Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Here we go then!

(Feel free to PM me if you need a link for, er, 'live updates'.)

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Kevchenko wrote: Yorkshire Post has ranked the 12 Super League teams, predicting a weaker season for Huddersfield and better ones for Cas and HFC.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/super-league-power-rankings-leeds-rhinos-remain-team-to-beat-wakefield-to-rise-but-hull-kr-to-fall-1-7708971

Forty 20 magazine has gone with:

1 Saints
2 Leeds
3 Warrington
4 Wigan
5 Cas
6 Catalans
7 Hull
8 Huddersfield
9 KR
10 Salford
11 Widnes
12 Wakefield

Tight, tense stuff in the opener, Sandow opening the scoring for Warrington just as I started typing that sentence.

Meanwhile on the international stage, the RLIF have announced (for the purposes of starting the bidding process, so people know what they are bidding for), that the 2021 World Cup will feature 16 teams, in a 4x4 format.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Rearguard action from Warrington for long periods, surviving a couple of opportunities where Leeds got the ball over the line but couldn't get it down.

So, naturally, Sandow has just scored the first try of the 2016 season for Warrington.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Walt Flanagans Dog wrote:
Meanwhile on the international stage, the RLIF have announced (for the purposes of starting the bidding process, so people know what they are bidding for), that the 2021 World Cup will feature 16 teams, in a 4x4 format.

Excellent, a nice easy format to follow! Presumably this one will be back in England, or England plus a little help from some neighbours?

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Singleton opened Leeds' account for the season. Hardaker, now on kicking duties, drew them level. Ryan Hall gets his first of the season to pull Rhinos ahead but Hardaker draws his second kick wide.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Kevchenko wrote:
Excellent, a nice easy format to follow! Presumably this one will be back in England, or England plus a little help from some neighbours?

Yep likely to be similar to 2013, ie mainly in England but with games in France and Wales, and possibly Scotland and Ireland. 2013 was a relatively big success and arguably got the tournament back on its feet after the hubris of 2000 and the tentative steps of 2008, so it's a decent platform to build from and many of the same people will still be around.

Having said that, this is RL we're talking about, we could still end up with it being played in empty stadia in the American Midwest, or the UAE, or some other half arsed idea that will set the game back for a decade - but they've also got the Confederations Cup or whatever it's called, for that sort of experimenting, so should play it safe with the World Cup.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Hardaker's kicking and the loss of Sinfield is going to be a real talking point I think.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Finishes Leeds 10-12 Warrington with Hardaker having missed a conversion and a penalty.

[Tony C]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Er, Go Wire.

[Tony C]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Kevchenko wrote: Hardaker's kicking and the loss of Sinfield is going to be a real talking point I think.

The only talk should be that if the wealthiest team in SL can´t replace a couple of retired players (They are still wailing over Peacock, too - oh, and apologies to Leeds Carnegie but you know what I mean) then it´s nobody´s fault but their own.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Quite. They looked a little lost in attack for all the territory they had. Obviously the two missed kicks (one of which was quite tricky) could have won the game. But a bit more intricacy in the final 20 yards (is 'red zone' a banned term in RL?) could have seen Leeds win it on tries.

Hardaker seems a resilient guy so I'm sure he can bounce back psychologically. But whether he actually has the kicking quality is another matter, and in tight games such as last night's, it really can make a difference.

Highlights are up:
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/rugby-league/10155796/leeds-10-12-warrington
So that's another chance to see Chris Sandow's brilliant contributions, scoring the first and setting up the second with a glorious kick.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Time for the annual 'how bad is Wigan's pitch?' post. The Conditions will top the table tonight if Sky's commentators are to be believed. At least the Wigan disallowed try conundrum gave them something different to talk about.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

It's a proper quagmire, isn't it?

Catalans making a decent fist of things though, for the side that 'doesn't travel well.'

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Some top swearing from what sounds like an eight year old after the Ryan Hall try in the highlights.

I was at Warrington v Leeds two seasons ago, and Leeds v Warrington last season. In both of these Sinfield was out and Hardaker was kicking. He missed everything in the first game, and over half in the second.

If you looked at Smith who was kicking for Wigan once Richards left, he struggled first but you got the impression it would come good.

Hardaker has had plenty of opportunities for kicking in the last few seasons, and has never looked convincing, certainly when the pressure was on. Last night looked more of the same.

[Tony C]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Widnes Vikings open with a decent win at Wakefield. I am fully expecting a bottom four finish and the consequent end of season nerve shredder but hope springs eternal. Certainly beating other potential strugglers is essential if you are going to make any attempt to break into the top eight so this is a step in the right direction at least.

Apparently new boys Sa, Bridge and Farrell showed up well which is encouraging.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Link

League Express reporting the following for the Four Nations venues:

Anfield secured for the final on 19 November, but 'some RFL directors' are moving that it should be at Wigan.

Double header (Aus v NZ and England v Scotland) in the second week, at the Ricoh in Coventry.

Games in London (thought to be Olympic Stadium) and Scotland (Scotstoun ruled out because it has synthetic pitch).

The other (two) games at 'traditional Northern' venues.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Salford 12-0 up on Saints in about ten minutes, surprisingly. Should be interesting to see how Saints react.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Oh boy. Make that 18-0 in 12 mins. Saints getting a rollocking from their coaches.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Unreal. Salford are an attacking maelstrom here, opening up one of the preseason Super League favourites at will.

HT 32-6. Wowsers.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

This is glorious stuff from Salford, and it finishes 44-10. The handling has been exemplary tonight, can hardly remember a knock on from either side with the passing fast and slick.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Lots for Saints to worry about over the next week, they play Sydney Roosters a week tomorrow and if Salford can do that to them, I fear the worst.

Still on the other hand, I did say it would be nice to expand the number of competitive teams at the top end....

First game of the year for me at the weekend, Cas v Wakefield on Sunday.

[Tony C]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Incredible result last night.

Widnes - Leeds this weekend with the visitors no doubt keen to erase last week´s home defeat by Wolves. Widnes won this fixture last sesaon, so you never know.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Gorgeous high pass from Ellis over for McGillvary to take on the wing and give Huddersfield the lead over Wigan. Ellis then gets the goal from out wide for 6-0.

[Kevin S]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

Tony C wrote: Incredible result last night.

Widnes - Leeds this weekend with the visitors no doubt keen to erase last week´s home defeat by Wolves. Widnes won this fixture last sesaon, so you never know.

Hmmm

56-12 to Widnes, then. I can't see Leeds getting much out of North Queensland next week.

Interesting start to the season already. Hull FC are, I think, going to have a good one.

[Tony C]

Play the ball again Sam - Rugby League 2016

I'm currently having a little lie down.