Matai hit on South Sydney Rabbitohs forwsrd David Tyrrell from last weekend. BOOM!!!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqa5manj5Ow

Castleford Tigers tank on the flank Justin Carney wants to play for England. Personally, I would say no. Whilst he is certainly good enough, at the end of the day he is an Australian and we should be playing our own born and bred players. Can someone else tell him though please because I’m not going near him.

You can follow me on Twitter @sharpster69