Live Rugby League

[smokie36]

wass the score?? have u fallen off the bar stool??

Is Ray French having an epileptic fit? Game abandoned due to too much sunshine??

Help!!!

[StreetCowboy]

During the interval, Ray and Allan have digressed on to the quality of stadia, and their catering outlets

"You could bring your wife,or your grandfather, or anyone"

"Its not just this stadium, the stobart, but also the DW, Langtree Park, or the Halliwell Jones"

I'm pondering who I would like to bring to th Halliwell Jones. Certainly not Ray French's grandgfather, who must be a good age nowadays, and I'd have thought he might struggle with the steps to the upper ranks of the stands.

Unfortunately, the Lord Rodney is probably packed out on match days now. Was the King Zed on that street? I forget; its some years since I was drinking in the centre of Warrington... Anyway, the thread is streaming something marvelous no, by the way

The teams are back on the pitch; he nice lady in E42T has put a fan on to keep us cool

"...ooh - knock on Warrngton, Ray..." and dark clouds are coming over "but it can rain, it can hail, it can monsoon, and this pitch would still be playable" - what about if it comes down stairrods like it does here, Ray? And I am sure you are as unsurprised as I am, though probably not as disappointed, to hear that th. str.am is b.eaki.g u. aga.n

I guess perhaps there are too many people tuning in on the internet for the BBC Servers' output modules

Anyway, Chirs Reilly finishes from 30 metres out

Elsewhere, Huddersfield were 22-4 up against Leeds at half time

SC

Anbd Warrington are running away with this now - the stream has improved - and an error from the scrum by Widnes sees Warrington's Chris Hill score and Lee Briers stretches it to 34 - 10 ahead.

If it goes on like this much longer, Widnes may be struggling to get off the bottom of the table.

"That kick is appalling, Allan. What's the point of banging it so far down the pitch" (and out on the full...)

But I think Widnes will not be disheartened by their first season back in Superleague - 6 wins out of 27 games, including one win against the then-Challenge Cup Holders, and current League Leaders' Shield holders, Wigan.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Edinburgh Eagles travelled to Wetherby with a reduced suad, and fell 34 - 12 to Northampton Demons in the semi finals of the Harry Jepson Trophy - the same stage that they reached last year.

Well done, and better luck next year!

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Widnes score again for a third try, but its 40 - 14; Widnes can't make the conversion.

"Widnes working really hard in the face of some good, strong Warrington tackling"

Almost nine thousand people in the stadium to watrch the bottom team in the league against the second-top.

Edinburgh or Glasgow would be delighted with a crowd like that

David Solomona is given the last kick of the match, and he puts it over, to see Warrington go back up the Mersey 14 -52 winners over their neighbours. Welcome back to Superleageue, Widnes, and let's see what next season has to bring.

SC

[smokie36]

Widnes score again for a third try, but its 40 - 14; Widnes can't make the conversion.

"Widnes working really hard in the face of some good, strong Warrington tackling"

Almost nine thousand people in the stadium to watrch the bottom team in the league against the second-top.

Edinburgh or Glasgow would be delighted with a crowd like that

David Solomona is given the last kick of the match, and he puts it over, to see Warrington go back up the Mersey 14 -52 winners over their neighbours. Welcome back to Superleageue, Widnes, and let's see what next season has to bring.

SC

Yes and very welcome they are too!

[StreetCowboy]

wass the score?? have u fallen off the bar stool??

Is Ray French having an epileptic fit? Game abandoned due to too much sunshine??

Help!!!

Sorry, Smokie; I have my own post open for editing with the updates, so I miss any conversation... Not the climax to the season that I had hoped, but the Wigan St Helens and Slaford Wakefield games were better. Dismal turnout at Leigh for the Wakefield Salford game, though; they really are struggling for attendance. The Salford stadium is way out at Barton, near where the railway crosses the Ship Canal, I think.

Since I left Warrington, they've moved from Wilderspoole to the Halliwell Jones, Salford have a new stadium, so do Widnes, with their artificial pitch, and St Helens as well. I can see why Ray and Allen were so enthusiastic, but I'm not sure we should discount the Victorian value of grounds like Odsall, or, closer to home, Tynecastle.

SC

[David48]

My apologies for missing the three o clock kick-off games this evening; so I can't even comment on whether the loss of radio commentary coverage is permanent or not... I was in Sid's watching Andy Murray pick up his first gold medal...

