Episode 16 Super League Show

Hello, Super League's been back on familiar ground after the big

weekend away in Newcastle.

It wasn't a happy holiday for everyone in the North-East,

but there was magic for many at St James' Park.

# Some people lie but they're looking for magic.

# Others are quietly going insane.

# I feel alive when I'm close to madness.

# No easy love could ever make me feel the same.

What a finish!

Crowd stands still.

It is quite a game.

Kallum Watkins!

Castleford for the corner!

Luke Dorn will score!

It is a sweeping move.

And a twist that has got him over.

And the winger scores.

And as the magic fades, the Wakefield captain Danny Kirmond,

and three time Grand Final winner Brian Noble are here to discuss

Super League's latest tricks.

Round 16 kicked-off with Castleford against Wigan, and watching

at The Jungle was Dave Woods.

at The Jungle was Dave Woods.

Powell wants to get on with things here.

On the feet of Willie Isa.

Crosby.

With a push and shove.

And taking Wigan to within 11 strides of the

Castleford line.

Powell.

Goes left.

Williams, with the good pass wide.

And the finish from Charnley.

Excellent pass though.

From George Williams.

Jewitt not happy, Castleford playing on, it is Millington!

Millington skips away from a couple of tacklers.

He has been in scintillating form this season, playing

at prop at stand-off.

And Castleford have got a great position here as result.

Dorn gets a pass away and Paul McShane is over.

Less than ten minutes played,

it is a try apiece.

Milner.

Gale.

Sending it high and downfield here.

Caught by Manfredi.

He has done well to evade the first two and a clattering challenge.

The knock-on by Gildart.

Play on, says the referee.

It is another set of six.

So the set starts from here.

But it is a penalty.

Sam Tomkins.

Gale getting a telling off from the referee, but it is

a penalty for Castleford.

Gale adds two and Castleford take that two points

lead.

8-6.

Tomkins.

Effort right down the middle by Powell.

Up at dummy half and Wigan find themselves only ten away.

But only one tackle to go.

That is a lovely little ball slid through by Smith.

And instinctively Sam Tomkins is there to score.

His second try since his return.

He is getting that feeling back.

Milner moves in.

Here's Cook.

Trying to hold it up.

Wigan defenders responding with sheer determination.

Milner again.

Gale, that is a terrific pass from Luke Gale and Solomona!

He doesn't miss opportunities like that, does he?

He is a try scoring machine and when he is getting service

of the quality he has just had, who is to wonder why?

Tomkins.

Williams.

Little bobble ball back on the inside.

Bateman.

Penalty.

It is getting lively.

Luke Dorn not happy with the treatment Bateman

was giving to one of his team-mates on the floor.

Listen, you could have caused a horrendous situation then.

We had a punch thrown but just think on, you're lucky it didn't

cause anything else.

No, no, you listen.

I'm doing the talking.

You keep quiet.

The whistle blows, you get away.

Come here, listen.

There's no need to talk.

At this particular time I'm telling you what's going off, right?

We've got interference and we've got your man running in.

You sort your players out and I'll sort...

Get over there, right.

Player dismissed.

Castleford have had their lecture.

Left in no uncertain terms there, were they!

Matty Smith looking to add a couple of points here.

That should give Wigan the half-time lead.

Over it goes.

It is Castleford 12, Wigan 14.

Well, the hooter sounds.

Castleford have one last chance maybe to attack this Wigan line.

That is knocked on.

Gildart slides in.

Well, it looked like from an offside position there.

But the referee blows the whistle.

And it is a yellow card for John Jake Webster

because Webster came running across and made

a very vociferous enquiry.

Wigan looking to run it away.

That is good from Manfredi!

He passed the line.

What a glittering run this is.

Up and beyond the 40 metre line inside his opponents' half.

Good play by the winger.

Gildart in a dummy half.

Williams shuffling forward again.

Isa.

Tautai.

Wigan looking to create space on the right hand side.

For the man who started it, is the man who will finish it.

Three minutes into the second half.

Milner.

Fluent through the hands here.

Crooks with a little ball back on the inside.

Paddy Flynn will go hunting for a space down the middle.

His hand in the face there, of Powell.

And get something in return, because it is a penalty

here for Castleford.

