Episode 15 Super League Show

Welcome to Magic Weekend here in Newcastle.

Hello and welcome to St James' Park, where,

for one week only, the home of Newcastle United

It's a nice day out, everybody together having

It's not been a great year for the football fans around here.

But for now it's all about Rugby League.

All 12 Super League teams are in town for the 10th

It's a full round of six Super League matches

all played here in Newcastle, with three games on Saturday

including Leeds against Wigan, and three games on Sunday,

The Super League leaders going into Magic Weekend are Warrington.

Their opponents here, Castleford, your commentator, Dave Woods.

Well, they have come in great numbers and they have come in high

spirits from both clubs for this, high expectations for this game,

and it could be one of the matches of the weekend.

He is up from dummy half, and he is shown by Millington.

Not bought by Warrington, but Castleford are beginning to make

Stefan Ratchford away, and looking for support,

and suddenly realises he doesn't need it.

Opening try after only three minutes.

Well, they are having a look again here.

The video referee is being called for by Gareth Hewitt.

They are having a look at the contact in back play.

Roberts with the pass and if there was any contact,

you would have thought it was Castleford running

into Warrington, rather than vice versa.

And once it safely settled into the hands of Stefan Ratchford,

was there any impediment from Ormsby?

They might be investigating that as well.

Waiting up here for the dummy run coming in.

He has made a habit over the years of scoring from that

Swift, by Gidley, and reach by Kurt Gidley to score a second

Warrington looked determined and Gidley was certainly determined.

The defence is stern at the moment.

The star of that recent Cup victory over Salford and Gale gets

Wonderful step by Russell and support to his left by Ben Currie.

And Currie will cover the distance to score.

Ben Currie will put his name in lights.

But it is Mattie Russell who deserves all the plaudits.

Ten metres from his own line when he started it, and close enough

to the Castleford line when he finally gave the ball away.

Then it was a walk in for Ben Currie.

Back to the inside, and Gale is going to go higher here.

It is a high one, it is taken superbly well by Crooks.

Off-loaded, Castleford keeping it alive.

They have been second best for most of this first half.

But they have put themselves back in contention six minutes

Real air of desperation from these players.

One more tackle is all that Warrington needed.

Luke Dorn with the dummy and a plunge for the line.

Real sense of urgency for the Tigers in these closing moments

Here is Junior Moors with what is becoming

a very distinguished handoff, these days.

The off-loaded untidy, but picked up.

It's two tries in four minutes for Castleford.

And having looked down and out not that long ago,

Gale, inevitably, will put the ball high in the air.

That's a wonderful take by Denny Solomona.

But the first cause, I think, is a try for Castleford.

We are going to have a look again here.

They will have to find very good reason not to give this.

I think Solomona has grounded that safely.

What a comeback they have set up now.

Webster puts the head down and goes for the corner.

Good recovery from the Warrington defence.

Great recovery by Castleford, though.

Mike McMeeken is up there, Mike McMeeken with the ball in one

hand, and Mike McMeeken, well, he is in fabulous form this season,

the back row forward, and a try that edges

Solomona has got the pace and goes on the outside.

The Castleford Tigers are looking good for the win now.

Complaints coming in from Ashton Sims, but it will be a penalty.

What is significant here is that, if Luke Gale kicks this, it is a 3-

Little hand off again by the irrepressible

They are all smiles, and they deserve to be.

They have taken Warrington apart in the second half,

in which they have scored 22 unanswered points.

Moors the destroyer and Dorn the finisher.

Can't stop scoring since his return and Castleford on their way

That was just an outstanding second-half from us,

Against a pretty good team, we thought we did a really good job.

Our players can be really proud of themselves.

We were able to flip again from 14-0 to them going unanswered in terms

of points the rest of the game was an excellent performance.

I thought we were dominating in terms of the way we were playing,

the speed of it, I just don't think we exploited it enough

With the opportunities that we created.

We were hoping that we would not end up rueing that, and we did.

We gave up some of that momentum just before half-time,

and we failed to get it back in the second half.

Really disappointed with that second-half performance.

The confidence in terms of winning games like this where you are under

the pump, there is a team battering away at you,

and you are hanging in, I just think we have got to be better,

bit more consistent across games, but I said last week

after we beat Leeds, this team can do anything it wants,

So there's a few attitude things that we need to keep working on,

but when we are on, we are a good side.

There were two other games on Saturday opening the weekend,

Widnes against Salford and Super League's bottom side,

He's got a bit of space to run into now.