Anyway, from the latest scores:

Castleford 12 - 40 Wakefield - David48 will be pleased

Huddersfield beat Catalans 36 - 18, so depending on Warrington's result against St Helens tomorrow, that could open up a bit of a gap between 2nd and 3rd.

Leeds beat Hull KR 25 - 24 in Hull; they're (Hull KR) still in 8th place, 3 points ahead of...

Bradford who beat Widnes to keep alive their hopes of a play-off place

All building up for the big match tomorrow. I think I'll go to bed early and get up early on Tuesday morning to catch the game on Astro.

SC

SC ... I humbly apologise ...

I just received the good news and tidings you bring.

[David48]

Two minutes to go, Sykes with the drop at goal, he kicks the goal and its Hull KR 30 - 31 Wakefield with 26 seconds to play

And that's the way it ends

SC

GREAT ... Wakefield scrape in by the thickness of a foreskin ... I hope that JT doesn't read these and that the 3rd Umpire aka ... any Mod sees that, while the descriptive adjective could be considered by some as poor taste, it is technically accurate.

But should the close margin wish to be described differently, shall we settle for the thickness of a rollie paper (smokie36 would be happy with that ... pun intended)

[David48]

Now I confused ...

The 'cup final' was a few weeks again ... but the competition is still alive?

Treat me a simpleton (which ain't difficult), so can someone, in 90 words or less (save your energy for the match call) the upshot of the season of what's left to play for?

[StreetCowboy]

There are three trophies to play for.

The League Leader's Shield, which, as its name suggests, goes to the team that has the most points (2 for a win, 1 for a draw) after the 27 games of the regular season.

The Challenge Cup, which starts in January with amateur teams, and higher ranked teams enter at eachround, until the Superleague teams join in the fourth round. Edinburgh Eagles' greatest triumph, arguably, was getting as far as the second round (might have been the first round proper, after the preliminary round). Anyway, the Cup Final is traditionally played at Wembley, though during the renovations, it travelled to Murrayfield and Cardiff Arms Park and the Milennium Stadium, I think (you can check that for yourself...). THe semi-finals are played at neutral venues.

Now, sit yourself on a swivel chair, as this will make your head spin...

After the 27 games of the league, the Superleague Play-offs commence for the top 8 teams.

5 v 8 and 6 v 7 in the Elimination Quarter Finals; the winners progress to the Quarter-Finals

1 v 4 and 2 v 3 in ther Qualifying Quarter Finals; the losers progress to the Quarter-Finals, the winners have a bye to the Semi Finals

The winners of the Qualifying Quarter Finals play the winners of the Quarter-Finals at neutral venues

The Grand Final is traditionally played at Old Trafford, being the biggest stadium between St Helens and Leeds. Even in the unlikely event it is not a St Helens - Leeds Grand Final, its still played at Old Trafford

St Helens have been in every Grand Final since 2006,when they beat Hull. In 2010, they lost to Wigan, but the other four years, it was Leeds that gave them their runners-up medals.

I hope that's clear; maybe I should PM it to Bonobo, as well... no, I'm sure he'll read it here soon enough.

SC

[David48]

The League Leader's Shield, which, as its name suggests, goes to the team that has the most points (2 for a win, 1 for a draw) after the 27 games of the regular season.

Yep, got that. Good to see that you still have a 'draw' as a 'result'.

We have the 'Golden Point' rule, so no drawn games unless you go past the extra time alloted without a side scoring.

That Challenge Cup seems a cracker ... I presume that it is FA Cup format insomuch that it's an elimination?

No need for the swivel chair for the Superleague Play-offs ... we have a similiar system here for the NRL.

Well explained though ...

So, I presume that Wakefield is still in the 'Superleague Play-offs' ?

What round are they up to?

Amazing stat about St Helens ... is that yours or smokies team? (please excuse my ignorance ... )

[smokie36]

I was at Old Trafford for the 2006 match. The pain!...the pain! We looked so good in the first half as well.......

[smokie36]

St Helens? No David....everyone hates them....even their own fans must be sick of winning this and that....

[David48]

St Helens? No David....everyone hates them....even their own fans must be sick of winning this and that....

So I'm a natural Wakefield fan (ironic because I've never seen them play).

Whose colours do you wear?

And SC?

[smokie36]

St Helens? No David....everyone hates them....even their own fans must be sick of winning this and that....