Having a push and shove, I think there was some sort

of retribution dealt there.

So Luke Gale will bring you back now within six points and Jake Webster

is back on the field as well.

Shaping up nicely here, Sarginson with a pass away,

and a slide for Charnley!

Well, he did well to finish there.

It is worth the question.

He thinks it is a try.

Quite clearly his feet were very dangerously close to the whitewash.

So the referee has to ask the question here.

And I think you can see there it is a matter of millimetres

almost that the ball has hit the white line before the feet hit

the other white line.

And a try given for Josh Charnley.

Wigan with a healthy lead.

Back on the inside goes Williams.

Almost getting through!

Webster with the recovery tackle.

Then a second attempt has given Wigan a penalty.

Another little bit of a push by Cook.

If they kick this, Smith puts it over, the leaders have 14 points,

which means Castleford are three scores behind.

He has!

It is 28-14.

McShane.

Gale.

Webster.

Webster!

Jake Webster in unstoppable mood.

He is like a charging bull.

When he sees an opportunity.

And Castleford are right back in the contest again.

Powell goes right.

Kick goes high.

Not a lot of distance on it.

Where is it coming down?

It is caught and kicked on here by Powell!

Who will claim it.

There's got to be a question about it.

Got to be a question of the knock-on.

He thinks try.

Thinks the ball has gone backwards.

So the video referee has a look.

That long-range angle would suggest that maybe, yes it has.

Let's have a look here.

He is dragging the ball to his body here.

And it does seem to fall backwards, doesn't it?

Not the tidiest, but perfectly legal.

Gildart's contribution just allows the play on.

Powell kicks it on.

What is the finish like here?

You, nothing wrong with that.

So it should be a try.

And Sam Powell is given the try.

And Wigan back to two scores in the lead.

McMeekin.

McMeekin.

Gale.

Moors.

Flanking run here by Dorn who passes on to Solomona.

To finish for the second time but hang on, here we go again.

You would normally back Solomona to score these.

And if you backed him this time you would be on a winner

because that looks absolutely perfect, no questions

about that whatsoever.

The try is given.

And Castleford are making a contest of it again.

It is going to be a grandstand finish.

Powell.

Dummy away!

Powell to win it here, surely!

Just drags down.

Tomkins.

Quick to dummy half.

They're looking for the drop goal.

Matty Smith, his fifth drop goal of the season!

He keeps producing these vital one pointers and that

looks like a winner.

Danny, you were at the game for BBC Radio 5 live.

What did you make of it overall?

I just think you could tell the emphasis that Wigan

had put into the game, how important it was to Shaun Wane

and to his team as well.

He talked about how they have changed the dimensions

of the training field and things like that in the week.

They had had a couple of bad results at Castleford over

the last couple of seasons.

So I think you could tell the intent was there from them

and they were outclassed really, for me.

And for Castleford, they had some really good wins away from home.

But in Super League three consecutive home defeats.

How much will that be worrying Darryl?

Not too much, because their form was not bad,

it was a cracking game of rugby.

It could have gone either way.

But for a few decisions.

I do not think he will be overly concerned.

I think there are a couple of things in the players' control

they want to fix up.

But they are in good form and I think it was because Wigan

And are we beginning to see Wigan with some of the stars back,

really properly moving forward now and what we might be able to see

as we get to the business end of the season?

Yeah, I think definitely having the two half-backs back together

is massive for them.

And I think you can see them getting better and better each week.

Sam Tomkins, his return as well, he has obviously been out for a long

time with his knee injury.

I think you can see week in, week out, how he's getting better.

And more confident in his knee as well.

So they're definitely coming good towards the most important

time of the season.

Daryl very unusually for him, had a right go at Ben Thaler.

And he was particularly unhappy with the manner in which Ben Thalor

was talking to his players.

What did you make of it?

I think there's a heck of a lot of scrutiny in this

game, isn't there?

Sometimes we watch these things and listen to these

things and we know more than sometimes the referee does

in that split second.

But nobody has got the right, I think you generally get

responded to in the manner in which you approach somebody

and I think there were a lot of Castleford players having

a little bit of a pop at Ben Thaler.

And I think he had just had enough, really.

It got to the point there, we saw some of the highlights,

he said right, go away, I don't want to speak to you.

