07/08/2017 Super League Show

We have hit the business end of the 2017 season and week

Over the next few weeks, we will find out who is on course

for the Grand Final and follow the fight for Super League

It is rugby league, where nothing is straightforward.

So we've enlisted the help of Internet sensation Korean Billy

Hello, everyone, this is Billy and welcome to the next stage

The top eight teams from the first 23 rounds

This is still called the Super League.

Points are accumulated from the first 23 rounds have been

brought forward and after another seven games, the top team will lift

The top four teams will contest the play-off semifinals,

where the winners will meet in the Grand Final at Old Trafford.

The winner of the Grand Final will be the 2017 Super League champions.

The bottom four teams from the first 23 rounds have been joined

by the top four teams from the Championship.

The eight teams in the Qualifiers will all start on zero points.

These eight teams will all play each other and the top three will earn

The bottom three teams will play in the Championship in 2018.

But the teams finishing fourth and fifth in the Qualifiers

will play for a place in Super League.

This is called the million pound game.

Joining us this week are the Leigh assistant coach

Brian, I have visions of you and Korean Billy as a double act.

It would be sensational though I'm not sure he'd be able

No, and I'm not sure he could translate how

That would be a challenge for Korean Billy.

Because I spent 15 years coaching and never

We will set him that task and see what happens.

Obviously for Leigh, last year, you had so much to gain.

How different is it going into the Qualifiers

Much more stress, yeah, a lot of pressure on everybody.

The bottom four have a great deal to lose.

Super League status is huge and the pressures are immense

We are in-house and we are creating our own little bubble.

We will wait for somebody to come along and burst it.

So it is a programme of two halves this week on all the tries

from the Qualifiers to come but first, it is four

The team in first place at the start of the Super 8s

They had beaten every visitor to the Jungle in the regular season

and started the next stage on home turf against St Helens.

Roby has got the time here to have a look around.

Theo Fages to his left-hand side, here.

Theo Fages will take it on, goes into the gap and gets

the pass away and Zeb Taia, pushing off any would-be defenders

Castleford's defence was at sixes and sevens.

Not much of an extra effort going on after the tackle was complete.

St Helens are going for goal and here is a chance for Percival

to give his side an 8-0 lead, right in front of

And Saints have silenced this crowd, 8-0.

Good to see Matty Smith back as well after that horrific eye injury

that he suffered a couple of weeks ago.

Castleford's defence responding in kind.

Here comes the sixth tackle, though, lobbed high by Wilkin.

Well, it seems to come backwards, or has it just gone

Well, the video referee says it has gone forward and it is no try.

So the kick is high and across the field again.

They have got the numbers here, Castleford, and and Jy

But again, the referee wants a second opinion.

REFEREE: Check for the chaser being within the ten.

Well, there's a man, a couple of men in front of the ball, here.

Hitchcox himself is clearly onside but it is the chasers

who are in front of the ball and being within ten

metres, which means that this try is not given.

Castleford, trying to push themselves close, here.

One of their better opportunities, one of their better positions

and they get a penalty as well, here.

Right in front of the sticks and they are going to run it.

They want to put as much back into this match

A little dummy by him and he has got over!

Adam Milner, Castleford's first try, eight minutes into the second half.

St Helens' defence has been absolutely terrific tonight,

Castleford have thrown plenty at them but St Helens have

soaked up just about all, just that Milner try,

And here comes Thompson with a charge down the middle, inside,

The Tigers defence is back but Matty Smith

He gets it away and Roby, underneath the sticks!

James Roby, well, again, we are going upstairs.

Can you check the merits of an 8-point try?

Is there too much going on from Oliver Holmes?

Well, the try has been given and it is just a try, so no penalty.

Back it comes to Luke Gale, trying to make something happen, here.

At the back, Shenton, quick ball across to Jy Hitchcox!

Great cover from Lomax, terrific cover from Lomax.

Castleford still have it but they are bundled out of play.

Well, doesn't that just sum up how good St Helens' defence

Looking for something on that left-hand side.

And Jonny Lomax, I think, got there first.

St Helens are setting a real platform for an impressive

Matty Smith, back in the action, and Lomax in the thick of it, too.

Well, Castleford has not seen anything like this for over a year,

Ten minutes, just less than that still to play but is there hope

We are going for the video referee again, here.

