International RL Blog

28/4/11  Widnes Vikings 26  Toulouse Olympique XIII 12 Super League elect side Widnes hosted Super League wannabees Toulouse in front of the SKY TV cameras on a balmy Thursday evening at the Stobart Stadium. Widnes are guaranteed promotion at the end of the year so it was difficult to see how their coaching staff could motivate the players but numerous youngsters would be hoping to impress and earn a lucrative Super League contract. Toulouse have struggled with injuries this year but would be keen to continue their steady progress and achieve their stated objective of making the end of year play offs Defences were on top during the first half and I was looking for a demonstration of the famous French flair but unfortunately it seems to have been coached out of them. Tony Gigot, on loan from the Catalan Dragons, tried his best and showed some nice touches but also demonstrated his inexperience and naivety. It was a pity that Toulouse coach Gilles Dumas wasn't playing becaus...

Last week I watched some of the England v Wales RU match on TV. The action on the pitch was very dull but I quite enjoyed the numerous shots of the coaching staff where ex-Rugby League stars Mike Ford, Shaun Edwards and Roly Phillips were very much in evidence. The match itself featured ex-NZ RL international Shontayne Hape (playing for England ???) and the undoubted star was ex-Wigan player Chris Ashton. If Rugby League players/coaches are in such great demand does the sport itself have any reason to look at the future with anything other than great confidence? These people have not been missed and if RU cannot produce it's own talent, isn't that a problem for them? It's brings to mind the enternal, internal debate between the optimists and pessimists within us. Is the glass half empty or is it half full? This weekends Millenium Magic event was certainly entertaining stuff althought the huge stadium was nowhere near full. Surely the aim of playing these games in Cardif...

5. Ellery Hanley v Les Boyd Wigan v Warrington in Milwaukee 1987 Unfortunately this incident took place in a showcase match in the USA and was an embarrassment for the RL community. Great fight though! 4.  Mal Maninga v Peter Dutton Brisbane Grand Final 1980 This proves that our "friends in low places" can also mis-behave in prestigious matches and it involves Mal Maninga who has since come close to being made a saint. 3.  Stuart Fielden v Willie Mason Australia v GB  -  Four Nations 2006 This wasn't really a fight but more of a one punch KO. Fielden asked for it, had been asking for it for years but fortunately for him nobody was willing to take him on. Until he met Willie Mason that is and he has never been the same player since. The aura was destroyed. Amazingly, Willie Mason stayed on the pitch despite this and another incident in the same match where he maimed Sean Long. It illustrates how weak and easily intimidated referees are in int...