Kallum Watkins will bend away and touch down for the Rhinos.

The whistle blows, and Leeds on the board.

Willie Isa too strong for Zak Hardaker.

More pressure on this Leeds line.

Again, Smith to Williams on his left hand side.

Leeds being ripped apart at the back.

The replacement referee signals the drive.

The replacement referee signals the try.

Tomkins sets off towards that left-hand

Still a danger, and it's George Williams.

Gains a try, and Wigan are streaking clear.

Got the ball down, and Wigan are flying.

Leeds scrambling, desperate at the moment.

More agony for Leeds, and the try is awarded.

Ben Flower enjoying his Magic Weekend.

A rare raid on this Wigan line as Achurch

tries to shrug off the tackle from Williams.

He might get there now, Mitch Achurch.

Something for those Leeds Rhinos fans to cheer.

Down the left-hand side, Oliver Gildart.

A dagger in the heart for the Rhinos.

Three times they have played Leeds here.

Three times they have one, they are about to cap a

Steaming through a gap, over on that left-hand side.

They are back to winning ways today, and Sarginson

Wiggin keeping up the pace at the top.

What I said to the players was, it was a poor performance, but

the way that they bounced back was outstanding.

I am very, very happy with how they responded.

The first 20 of the first half and the first

20 of the second, I thought we performed.

And we got a bit bored with it, but all credit to Leeds.

When we warmed up, I could hear Leeds, very, very boisterous.

They have still got lots of spirit in that club.

They've got a competitive coach, a competitive team.

They get a fewer numbered back, they'll be good.

What's it like to be back here in front of a huge crowd and

Most of the players like myself embrace it, the same as the fans do.

It's an amazing event to have all the teams on one field

And, you know, hopefully it keeps going and this venue,

What do you say to the players after a game like that?

Some harsh...information, probably that we don't want

and we've got to come in one day and go again.

and we've got to come in Monday and go again.

Each week we tip our guts into prep, go through everything and I don't

have any issues with our prepping or with the players,

the effort that they're putting in, and we get to a stage in the week

where we're in good shape, we believe we're going to win

and we're going to give this game a go and well,

Being in the dressing room with the blokes,

they've tipped their guts into it whether you've got the result

or not, but there's something happened in that.

Something in that that I want to be part of that and I want to continue

Salford had lost their previous two games going into this one

Some great work-out to the right led to this bounce out of a tackle

to give the pass to score the opening try of the game.

But Widnes went on to have the better of the first half,

with the fit-again Kevin Brown giving his team-mate

The dummy was enough to create the gap.

Widnes had two more tries denied by the video referee before

getting their second of the game, when Chris Bridge was on the end

Rhys Hanbury added the penalty before the break and Widnes

After half-time, Salford clearly meant business,

and after pressurising the Widnes defence for the next 15 minutes,

they finally got their rewards, with some lovely passing

to get at the corner, Gareth O'Brien's conversion bringing

They continued the pressure and when Michael Dobson's high kick

was initially taken and got away by Robert,

Gareth O'Brien added a penalty for Salford before the final whistle

to give them the win and condemn Widnes to their eighth

We've got a real good belief in the group and I think the group

are better than what they actually believe they are, so we need that

to kind of come forward with the confidence.

Hopefully all these wins will help with that going forward.

They turned that first half into points, turned that pressure

into points and we've come out of this with a victory,

We were pretty confident going first half at their line but we just

couldn't turn that confidence and determination into points,

So much swirling around off the pitch

How important for you and the players to stick to doing

what you do, and do your talking on the pitch?

We need to just keep real stable on the pitch.

See if we can get some real consistency.

And let everyone else worry about what is going on off the

And we will just focus on the rugby and go forward with that.

Joining me is the interim general manager of Super League, Mark

We hope that Magic Weekend would be coming back

Do you think there is still a place for Magic Weekend as

We will sit down after this weekend and

look at all the things that we look at, for feedback.

We speak to the clubs, we speak to the players.

stakeholders, but the early indications are that the 10th

edition is bigger and better than ever.

So why would we take it out of the calendar?

It has been a tough week for the Rugby football league,

with Salford's owner calling for a breakaway of Super League,

saying that the RFL isn't fit for purpose.

Every one of our Super League chairman has a right to voice their

We do have the right channels and governance structures

That is being dealt with by Nigel as and

Brian, as chairman, rather than by myself.

Would it have been better to keep it all in house?