Well, even if the corner flag had been in play,

I think he would still have scored the try.

Cas have a little hope, here, thanks to Joel Monaghan.

Kyle Amor is put down but within sight of the line.

We need the certainty of the video referee.

He is just short when he lands but I think the ball rolls

The fact the referee has given it will make it even more certain

and it has been given and St Helens are going to get a famous

They are posting their Grand Final intentions.

STUDIO: Not a feeling that Cas have felt this season, losing at home.

Was the difference quite simply St Helens' defence?

Offensively, too, listen, to score that many points

at Castleford against a team that have really flown

through the first 23 rounds and are deservedly the most

consistent team in the competition, you are right in what you're saying,

it is not a feeling they are used to very much.

I think I'm right in saying they have not lost at home for quite

So a big win for St Helens, one that keepd the momentum rolling

So a big win for St Helens, one that keeps the momentum rolling

Justin talked about the decisions they were making

We've seen a couple from young Regan Grace, batting the ball out,

backing themselves to do another six and then some cover defence

here that we are seeing, numbers in the frame.

Five or six white shirts, trying to put the fire

out, put the danger out and that is an exciting

thing to have as a coach, when they are committing

Justin Holbrook has done a great job there, hasn't he?

Fantastic job but I think the main one being the number of minutes that

I think he is playing him a hell of a lot more.

No nine or recognised nine off the bench, Tommy Lee is obviously

Would you be taking him down for...? Maybe a bit premature.

We'll see how the rest of the six weeks go in the really big games

but he is certainly a player that is very, very capable,

James Roby and St Helens are certainly a team capable

of making waves in the top four, should they remain in that.

In a funny sort of way, might this be a useful

wake-up call at this point in time for Castleford?

Daryl will suggest that they are not invincible, they have to take a step

They had a couple of players missing but I don't

What is key is to recognise that at this time of the season,

as Paul said at the top of the show, they are intense games, these.

You have got to be on your game and if you get opportunities,

You won't get many more because of the standard

of the defence that St Helens produce, and that will probably be

the standard that most teams will want to aspire to.

Well, we know that Hull are heading to Wembley for the Challenge Cup

final but will they make it to Old Trafford for

They were looking to maintain their play-off place against Salford

on Friday and it was a game watched by Richard Stead.

COMMENTATOR: Tomkins in at dummy half, goes left.

Houghton at dummy half, skips away to the right, finds Kelly.

Kelly dummies and he has broken through, really

He runs from right to left, to Connor, who cuts inside and gets

Throwing, oh, it is easy, Robert Lui makes it look very easy.

Danny Houghton barks instructions at dummy half.

Danny Houghton away again, to Connor, who dummies.

Oh, it is like Robert Lui's, through the defence.

Houghton again, fires it out to Connor on the left.

Passes the ball via Carney need to Bibby.

Oh, it will be a consolation, Manu Vatuvei is in.

STUDIO: Do Hull look to you like a team capable

They've learned lessons from 2016, the cup final and maybe a little bit

of over celebrating what was a huge occasion and result for the club.

Let's not get it wrong, they deserve to celebrate

and obviously quieten down the opposite side of that city.

I think Lee Radford and his staff have planned meticulously

for winning a war rather than just battles along the way and they look,

and they look, you know, in really good form and a very

big and physical team, who can damage you from

Jake Connor has been a real boost for them in whatever position

he plays and he stepped up into the halves is a fair

he plays and he stepped up into the halves a fair

Reinforcing what Paul says, they've got a deeper squad

to be able to do that, they rested Marc Sneyd,

who had an amazing game at the weekend in relation

to kicking, so to pick up what he said, they are physical

and they have got speed with Kelly and Jamie Shaul out the back.

They have to, when they are in an arm wrestle,

It is interesting to see that they pulled away

in the second half again, which is another reinforcement

of the fact that they are juiced up, energised, looking forward

to the end of the season, where last year it might have

Can Salford turn it round, five defeats on the bounce?

Difficult for Ian Watson and his staff.

The question I think everyone is asking is have they done enough

and what was their goals and objectives at the beginning

of the season and have they revisited them

and what do they want to aspire to achieve

Because they look a bit flat from the footage

It is a huge ask to turn around what was a monumental

occasion in the semifinal, where they did not play too well

and Wigan got over the top of them in another big game.