It got to that stage.

But I think it is a pressure and the scrutiny that comes,

an odd decision can change the course of the game in Super

League.

That has always been the case.

I just think it is about holding your nerve, certainly as a place

to Castleford and Daryl will be disappointed

with a couple of the decisions.

But that doesn't give his players the right to approach the referee

in the manner they did.

So he probably responded in the same manner.

So six of one and half a dozen of the other, really.

From a player's point of view, if it is getting a little bit fiery,

how do you want the referee to be with you, as players?

I don't mind personally the way Ben spoke to the players.

I think if you are approaching him in an aggressive manner and pretty

irate, he's probably going to be the same with you.

At the end of the day he is in charge of that

game and he has got to keep control of it.

If he sees fit to talk to you like that, then you have

sometimes got to take it on the chin.

But generally if you talk to the referees with respect,

they will be respectful back to you.

I find

the relationship normally with the referees is a simple one.

There has been a little bit of a trend of coaches coming out

in recent weeks and having a right old blast at the referees.

Is that because they have to do it through the media,

that they feel they pick up the phone on Monday morning

and it is not going the way they want, or is it something that

needs to be clamped down on?

Daryl said I know I'm going to get fined for this, but

I've got to say it.

I can only speak from personal experience when I have

been in their position, it is quite frustrating

if you certainly don't get the answers you think you deserve.

And all of these coaches, as well as the referees,

let's give due to the referees, they try to be meticulous

in their preparation.

You know, I mentioned scrutiny before, the clinical detail

in which coaches look at things and change the course of games,

a couple of decisions there are quite debatable.

They could have gone another way which would have helped Castleford.

So that kind of pressure and that builds up through the year,

if you get frustrated by not getting the answers you want or course

of action that you agree with from these referees,

then it is frustrating.

And you get that sense of despair and that sense of well,

what's the point, you know, what's the point of going

through the channels.

I need some answers here.

Rather than just a bit of lip service.

So there is the frustration element of it.

To compensate with that, sometimes, that was a brilliant game,

and down the Jungle anyway it is a great atmosphere.

So they're coming off thinking, we have done this, done this.

I suppose if you're given a cool off period.

I always had a thing, if the coaches proved to be right,

there should be no fine and no question.

But it doesn't seem to work that way.

You were always right, weren't you, Brian!

In your day!

Well, let's move on.

The leaders going into the round were Hull FC.

They were looking to keep their noses in front at the top

of the table when they faced St Helens on Saturday.

The commentator for this one is Matt Newsum.

Taylor onto Watts.

Great little step through the line.

Flicks the ball away to Ellis.

What a finish!

Hull move in front.

Roaming the line again.

A little wrap around play to Sneyd.

Sneyd to Fonua!

Too easy!

Hull double the lead.

Saints with a bit of field position here.

Wilkin to Lomax.

Great cut out ball.

To the corner for Swift.

Plenty to do.

And he did it, too.

Great finish, Adam Swift.

Yet more pressure on the line.

Wilkin.

Fage.

To Lomax!

Back-to-back scores.

Saint Helens in it.

Having come back from two tries down, they might well be

in here again with Atelea Vea.

Hull complain to the referee.

Houghton.

Washbrook.

Slick move.

Fave scampers through.

Hull back in the game.

Hamilton.

To Tuimavave.

Teasing kick, back against the grain.

Amos fumbled it and Scott Taylor is there for Hull.

They edge further ahead.

Saints, have they got a route back into the game?

Wilkin.

Out the back to Fage.

Down this left hand side.

Great little hands to Ashworth.

Can he get it down?

Yes, he does.

There was a swarm of players.

But the referee will go to the touch judge.

What is the decision?

Have St Helens prised their way back into the game?

Yes, they have.

Jack Ashworth.

Goal line drop out for Saints.

Under pressure, looking for the short one, but it's gone

straight to Danny Washbrook.

And he has slipped away from Turner, and the kick here for Hull!

They have passed another big test at the top of the table.

And there goes Scott Taylor, great leap.

Credit to them, really, for hanging in there like they did.

I thought 20 minutes gone we had all the momentum and something

we haven't done this year, we didn't capitalise on that momentum.

And almost got punished for that.

