Championship Round-up

Championship Round-up

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll return once again to my reviews of the top two divisions, firstly with the third part of my round up on the Kingston Press Championship.  Seven more rounds have come and gone and we’re already seeing where some teams will be playing in just a few weeks time.

HULL KINGSTON ROVERS

Round 12 – 1^st / 22 points

Round 19 – 1^st / 35 points

Who would have doubted that this side wouldn’t still be top of the pile at this stage of the season?  Tim Sheen’s side’s seventeenth victory of the campaign finally secured what everyone knew was an inevitability – their place in the end of season Qualifiers.

Whether they lay off a little now will remain to be seen but I doubt they will.  Form counts for everything in the Qualifiers – look at Leigh Centurions last season.  And having already beaten Leigh in the cup this year, Hull KR will be confident they can pull a few more upsets as the season draws to a close.

LONDON BRONCOS

Round 12 – 5^th / 16 points

Round 19 – 2^nd / 30 points

We’re finally beginning to see the Broncos form that most of us would have expected this season.  They’ve been doing so well lately that they are the form side in the competition having not dropped a point since defeat to Featherstone in Round 9.

An early Challenge Cup exit will have helped but it looked worrying for London fans after round 12 as they had just slipped out of the top four on point’s difference.  Now they look to be well on their way to joining KR in the Qualifiers.

FEATHERSTONE ROVERS

Round 12 – 3^rd / 18 points

Round 19 – 3^rd / 27 points

The Colliers have been flitting between third and fourth for the last few weeks but they still find themselves in third place thanks to four victories and a great home draw with Hull KR in the last seven rounds.

They have the claim to fame of being the last side outside of Super League to be competing in the Challenge Cup this season but they will be hoping they can remain in the top four untill the end of the regular campaign to meet the SL sides again.

TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE

Round 12 – 2^nd / 18 points

Round 19 – 4^th / 26 points

The French side have also been yo-yoing between second and fourth over the last few weeks.  Their early season form seems to have deserted them for the last couple of weeks as defeats to London and Dewsbury see them drop to fourth.

They still have a two point gap over Halifax but that could change in the next couple of games if they slip up to Oldham in Round 20 as the top-four rivals go head-to-head a week later.

HALIFAX RLFC

Round 12 – 4^th / 16 points

Round 19 – 5^th / 24 points

As I noted above Halifax are still in with a sniff of the top four and will be watching Toulouse, and Featherstone’s, results closely over the next few weeks as they wait to pounce on any slip ups by their rivals.

They are the only team currently outside of the top four who have any chance of making the Qualifiers so it’s going to be a big four weeks for all three sides.

BATLEY BULLDOGS

Round 12 – 6^th / 10 points

Round 19 – 6^th / 18 points

Mathematically Matt Diskin’s side can still finish in the top four but they will have to beat both Featherstone and London in their final four matches and pray other results go emphatically their way.

Chances are slim to nothing and stranger things have happened, but the best bet for the Bulldogs would be to concentrate on having a good Shield run, get to the final and try and win it.

SHEFFIELD EAGLES

Round 12 – 7^th / 10 points

Round 19 – 7^th / 16 points

Another side that is playing for pride at this stage of the season is Sheffield Eagles.  Unfortunately any hopes of them reaching the Qualifiers for the second time in three years were dashed early on.

With just eight wins from 19 matches it’s been another season of struggle for the once great South Yorkshire side and now they’ll concentrate on maintaining their position in what is effectively third place in the Championship Shield.

ROCHDALE HORNETS

Round 12 – 9^th / 7 points

Round 19 – 8^th / 11 points

In what started as a season of real promise for last year’s League 1 Champions, their Summer Bash victory over local rivals Oldham put a stop to a nine game winless run.  Ironically, the last game they didn’t lose was a 26-all draw at home to the same opponents in Round 6.

Their only other victory in the last seven matches was a home win over struggling Bradford Bulls so they now find themselves at the top end of a relegation battle.

SWINTON LIONS

Round 12 – 10^th / 4 points

Round 19 – 9^th / 10 points

Just behind the Hornets are Swinton Lions who have enjoyed a relatively good run in this latest quarter thanks to three victories from their last seven matches.  Two of those coming against Qualifiers contenders, Toulouse and Halifax!