The next six weeks are all big games for Salford.

Next to the John Smith's Stadium where it was Huddersfield

These were two teams outside the play-off places

Do either of them have a chance for you of making the top four?

Not realistically with the games they have to play but I think one

of the teams that win at the weekend are probably going to be kingmakers

because Huddersfield are in terrific form.

We have seen they put Wakefield to the sword

and unfortunately for Wakefield, I don't think Chris Chester

Well, that is not being impressed as well, if he was embarrassed.

It means they have done some things that they are not quite proud

of and they need to, this week, aim up against Leeds.

But I think Huddersfield have been in a good run of form

Remember they were bottom of the table by million miles at one

point this year so they have knocked off some good wins

I don't think they have got the juice to get into the four.

I could be wrong because I think the other teams will win but I'm

confident they will have a huge decision to make on other

Are Wakefield in a similar position to Salford?

Is it objective aimed, and have they got to where they wanted to be?

Not putting the queue on the rank but how are they reassessing

their goals as a staff and a group of players.

Some off-field stuff that they have got to deal with as well

with the players which can affect the players' performances

in and around the club, day-to-day, as well as games.

They have got some challenges to overcome, Wakefield.

I think both of these teams can have a real say

on who makes the four, particularly Huddersfield

They are playing some really attractive stuff.

Other than Mamo, who got a season-ending injury,

they have added a couple of people to the team.

But Leroy Cudjoe, Lawrence, all the players who were struggling

at the start of the year, Hinchcliffe as well,

they are playing a brand of football here, off-loading

and they are exciting to watch at the moment.

Possibly building for next season rather than making an impact now.

The Super 8s started how the regular season ended for Leeds and Wigan.

A fortnight ago, it was a comfortable win for the Warriors

though this time around they met at Headingley.

COMMENTATOR: Leeds in very decent position here.

Asking some questions of this Wigan defence.

Stevie Ward, oh, they dropped off him and Ward is over to score

Picking it up and getting his side on the way again, here.

They keep it alive through Golding but he has to go down with ball

in hand, Parcell passing to Watkins quickly, flicking it back to

and Ashton Golding finishing off a sparkling move for Leeds.

Some really excellent play there in attack from Sam Tomkins.

Leeds look to switch the angle of attack, here.

It has gone to ground off Cuthbertson but

picked up quickly and suddenly Davies has a chance.

It is Davies and Golding in pursuit but Davies

is going to win the race, I think, he is.

And Tom Davies, two tries in four minutes, has turned

REFEREE: On the zero tackle, the touchline.

Looking for the touchline, Davies, his right foot is OK.

Just about in the field of play and from there on,

it is all fine and Wigan are awarded their second try.

Snapped up from dummy half and a big surge from Sutcliffe.

A push and Hall, a wiggle of the hips and off he goes.

Tomkins looking to wind him in but a lovely, intelligent kick,

back on the inside, and Golding is over.

Onside, offside, is what he's checking and the grounding.

Well, the onside, he is quite clearly onside, there.

The referee says try so the balance of opinion is in favour

The ball, there, seems to have hit the ground.

The try surely will be given and Leeds are back in front, four

The tackles are dropped off again and Sutcliffe is in.

Boy was that required but Leeds still have it, here.

Flicked back to Matt Parcell, with his second of the half.

And Leeds getting some level of comfort now.

Oh, and for a third time in this half, Leeds finding a gap

down the right-hand side of Wigan's defence.

But here's the gap and here is Stevie Ward,

his second of the night, and Leeds are taking absolute

Jamie Jones-Buchanan measuring up and straightening up

Tomkins getting his body in the way of the try scoring effort.

McGuire with the kick and it takes a deflection

Stevie Ward with a hat-trick, no doubts now, Leeds

Delaney and Ward, the two men responsible for the tackle.

So Wigan search right and there's a bit of a juggle

It is into the hands of Tomkins who dummies and will slide over.

But it is all in vain, in pursuit of victory for Wigan.

STUDIO: Stevie Ward making the headlines

and if you were picking the England squad for the World Cup,

We were speaking before the show, he's not played too much rugby this

year and is fresh and you know, we can see that.

Some of the players have played lots of football this year

and lots of games over a couple of periods inside a few days.