So to see them come back at the end like that and close the game out

like they did is pleasing.

We deserved something out of the game, that

was my own personal view.

We definitely deserved something.

It is a bitter pill to swallow, but you have just got to move on.

Like I said, it is all about improving and trying to get

consistently performing the same every week.

And if we can do that, if we can bring that to the party,

the effort we brought today, if we can bring that to the party

every week then we're not going to be far short.

Danny, Hull FC are looking comfortable now at being at the top

and winning those kind of games.

How important to be able to withstand a comeback like that

and come out on top?

Yeah, again, it is the character they are showing, for me.

Obviously all these big stars are performing well

week in, week out.

But I think the leadership in there that they've

got from the likes of Gareth Ellis and Minichiello.

They are leading the team forward.

And when you get in a difficult situation like that,

they have been in front and gone behind to St Helens,

they are the kind of guys you need in there.

They've got some real grafters that are impressing me,

for one Danny Washbrook, who left us last year.

For me he's one of the people that don't get much of the glory.

But he has really added a lot to that Hull FC team.

Let's stay with Danny Washbrook, who scored a try.

Scott Taylor has been in fantastic form as well,

I suppose one of those grafters.

What you make of his celebration though, when Washbrook goes over?

He could be in the GB team for Rio with that vault!

Great celebration, shows how much it means to them.

There you go!

That was a bit of a twist as well.

He might get on the parallel bars as well if he keeps working on it!

That is a big bloke to do that.

And St Helens, I mean Kieron obviously disappointed,

but improvements from last week, which he would have wanted.

I think what will disappoint Kieron the most is the hot and cold nature

of the wayt Saints played.

Any other day, if it hadn't been for Hull's resilience,

they probably would have got over the line.

It is just that element of inconsistency, they're having

patches of really good play, Lomax jacking into the line and Fage

has looked great at times.

Then they're just dropping off in games and getting

caught out a little bit and I think Kieron's frustration,

you can clearly see.

When they're playing the way he wants them to play,

if they can add that, I think most teams look

for this, don't they?

If they can add that element of consistency to the game for 80

minutes you would see a different result.

Wakefield have beaten Wigan, Warrington and

Catalan in recent weeks.

Their tremendous form has lifted them into the top eight.

It's been a great run, Danny, so what happened at Salford?

We started quite fine.

We put a lot of emphasis over the last three weeks on getting some

wins against the top four teams.

I think it was important that we backed up against Salford.

I think the pressure probably just got to us a little bit.

And to be fair to Salford, they played great.

And I think a lot of people don't do them justice.

You know, as they didn't have the six points taken off,

they would be right up where we are in the table as well.

And what about your sin-binning?

Never too good at football at school!

Just wrong-footed me there, George Griffin.

It is nothing malicious but, you know, I'm going to have to take

a week for that one I think.

Ryan Manning got that from Ian Watson.

What do you make of this young man?

In and out, fabulous footwork.

And good speed.

Pretty much with ease there, showing his credentials,

a young bloke coming into the team and has done really well.

At times I guess you where your own worst enemies, we have got

Ben Jones-Bishop also going in the sin-bin.

It does make it pretty hard for you.

It definitely did.

And to be down to 11 men against a team like Salford,

they've got two great halves gathering around

the field really well.

And you know Michael Dobson is probably one

of the smartest out there.

So if you have got 11 men he is going to find

a few gaps in there.

But not only that, it takes a lot of energy away from the rest

of the team that are on there.

And doing the hard work.

And you could see that probably got to us a little bit at the end

of the game.

And Salford in the last couple of weeks, despite distractions

going on off the pitch, they have let the play do the talking.

How big an achievement to come back to the form they have,

given the six points docked?

And some of the stuff that is swirling around them?

They are a team.

And our viewers will understand that when they have seen them this year,

they have gone close with a lot of teams,

they have been unfortunately beaten and they have very

rarely not rocked up.

I think it is a disappointing effort at some stage,

but here when they have Lui in the team and Dobson,

and they have got some really good work horses.

The young boy Lannon, Walnes and Griffin,

and things like this.

And if you go to Salford, you have got to be on your mettle.

And Danny kind of tipped up there, a flat start.

It is hard to climb that mountain if you go down against Salford.