Their other victory came against Oldham, who they have now leapfrogged and look to be on the right track to avoid relegation.  It will be a difficult last few games though as they come up against Sheffield (A), Rochdale (A), Dewsbury (H), and Bradford (A) before the split.

DEWSBURY RAMS

Round 12 – 11^th / 2 points (from 11 matches)

Round 19 – 10^th / 10 points

The Rams seem to be a completely different team from two months ago.  Having collected just one win in their first thirteen games a second victory over Batley Bulldogs in four weeks following their Challenge Cup triumph, has seem them find winning ways again.

Their Round 5 rearranged match with Oldham was played in midweek last week, which they won, and coupled with a shock victory over Toulouse they have jumped out of the relegation zone for the first time this year.

OLDHAM ROUGHYEDS

Round 12 – 8^th / 9 points (from 11 matches)

Round 19 – 11th / 9 points

Unfortunately for Oldham, the point’s for total speaks for itself.  What’s worse for Scott Naylor and his side is that they’ve had to play eight games in that time and have been unable to gain a single point from any of them.

With games against Toulouse and Featherstone coming up followed by a trip to Sheffield and the visit of local rivals Rochdale it doesn’t look to get any easier for them.

BRADFORD BULLS

Round 12 – 12^th / -2 points

Round 19 – 12^th / 0 points

It’s only taken them 19 rounds but they’ve finally done it!  They have reached the promised land of zero points in the all-important last column on the right.  Unfortunatly, I think it may have come too late as the teams outside the relegation zone are at least ten points ahead.

That’s five victories from their last eleven matches (including Shield matches) that they need and hope two of three sides above them lose every game just to get level.  The fact it’s taken them since Round 9 to get two further points proves that they are certain to face the drop.

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Road to Wembley - Quarter Finals

Road to Wembley - Quarter Finals

After an age of waiting for it to return the Challenge Cup came upon us after a five week hiatus.  It was back to Yorkshire for me and the same venue where Leeds Rhinos comfortably overcame the last League 1 side in the competition, Barrow Raiders.

The draw had been especially kind to the Rhinos this year as they were drawn against the lowest ranked side in the competition yet again, this time the opponents were Featherstone Rovers of the Championship.

This would be my first Friday night game of the season so it meant leaving for Leeds straight after finishing work in Bolton.  I’d pre-bought and printed my snazzy online ticket a day or two before and was so determined not to leave it at home that Friday morning that I became a bit possessive of it and always kept it in sight of me or locked in my car.  As I was driving to Leeds I came to the realisation that if I had misplaced it I could simply just print another, so all would not have been lost!

I was travelling on my lonesome to the game so was pretty eager to make sure I set off right on 5pm in order to get through any busy traffic across the Pennines.  It turned out that the traffic was pretty light so I enjoyed a nice drive across the M62 without suffering any dramas in just over an hour.

I took advantage of the £5 parking in Car Park F at Headingley and was early enough to chill out in my car, eat my butties that I’d made for my tea (ham, tomato and cucumber with mayonnaise if you’re wondering) before heading into the ground about 7:15.

As I walked towards the entrance to the South Stand I passed an old gentleman selling programmes as well as other Leeds Rhinos-based merchandise.  He was sat behind a small table which also had quite a few copies of Rugby League World, which I also purchased, and the odd hard-backed book.  There was even a book on Kevin Sinfield, I think some sort of autobiography, which was on sale for a staggeringly low £2.50!  Then again, it did look second hand.  Probably his own and selling it on.

I paid for my programme and magazine and I was given my change with a hearty “There you go John”, to which I chuckled to myself as I’d not given him my name ... and my name isn’t John!  He realised what he’d done, apologised, I gave him my real name and we had a laugh about it.

Not really knowing where to go once I’d got into the stand I found the nearest bar, approximately ten steps away, and bought myself a pint.  Most fans were buying those big two-pinters which some grounds offer but I thought I’d be sensible and just leave it at one.

