Whatever the Vikings do over the next three years, they won't be playing in the top flight of rugby league, thanks to a system which was set up partly to help clubs avoid exactly the sort of problems that Widnes fell into just under a year ago.

There's a big gap between the full-time ranks of Super League and the part-time ranks of the National League, and it hit Widnes hard when they dropped out of the top flight in 2005. Having stayed full-time in a bid to bounce back to Super League at the first attempt, they lost the 2006 National League play-off final to Hull KR.

When the Vikings fell at the final promotion hurdle again 12 months later, this time to Castleford, the financial burden of staying in the National League for another year became too much, and they plunged into administration.

Widnes are now back on a sounder financial footing after being taken over by Cheshire businessman Steve O'Connor last November, and had been hoping to complete their recovery by winning back a place in Super League.

But the old system that caused them so many woes has been replaced by a new system that has created new agonies for them.

In order to encourage long-term investment in a sport which has little depth in this country, the Rugby Football League decided to ease the threat of relegation on top-flight clubs by introducing a franchise system for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. The 14 teams winning a franchise would effectively be guaranteed top-flight rugby league for three years. Great if you win a franchise; soul-destroying if you don't.

With the 12 current Super League clubs odds-on to win franchises, that left two more for everyone else to fight for. And with apologies to Leigh Centurions fans, Salford and Widnes might have been expected to be a shoo-in, were it not for the threat from Bridgend.

Celtic Crusaders - who were only formed in 2005 - do not have the tradition of Salford, Widnes and Leigh. But they offered the RFL the chance to expand the sport into the rugby union heartland of south Wales. And the RFl took up that chance, awarding the final two franchises to Salford and to the Crusaders.

The decision comes as a huge relief to Salford, who are committed to building a new stadium off the M60 at Barton (not too far from the Trafford Centre), but where on earth does it leave the Vikings, who now face another three years in the National League whatever they do?

One of the tenets of supporting a club is the belief - however ridiculous - that this could just be your year. Vikings fans know now that not only will 2008 not be their year, but neither will 2009 or 2010. They can apply for a Super League franchise again in 2011, and if successful, would be readmitted to the top flight in 2012. It's a long time to be dreaming.

Curiously, while Widnes' fans are upset, it's Leigh whose officials have been quickest to kick up a stink over the decision to award a franchise to the Crusaders.

Centurions chief executive Allan Rowley accused the RFL of giving Celtic a place in Super League purely on geographical grounds.

"We now have a team that fielded 10 overseas players against us, because they are classed as a development team, and are now in our elite competition which is a complete contradiction of terms and we feel this decision is purely a geographical one," read Rowley's comments on several websites.

It might have been easier to take if Crusaders had a bit more history behind them, and didn't feel quite so manufactured. While their long-term aims are to produce more homegrown players - and there are a number of Welshmen in their squad - it still rankles. For Widnes and Leigh, it's the equivalent of seeing your favourite band beaten to the Christmas No 1 by whichever shop assistant or factory worker has won The X-Factor this time around.

RFL chief executive Richard Lewis hardly dispels Rowley's criticisms with his comments, either.

"Market research suggests that we have a lot of support for rugby league and the Super League in Wales," Lewis said.

"It's a calculated risk to go with Crusaders. They put together a good application and convinced us they can make a real success of being a Super League club."

In fairness, Lewis did go on to say that the Crusaders - along with the other 13 Super League franchisees - are now under pressure to prove that they are worthy of their status. But that's little consolation to those who feel tonight that they have been unfairly overlooked.

By Eddie Taurus

The switch of New South Wales Origin and St George Dragons star Mark Gasnier to French rugby union has predictably sharpened the local media's focus on a growing wave of pessimism and angst over the long-term future of "the greatest game of all".

Indeed, as rugby league celebrates its centenary in Australia this year, a number of coaches, administrators and football fans have voiced fears that the world's premier rugby league competition will inevitably become nothing more than a feeder league for cashed-up professional teams in England and France.

So is Australia really destined to become the "Brazil" of rugby league - a hotbed of development for the world's best  football players whose domestic competition just can't compete with the big money on offer in European and Asian leagues?

Or are the alarm bells only ringing so loudly this time because it is a Sydney, NSW and Channel 9 media darling that has left the NRL to chase cash in Europe? 

Certainly, I can't recall anyone crying too much last year when Shaun Berrigan - an incumbent Queensland and Australian representative - left his beloved Brisbane Broncos for the muddy fields of Hull in England.

Let’s have an objective look at the issues.

There are presently close 100 to former National Rugby League first graders - both Aussie and Kiwi - running around in European league and union competitions, including about 80 in the top flight of Super League.

On the surface, that seems a high number, and when read alongside the names on this year's player shipment to the Old Dart - which includes Danny Buderus, Brett Hodgson and Michael Crocker - it appears a worrying statistic.

But rather than depleting out domestic stocks to the point where we have an inferior competition, I would argue that this annual player exodus plays a key role in keeping the NRL vital, super-competitive and firmly in the dreams of the next generation of players.