So what do you think Salford can go on and do this year?

I think obviously they're going to be trying to

get a few points back.

So that will put them right back for the eighth.

But I think on the day they are as dangerous

as anyone, really.

They have got a lot of strikes out wide with the background,

Junior Sau scoring as many tries as anyone.

And on the back of the half-backs pairing they have got now

with Rob Lui and Dobson, they can go as far as

they want to go, really.

And for yourselves obviously you have got to pick yourself up,

dust yourself down.

Not a familiar feeling for you.

No, it is not, but it is one we have falsely been in before.

We knew we were not going to go the rest of the season

winning every game.

So it is important that we bounce back in the right manner this week.

And it is a massive game again for us against Hull KR.

The last Super League team to take on our last tackle

challenge are Leeds.

Here's some things you might like to know, and one or two things

you probably don't want to know, about the Rhinos.

It would be somebody big and take up loads of room.

The biggest one we've got is probably Mitch Garbutt.

Probably Mitch Garbutt.

All he would be thinking about is food.

He is just a hairy man, isn't he, and I should imagine it

gets warm in them lifts.

And the smell would probably become unbearable!

Rob Burrow, because he is a serial pest.

Originally I thought it would be Carl Ablett just because

of how cranky he is.

But the more I thought about it, it would definitely be Rob Burrow.

Because even though he is small and it would be quite comfortable

because of how small he is in the lift, some bad smells

come out of that kid's butt.

I think Ryan Hall would like me to say him and I think

Jamie Jones-Buchanan is probably expecting me to say him.

For Rubik's cubes, Ryan Hall, but for anything else probably Jamie

Jones.

I'm going to say Brad Singleton.

You get to know the kid, he is pretty smart.

Brainiest team-mate is a bit of a contradiction, really,

a paradox, Ryan Hall has an IQ of about 200.

Literally.

Did his A-levels in year 11.

Mathematically very brainy, but no common sense whatsoever.

Yeah, have a conversation with him, it's like talking

to an eight-year-old.

No common sense whatsoever.

Ryan Hall, maths.

Jamie Jones, astronomy.

And Mitch Garbutt for food choice.

Who thinks he's the best looking player at the club?

Definitely Stevie Ward.

By far.

Can you say yourself?

I'm joking, that is a joke.

Stevie Ward.

We all get a buzz out of Stevie Ward, he

thinks he is a sort.

Tries to wear clothes like David Beckham.

But has a hint of a look of David Brent.

We've got an ugly team, to be honest with you.

Actually, Brad Singleton.

I think Carl Ablett rates himself.

He rates himself highly, I think he does it on the sly.

Which is interesting.

Mitch Garbutt again, as it happens.

His nickname is Garbs but he likes to call himself Carbs for his fond

loving of carbohydrate meals.

Probably Hally with Hall Dog.

My nickname is Hall Dog.

He made it up himself.

Nobody bought into it.

He has got a number plate on his car says Hall Dog.

I think it is probably the best one.

There's nothing doggy about him at all.

He's just an idiot.

Ryan Hall does not come out of that very well!

He just flogs everybody, doesn't he!

Fantastic.

The silliest nickname at your club?

You have put me on the spot there.

You have got me.

Anything we can broadcast!

You have got me!

We will move on then.

Well, let's see if there were any smiles for Leeds on Friday.

They were away to Warrington.

Chris Sandow was back for the home team, and Dave Woods was there.

Chris Sandow was back for the home team, and Dave Woods was there.

It is a wonderful place to be so early in the game for Leeds.

They've had fast starts in the last three matches.

They have amounted to nothing.

Can they create something early in this one?

McGuire with a little kick.

And Keinhorst is over to score!

Inside the opening two minutes.

Leeds have started well.

Keinhorst the finisher.

Clark.

Sandow.

Aside for Ashton Sims.

Clark is pointing where he says it might go.

But goes the other way, and this will be a finish for Gene Ormsby.

Great cutout pass from Ben Currie to give him the score.

Sandow.

That is a magical kick from Chris Sandow!

Tom Lineham finishes, but a moment of magic

from the returning scrum-half.

Boy, have they missed him!

Coming on in numbers.

Did well to hold onto that.

It was a difficult pass.

