Rugby League

[koi]

I'm watching Wigan through my fingers at the moment. It's the stuff of nightmares. If we don't drastically improve over the next week Leeds will tear us a new one next Friday.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yeah, signed in 93 I think, played many times with Skerrett. Martin Dermott had problems with his elbow and we had no cover (I even think Jason Robinson was tried at hooker) so Hall was signed after impressing against Wigan, went on to be starting hooker, was instrumental in the grand slam of 94-95 and played well in the victory against Brisbane in the WCC.

I've just watched the vid on YouTube, camerman manages to miss the punch but you can clearly see he's well and truly sparked out, he must have punched from a short distance too. I notice some of the Rochdale speccies giving him some grief has he goes down the tunnel!

I remember being stood just where the speccies are giving Skerrett some grief one day. We were playing Keigthly and the two Fairbank brothers were punching every Hornets player in sight. Eventually the ref lost patience with them and sent one of them off. He was walking off just like Skerrett with the fans stood by the railings slagging him off.

One of the speccies was a young workmate of mine. He was really giving it large to Fairbank from what he assumed was a safe height behind the railings. All of a sudden Fairbank ran up to the railing and leapt about 8ft off the ground and grabbed hold of the railings to come face to face my young pal. He absolutely @#/? himself and ran away through the crowd ! It was really funny and I never let him live that down.

Martin was a good player for Hornets and an excellent coach later on. We played some great rugby while he was at Hornets. He brought Danny Sculthorpe to the club and he was brilliant for Hornets, he never reached his real potential mainly due to illness and injury.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just watched the England v Scotland kick and clap game in the pub. How bad are England ? Their decision making is atrocious. They invent new ways to bomb tries every time I see them. When you pass the ball that far forward even a rugby union official thinks it's forward then you've got to be a moron.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Cracking game today, not in the sense of a classic, but a good old fashioned game of Rugby League with both sets of players giving their all. Everyone (players) out on their feet at the end and there will be some very sore bodies in the morning. Edge of the seat entertainment.

[Mike Graham]

Cracking game today, not in the sense of a classic, but a good old fashioned game of Rugby League with both sets of players giving their all. Everyone (players) out on their feet at the end and there will be some very sore bodies in the morning. Edge of the seat entertainment.

Brilliant game. Union is not even at the same level.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Wigan have been rather hit and miss lately but a great game on Thursday night against a very good Leeds side. Both sides had a sprinkling of players out injured. Took my mate who thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mentions for Matty Bowen who played well and also a good kicking game from Matty Smith who held his nerve at the death to give Wigan the win by two points.

I think Wigan fans have been a bit down due to our form, especially away from the DW, but when I look at our squad we are more than capable of beating anyone put before us.

The pack need to generally up the ante and carry on from their performance on Thursday and we won 't be far off.

[Gav]

Watched the St Helens game also, that was a cracker won by a drop goal in the last minute.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Bar Stuards! Didn't see it but seemed like a cracker as well.

How's life in the West Midlans GAV? Was it work that took you down there?

[ABBEY]

whats super 8 and how the heck does it work?

[Claytons Left Boot]

Prior to Super 8s each team has played 23 games, ie. each other team home and away plus the Magic Weekend fixture.

After the 23 games, the top 8 teams are therefore the ones in Super 8s. These teams then play each other with the points from the regular season being carried forward. Each team therefore plays 7 games, 4 at home and 3 away dependent upon where you finished in the table after your 23 games.

Once all the games have been played, the top four placings play semi finals (1v4 and 2v3) for a place in the Grand Final at Old Trafford. The winners at Old Trafford are the champions!

There are 12 teams in Super League. The bottom 4 teams at the 23 games stage then play in the Middle 8s, which follows a similar pattern to Super 8s, the other 4 teams being from the league below, the Championship. They play for a single place in the Super League.

[wolfie]

Not sure how Wigan lost that, brilliant game though...

[Claytons Left Boot]

Didn't see it woolfie as we're over in Greece at the moment. Sounded a good game and very close. I was keeping touch via the BBC sport app.

I am quietly confident regarding Wigan but it's a bit too close to call. If Huddersfield can beat Leeds next week, they will take some stopping but they've never really had that big game mentality. Wouldn't like to have to put money on it though.

[Baz]

Leeds secure the title with some very favourable refereeing decisions in the last 10 minutes of their game against Huddersfield.

Wigan Saints next weekend?

[cn174]

Leeds secure the title with some very favourable refereeing decisions in the last 10 minutes of their game against Huddersfield.

Wigan Saints next weekend?

No Wigan vs Huddersfield

Weird feeling. Wigan were ok in first half, pretty ace in the second half. With about 20 minutes to go the Wigan game was pretty much irrelivant, everyone just checking for the scores. Funny that now we've got all the internet in the world, but hardly anyone could get a signal and everyone was relying on phone calls and running down into the concourse where they were showing the Leeds game. Don't think I want to see the end of the Leeds game might make me annoyed.

But onwards and upwards. Wigan are in good form going into the playoffs so hopefully they can do it this year.