Trying to juggle two magazines and my pint whilst trying to put my phone in my pocket I precariously made my way up the top of the South Stand and found a handy spot to lean against a bar and flick through the programme.  As I was flicking I noticed Brian McDermott’s column which said he was happy to have drawn Featherstone in this round and didn’t feel they have had an easy time of it so far as his side seemed to have always drawn Super League opposition in the Challenge Cup in the time he’s been in charge.  I still think they’ve had it easy!

As I was sat there two blokes carrying a trumpet and trombone between them came marching up the steps towards me.  Surprise, surprise, I’d picked the exact spot right in front of where they’d normally stand so I quickly supped up, went to the loo and came back to find a less intimidating spot where I wouldn’t be surrounded by hard-core Leeds fans.

There were plenty of Rovers supporters in attendance as well but they had nothing to shout about early on as Leeds showed total dominance from kick off.  It took just 15 minutes for the score to reach 18-0 and from then on you just knew it would be damage limitations for Featherstone.

Featherstone pulled it together after that and enjoyed a decent defensive spell which meant Rhinos’ next try didn’t come until just before the break.  Before that Danny McGuire had a try disallowed for a double movement but Leeds were in complete control at the break with a 22-0 score line.

Rovers had the worst possible start to the second half when they had a man sent to the bin within three minutes and Leeds took full advantage with three more converted tries to soon bring the score to 40-0.

There was never any way back for the visiting side so their supporters decided to enjoy the atmosphere and have their own West Stand party.  All this while Leeds continued to assert their dominance on a game where Featherstone rarely got a sniff of the Rhino’s try line.

Three further tries made the final score 58-0 to the Super League side but the game was to end in controversy.  The West Stand threatened to boil over when the video referee went against the on-field referee and disallow Josh Hardcastle’s try an alleged knock on.  It looked harsh to me and most of the Leeds fans around me and when the decision showed up on the big screen it looked like a gallon of beer was thrown into the air in anger and with that they became surrounded by stewards.

Soon after that the game was over.  Leeds had managed to keep their line intact and it was time for me to head home.  As it was on the way there the traffic was light and I made it home and into bed in no time at all.

So, after easily overcoming Doncaster, Barrow then Featherstone, the Rhinos will finally have much tougher opposition in the Semi Finals where they meet the holders Hull FC.

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League 1 Round-up

League 1 Round-up

It’s been a full two months since my last League 1 update and an awful lot has happened.  There’s only been five more rounds played in those eight weeks or so, but we’ve had the culmination of the League 1 Cup, Barrow’s run to the Challenge Cup last 16 and Toronto’s first ever home games in Canada.

Let’s take a look at how the league is panning out now we’re two-thirds through the regular season campaign.

TORONTO WOLFPACK

Round 5 – 1^st / 10 points

Round 10 – 1^st / 20 points

If the Wolfpack weren’t already odds on favourites to win this division then they certainly are now!  Maximum points from all ten league games has now given the Canadian side a two point cushion over their rivals at the top of the pile.

Bouyed by their first ever home games against Oxford, Barrow and Coventry over the last five rounds they have sailed to even more convincing victories than in the earlier rounds – the highlight for Paul Rowley no doubt being the 70-2 drubbing they handed an under-strength Raiders side in Round 8.

Expect more of the same from this team in their remaining five regular season matches.

WHITEHAVEN

Round 5 – 5^th / 6 points (from 4 games)

Round 10 – 2^nd / 18 points

The West Cumbrian’s have quietly gone about their business over the last few weeks and now find themselves in second place after last weekend’s fixtures.

Having played their game in hand the same weekend as the League 1 Cup finals, they’ve won all six of their games since Round 5 and look good for their position.

However, they have a tough run in the final five matches which includes trips to York and North Wales along with home ties with Doncaster, Keighley and Barrow Raiders in Round 15.  All of which have ambitions of finishing as high as they can ahead of the split.

BARROW RAIDERS

Round 5 – 2^nd / 10 points

Round 10 – 3^rd / 17 points

Barrow have been by far the busiest of the 16 League 1 clubs over the last few weeks.  Where most clubs have been able to enjoy the odd week or two off playing a match, the Raiders have played nine matches in just eight weeks!

