Episode 10 Super League Show

Hello.

Just when you think you have seen it all in the world of sport along

comes Leicester City, Danny Willett and Round

10 of Super League.

Here is what is coming up.

We will get the view from the top as the league leaders

Warrington take on St Helens.

The Dragons' men in black are over for a rumble with the Rovers,

it is Catalan Dragons against Hull KR.

And was it a perfect Round 10 for the black-and-whites?

Huddersfield are up next for Hull FC.

Luke Robinson and John Kear have checked in to check out

the latest ups and downs in the Super League season.

One team definitely on the rise has been the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

They have had three wins in a row since Good Friday

and this week they took on Wigan.

MUSIC.

He stopped 50 metres away.

Scott Moore, good run from dummy half.

Pass on the inside and Wakefield go over to the right of the post.

It is Nick Scruton.

Here's more from dummy half, to his right, Miller

back on the inside, Wakefield, nice pass.

Jacob Miller!

Into the hands of Miller, with the kick towards the left wing.

Tom Johnstone has the ball.

Johnstone!

He is a man on fire at the moment, Tom Johnstone.

Jonny Molloy who was held down a little bit too long

but the referee said play on.

The try is off-loaded backwards.

It has gone to ground.

Kick towards Johnson who played it backwards on halfway.

Wakefield up to the Wigan 30, Jacob Miller goes in his second try.

That is his second try of the afternoon.

To the right of the post, Scott Moore with the pass,

now Liam Finn, he looks to find a way over.

Has he?

Yes he has, Liam Finn scores.

Wigan have dropped a pass by metres inside the Wakefield half and it has

been picked up and it's Joe Arundel to Jacob Miller on the inside.

Miller has got his hat-trick.

Wakefield are going to get their fourth win in a row in Super

League.

Scott Moore waits at acting half-back.

Scruton.

Off-loaded back to Finn and here is Danny Kirmond.

He is going to go over the line.

Kirmond got himself on the scoresheet for a second time

in the 60th minute, and the holding in the air from Miller floundered

the Wigan defence and the Wakefield captain was more than happy

to pick up the pieces.

Just two minutes on, the inexhaustible wave

of tries continued.

Kirmond again involved in driving the Wigan defence to ground.

This time an off-load out to Ben Jones Bishop who became one

of seven try scorers on the day.

70 minutes played, but Wildcats were not quite finished yet.

Danny Kirmond went to his right, Ben Jones Bishop,

he is over the halfway line.

He is back on the inside and they are going over again.

Max Jowitt with the latest try.

Wakefield 's tenth of the afternoon.

Liam Finn to his right for Nick Scruton, Scruton

is going to go over, this is unreal.

Wakefield are rampant.

I think that is for me the best team performance in a long,

long time in Super League.

I thought what we did was exceptional today and I am proud

of everyone involved.

I am not stressed one little bit, not one little bit.

In the slightest.

I know what we have, I know where we are,

I know what we have been through.

I do not want that to take away from Wakefield.

It has been a good few weeks.

We need to make sure we keep grounded.

But we are a confident side at this moment in time

and we are enjoying the journey.

You getting worried you might not be needed next season?

They have been absolutely tremendous, haven't they?

You can see his influence on the group.

He is a very calm type of guy, but he has put structures

in there that they are playing to.

Both half-backs are playing well, he has given Johnson on the wing,

given him an opportunity and have they taken it.

You can tell it is just a great place for the players to be at this

moment in time.

You might have produced the result but not that scoreline.

I do not think so.

The result was not that shocking but definitely the scoreline,

it was unbelievable.

I thought it was a misprint.

The kids that we can produce have come off the conveyor belt

and I know how difficult it is to go through and get

the first-team shirt.

They produce great young kids.

Taking nothing away from Wakefield, they played some expansive stuff.

Johnson and Jowitt have been getting a lot of the headlines

but is at the Kirmonds and Scott Moores who

are the solid figures.

The triangle at the moment, Scott Moore and Miller,

they control and dictate the game.

Liam Finn adds a lot of calmness, he is a mate of mine.

He has got an extremely good kicking game, I think there are qualities,

they bounce off each other.

Scott is great at dummy half and Miller is a great runner.