Buderus and Crocker will be the first to admit they don’t have much footy left in their ageing bodies. Crocker in particular misses as many games as he plays these days.

The truth is that rugby league is a young man's game. The two biggest stars in the game right now are the Melbourne Storm’s Greg Inglis (age 21) and Israel Folau (age 19). Add to that the fact that more than 35 Under 20 players from the Toyota Youth Cup have broken into first grade at their clubs this season, and the evidence is overwhelming.

You could argue that they’re only getting that start because so many seasoned first graders are in England, but do we really want the likes of Adam Dykes, Tony Martin or John Skandalis holding on to a first grade spot for a few more years when there are young guns ready to step up?

Certainly, you will not find a professional sports administrator anywhere in the world who doesn't agree that recruiting higher numbers of youngsters into their sport is a key plank in their strategy for future success.

NRL boss David Gallop admitted as much recently when discussing the looming battle with AFL and the A-League in western Sydney: "It's a battleground, if you like, and the battle is for the hearts and minds of seven-year-old kids and their parents. That's ultimately what we're all about.”

And what better way to win over those youngsters than showing them that their dream is attainable in the not-too-distant future?

JOURNEYMEN?

A glance through the list (printed below) of the 80 ex-NRL players now in English Super League is hardly a shocking exercise.

Have a look for yourself. In all honesty, how many of these blokes would you REALLY want to bring back to your club? Half a dozen, maybe? Because, apart from a few recent rep players such as Berrigan, Matt King, Matt Sing and Brent Webb, most of them are nothing more than good, solid first graders or career journeymen.

Keep in mind that for every Tame Tupou, Motu Tony, Dane Carlaw or Chris Flannery that heads to England, another spot opens up for a Lachlan Coote, Chris Sandow, Shannon Walker or Israel Folau.

And it is these young blokes who are setting the NRL on fire every week – often dragging some of their jaded club mates through 80 minutes of action with unbridled enthusiasm and a refusal to be intimidated by reputations.

Remember how Manly would be also-rans this season without Michael Monaghan? Well they’re on top of the table, so have they really missed him? Not in the slightest. His departure has opened the door for Matt Ballin - a 24-year-old from Nanango - to impressively cement his first grade spot.

In fact, there’s a wealth of talent coming through the ranks that is ravenous for NRL action, Origin jerseys and Grand Final glory.

Do you think our teenagers are sitting up all night to watch Wakefield run around against Huddersfield? No, they’re staying home with mum and dad on Friday nights to watch Benji Marshall, Karmichael Hunt and Sonny Bill Williams go around.

So I say let the Gasniers and Craig Gowers, or whoever, bugger off to Europe and open the door for more and more young guns. I don’t think we need or want blokes who have to be courted, wined, dined and begged to stay in the world’s toughest and most skilful rugby league arena.

QUOTAS

Another key point to consider is the number of foreign imports allowed in each team. We don’t have to worry too much about French rugby – they’re only allowed two imports per team, and considering the high quality of their top comp, they’re only going to be shelling out the big dollars for the players in the absolute upper echelon – such as Gasnier, Greg Inglis, Lote Tuqiri etc.

As for the English Super League, it is important to note that while the doomsayers are warning of an increased exodus due to two new licenses that are about to be issued – most probably to Salford and the Celtic Crusaders – the import quota is actually being tightened considerably.

They can have nine foreign (ie Aussies and Kiwis) players for 2008-09, then eight in 2010, and only five in 2011.

That certainly puts a cap on the number of foreign import spots on offer in England. And while it is obvious that some top-line players will continue to be lured, the limit on places will mean that many will never recieve an offer to start with and will either stick with the NRL, or face a descent into English or French lower division football, where they will inevitably live out their playing days in complete anonymity.

For most of our egomaniac, money-driven Aussie footballers, that is a very unlikely scenario.

NEXT TIME on Sportsrag.com.au, PART 2: the domestic battle continues...

Ex-NRL players in the English Super League

Wigan
Trent Barrett
George Carmont
Tim Smith
Pat Richards
Cameron Phelps
Phil Bailey
Iafeta Paleaaesina

Catalans
Jason Croker
Casey McGuire
Dane Carlaw
Adam Mogg
Clint Greenshields
Alex Chan
Justin Murphy
Aaron Gorrell
John Wilson
Dimitri Pelo

Hull FC
Shaun Berrigan
Matt Sing
Adam Dykes
Willie Manu
Motu Tony
Peter Cusack
Todd Byrne

Bradford
Glenn Morrison
Tame Tupou
Joe Vagana
David Solomona
Shontayne Hape
Ben Jefferies

Harlequins
Scott Hill
Mark McLinden
Chad Randall
Matt Gafa
David Howell
Daniel Heckenberg

Warrington
Michael Monaghan
Matt King
Paul Rauhihi
Vinnie Anderson
Louis Anderson

Huddersfield
Paul Whatuira
John Skandalis
Rod Jensen
Jamal Lolesi
Shane Elford
Chris Thorman