Stevie is pretty fresh and he gives you a bit of an extra

dimension on that right edge, a little bit of a hold runner.

He goes about his job really quietly and unassumingly and obviously,

he has hit the headlines this week but again, we will see what the next

six weeks bring in these really intense games.

Brian was saying after the game, Brian McDermott of the semifinal

that it was the flattest week he has known at Leeds but he sent

the players wanted to be left alone to game day.

Is that quite brave of the coach to step back and leave

There's an element of intelligence in it as well.

You can't pump up a torn tyre, can you?

You have to wait until it is fixed you can put some

You have to wait until it is fixed so you can put some

But whatever he did, they hit the ground running on Friday.

You have to say his strategy has been brilliant, whatever

it was because that is as good as I have seen Leeds play this year.

Danny McGuire was brilliant, pulling the team around.

The boy Ward was amongst a lot of players that

As for Wigan, they are now down in eighth.

Obviously they have made it to the Challenge Cup final,

Do you think they can make the top four?

Very difficult for them now to make the top four.

It is becoming an all your eggs in the Challenge Cup basket

They have got that ability and we spoke about, previous

winners of the Grand Final, obviously, they are the holders

and they have been there and done it and when the big games come round,

they find a way, but they seemed a bit unlike themselves,

Making one-on-one misses that we are not used

But we've seen it a few times this season.

We have and there have been other reasons behind

performances they have had, injuries to key players.

They seem to have got the key players back

on the field now but is it too little, too late?

Are all the eggs in the Challenge Cup basket?

Only time will tell in the next few weeks but for me it would be

difficult for them to make the top four.

So we are up to date with the latest from the top eight and here is how

they stand in the Betfred Super League table.

Castleford's lead at the top is cut to eight points,

the Tigers effectively still need two more wins to guarantee

The big movers are St Helens who replaced Salford

Huddersfield have gone above Wigan, leaving

Super League continues on Thursday night with Wakefield against Leeds,

And don't forget the 5Live rugby league podcast.

So to the Qualifiers, where eight teams are fighting it

The London Broncos were one of the last teams relegated

Their latest push for promotion back to Super League began

Your commentator for this one, Tim Steer.

COMMENTATOR: London looking to make some headway early in this game.

Chance for London to break through the line here

and they have and it is Barthau on the inside and he is going to go

Is there going to be a way through here for Catalans with Remi Casty?

Can't find any options, goes to ground.

The referee, Chris Kendall, is going to hand it upstairs.

He says no try but wants to check the offside from the kick first.

It is tight but that looks all right.

What an effort this is from Richie Myler.

Waiting for the official confirmation and it is a try.

Great individual effort from Richie Myler.

London with the ball from the scrum, out toward the left hand side

The Championship side have the lead again.

Ayton, acting half-back, this is a good position,

this is a good move and this is a good try!

It is tit-for-tat for tries at the moment.

Coming up to the hour mark and no points in the second half so far.

And they have got the two, straight through from Jarrod Sammut.

Ayton, quickly from acting half-back, trying to speed

Remi Casty trying to play the ball and the penalty goes Catalans way.

Luke Walsh electing for the penalty kick and has got it through as well.

Two more points on the board, Catalans have the lead again.

The big prop Sam Moa gets up and plays the ball.

Walsh has done equally well to keep hold of it.

Attacking down the left edge, Catalans have had a lot

It is Richie Myler, keeping them down the left-hand side.

Could that be the try that gives them the win against their

The final seconds ticking away and a penalty has

Ioane has gone with the tap and a quick run.

Silence over the crowd but yes he has. It has been a fine effort from

the Championship side this afternoon but it is Catalans that will take

the points. They put themselves in a position

where they could have won this game. It doesn't help them this week. It

sounds cynical in my part, but they would have loved a win They wouldn't

have expected to. But to get that close.

Needs to keep the club together and re-enforce that. Has a massive game

this weekend in relation to Featherstone coming down to London.