That amount of games has clearly taken its toll on Paul Crarey’s side who had to endure consecutive heavy 70+ point defeats to Leeds Rhinos and Toronto within six days of each other before geeing themselves up again for the League 1 Cup Final the following weekend.

Thankfully for Raiders fans they won that Final but their defence has suffered with big injury list, and the recent draw with Doncaster on Sunday has given their medical staff plenty more work to do.

YORK CITY KNIGHTS

Round 5 – 12^th / 4 points

Round 10 – 4^th / 14 points

The City Knights are by far the biggest movers over the last five rounds, most notably helped by winning all five of their league games in that time, and have risen eight places because of it.

Big wins over Gloucestershire, Coventry and Hunslet alongside victories over Newcastle and London have seen the sides results improve drastically from earlier in the season where they suffered consecutive defeats to North Wales and Oxford.

DONCASTER

Round 5 – 7^th / 6 points

Round 10 – 5^th / 14 points

Doncaster have improved slightly on their early season form and have enjoyed an unbeaten run which sees them jump a couple of places in the top five.

Two home draws over London and Barrow in that time will have disappointed their fans as they would consider themselves unlucky not to win one or both of those games but they will enjoy a week off next weekend.

A trip to Whitehaven awaits before a visit from Newcastle over the next few weeks and their postponed fixture with Oxford will also be played very soon.

WORKINGTON TOWN

Round 5 – 9^th / 4 points

Round 10 – 6^th / 10 points

Another side who struggled for early season form was Workington Town.  They managed to kick-start their season in Rounds 6 and 7 with comfortable victories over Hemel and South Wales but a reality check followed with defeat at fellow strugglers, Hunslet.

Another defeat at home to Doncaster saw them on the verge of dropping out of the top eight again but a narrow win away to North Wales periodically stemmed the tide.

Dave Clarke has admitted that this season won’t be the year they aim for promotion back to the Championship but missing out on the Super 8’s would be a major disappointment.

KEIGHLEY COUGARS

Round 5 – 4^th / 6 points

Round 10 – 7^th / 10 points

Keighley Cougars have struggled in this second third of the season to string any real results together, gaining just four more points and dropping three places over the last five rounds.

They gave Barrow an almighty scare mid-week in Round 7 losing a 100 point match by 16 points in the end but further defeats to Doncaster and Newcastle last weekend see the West Yorkshire side just inside the top eight on points difference.

HUNSLET

Round 5 – 3^rd / 6 points

Round 10 – 8^th / 10 points (from 11 games)

Keighley’s West Yorkshire rivals, Hunslet are just below them in eighth thanks to ten points collected from 11 matches.

After the disappointment of last season Hunslet would have been hoping for better this year but it hasn’t quite kicked on for them this term.  Six defeats, including a defeat away to Oxford and a heavy turnover at York last week, has meant they suffer the biggest drop in the middle third of the campaign.

It doesn’t get any easier either as after a week off next week, thanks to their Round 11 game being moved forward, they face a trip to Toronto and just three further matches to try and consolidate a top eight finish.

NEWCASTLE THUNDER

Round 5 – 8^th / 6 points

Round 10 – 9^th / 10 points

Thunder are a side that I tipped to break into the top eight this year but, unlike London Skolars last season, I haven’t been particularly overawed by them at this stage of the campaign.

However, they should be able to take advantage of Hunslet’s week off this weekend when they travel to Oxford as a win would move them as high as sixth depending on other results.  And having played Toronto already they have a relatively comfortable run of games remaining.

LONDON SKOLARS

Round 5 – 6^th / 6 points

Round 10 – 10^th / 9 points

Last season’s southern Super 8 finisher had another good start this year but have gone off the boil in the last five matches picking up just three points from a possible ten.

Since the draw in Round 6 Jermaine Coleman’s squad suffered three one sided defeats to traditional northern clubs in Whitehaven and York plus a defeat to North Wales but has since pulled a difficult period back with a win over Oxford last weekend.

Four more games against northern sides are up next for London so it may be a big ask to repeat their feat from last year.