So I'm a natural Wakefield fan (ironic because I've never seen them play).

Whose colours do you wear?

And SC?

My team...

SC can speak for himself I'm sure....

[StreetCowboy]

I'm a Warrington fan; I hope that the notes on here are not so partisan as to make that embarrasingly obvious...

I think its a while since St Helens won anything better than a runners-up medal.

When I was younger, Wigan were hoovering everything up; Martin Offiah was their star amongst stars.

When I moved overseas, I lost track, until Dubai in 2009/10. I did get into international League, with Scotland qualifying for the World Cup in Australia in 2008 (I watched their qualifying match against Wales over the internet); I was very disappointed with the lack of TV coverage, and ended up following Scotland's first ever world cup match victory (over Fiji) following the BBC "Latest Scores" ticker in the Penalty Spot on Sukhumvit Road.

Last year Leeds became the first team to win the Grand Final from outside the top 4 at the end of the league. The play-offs start next week. Unfortunately they're all evening kick-offs - but Monday's a holiday! Ha Ha! I think they're all going to be on Astro, but not all live.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Right then, Ladies and Gentlemen

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

Warrington kick off at the Haliwell Jones. Remember last night Wigan gave Catalans a 46 - 6 thumping to seal their place in the Semi-Finals; Catalans get a second bite at progress next week.

"Oh Worry Worry. Worry Worry Worry Worry Warrington." The home fans seem nervous...

There;s no commentators on the TV coverage by the way - probably still enjoying a pint of Tetley's in the Lord Rodney.

Less than two minutes on the clock, and the video referee's been called to adjudicate - St Helens breathe a sigh of relief as they take a 20 metre restart

The match is being played at 100 mph... Warrington knock on their own 30 m line, and St Helens have their best attacking opportunity in the first nine minutes. But Warrigton's goal line defence holds up...and St Helens are penalised for not playing the ball with their feet.... no it's Adrian Morley's turn to knock on and concede a scrum 30 mrtres out. But Warrington force a turn over and they're off - as far as the next turnover, and another... and now Lee Briers knocks on.

Sorry - I'm only catching half of this. It really is frantic stuff. I've not even had time to crack a can of tiger...

That was never ten yards, by the way, referee! St Helens working their way back from their own goal line.

Warrington win back to back penalties for high tackles, and they're fifteen metres from the St Helens try line, but the defences are on top, forcing over-ambitious play from the attacking sides. On the fifth tackle, Warrington knock on two metres from the goal line.

"Oh when the saints go marching in" - that sounds a bit more positive. According to the commentators last week, Saint Helens are the only team to have won away at the Haliwell Jones... but from the height of the tackles, they must think they're playing Giants! The referee has a word with Jon Wilkin. And again Warrington turn over possession in the middle of the pitch. Lee Briers looks worried. A Warrington scrum gets reset - its like Union!

Still no sign of the commentators, by the way. They're probably sat in the pub, glued to the TV "This is a cracking game, Alan" "It certainly is, Ray, and I have to say, its none the worse for having the sound turned down. Who's the video referee?" "There's no point speculating, Alan... although I wonder who's doing the commentary?" "Hang about, Ray...."

Well, I bring you back from the lord rodneyfor a Warrington scrum, 10 metres out...

[StreetCowboy]

And Brett Hodgson goes over for the first try, and the first conversion of the game.

Warrington rip the ball and make it as far as St Helens 10 metre line before the ball is knocked on.

Its still 100 mph stuff. Trent Waterhouse goes off with blood streaming from his face.

Warrington charge down a kick, but they can't field the ball, and St Helens work up towards half way. Penalty for a high tackle. Then a penalty for malarky after the tackle. Scrambling goal line defence from Warrington. The camera's blinded by the sun. Penalty for not behind the line. Soliola is held out, shakes his head - ten metre scrum to Warrington, and the fans breathe again as Wire take the bal up towards half way. The kick runs over the dead ball line, and at the half hour mark its still WAR 6 - 0 STH

The St helens player juggles the ball but holds on. The kick is fielded and tackled in goal, and St Helens attack again. Cries from the home support for a forward pass, ignored by the referee, and Soliola dives over, carrying Hodgson and one other with him. The conversion levels the teams at six all

Warrington spill the ball again, Soliola is there to hoover it up, Ryan Atkins drags him down, but there's support on his shoulder and St Helens take the lead.