Those three as a combination have been playing really good stuff.

Will that be the key for Chris Chester to get them

to play at that level?

It is that balance.

They have really turned their season around and I think there was one bit

in the Salford game that typified the spirit that is going

through the veins of the club.

When Nick Scruton turned around and chased down Michael Dobson

and it visibly lifted everyone in the ground and the goal-line

defence was sensational after that.

That spirit goes a long way back and comes on the back of hard work.

I know Wigan will not look at that too much but they will have liked

some of the defence on show.

They had a lot of players missing but they will not have enjoyed that.

He demands the best, Shaun Wane.

Whether he has young lads or experienced players, you'd never

want to get that scoreline.

I think he will be more disappointed with the performance.

They will want to bounce back as soon as they can.

At this point there will be a blip but you will be involved next year,

where do you feel the club is going?

I think it has improved and turned around pretty dramatically initially

but the real challenge is to develop that club into a top club

so that they are not worrying about the mid-season.

There is potential to do that, obviously you can base it

on the back of some of these young kids coming through because there

are some good young players.

The Super League leaders going into the round were

the Warrington Wolves, Tony Smith's team hosted St Helens

on Friday night and Edwards was watching.

Clark at dummy half.

Looking for a route back again.

Clark.

Kick by Ratchford.

The reach is long enough.

Warrington 's first try.

Scuttling in and it is back to Ratchford again.

Little bit of dancing feet from Stefan Ratchford.

Clark is going to go himself here for dummy half.

St Helen 's defence was there in numbers but at least one

of them was offside.

Come round at the back of the marker.

Not thinking of going for two, they are going to go and try

and keep their foot on the face of St Helens and Atkins racing

over for try number two!

Inside ball.

Wilkin, good hands, McDonnell is doing well

and here comes a try by Amor.

Kyle Amor.

Diving like Superman in the end.

St Helens are on the board.

Roby.

Walmsley, here's a handful.

Stepping it up here tonight, Roby again.

Walsh.

The short pass.

It is Jack Ashworth who is in for his first senior try.

If it is given.

I have got a try on field.

Only his second appearance.

He made his debut against Hull about this time last year but this

would be his first try.

They are looking for obstruction here.

Outside the shoulder by a distance.

Theo Fages carrying out well and propping up a nicely timed pass.

Ashworth the rest.

It is Ashworth 's first try.

St Helens are back in it.

Lineham.

Gidley.

You just wonder what Chris Sandow would have made of this tonight.

They are sorely missing him but pressing for another close

to the end.

Currie.

Ben Currie has got the strength I think to get over.

Yes, the referee confirms, ten tries in 11 appearances

and Warrington will finish the half with the lead.

Slow to his feet is Amor but Roby carries it

on and Walmsley hits it forward.

This is Roby.

Fages again and on the end of that Matty Dawson to score.

St Helens are back in the lead.

McDonnell.

Hoping his shift at dummy half on that occasion.

Wilkin.

Jon Wilkin looks in a bad way here.

Ryan Atkins came in as third man and he has clearly

caught Jon Wilkin.

Come here, that tackle...

Shoulder on his head.

Is it Ryan Atkins?

It is a penalty because he made contact with the head.

That is all, it is a penalty, end of story.

There was contact with the head.

It goes on report, Jon Wilkin is going off the field and St Helens

get a penalty.

Luke Walsh.

To extend the lead for St Helens by another two and so he does,

Saints lead 18-14 with just over an hour played.

Here is Walsh.

Big drive forward by Luke Thompson.

They are getting within touching distance again here.

Walsh with a kick and throw and it is missed and down!

Morgan Knowles, here's another first-time scorer here tonight.

And it is a big one.

It might just give St Helens a winning lead.

Roby.

Over to his left, he will go for a drop.

Over he goes, 11 points in the lead now.

They have to score twice and convert them both.

Five minutes left to play.

Here is Jullien.

Stepping through, has support to his right from Ratchford.

He has kept it alive nicely here.

Warrington, Currie, times the pass well,

Kevin Penny for the corner, second try of the night.

Warrington have got one.

Are they going to provide a dramatic finale here?

It is a big kick here for Kurt Gidley.