They snuck up on Catalan. There is a hint from the coach. All of these

teams, as Paul has told us is, they're desperate. They want to be

at the top table. We saw that in London. The challenge for London is

they have to win a win to keep that momentum going. We learnt a lot

about the competition we entered. Do you think tucked away in the south

of France they had not clocked what they were in for. The only time they

have played a championship team is Batley. They have an inkling as to

what's to come. They travelled to Featherstone, I think, and some

grounds, what they're not going to be used to and some surrounding that

they're not going to be used to. It is not all pretty. All the changing

rooms and. : They travel to Hull to play Hull KR. I know they have been

there no Super League. A vocal crowd like Hull Kingston Rovers, the team

would have learnt a lot about the competition and the desperation of

the championship teams to get one over the opposition. As Brian says

to stay at the top table in 2018. Leigh stormed through the qualifiers

last year to earn their Super League This year you're fighting

to stay up, Paul, and a tough opener

away to Featherstone? Featherstone, we managed to dampen

the crowd with a decent start. The part-time teams in Featherstone

and Halifax want to get one over on you. It is a difficult place. People

will know what Featherstone is about when you go there. And they drew

with Hull KR in the regular season. They have beaten some teams they

shouldn't have over the year. We will move on to this weekend against

Hull KR. Coming in as a half is difficult,

into a new team and sort of embedded him in over the last month or so.

He's showing some good touches. Score sets up another one there for

Dawson with a kick. Really smart and, you know, some of our big

players stood up and finished the regular season really well against

Salford and, obviously have started to qualify in good fashion. So, we

want to continue that. And get to Super League as early as possible.

Featherstone switched coaches - do you see a different with Du if, fy

in charge? The brand of football is different to the squad that

Featherstone have assembled. Get on with it. They look like they have

learnt those lessons. They look good in part. Whatever we say about

emotion and where people are, the quality of a Super League team is

there for a reason. It's about your performance. It is about putting all

those little things into place that you probably don't get away with in

the championship. You are ready for that metal of Super League. Doesn't

allow you to dive over from dummy half many times. It is difficult to

put a game plan together consistently when you are a

part-time team. Two more games in the Qualifiers

to catch up on, starting with the all Super League clash

between Widnes and Warrington. This was the second

Cheshire Derby in as many weeks. Last time out, a comfortable

Warrington win left Widnes holding the Leeds Wooden

Spoon and it was Wolfs who opened Not the start Widnes

hoped for, but they over from close range before a neat

peace of trickery from Lloyd White put Joe Mellor in on the half hour

mark and the Vikings went A second half Lloyd

White penalty extended their lead further,

before events for the home supporters took a turn

for An acrobatic Paul Lineham pulled

the visitors back to within four points and Warrington

started to find their groove. the sticks to give his side the

lead, and slowly the game slipped Ratchford was influential

throughout the match and he helped set up the next,

storming down the right before playing in Hiku and Matty Russell

was on hard to put daylight 45 seconds in, Hull Kingston

Rovers open the scoring. Oh, Kieren Moss has

backed the second. By passes two team-mates,

finds Marshall. First try of the season

for Matty Marsh. Heaton runs in, close

to the uprights. Three metres from the Hull

Kingston Rover's goal line. Ellis rolls over, plays the ball

and Lunt will head down the right edge, to Lawler,

introduced at half time. Wrestled down five metres

from the Halifax line. Scruton is in and the Beekeepers got

the home side supporters Nick Scruton has

snatched the victory. The sense of relief must have been

incredible? . They turned the screw. Halifax clung on for the last 30

minutes. You cannot do that in these games. You have to keep attacking

and find a reason to get over the opposition line. It was a two-score

lead, a one-score lead. Scruton crashes over. Gallant from Halifax.

A tough game for them. Richard marshal's got a job on to get his

team up after such a loss. We have talked about the pressure for Super

League teams, but this has been a focus for Hull KR for a long time.

There must be pressure on them. When you're in a million pound game or

qualify automatically, you have won a championship by so many points, we

see their results towards the back ends of the season and the effort

Halifax put on. No gimmes, you have to earnt that, you have to earn your

right to be in the top four and five. First and foremost, Halifax

played well towards the end of the year and played well in that game.

They have got a big ask to get up again for this week and big

encounter against Widnes. It will be a key one for both clubs. They need

a win. Both teams need a win. As quickly as they can get that is this

weekend. One will not, barring a draw. A big week for both them

teams. I have to jump in, we are out of time. That is it for week one of

the Super 8s. My thanks to Paul and Brian. We will see you at the same

time next week. Goodbye. # So get yourself ready

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