We are just concentrating on Magic and at the moment all the signs are

that we have delivered a great Magic, so we are really happy with

Do you think Super League should be a separate entity?

It is not really for me to discuss that.

It is being dealt with by people above me.

I'm two weeks into the job, working on

Early pressure for Catalan, as they come down this

And he's too big and too strong for Wakefield.

Well, Horo makes a clean connection there, for me.

More early pressure from this Catalans side.

And again they target Wakefield's left.

And that's really good hands to put Judy Broughton

He's transferred that to St James' Park.

Stewart involved, and Jodie Broughton,

Now towards this right side, great hands.

They will hold it up this time.

But again, Chris Campbell will make sure.

Wakefield waited for that ball to go dead.

Catalans running away with this game.

He will try to pop it up to Jones-Bishop.

Credit to Liam Finn for his presence of mind as Catalans were

He had the pace, he had the skill and kept himself in touch. Whitfield

on the ball. Buoyed by that triumph. He hoists the kick on the last. It

is going to hang in the air for some time. Miller will bloom it down the

right-hand side. Bounces into those hands. James Bishop! He has a

second! Right back in the game. Or are they? Chris Campbell grabs

again. Goes to the screen. Goes for the decision of try. What a finish!

Bishop! Sublime! And his reward is another four points on the board.

Well, look at that. Started the move, gets back into it. And he just

waited and time to that pass. Super acrobatics from Bishop.

In the groove now, Wakefield, as Miller picks it up, skirts the line,

turns away. Onto the captain. Stopped in his tracks. Goes again!

Bashes his way across! No problem for Chris Campbell this time! Hit

the straps, hit the front! Miller with the short ball. They weren't

going to stop him there. Such a dangerous arm with the ball.

Carney likewise. All over the park. He will muscle his way in. Then back

again. On the fringes. The Australian connection, Stuart

and Carney. Then the Frenchman. The man from Perth in yon.

Down the right-hand side they move it. A quick ball.

WHISTLE BLOWS Might just have seen this one call

away. At the back and then a great put out from Carney. Had the power

to finish. A weight of this right-hand side again. Real ebb and

flow. -- a way to this right-hand side. A flat ball. Wakefield not

giving up on this one at all. Against its former club! And they

are delighted! Chris Campbell awards the try. They keep and keep on

coming and the Frenchman scores against his former team. Well,

again, power at the line, no chance. Brushed aside. In delight. Catalan.

This game so finely poised and that could be so crucial. Mixed group.

Simon has given away a penalty here, a kickable penalty at that. And with

minutes remaining. This could be the turning point in this game. A penny

for Chris Chester's thoughts and a penny for Pat Richards' thoughts as

he lines up the kick... It struck the frame of the post! Back out! And

Wakefield have been let off here! It remains 24 points apiece as we close

in. As Richards gets a clean connection... That is the rugby gods

smiling down on Wakefield. Into the final few moments here. Just a

couple of minutes remaining. This is the last four Wakefield. Not very

good from there, is he? It is going to hang, it is going to crawl, it is

going to clip over! Jacob Miller with a 50 metre drop goal! He gave

it some! Swung the boot! And it had the legs, and Wakefield have made a

bit of Magic Weekend history. That will go down in football. Jacob

Miller! Wakefield so close now. As the drop-kick goes down. Catalan

won't have time to respond here, surely? As the hooter goes. Chris

Campbell blows the whistle and Wakefield players jump for joy. What

a finish! Nine wins from the last ten, Chris Chester with the work.

Look at the fans! They will issue this! -- relishing. Catalan could

have climbed to the top of the table even if temporarily but they missed

the opportunity and Jacob Miller, the man on the spot, a 50 metre drop

goal. And as he exchanges hugs with his opposite number, the two sixes

so influential. Those fans can dream.