OXFORD

Round 5 – 10^th / 4 points (from 4 games)

Round 10 – 11^th / 8 points (from 9 games)

Oxford have a difficult period of their own to come with games against Doncaster, Barrow and Keighley to come so will be targeting victories over Newcastle, Gloucestershire and North Wales to pick up a few more victories before the split.

It’s unlikely that Oxford will make the Super 8’s now but they are only two points behind eighth placed Hunslet with two games in hand.

NORTH WALES CRUSADERS

Round 5 – 13^th / 4 points

Round 10 – 12^th / 8 points

North Wales are on the edges of breaking into the top eight themselves but have to try and overturn a hefty minus point’s difference first.  Their next game is away to Barrow and they will want revenge for their defeat in the League 1 Cup Final.

But matches against South Wales, Oxford and Coventry will see the club push hard for a top eight finish at end of the season.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE ALL GOLDS

Round 5 – 11^th / 4 points

Round 10 – 13^th / 8 points

Moving into the bottom four, the All Gold’s are the last team on eight points but their points difference will probably decide their fate if they manage to gain more victories in the final third.

Those extra victories will more likely come from their next two matches against Hemel and Oxford as they end the third with away matches at Barrow and Toronto followed by a home game against Doncaster.

COVENTRY BEARS

Round 5 – 14^th / 2 points

Round 10 – 14^th / 4 points

Coventry ended up finishing eleventh at the end of last season and just missed out on the Shield Final but this year has been a real struggle for the Midlands club.

Only two wins from their first ten matches sees them embroiled in a fight to avoid the wooden spoon but the fact the bottom two both sit on zero points should mean Tom Tsang’s squad should comfortably avoid that fate.

SOUTH WALES IRONMEN

Round 5 – 15^th / 0 points

Round 10 – 15^th / 0 points

The Ironmen will be looking to Round 13 for what could be their only win of this regular season.  The match away to Hemel Stags is the crucial one for both sides as they aim to go into the League 1 Shield with a glimmer of hope.

However, if they can take some points from their next games against Coventry and North Wales it might just spark the start of a mini run.

HEMEL STAGS

Round 5 – 16^th / 0 points

Round 10 – 16^th / 0 points

What is there to say about Hemel Stages?  They took the wooden spoon at the end of last season with two wins all year but they did manage to claim a victory in the regular season but that doesn’t look to be repeated this time around.

Their home game in Round 13 with South Wales is their only real hope of snatching a victory before the league splits in two.

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Amateur Focus - Part 3

Amateur Focus - Part 3

Round 11 of the National Conference League took place last weekend and that means we’re now half way through the NCL campaign in two of the four divisions.  Barring the odd postponement and rearranged fixture, most clubs have played 11 games in their respective leagues.  Division One are still a round behind but all 12 clubs have played their ten prearranged games in that division.

We’re also starting to see some gaps appear at the top and bottom of each division now as the teams begin to find out what they will be playing for in the second half of the season.

PREMIER DIVISION

At the last update it was Thatto Heath Crusaders who sat top of the NCL after Round 6 thanks to six straight victories and were looking good for their position.  Since then they’ve suffered couple of defeats in consecutive weeks and now find themselves two points behind last year’s champions Siddal.

Siddal had a couple of games in hand at the time but have now almost caught up.  Having won ten out of ten games they are the first NCL club throughout all four divisions to reach double figures in the win column and have gone top of the division with a game in hand.

Wath Brow Hornets are the side in third, a full three points behind Crusaders but at the head of a chasing pack which includes West Cumbrian rivals Kells, who are level on 14 points with fifth placed West Hull, and Rochdale Mayfield who occupy the last play-off place with 13 points.

Myton Warriors seem to be stuck in the middle of nowhere at this stage.  But, currently in seventh place three points behind Mayfield (and four ahead of eighth placed Skirlaugh) these two sides will meet each other in Rochdale in Round 13 and if the positions remain the same after next weekend, this will be a must win game for the Warriors in their quest for a play-off spot.

As mentioned above, it’s the club from East Hull come next, sitting alone on six points, but are a point ahead of Wigan St Patricks and Leigh Miners Rangers, both separated by points difference on five points with the Miners just inside the relegation zone.