Warrington are back within a score.

They trail by seven at the moment.

Has he curled it?

No, he hasn't, so Warrington still have to score twice.

They were believing, maybe not now.

Two minutes to go, at least time for two tries,

but they are going to have to be swift.

St Helens just have keep tackling.

Clark, back to Ratchford.

Ratchford searching.

Kick.

Lineham has found and scores!

Just over a minute left now.

There is still time.

What a finish we could have here.

Warrington have elected not to kick for goal so the referee has stopped

the clock.

The message only just getting to the St Helens players.

They were waiting for a conversion that was never coming.

So the restart here with one minute to go.

How many times in Super League have St Helens broken Warrington hearts

with last-ditch wins?

Is this the night that Warrington rewrite the

script?

Are they sensing a dramatic final twist?

Ratchford.

Here is Russell.

St Helens are not giving ground.

Russell.

Searches but can't find a way through.

And out comes the tackle of Thompson.

Three tackles to go.

Gidley.

He will try to rip through, but can't.

St Helens, gritting their teeth and

they can't.

It is a kick from Ratchford.

After it but the ball is out of play.

And St Helens are going to hang on.

Warrington cannot produce that killer final twist.

And the hooter sounds on an absolutely

terrific game.

Only Warrington's second defeat of the season.

But a much-needed win for St Helens.

It was a great game to watch but as Dave said

a much-needed win for St Helens.

There seems to have been unrest among the fans about some of

the results.

Was that a marker of what this team can do?

I think they are a great team.

Obviously, they have got great players.

You don't have players like James Roby on your side, Jon Wilkin,

without being very talented.

There seems to be a lot of unrest St Helens.

There seems to be a lot of unrest at St Helens.

For me when they are going good, with Amor.

And the rest of their pack.

When they get on the front, they allow Walsh to play.

He kicks the ball in the corner.

He distributes the ball extremely well.

They are a really good side.

What did you think was the difference this week?

I thought the go forward was tremendous.

I think leading that was

Alex Walmsley.

What people do forget is Alex had surgery.

He did not have a big preseason.

It looked as if he was getting up to speed with the

season and he has been known as their talisman

of the go forward.

If St Helens generate go forward, you

have James Roby off the back of it and also Theo Fages looked really

really comfortable within that structure and system.

He is evolving because he was a new signing.

He got to be educated in the St Helens way.

They had taken their time to bring him in.

What do you think he can add to this side?

He looks extremely tough.

For such a small bloke, he takes the line on.

If you are going to be a good half, a good hooker,

you have to take the line on and take the hits.

He looks very tough.

He has other attributes.

A nice short passing game.

In this game he showed a bit of a kicking game,

which makes Saints a more dangerous side.

How difficult, because if he can kick, you have Luke Walsh and

Jon Wilkin who can kick.

How difficult is that to defend against?

It is difficult.

Roby is encouraged to kick out the dummy half, as well.

You have three right foot kickers.

As well as Jon Wilkin with the left foot kick.

At the end of your set you should be able to finish in a

positive manner.

It is a big plus point for any team.

For Warrington, if they'd kicked the goals they would

have won it.

Gidley is clearly carrying an injury, which could be a

worry for them, do you think?

I think he has been great for them.

I know Sam has been getting a lot of

the plaudits, and rightly so.

He has been playing really well, but he has been directing the side

around has Gidley, and if he is carrying

a little bit of a knock, it

just shows how important a goal kicker is.

I like taking points.

It is good, not only from a mental perspective,

but it is important to

have a good goal kicker and knocking the two points over.

Music to your ears.

I am a believer in keeping the tins rattling, yes.

And Tony Smith said after maybe the energy levels were

not quite where he expected them to be.

Is that just a long Easter for

them?

It is.

I think the goal-kicking is symbolic.

They have tried lots of different goal kickers

because they are carrying niggles and knocks from the Easter

programme, but everybody has had to deal with it.

You sound like Jamie Peacock!

He said that last week.

Hull FC have been moving up the table with four straight

victories in the past month.

They were at home to the bottom club Huddersfield on

Friday.

COMMENTATOR: Houghton moves into dummy half.

Looks to his right and sees Bowden.