Little dummy to his right by Dwyer.

And all too easily Brad Dwyer finds a way in.

And Warrington stretching their lead.

Jones-Buchanan.

They have put up a decent fight here so far, Leeds, tonight.

McGuire, dabbing it through.

He pings pongs off several and Ferres will claim the try.

And they are back within touching distance

again here, Leeds.

Ratchford.

Gidley.

A step back on the inside again.

So Warrington find themselves in decent position.

Sandow with another of those clever kicks of his.

Up goes Ormsby.

Passes back.

And Atkins, on his way over to score.

Ref is having a think about it.

He says try.

It is a knock-on, that is the question.

That looked as if it went back off Ormsby.

No doubts about the grounding here.

No, not at all.

So this should be a try.

And right at the start of the second half, Warrington extend

their lead again.

Sandow, Bailey, he is going to have a go here against his former

team-mates, Ryan Bailey.

Continuing his return to fitness for his new club.

Little dummy show.

Oh, he has got the ball away, has Gidley!

And Ormsby will score in the corner.

It is a fifth Warrington try.

Great handling.

Sims.

Away to Ratchford.

A little step, and he goes.

Oh, hang on, there is a bit of afters going on here

between Sims and Singleton.

And everybody is getting involved here.

Ryan Bailey trying to calm things down.

Have a look at this.

Sims off-loads, there was what he thinks of as a bit of a nasty knock

from Singleton after that.

And then the punches are traded.

They weren't holding back, were they?

The Cumbrian and the Australian.

Ten minutes in the sin bin for Singleton.

You would imagine something similar for Ashton Sims.

Although the first punch did appear to have been thrown by Singleton.

And it will be ten minutes in the bin as well for Ashton Sims.

That has warmed things up.

Clark.

Quickly from dummy half.

Coming from a position where he was not square at the marker.

So a penalty for Warrington.

He had not got back in position there, Clark, sensing that,

and getting the penalty.

The restart.

Warrington only 15 yards away.

Quick hands away to Ratchford.

Easy for Warrington through that Leeds defence.

Stefan Ratchford the scorer of try number six.

Atkins.

Forward by King and does well to get the offload away.

And here comes Atkins again, just about keeping a hold of him.

But with one tackle left, the line is in sight.

Sandow's pass and over goes Gidley!

All too simple again for Warrington.

The heart has been ripped out of this Leeds defence.

Sims was to the left but he has gone right, and a little pass

on the inside again.

Oh, this is wonderful hands again.

And it is a wonderful try again!

Daryl Clark the scorer.

Seems they are almost scoring at will here.

Burrow.

Burrow has been one shining light in a dismal Leeds season.

Here he is at dummy half again.

Dummy shown by Ferres.

And I think he might have crashed over here,

Brett Ferres.

His second try as a Leeds player.

Two on the night.

Clark.

Through again, all too easily.

Ratchford, almost.

Clark, out at dummy half.

Throwns the dummy and the gap is enormous!

For him to sail through.

Capitulation by Leeds once more.

But Warrington, as it stands, are going top

of the Super League table.

Dave used the word capitulation.

They have conceded 144 points in the last three games, Leeds.

And Brian McDermott saying they lost their defensive integrity.

Will that hurt him the most about all of this?

I think so.

When you are in a tough front you need to be able to kick the ball

very, very well and back your defence to keep you in there.

With a view to it.

We have also associated Leeds with scoring a lot of points

with the talent they have got.

They're actually not doing that at the moment,

which is one of their worries.

They can't get down the other end.

But to give themselves a chance, you have certainly got to aim

against the big blokes in the middle and stop their little plays.

They will know all the players and that can be the

disappointing side of it.

When you see your team ship a lot of points through a lack

of confidence or the game is gone, you want them to put a stake

in the ground and say, no more.

I'm sure he has rallied the troops this week,

they're going to have to start really well this week again.

A good French side that are coming across.

So the long answer to your short question Tanya, was yes,

they have got to bend their backs better than they are.

As for Warrington, interestingly, Tony Smith saying their defence

was back to what he felt they were at the beginning of the season.

When they were flying.

Sandow back but also Clark and Dwyer really

good for them as well, weren't they, through the middle?