St Helens attack again, kick through. Warrington field and break. Five tackles take them to the half way line...After the kick, the ball comes back, but Warrington have to kick it into touch, and St Helens attack again. Warrington penalised for obstruction at an earlykick, and can you believe there's English barstits in the crowd singin "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"

Half time, Warrington 6 - 12 St helens, and Tony Smith looks even more pugnacious than usual

[smokie36]

more please!

[StreetCowboy]

And still no sign of the commentators...

In the first sets of the second half, St Helens seem to have marginally the tighter defence, and the more searching attacking runners.

Warrington keep St Helens pinned in their own 20. Field the ball on half way and Warrington start an attack. A penalty for a knee on Stefan Ratchford';s head but the ball is knocked out of the Warrington player's hands (surely illegally, since there were two in the tackle?) and now the commentators have turned up. Of course, its Sky, so not Ray and Allan in any case.

Atkins steps out of one tackle, round the next man, but there's no support with him. Briers' crossfield kick is knocked on (or.

fielded offside?) Warrington testign the St Helens goal line defence, but the ball goes flying behind the winger into touch,

Lomax penetrates the Warrington defence, dummies, feeds Mackinson who goes over for St Helens' third try

Now its Warrington's turn to presure the St Helens Line, but the ball goes into touch and St Helens survive again

St Helens score agai, and now lead by 22 points... still 12 minutesto go...

St Helens' swarming defence has stopped Warrington, forced tem into ambitious plays.

[StreetCowboy]

And that's the way it ends- Warrington 6 - 28 St Helens. St Helens are through to the semi-finals, Warrington have to play again next week.

I'm not going to stay up for the Wakefield Leeds game - I'll watch that tomorrow afternoon

Well done, St Helens

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Right, then, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the last game of the first round of the play-offs, the second Elimination Quarter Final, from Hull, the Black-and-Whites entertain Huddersfield Giants. In a searing condemnation of the pubs in Hull, the commentators have turned up a couple of minutes ahead of kick-off. Former Scotland International Danny Brough leadsHuddersfield onto the pitch (trater that he is, now signed to England)

James Child is the man in the middle. I daren't speculate regarding the video referee... The winner of this game goes to Warrington, which means Leeds will be going to the South of France to meet Catalans next weekend.

A charged-down kick sees the black and whites launch their first real attack in the second minute.

Huddersfield kick down and Briscoe runs back to collect the ball; then they (Hull) win a penalty for markers not standing square

In the initial exchanges Hull are making more ground, but they can't get through te Huddersfield defence

Huddersfield penalised again, this time for a spear tackle, ad they're making life difficult for themselves, an attempted interception sees Seymour chase through, running for a breakaway try but he's whistled back, and from the resulting scrum Tom Briscoe breaks through to score the first try of the matchor Hull FC

Foster adds the extra two with the conversion - spoting a ridiculous flat-top, by the way, a real

flat-top actually, boys

And Hull pressure the Huddersfield Line, Eroll Crabtree is momentarily blocked by a dummy runner but he's able recover and get to the wing to push Tom Briscoe over the touch line, but not before he touches it down beyond the Huddersfield try line

Hull 10 - 0 Huddersfield

Huddersfield pressurise the Hull line, but Danny Brough's kick goes over the touchline in goal.

In the counterattack, Errol Crabtree hauls down a break. Foster goes over, but the last pass was forward. Huddersfield's kick is charged down, but they recover and they're over the half-way line. On the last tackle, Cudgoe stabs a kcik through, but Horne, the full back, picksit up easily, and Hull start from their own 20 m line

Tiger-time!

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Crabtree's having a great game - Shirley will be proud. Huddersfield still struggling, and a pass goes astray over the touch line, though perhaps there might be a penalty for a tackle off the ball - no, Hull scrum. Hll's fifth tackle cross-field kick goes well into touch

Crabtree drives three or four metres through the tackle, then he breaks free to make a few more metres, but there's no support with him

Hull lose the ball crossing the Huddersfield try line, but chase and touch it down... pending a video referee decision (and I can tell you, its Steve Ganson in the box) and its disallowed for the knock-on; no interference by Huddersfield. But now they're attakcing again.

Huddersfield attack - a penalty for malarky in the playtheball, Big Eroll makes some metres, but the attack is stifled into the touchline

Huddersfield managing to make the odd break,but no support on the shoulder, as Jason Chan is brought down, searching desperately for an offload.