This team just keeps on rolling forward? Gas. We weren't very good

in certain parts of the game. -- yeah. But we found a way to win

today and we came back not just once but twice, and then he comes up with

the special player at the end to win us the game. Usually that would go

to thin but it came to me and I just thought I would have a go and got a

bit lucky. We need to keep on top performance and moving forward

because we've done a good job to last eight, nine weeks and we lost

tonight that we are a poor team. We've got a good squad, a good team

spirit and the belief in the group is fantastic and it was evident

again today. One of the highlights of the last 12 months was Lizzie

Jones singing Abide With Me to thank the Rugby League community for their

support after her husband, Danny, died. She would be singing it this

year but she had part of a panel judging a fan choir as we live

together with Songs Of Praise for a very special experience. What have

people got to do? What are we looking for? We are looking for a 32

piece choir. Normal, everyday people who deserve to sing at Wembley. They

need to write in and let us know their stories. Let us know why they

would like to be part of that choir. And be part of such a wonderful

experience. And we should stress, they don't have to be able to sing

like you, do they? They don't have to be able to sing. Just basically

tell us your story and tell us why and hopefully come along and have a

fantastic day like I did. And what is the experience like? What will be

in store for them? It is one of the most special things

anyone can do in their lives. For me, for personal reasons, I wonder

that day. It is just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If

you think that somebody you know deserves to do that, you can write

in. I would love to meet them. How special for you to be involved

again. The Rugby League have been amazing.

To be part of Wembley again, I love meeting people who deserve to do

things like that. I cannot wait to meet these incredible people. Good

luck with the judging. If you do get into that choir, you will be live on

the BBC ahead of the Challenge Cup final. This is how he can get

involved. Remember, we're looking for unusual or uplifting stories

about supporting your club and why you deserve a place representing

your team in the Rugby League Challenge Cup choir.

We were saddened this week to hear the death of Ray Lakeland who

started his career and BBC in Newcastle and then on to be a

pioneering producer in the early days of Rugby League coverage on the

BBC. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time. The action

on Sunday continued with St Helens against Huddersfield. There have

been a province in the Huddersfield camp recently and this performance

backs that up. It was 20 minutes before the deadlock was broken with

Jermaine McGillvary getting the first try after a pass from Leroy

Cudjoe. The next point came from an error from St Helens, after eight

towering kick was taken safely by Jack Owens near to his own line. The

fumble by debutant Kelvin Wellington let the Giants in again. The next

try was a real crowd pleaser. From inside a row in half, Huddersfield

watched an attack. An overlap the voting Jake Collar made the break

before off-loading to Aaron Murphy who sent in the supporting Johnny

Ellis. By now, Huddersfield were 16-0 up

before St Helens got some points on the board. Adam Smith got the ball

back inside to put Maggie Dawson in. But any chance of a Saints comeback

was thrown into doubt after the start of the second half. A move

reminiscent of St Helens at their best opened up Huddersfield 's lead

to 16 points. The ball was moved to the left and then the right and

through 13 pairs of hands before ending up with Leroy Cudjoe again

being the provider for Jermaine McGillvary to crash in at the

corner. Danny Brough converted. The next try was not quite so

spectacular. Kyle Wood the provider. Then came one of the most bizarre

tries you will ever see. The past on Danny Brott met the feed of Jake

Connor. The air and Aaron Murphy went in at the corner. By now,

Huddersfield led 34-6 but Saints hit a purple patch with three tries in

12 minutes, the first from Jack Owens who went in at the corner

flag. Then Luke Walsh launched a high hanging kick. The ball was

spilled ten metres out. The deficit was reduced to 18. The third try

came after another long ball out wide from Walshe, allowing Jordan

Turner to collect on the bounce and off-load. That launched a move that

came back to the middle of the pitch again. A well timed pass led to St

Helens' fourth try of the game. Huddersfield were not done. Captain

Ryan Hinchcliffe went straight in. Then another move that started

inside the ring half ended with Leroy Cudjoe I joining the defence

and throwing a well timed pass for Kyle Wood to complete. Danny Brough

added a goal to complete their comrades of wind. It was

Huddersfield 's third win in eight games and moves them two points

clear of the bottom of the table. I thought we had a patient performance

out there today. Saints, early on in the game, it was a bit of an arm

wrestle and we rode our luck at times but it shows how good a team

we are we can come away and get a result, good St Helens team. We

scored 48 points, which I'm happy about. We still have some work to

do. We are still two points behind. Just behind those top four clubs. We

have the next three weeks, we play against the top three sides in the

competition. And it could be totally different, but we need to start

performing a lot better and more consistently. Throughout the 80

minutes. I do not believe that as a club and a team we have put an 80

minute performance together. Sometimes we are good in attack and

not good in defence and the other way around sometimes but we have a

long way to go. The final match of the weekend is the Hull derby. The

black and whites recorded victory in the first one. Watching the rematch

is Dave Woods. The Magic Weekend has been keen -- has been kind to Hull

so far. A win today and they go top of the Super League, clear by two

points. But those in red and white will hope to stymie those ambitions.