Egremont Rangers moved off the bottom of the Premier Division table with only their second victory of the season last weekend which meant Pilkington Recs prop up the table, both with four points.

DIVISION ONE

Moving on to the second tier it’s a two horse race at the top with both Underbank Rangers and Hunslet Club Parkside level on 18 points.  Rangers have the better points difference so top the table after Round 10.

The four teams in the play-off zone are separated by only three points.  Normanton Knights are leading that group with 15 points and a difference of +90.  Milford Marlins are going toe-to-toe with them so far with the same number of points but a slightly lower difference of +62.

Dropping down slightly, Lock Lane are in fifth place with 13 points and York Acorn occupy the final play-off place a point behind them.

There’s a full four point gap between Acorn and seventh placed Shaw Cross Sharks who look to be slowly slipping away from a play-off place already.  However, they still have a healthy points difference of +46 despite losing six of their ten games, so if they can win a few on the bounce over the next couple of months they should be right back in contention again.

The current bottom five look to be the ones fighting to avoid one of the three relegation spots this year.  Hull Dockers and Hunslet Warriors sit just above the drop zone with six points each with Ince Rose Bridge, Blackbrook and Featherstone Lions occupying the relegation spots as it stands with four, three and two points respectively.

Blackbrook’s three points came from their opening two games of the season and Featherstone only won their first game of the season last weekend.

DIVISION TWO

East Leeds sit at the top of Division 2 after 11 rounds.  They’ve won eight of their 11 matches so far and are currently enjoying a four game winning run.  Close behind them though, occupying the second automatic promotion spot, is Oulton Raiders who are a point behind thanks to seven wins and a draw.

Bradford Dudley Hill could be kicking themselves come the end of the season however as, after being deducted two points for fielding an ineligible player a few weeks ago, they sit in third place also on 15 points.  If they had avoided that oversight they would be top of the league as it stands with eight wins and a draw to their name.

Elsewhere in the play-off positions Crosfields and Thornhill Trojans are neck-and-neck on 14 points each, Crosfields enjoying the better point’s difference, and Wigan St Judes are lying in sixth.  Their 12 points have come from just nine games so have two games in hand over all the teams above them so expect them to climb up the ladder in the next few weeks.

Sitting just outside the play-offs on ten points each are Askam and Saddleworth Rangers respectively.  Both have only played ten matches and the Cumbrian’s superior point’s difference keeps them just above their Lancashire opponents.

There’s a full four point drop to ninth placed Leigh East.  They’ve won just three of their 11 games and are already looking to be in the thick of a relegation battle.  Joining them in that fight is the other South Cumbrian side in the division, Millom, who also have six points from 11 matches.

And currently occupying the relegation places at present are Drighlington, two points behind Leigh East and Millom and with a game in hand, and Salford City Roosters who are bottom with just one win in ten so far.  Of those two teams it’s most likely to be Drighlington who will have a realistic chance of survival come the end of the campaign.

DIVISION THREE

Finally West Bowling give Yorkshire a clean sweep of sides topping their respective divisions as they’ve climbed up Division 3 in recent weeks and, with a points difference of +193 and 16 points, they sit above second placed Stanningley who are level on points but have actually won more games – a record of 8-0-2, compared to West’s 7-2-2.

It’s a tight battle for the play-off spots at the moment though as four points separate third from eighth.  Rylands Sharks lead that group with 15, Dewsbury Moor Maroons and Eastmoor Dragons both have 14 (the Maroons having played a game more than those around them) Woolston Rovers and Gateshead Storm each have 12 points and eighth placed Barrow Island have amassed 11 points, but have played a game more than some of the clubs above them.

Clock Face Miners’ inability to remain consistent means they sit in ninth place with as many points after their ten games and will be watching Oldham St Annes closely over the coming weeks who are just behind them in tenth with eight points and a game in hand.

Waterhead Warriors and Stanley Rangers are locked on six points apiece but Waterhead’s far superior points difference gives them the cushion needed to take eleventh spot.

And in the bottom two spots we find Dewsbury Celtic, who were unlucky to lose by just a point to their cross-town rivals last Friday night, on four points and Elland with three, both having played 11 games so far.

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