Bowden, still Bowden.

Bowden is going to cross over.

First try of the night, Josh Brown.

Hinchcliffe to his right.

Brough to Wardle.

Wardle is close, Wardle is over.

Huddersfield come again.

Here is Craig Huby.

Looking for an off-load and gets one to Hinchcliffe.

Now it is in the hands of Connor.

Aaron Murphy.

Ormsby outside him.

Ormsby has options.

Aaron Murphy is going to cross for Huddersfield and the

Giants will lead.

Danny Houghton, dummy half to Watts.

Watts is through, hundredth appearance and

there is a try.

Kicked from Sneyd.

It is a good one.

A great kick and the try from Shaul.

Huddersfield on the attack.

Brough, can't get it down, he has.

Danny Brough.

Bullies his way through.

Norton to Sneyd.

Kicks again.

This time it is Houghton, slides in.

Hull extend their advantage.

Danny Brough not happy there.

And he has whispered a sweet nothing into Robert Hicks'

ear.

He is going to spend ten minutes in the sin-bin.

The Huddersfield stand-off is off.

For ten minutes, sin-binned.

Here come Hull against the 12 men of Huddersfield.

That is Sneyd to Talanoa.

Curtis Norton stepped inside.

Great footwork.

Here is a chance, here is a second try.

Shaul is over again.

Houghton to Sneyd, who looks left.

Watts off-loads.

Lacklustre.

It is another try.

Caught napping.

Huby to Brough.

Speculative off-load.

To McGilvray.

Picks it up ten metres out.

Still going, McGilvray.

He is through.

As he grounded the ball?

Robert Hicks says yes.

Sneyd drops back.

Just put one over.

Hull FC 37-20 Huddersfield Giants.

From the outside looking in, Hull look a settled club and

dealing with adversary.

Yes they played really well.

They are basing their game plan on big

forwards taking them forward and generating speed and having

someone like Sneyd behind

them.

They have good finishers as well on the edges.

Again you can see confidence and belief in the system,

structures and team-mates.

They will take some beating this year.

Yeaman.

His 350th appearance.

A cracking game.

Quite something for one club.

It is amazing.

I played with him at the same age.

An amazing feat to stay at one club throughout your career.

He scores an amazing amount of tries.

He gets the nosebleed when he gets Melford...!

That is the reason.

Lee Radford at pains to say afterwards

there is a lot more to come from this sdte.

How'd you see them evolving?

As a unit you become better because you learn to play

with each other and I think they have nine coming into the squad

in the off-season and they will get better.

They are pretty good at the

minute but if you are going to get better there is a right time to do

it and that is when the trophies are handed out.

What do you say about Huddersfield?

There is a lack of belief and confidence.

You do not have to be a rocket scientist to

work out we are down on belief and confidence.

It is strange, is sport, you need to win the game and that

breeds confidence and you need to be confident to win a game and so it is

the chicken and the egg, which comes first?

The only way out of these situations is you have to work

extremely hard.

On the training field, when you are playing, it is

about...

People talk about luck.

I don't believe in luck.

Getting that bounce of the ball, you have to put

yourself in that position and work harder than everyone else.

We have to remember we are a good side.

We are good players.

Sometimes, I have been in those situations, it is a

dark place.

Are they missing him?

Yes.

I do not think there is any doubt.

A number of players missed.

I think six, seven players went out.

Only two brought in.

It is a small squad.

From a coach's point of view, if your key player in Danny Brough

gets sin-binned for dissent, I guess you are an angry coach.

You would be but he's an angry person when things

are not going well.

He is so competitive.

You saw one of the Huddersfield tries.

I thought it was a prop forward carting

the ball over the line.

That is just his bloody-minded competitiveness

in that he wants to win, he wants every kick to be a good kick.

That is how he is.

I would have one of those on my team rather than

whingeing about whether he is sin-binned or whatever because for

the rest of the time he will be in there

and scrapping to get a victory.

The Widnes Vikings have not had much fun since Easter, beaten by

Warrington, Saints and Catalan, but how did

they get on when faced with

the toughest questions in television?

Here is Last Tackle.

Favourite smell?

I love opening a box of chocolates and smelling all

the chocolates.