It is a high kick, and my follower has picked the pockets of two Hull

KR players to score in this opening six minutes. -- Fonua. The ball away

to Kelly. Did not quite stick where he was hoping it would. A scramble

on the floor. Hull have come up with possession. Dancing steps by Marc

Sneyd. He was called in the end. It is getting a little bit messy again

here. You would always anticipate emotions would be high when these

two come up against each other, and this is not disappointing in that

respect. Richard Silverwood is the man who will aim to sort all of this

out, but there is lots of pushing and shoving going on. There was a

bit of bite to this one. It was the caller tackle on Mark Sneyd that set

things. He was clearly unhappy with his treatment from the Australian. A

big effort forward by Watts, who has got the ball away to Danny Houghton.

He launches a Hull attack. It is a penalty for Hull. The referee has

seen something of the ball. -- off the ball. You can see there are that

falling through, Lunt makes a tackle that will earn him ten minutes in

the sin-bin. Mark Sneyd. Hull moving it wide. Quick hands from Fonua. And

the winger scores, a sweeping move. They are calling for the video

referee, but Richard Silverwood is confident enough to give it. Kelly.

Hull just searching the fringes again. Kelly comes dancing back in.

He is held up but Rovers are getting close, penalty. It is another set of

six for Rovers to attack the line. Trailing by ten points, they will

not think about going for gold, they will want the six points if they

can. Heavily hit forward in the first instance by green. Lunt, the

shimmy from dummy half, and twist that has him over! Sean Lamont, ten

minutes in the sin-bin but now he's the hero of this side, having got

them back in it -- Sean Lunt. Lunt, clever kick, Kelly has gone chasing

after it. The referee is having a word with the touch judge. There is

the reason why. Was that a shoulder charge? Penalty for Campese, he can

bring his team to within two points. At half-time, it is quite again.

Lunt. In by green. Good off-load. Lunt gets the past away. Hull 's

line is being tested. Walker is being wrestled and it is another

penalty. Walker held down by Frank Prichard. Not for nothing do they

call him Cranky Frank. They are now all level with three minutes of the

second half laid. Kelly has got the runners, and he got the gap for

Graham Hall, against his former club and against the form coming into

this game, Hull KR take the lead. Mark Sneyd. The little ball back on

the inside. The Rovers' defence is tight at the moment. Houston. To the

line comes a less. And a surge by Fonua for his second try of the

game. Norton. Looking for the middle, looking for that left-hand

flank. They have got a bit of space. Yeaman goes forward, and here comes

Jamie Shaul. The inevitability was that it was going to be a Hull

drive. And they are in the lead again now. -- Hull drive. Mark

Minichiello looking to make it a try for Hull. Mark Minichiello bounding

in, and that might just be the defining moment of the game. The

Australian scores and it looks like Hull are going to go top of the

Super League. It was a scrappy game, probably did not live up to the

building that was stoked up prior to the game but I am over the moon with

the points. We have been playing a lot of people for a long period of

time, the players were outstanding, we had a couple of errors that we

will keep working on. The confidence seems to be using out of them. It is

another difficult week for us. We have had to come from a nitty-gritty

game. And the manner in which we have been getting results over the

last six or seven weeks has been very pleasing. That win for Hull

wraps up the Magic Weekend. Let's see where that result leaves them

and everyone else in the first utility Super League table. Hull

were the only team in the top four to win at Magic Weekend. We can go

into fourth place. Leeds Rhinos two points adrift at the bottom. We are

back next week. Hull hope to compete hat-trick of wins against St Helens

when they meet on Saturday. Joining me is Jamie Peacock. A good weekend

for Rugby League? I have enjoyed being here. I did not enjoy the

result at the end but it was a fantastic occasion, the atmosphere

was outstanding and the games have been great as well. Would you like

to see it coming back to Newcastle again next year? I would,

definitely. I have been up and around here for a couple of days

before. And having this blue event is helping the grassroots of Rugby

League developed here, and we need to continue doing that. And not take

it somewhere else. To try to spark interest in the game in another

area? I would like it to stay here. The people of Newcastle appreciate

it being here. When something is beginning to flourish, you have got

to keep at it. Would you have it as a stand-alone set of fixtures or try

to incorporate it into the calendar? I would like to see it as a

competition in the winter. Magic Weekend is at an end. They have

taken down the posts at St James' Park. We will be back in the studio

next week at the slightly earlier time of 11:10pm. We hope you can

join as then. Goodbye.