Yes, and they are the kind of guys, Clark and Dwyer, who really get off

the back of the big men and a challenge in the middle.

And once you lose a few rooks, they're just that quick out of dummy

half, you're instantly under pressure.

And once they are in good ball and challenging your own line

with the likes of Sandow coming back in, you see the kick

try he set up there, there's not always something you can

do to stop the tries.

And off the back of the big men, like I say, they're just playing

some great football down in the other end.

And they're going to need that.

Saint Helens, Hull FC and Catalan in the next few weeks.

Fairly decisive, you feel, for them in their push to try to be

at the top?

Yes, but I think they're going in to it in good form as well.

They've had a couple of slip-ups.

I think in the last two and Castleford.

But since that they seemed to pick the game back-up.

In similar to a lot of teams, they're getting all the big stars

back coming into this important run into the end of the season.

So I think they will be confident going in to those big games.

And starting with Saint Helens.

Hull Kingston Rovers took a day trip to Catalan on Saturday.

Terry Campese stayed at home.

Danny, you played Catalan last week.

what do you make of them at the moment?

They have got some massive individuals, you know,

Dave Taylor, Willy Mason, it is never-ending, really.

And then off the back of that they have got people

like Jodie Broughton scoring points for them.

I think the important thing is they're bringing the French guys

through now as well.

Probably the best one is Tony Gigot.

Mentioning Dave Taylor, when a prop does that...

Yes, it's undefendable, really.

Nearly 20 stone.

And you are expected to tackle him one-on-one on your own line.

It is difficult.

And you look at the players off the back of it, Todd Carney,

he is in some great form as well.

They're just a great attacking team and backing themselves to defend

their own line now as well.

It was always going to be a tough one, this, for Hull KR.

It was, yes.

If I'm not mistaken, they won the second half

and they get Larroyer back, who has been out for a while.

And Campese obviously back this week.

And so they are building for a bit of a run towards the

back end of the year.

And, you know, that process takes time.

But when you go to France you have got to be prepared for an onslaught

of physicality which you get.

Anderson there crashing over the line.

And so they are a good team.

And they play well.

What they've done this year, I do not think everyone is surprised

that, but they have managed, every year we asked the question can

they win it away from home.

They doing it regularly now as well, aren't they,

which makes them a huge threat.

Going to give a mention to young Joe Wardle, a Hull KR winger.

He played England under 19 is the night before.

How difficult, Danny, to do that and then come

into a game like this?

Oh, yes, it is massive.

I think as a player, he will have been dreaming

of something like that.

You know, he has played for the England Academy,

which I'm sure he would have been really proud of.

And then he got a phone call as well saying come on,

you're going to make your Super League debut.

It really is the thing that dreams are made of and I'm sure

all his family will have been really proud as well.

To see him do that.

And just also a mention for Catalan, 17-year-old half-back Lucas Albert.

I mean, what, for a young man coming alongside playing Todd Carney,

how much can he learn from him?

A massive amount.

Danny hit the nail on the head, the story for him as well.

Bringing the French kids through, it has always been part and parcel

of their challenge.

And they're looking good.

The team doesn't miss a beat when they come in to the team.

But having Todd Carney around you, wow.

Not bad, huh?

Results haven't been great for St Helens over

the past couple of weeks, but we've had a dig around the BBC

Archives and found something that might raise the spirits at Langtree

Park.

This is the 1985 Premiership Final, and a Grandstand performance

from a rugby league legend.

What better teams could we have to contest this Premiership trophy?

Division One champions Hull KR and the runners-up in

the championship, St Helens.

And one man finishing his one-year contract, Mal Malinga,

he goes back to Australia this week.

But what a fine season he has had for St Helens.

26 tries to his credit already.

He will be looking for the winner's medal.

Oh, very good ball out to Holding.

To Malinga.

Well taken from Malinga.

Looking for the opportunity.

Oh!

It is like tackling a man mountain, this guy.

But St Helens still on the attack.

Holding.

To Peters.

He has got Ledger with him.

Can he make it to the corner?

He will, he has got the legs.

It might be Ledger's try but I think that try was scored

more by Mal Malinga.

Bursting down the left hand flank.

And all Ledger had to do was put the ball down.

Hull Kingston Rovers using one, two, three drives...