The smell of a barbecue is pretty good.

Missing that at the moment.

My favourite smell is probably strawberries.

Brainiest team-mate, that is tough.

Charlie.

Kev Brown.

I would have to say him.

Kev is a bit of a geek, Kev Brown.

Kevin Brown thinks he is up there.

He is not too bad.

The bloke with the most facts is Dutton.

McGrath.

A pretty clever guy on the sly.

Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt.

Definitely George Clooney.

I have been referenced to Daniel Craig, so probably him.

Channing Tatum.

He looks like me, doesn't he?

I would say Johnny Depp.

He is well cool.

I would have to say my twin because we look the same.

It would be easiest.

The coach.

Spiders.

Spiders.

I am scared of spider webs.

If you run into one, you don't know where the spider is.

Definitely the dark.

I always run up the stairs at night - always.

Probably snakes.

My mum, because she is a brute!

Pepperoni pizza for my last meal.

Cinnamon doughnuts.

The special pasta my mum does.

Pizza.

Steak and chips.

Chateaubriand.

Pasta, beans and cheese is my favourite food.

You can never go wrong with New York chicken.

With bacon, cheese, barbecue sauce.

Sweet potato fries.

Spot on.

So who would you have playing you in a film?

Probably something to do with The Hobbit, I

suppose.

That is what I get in the dressing room so I might as well say

it live on air.

What about you?

Yul Brynner.

Oh yes.

Absolutely classic.

Widnes went top of the table when they won at Wigan a month

ago but they haven't won since.

The Vikings were at home to Castleford

on Sunday and made a good start in this one.

They made a great start.

It is a tough place to go is Widnes.

I don't know if you are a coach, but if you watch the majority

of traffic goes down the right side of Widnes

and right side of Castleford.

Whether that is a case of you go to your strongest players

in Luke Gale and Kevin Brown.

A lot of things go through Kevin Brown.

They started with fluency.

They were helped there with Luke Gale's looping pass and he

can run, Thompson.

He hits the straps and finishes well.

Really interesting to see him chasing.

Salomona is a real outstanding wing man.

You can see when Castleford, they have a certain fluency

within their structures.

Jake Webster playing really well.

I really like this fella.

He loves finishing tries and you can tell that.

As soon as he gets the ball there is an extra gear

within his head and body.

Daryl Powell said when they went in at

half-time there was an incredible buzz he had not come across before,

that the players knew they would win this, he reckoned.

Which is nice for the coach when you go in, you feel

you do not have to much speaking.

They play entertaining rugby, Castleford.

I like to watch them.

It is classic.

I think Widnes play good rugby.

I don't think it is the high pitch makes an expansive, fast game.

Both sides are entertaining.

The Luke Gale and Kevin Brown show.

Which left side had the best day.

And belief from Castleford despite having a lot of players out.

They have.

If you look at the playing roster there are youngsters

who are stepping up.

Springer was back on the bench.

Young players Castleford are developing

and feel there is a great future there but also a high degree of

quality within that team.

We have mentioned Webster.

McShane has been playing well since his move from

Wakefield.

Luke Gale has been international class.

Castleford are a good team and they believe they

are a good team and that is why they are coming

out on the right side of

Widnes, they have been on a bit of a losing streak.

They have been really close and Dennis has talked warmly

about the team and being proud of them but he wasn't after this,

he said he was disappointed.

They had an amazing start.

A happy camp to be in.

They seem to have had a little bit of a blip of late and if they do not

get on top of that very soon, the great start they had

will fall away from them.

The Catalan Dragons have been one of the in-form teams

in Super League over recent weeks.

They were looking for a fifth straight win at Hull

KR and Dave Woods was watching this one.

Pelissier.

Myler.

Behind at 40 when he lets that fly.

A bubble and bounce and the skip of the ball will take it out

of play for a 40-20.

They were under pressure a little in this opening set.

That kick from Richie Myler has put Catalan straight on the attack here.

Here is Stewart.

Crossed the line, they search and they are already looking

to strike here, Catalan.

It has been held up but only just short.

Sporting a dummy half.

Having gone right, they search left.

Heavy hit down the middle from Willie Mason.

They let them know what they think about him.