I must say I thought the Super8s were a bit of a weird concept at the start of the season, but they've certainly made the end of the season a bit more than the procession it has been in recent years.

[cn174]

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/live/match/44136/report#ooid=syYWhxdzp2e2sHl0EC1PwTz_YwZDMhUc

What pathetic defending for that last Leeds try!!!

[Claytons Left Boot]

Superb Wigan second half performance tonight Clare and yes the Super8s have been a great success. I think, on balance, I would prefer to play Huddersfield rather than Saints in the semi. Not taking anything away from Huddersfield (they keep getting nearer) but derbies are hard to predict. Anyway, you just have to play whoever are put before you. We are the form team at the moment but it'll be a close 'un.

[Baz]

No Wigan vs Huddersfield

Weird feeling. Wigan were ok in first half, pretty ace in the second half. With about 20 minutes to go the Wigan game was pretty much irrelivant, everyone just checking for the scores. Funny that now we've got all the internet in the world, but hardly anyone could get a signal and everyone was relying on phone calls and running down into the concourse where they were showing the Leeds game. Don't think I want to see the end of the Leeds game might make me annoyed.

But onwards and upwards. Wigan are in good form going into the playoffs so hopefully they can do it this year.

I must say I thought the Super8s were a bit of a weird concept at the start of the season, but they've certainly made the end of the season a bit more than the procession it has been in recent years.

I think Wigan Huddersfield is a better tie for Wigan to be honest, takes the derby randomness out of the game.

Leeds where pretty poor for most of the game and picked up a couple of knee joint injuries too, which are the type that may struggle to recover from.

As an outsider you have to think its Wigans to lose at this point in time, but I can see Saints defence getting them past Leeds, which would make a pretty even call of a final.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Great game tonight and great atmosphere given the attendance was only 10k. Very clinical by Wigan who were dominant throughout. Made up for John Bateman (getting m.o.m), he never takes a backward step and is a real warrior. This will be my 5th Grand Final and I still haven't seen them win....yet.

[wolfie]

Great game tonight and great atmosphere given the attendance was only 10k. Very clinical by Wigan who were dominant throughout. Made up for John Bateman (getting m.o.m), he never takes a backward step and is a real warrior. This will be my 5th Grand Final and I still haven't seen them win....yet.

Watched the game on tv, CLB. Huddersfeild never had a look-in, hey.

What's with the attendance being so low? Not really followed League for years now (since it went to Sky)

Was very surprised to see only 10 thousand on.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Well, whilst I think the place should have been packed to the rafters, I suppose people have their own reasons including financial restraints. This game wasn't covered by your season ticket so season ticket holders had to pay. The Grand Final next week will be an expensive day out. Tonight's game was on a Thursday and Thursday games haven't gone down well generally by Rugby League supporters across the board. Sky dictate when games are played and the game was on TV. People at work the next day and so on. Roll on next Saturday and another day of food and drink in Manchester!

[cn174]

Thursday games are crap, probably being the main reason!

I was looking at the attendances for all teams the other day (cannot remember why) and every team without exception were missing 2-3,000 off the other game attendances. The big chunk of people who are missing are the groups of kids that come along.

But anyway I enjoyed it. Expected a bit of a harder game from Hudds, but they always fail in the play offs. Three or four times in the first half they had the advantage coming down our right hand side, they just needed to pass it off one more time and they'd have been in, but they were just being greedy and didn't. Our defence was strong all night.

We should give whoever is in the final a very good game....just hoping we keep 13 men on the pitch this time, might help our cause!

btw CLB I don't think you should come with that record Manchester is going to be pretty mental next Saturday - it is the Grand Final at OT and also England vs Uruguay at Man City!! I'm not sure how well the city is going to cope with such numbers, but we'll see!

Edited October 2, 2015 by cn174

[Claytons Left Boot]

btw CLB I don't think you should come with that record Manchester is going to be pretty mental next Saturday - it is the Grand Final at OT and also England vs Uruguay at Man City!! I'm not sure how well the city is going to cope with such numbers, but we'll see!

What do you mean, my middle name's Lucky!

Didn't realise England were playing. That will account for the stupid hotel prices. One we looked at wanted £800 for one night!

[cn174]

What do you mean, my middle name's Lucky!

Didn't realise England were playing. That will account for the stupid hotel prices. One we looked at wanted £800 for one night!

Stupid decision to have them both at the same time, but I guess the RFU gave them that one game as an option so they had to take it.

The most expensive tickets at the Grand Final are the same price as the cheapest tickets at the England game. Mental.

[Claytons Left Boot]

The most expensive tickets at the Grand Final are the same price as the cheapest tickets at the England game. Mental.

Ordered two £40 tickets yesterday dinner time, landed on the mat this morning. East stand behind the sticks.

[cn174]

Just watched the NRL Grand Final, just wow!!!

Brisbane defended the entire second half until Cowboys cracked them with 2 seconds to go. Thurston missed the conversion by hitting the post but then went and scored the golden point four minutes later. Amazing scenes!

Hope that the GF is as good next week but not quite as nerve wracking as that at the end!!!