And in the last minute of the first half, a Hull kick across is knocked on by Tom Briscoe into the outstretched fingers of McGilverry and into the arms of a waiting Hudderfield defender, but the referee only sees the latter offside catch, and Foster kicks the resulting penalty to make it Hull 12 - 0 Huddersfield at the oranges.

Welcome back to the Second Half, and if Huddersfield want to win this game, they're going to have to start scoring points, not conceding them, like that, as Jordan Turner runs into an acre of space, and then feeds Foster on the wing for their third try in the fortyfirst minute.

[StreetCowboy]

And Huddersfield really have no answer to the width of the Hull attack as Jamie Foster dots down for his second try, and it looks like it will be Hull travelling to the Haliwell Jones stadium next week.

Don;t know what was the result of the Northampton Demons - London Skolars game earlier this afternoon. Kicked off at Penine Way, Hemel, today at 2 pm.

Hull have just managed a 40 -20 , and they're driving against the Huddersfield Line. Huddersfield are relying on two or three heroes - Erol Crabtree, Danny Brough, but not enough to stop Liam Watts reaching over theline to stretch the lead to 26-0. And Jamie Foster kicks the conversion "... and you're not singing any more"

Another Hull attack, yards made in the tackle, a great offload, a break down the wing, but shuffled into touch.

And the commentators are discussing Hull's next week's match against Warrington. Huddersfield haven't given up the game, but they lack the confidence and the commitment to take the attack to Hull. And its all going Hull's way - a kick through, shocking bounce oer the first attacker, but he touches it back for a supporting player - Eremiah, fields the ball and touches down

And Eroll Crabtree takes the ball at dummy half, dummies but he then runs straight at the defence, through the defence and touches down. Too little, too late, but a possible candidate for man of the match

And within two minutes, Grix goes over for a second a minute later, under the posts

And Eroll Crabtree is still marching forward in the tackle, offloading to keep te ball alive. Surely a place beckons in the end of season internationals

And Hull haven't finished yet... Richard Horne follows a break from Hull's 22 to score

Hull FC 46 - 10 Huddersfield

and Hull travel to Warrington next week.

Leeds will be visitig the Catalan Dragons in the South of France

(unless, like the Perpignan RU side, they choose to play in Barcelona....)

SC

[smokie36]

I hope we're seated comfortably. A few minutes to go....can only wish you the best SC....perhaps a consolation try at the end or some such.

Anyway...a close game is more realistic a hope from my seat.

Enjoy!!

[smokie36]

We've been written off before it starts!!

"Next year they might be strong enough....they're no Wigan...no chance from sixth...."

Old Faithful.....!

[StreetCowboy]

Eurosport are still showing some ridiculous thumping-each-other show. Get the rugby on, eh, boys?

I'm listening to Allan Rooney at the moment. Ray seems to be indisposed - maybe still in the Lord Rodney; he's not as nimble on his pins as he was when he was at St helens and Widnes.

Sounds like Hull are holding their own, its a noisy stadium...

SC

"Lee Briers sends a high kick spinning in the eur ..." and the full-back spills it so Warrington attacking the Martin Dawes end, a penalty to Warrington, a bit of over-egging by Brett Seymour. Oh and Warrington knock on, still ten metres out. "It's exactly the same start as last week from Warrington. They had 20 minutes of pressure and failed to come up with the points"

You may be interested to know that elsewhere, Edinburgh are trailing at Leinster 10 - 0. Last night Glasgow soundly beat Connaught.

A Lee Briers kick is not fielded and Trent Waterhouse claims a try, but the video referee is still considering. I wish Astro would bloody consider and start showing the game. And who is the video referee? Who is the man with the whistle? Who's on the touch lines? So much uncertainty ...

de doo de doo, de doo de doo

Doo de de dooo, de doo de dooo

You can hardly hear Tom Hark, over the noise of the crowd

Warrington 6 - 0 Hull FC

John Stankovich is standing in for Ray, by the way.

[smokie36]

A poor loss of concentration...I still have faith...its very close this...

[StreetCowboy]

A poor loss of concentration...I still have faith...its very close this...

Its on Astro now, so I've turned off Allan Rooney.

The commentators are commending the referee, though they've not said who it is - nor, as I am sure you are all wondering, who is the video referee?

SC

[smokie36]

Great stuf from Westerman but....Hull must stp making rudimentary mistakes....no more forward passes please!