In the early stages, but a bit of width here and a chance

for Jodie Broughton.

Less than two minutes played, and Catalan

have their opening score.

Here is Stewart.

Sixth tackle will be the next so the kick

is right across the fields, Richards gets up, quick

hands and Vincent Duport.

They have not even touched the ball yet and they are already

two scores behind.

Myler to his feet.

Terrific start from Catalan.

And looking to make it better here, the pass and Jodie Broughton has

an empty field in which to run for his second try of the night.

They are on fire.

Blunt.

The Rovers definitely need something to get back into this game,

a little bit of self-belief required and here is a chance.

Oh, it is a great tackle on Greenwood.

I have a try.

But he thinks there might be a try here.

It looks like a straight forward knock-on, he thought he might put it

down but it was a straightforward knock-on and it is no try.

Great tackle from Gigot though.

Pelissier.

Myler sends it steepling high.

Who is going to take this?

It is taken by Inu.

He is going to take it.

He has picked the pockets of Ciaran Dixon in mid air!

Astonishing.

Pelissier.

Catalan pushing forward again, a little off-load.

It looked as though it might have been a knock-on

although Gregory Mounis is claiming it as a try and he is in agreement.

What does the video referee think?

Suggesting it did come off the knee of Gregory Mounis.

Clean pick-up and touchdown.

And what a first it is proving to be for Catalan Dragons.

Quickly played.

Sigismeau out at dummy half trying to burrow his way over

but he is going to be held up by that hulking Rovers defence.

They cannot afford to concede the first try in the second half.

Here is Myler!

He's just inflicted the first try of the second half on Hull Kingston

He can barely believe it.

It was a soft try for a defence to concede.

Lifted forward again.

Hull Kingston Rovers hanging on here.

Pelissier in at dummy half.

They are looking left here for Willie Mason.

The ball has gone to ground, Richie Myler

with a yelp of celebration.

He thinks this is a score.

What does the referee think?

We are going to have that the video analysis and he thinks

Willie Mason looks as though he has put the ball down, doesn't it?

Now the real super close-up adds to the evidence

for the attacking side.

The try is given, it has been some performance by Catalan here tonight.

Woes for Hull KR but the French side succeed on their travels again.

That is the key isn't it, Catalan succeed on their travels again?

Yeah, they are looking ominous out there.

They honestly have a high quality squad, they really have,

a very deep squad.

They look as if they have learned from previous seasons

and they are nailing the away trips and 40 points,

I know Hull Kingston Rovers were disappointed with their

performance but my word, that was an awesome performance

by a Catalan Dragons side that is looking as if it really

means business this year.

Laurent Frayssinous was talking afterwards, saying we are known

for our attack but there is clearly a lot of work being done

on defence and you could see that across the team.

I feel like they are an NRL team playing Super League.

It is amazing, they are playing Stewart and Mason, all

of the players, they have always had the talent and been able to attack

the ball with that French flair.

Not much grit about them defensively but defensively they look

as if they have their act together but they are now starting to perform

away from home which you knew when you went to Catalan,

that it would be a tough place to go and get a result but when they came

to your place, you knew you would get an easy ride.

A softer version.

Yes.

How do you think Richie Myler is settling in?

Laurent talked him up.

Tremendous.

He kicked a 40-20 early in the game and I think it was on tackle

three and that perhaps was based on the defence,

they are happy to put the ball there, take a chance on a 40/20

and back the defence to tackle.

He is really accomplished as a kicker and becoming more

at ease with the structural side, organising the team and we have

known ever since he has been playing for Warrington,

what a good support player he is.

He has got lots of tricks in his book and as we see

with the kicking, this has really developed in the off-season.

They really are reaping the rewards.

There was talk of the support play, there was no Todd Carney,

he had to step up.

He is becoming more of a complete player,

renowned for his support play, pushing with the forwards

and finishing tries.

Do you think the move to France in terms of him and what he is

having to do has made him grow up?

What it has done to him as a person?

Sometimes a move away from your current club to a new club

where the expectations on you are different

and your surroundings are different has made him better but he has

become a more complete player and Catalan Dragons

are reaping the rewards.

Pat Richards is up to fifth in the all-time scorers.