Mal Malinga, he is going for the line!

It is a formality.

It is theirs.

I know he wants to go back to Australia with the winner's

medal and tries like that will give it to him.

Malinga has got it again!

Now then, he is a big man, but he is a fast man, this lad.

It is a race, Malinga is holding Danny Clark

off and he scores!

What a try!

Well, this man cost ?30,000 for the season and how well he has

rewarded those fans.

He is a huge size, six foot three, 16 stone.

Mal, the Wizard of Australia, the banner says.

What a try.

And St Helens for the third time in their history, Premiership trophy

winners and Mal Malinga, he played his part.

Truly a memorable final.

36-16 for St Helens.

36-16 for St Helens.

Boy, for a big guy, he could move fast!

He was quick, he was big.

He was a prototype to all those things that came after,

Lomu and people like that.

He was the original and best.

And he was blinking quick!

Now Widnes were top of the table after the first six weeks

of the season, but eight consecutive defeats saw them fall

to eighth place.

They were at home to Huddersfield on Sunday, and it was a poor start

for the Vikings, Brian.

They didn't get off to the right start.

I was flicking through the text looking at scores on the weekend,

watching another game.

But at 16-nil up, I thought this is a walk-in.

But they've shown absolute resilience.

They have been on a bad run, haven't they, but you know,

that is unforgivable.

Plays the ball, Danny is gone, and he is going to put

the ball over the line, is Danny Brough.

And you're thinking, and I suppose Huddersfield were thinking,

it is going to be one of those days at the office.

But not according to Widnes.

They came back and showed the kind of resilience you do.

Hinchcliffe doing what he has done all year at dummy half to get

Wardle over the line.

And so they look really strong, Huddersfield.

Just before half-time I think this is crucial,

Kevin Brown, pivotal.

And Corey Thompson finishing as he has done all year.

I think he has been terrific for them, scored a lot of points.

And then Rhys Hanbury as well is important to this team.

The big story of the day is Joe Mellor ripped them to pieces.

No one got within five metres of him.

Exceptional speed there.

And once you're at that end of the field I suppose

the momentum had shifted.

And Mellor again, releasing Marsh.

What does it say about Widnes's character to come back from that,

given the run they've been on?

It shows that there is a great character in the squad.

I think after the run they've been on, it would probably have been

easier to fold up and, you know, just give in to the start

that Huddersfield have made.

But I think the important thing is they have got their spine

back together now.

Widnes, you know if Kevin Brown, Joe Mellor and Rhys Hanbury

are playing, then it is going to be a tough day.

They are three great players in attacking and you look at every

try and those three players get their hands on the

ball in all of them.

And they're pivotal in the comeback and the victory for Widnes.

And just briefly, Huddersfield will be disappointed after a good

performance at Magic, won't they?

They will.

They turned the proverbial corner, but there is another corner to turn

now this week.

So Widnes get back to winning ways, let's check-up on all

the movers and shakers in the First Utility

Super League Table.

Super League Table.

No change at the top because the first four all won.

Hull FC remain two points clear of Warrington, Catalan and Wigan.

Leeds are still bottom and there is now a 4-point gap

between Widnes in eighth and Salford in ninth.

Round 17 kicks off with Wakefield against Hull KR on Thursday.

Everyone else plays on Friday including the leaders,

Hull FC, who play Widnes.

Saint Helens are against Warrington, Salford play Wigan, and home games

too for Leeds and Huddersfield.

too for Leeds and Huddersfield.

Brian, do you think that is the top four settled,

can you see it changing?

It is going to take a good run from Saints to break that top four.

I think it is looking pretty solid.

What do you reckon?

Yeah, it's going to be hard for anyone to break in now.

I think those four teams are in really good form as well,

so you would imagine they will keep on picking the points up.

That's it for this week, my thanks to Danny and Brian for joining us,

we'll see you next week, goodbye.

If you know somebody you'd like to nominate

to be an unexpected star of the show for the next series...

..or in fact want to nominate someone for any surprise...

..please go to bbc.co.uk/bigshow

for all the details.

spent God knows how many man hours, and you think I'm going to

HORN BLARES

Why did you want to be a policeman? I don't want to be a policeman.

I want to be a detective.