He is an outstanding player.

He is one of these people, if you're playing against,

you get sick of him.

He is a real quality player.

He has had a great NRL career and a great career at Wigan

and he is now signing off with a couple of good

years at the Dragons.

I know you have said it was disappointing for Hull KR.

James Webb said it was a game too far, the dam burst.

A lot of people are down on numbers but it did show.

Everyone, after the Easter period, it is difficult, especially

for the smaller squads, you're carrying knocks and niggles

but everyone is in the same boat, you have to toughen up and get

on with it.

Unfortunately for them at the moment, that is quite a defeat.

Hull Kingston Rovers are one of four Super League teams

who are in Challenge Cup action this week, Rovers made it all the way

to the final last year and face Oldham in the fifth

round on Saturday.

It is exactly 20 years since one of the most thrilling Wembley finals

of recent times when Bradford face St Helens.

The first ever meeting between these two sides in a Cup Final at Wembley,

four times winners Bradford, five times winners St Helens

and at stake, a 1996 Silk Cut Challenge Cup final.

Wanting to kick.

Nice trip.

He kicks it, Prescott, he is there!

Bradford, in with a chance.

Over the post.

Suddenly we are all square.

St Helens on the back foot, can he keep it that way?

Yes we can.

It is nice to see us get to the end of a set.

Onside.

He is over!

Paul again.

What a tremendous game he is having.

It is loose again.

Weaving his magic.

He launches a high one.

It bounces awkwardly.

It looks like Kieron Cunningham.

On the fifth tackle.

Goulding again, again.

The sun could be in his eyes.

It's loose again.

It is a chance.

Another try.

On the fifth tackle.

Goulding again.

With the same treatment.

The ball is loose.

St Helens have scored again!

Oh, what a night for Bradford here.

He is going for the line.

Has he got the pace?

St Helens strike again.

Racing at the heart of the defence.

A magnificent try, a tremendous try.

There is the first hat-trick at Wembley.

Whether his team win or

lose.

Saints leading 40-32.

There is the hooter.

The cup will return to Knowsley Road.

That was the kind of game that had every bit of emotion

you could have in a sports game.

Yes you feel sorry for the fullback.

Growing up as a kid, used to be one of those

where you put the ball up if someone dropped it.

You'd say his name, unfortunately.

Robbie Paul, I think sometimes you forget.

You judge players on the last couple of

years of their career.

You forget how fast and how great the foot work

he had unbelievable.

Just ask Robbie, he will remind you!

Probably got it on repeat at home, that game.

Apart from the end result, obviously.

That for me was Brian Noble's hair.

It was fantastic.

Always been one for fashion, Brian.

For you, you have the Challenge Cup this weekend.

Is it a nice break for the teams involved in the Challenge

Cup?

It is.

It is away from the week to week of stuff.

You have to win it to stay in it.

It really is, it is a different type of challenge and

excites me and I think it has excited the team, because we have a

very tasty home tie against Featherstone Rovers.

And for Castleford, it is fantastic for them

to be going to Halifax, to be involved in the fifth round the cup.

It is amazing.

It is a Roy of the Rovers thing.

You want them to do well.

Unfortunately, it is my home town club so I don't want them to

win!

I have said before, I think every team, they should not be

seeded, the Challenge Cup.

Everyone thrown into the mix and whoever

comes out on top are the deserve winners.

Well there was sad news last week with the death of Mick

Sullivan.

He was a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame and

appeared a record 46 times for Great Britain.

A World Cup winner in 1954 and 1960, he also had Challenge Cup

success with St Helens and Wigan.

COMMENTATOR: He has got the ball.

Harris picked it up.

In an attacking position now.

Oh, he has dropped the ball.

Advantage.

Sullivan.

I am sure he will score.

Nobody will catch him.

Sullivan, in the corner, it is a try.

Short one to turn.

Short one the only way to go, this time.

Pushed him off nicely.

Inside to Boston.

Boston having another run.

The way he goes, Boston.

Inside to Turner.

This mud, of course, slows the fastest of players down.

Inside to Murphy.

Murphy going nicely away, looking for Sullivan.

Sullivan takes it.

Sullivan into the corner.

He is an incredible player and wonderful to

see how rugby remembered him.

It is, that is one thing we have got right

as a game.

I think we have tremendous values within our game

and I think one of them is how we pay due

respect to the greats of the

game and we tried to remember them among our traditions and heritage.

It was incredible.

He was fast.

We talked about Robbie, but he was a fast guy.

I cannot get over how fast he was.

Obviously, his boots, they weighed five, six stone back in the

day!

And extremely quick bloke, I would have loved to have had his

speed.

And our thoughts are with friends and family of Mick Sullivan.

Finally, let's see how the champions Leeds got on at Salford on Saturday.

A miserable night in terms of the weather

and not too many points on

show, either.

I think conditions dictated it would be a slug fest.

A difficult game to claim the points.

That is a typical type of try, when it is heavy conditions

and the rain is appalling.

And great play their from Salford, that you would have a little bit of

concern about the Leeds defence to concede those two tries,

and it was very late on, really.

14 point two nil down before Leeds force their

way over from close range.

And there was a gain, when they play the ball

almost on the Salford line before the second try came up on the right

edge.

And most people watching said Salford

dominated this game and deserved the win.

They are not very fluent with

the ball, to me, Leeds.

They have always been a side, especially during

my time, when you went up against them they were off-loading, playing

ad hoc rugby, really difficult to defend against but they look

fluent and everything looked in time but at

They talked about not having a training ground,

obviously with the floods that happened, and they lost players,

they have had injuries.

Is it different from Huddersfield, they

have had a mix of reasons?

I think there are many reasons and the

training ground is influential.

When you look at the three players they

have missed.

Kevin Sinfield was the brains behind the outfit and he was

a structural guy.

Jamie Peacock was the warrior who led through deep and

Kylie Leuluai Luer, he was the enforcer,

because if anybody stepped out of line in the opposition, Kylie put

them in their place.

They are massive holes to fill.

I don't think they have filled them, to tell you

the truth.

So I don't think they are as good as they were last year and

perhaps confidence- wise, they are well

down on last year.

We should not take anything away from Salford

because it was a good win for them.

And they had Lui back.

He is key for them, isn't he?

He is.

He has played really good stuff and when he is in the side,

they looked more of a balanced side.

I think they are a more balanced side in

general, this year.

Really playing some good stuff.

They had great players over the past few years but

they did not seem in sync with each other, whereas this year, they seem

to be following a game plan and playing really

good rugby with it.

That is eight defeats in total for the champions, this year.

Let's see where it has left them after ten

rounds in the First Utility Super League table.

Warrington remain two points clear at the top.

Catalan are now in second place.

Hull move above Wigan in third and Widnes

dropped to fifth.

No change at the bottom, where Huddersfield are two

points adrift of Leeds.

Just before Super League games this week.

First up, Catalan against St Helens.

That is on Thursday.

Three games on Friday.

They include bottom against top as Huddersfield take on

Warrington.

Leeds play Hull and Wigan face Castleford.

And the fifth round of the Challenge Cup is spread

across three days.

Wakefield take on 1998 cup winners Sheffield on

The championship leaders Leigh visit Toulouse on Saturday.

And Castleford are wrapped Halifax on

Sunday.

I have to say people like you sit across me year in, year out,

and it is not until after Easter when you start to see the table and

where it is going to shape up.

We have the table after Easter, what do

you reckon?

It is interesting.

It is a complement to the competition

because it has turned upside down.

Huddersfield and Leeds at the bottom and some

strong runners emerging at

the top.

What do you make of Huddersfield, of Leeds, are they

looking to make the top eight?

Can they still look at the top four?

I think if you are being brutally honest, I think the top four has

gone.

You try to get in that top eight.

For Leeds, as well?

I think so.

I think you want to get in that middle eight now.

It is nervous times.

They are top places to go in that championship.

The rain and wind in

your face.

It is a difficult task going to places like that.

You do not want to be going to places like that.

Interesting times in rugby league and as you say, it is nice to have

some different faces.

It is.

We have always applauded the NRL and Sydney

Roosters at the top last year.

It reinvigorates the competition.

It does indeed.

That is it for now.

My thanks to you for joining us.

We will see you again next week.

Goodbye.

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