St Helens
Chris Flannery
Matthew Gidley
Jason Cayless
Willie Talau
Francis Meli

Hull KR
Clint Newton
Michael Vella
Ben Galea
Jake Webster
Michael Dobson
Garrett Crossman
Rhys Lovegrove
Daniel Fitzhenry

Castleford
Brent Sherwin
Ned Catic
Awen Guttenbeil
Ryan McGoldrick
Luke Dorn
Tom Haberecht
Mark Leafa
Michael Korkidas

Wakefield
Matt Petersen
Sam Obst
Tony Martin
Tevita Latu
Brad Drew

Leeds
Brent Webb
Clinton Toopi
Ali Lauitiiti
Scott Donald
Kyle Leuluai

The first announcement comes at 10am and is the confirmation of the 14 out of 19 teams playing in rugby league's Super League for the next three years. I'm a Castleford fan born and bred and am quietly confident about our chances. It would be pretty disastrous for the club if we didn't make it and after four years of hurt and uncertainty, the powers at the Rugby Football League can't prolong the pain - can they?

The second announcement, which comes in at 11.30am, is this year's Nationwide Mercury Prize nominations. I'm not really too fussed about them as I'm sure they will be a huge disappointment (especially with the hideous Lauren Laverne hosting the announcements).

But neither of these announcements stir me enough to really contribute to my insomnia (which had gone away for a few joyous weeks). What I attribute it to is the fact that I am, yet again, doing a cash flow forecast and refining Bearded's (well, Fleeing from Pigeon's) business plan.

It is the scourge of being an independently funded publication. Finance is key, and it is hard to attain without some sort of prostitution. I've talked in privately about the difficulties of funding (apparantly giving artists - both musical and visual - the chance to get their work known by tens of thousands of people isn't actually worthy of merit), and told people of the horror stories I've heard and experienced of people receiving millions whilst other, arguably more worthy, causes have had pittances (and we are talking hundreds of pounds here) refused. I'm not going to get onto it, rest assured though that if you haven't got funding in place yourself (which Bearded thankfully did for the first year), you're going to have a hell of a task getting yourself off the ground.

Bearded is at a make or break stage. We have been publishing for a year come August and now have a clear, concise knowledge of the market and our readers and how to reach them and make the magazine sustainable (and profitable). All we need now is the finance to help the cash flow and allow us to expand. Hopefully positive announcements to be made shortly. Bearded is a hell of a publication with an absolutely bob on (morally) mission. Now, thanks to insomnia, we have the business plan to go with it.

Even if you reading this don't have the money to invest in Bearded, you can help us by joining Beardaid - £2 a month for free records and mags... can't be bad!

Cowboys vs Broncos.

Broncos captain Darren Lockyer returned last week after yet another recovery period for his injured knee. Cowboys skipper Jonathan Thurston is out, after having minor knee surgery on his meniscus (?), for up to six weeks. Cowboys will not win again until he returns and this week will see the Broncos deliver them their 11th straight loss.

Broncos by 20

Sea Eagles vs Eels

Sea Eagles are the team to beat at the moment having won 9 of their last 10 matches. Eels are without sensational five eighth Feleti Mateo and Luke Burt has been dropped from first grade. Their forwards are their biggest problem though and will be no match for the Sea Eagles pack. However, if history is any thing to go by this is the one game the Eels are most likely to lift for. I'll go with the upset.

Eels by 6

Titans vs Panthers

After their sensational win against top four side the Roosters last week the Titans now know they can win without Prince and Bailey. Expect that confidence to be on show. Panthers have been solid without being sensational.

Titans by 10

Sharks vs Knights

Sharks missed far too many tackles last week in their loss to the Sea Eagles. Knights looked good in the second half against the Panthers once penalties started going their way ie they tightened up their discipline. Won't be too much in this one and I think home ground advantage must see the Sharks get the points.

Sharks by 10

Bulldogs vs Warriors

Bulldogs scored an upset last week to roll the Broncos while the Warriors had a win over the Cowboys (who hasn't though?). Should be a good crowd with Bulldogs giving free entry to anyone with a Polynesian or Kiwi passport. The Bulldogs can still cause headaches to most teams if the play to their ability and they should rattle the warriors.

Bulldogs by 14

Raiders vs Roosters

the Raiders victory last week against the apparent form team of the competition, the Dragons, came as no surprise to me. They were far more committed and determined. They will be the same this week against the Roosters but the "Chooks" are a different kettle of fish. Willie Mason was this week voted by his peers as the most over-rated player in the competition and, much like in the third State of Origin this year, I think Willie will be wanting to silence a few of his critics.

Roosters by 20

Rabbitohs vs Tigers

While the Rabbitohs have had some what of a resurgence in the back end of the season with five straight wins, three of those though were against fellow bottom four sides. The Tigers played well last week to only lose by 12 to the Storm after being level at half time. Will be a good match but I expect the Tigers to get the money.

Tigers by 8

Storm vs Dragons.

Storm. Greg Inglis. Unstoppable. If he plays this week like he did against the Tigers then there is no reason Storm cannot put 30 points on the Dragons. The Dragons though will be smarting from their "unexpected" loss to the Raiders and may turn up ready to play. Either way, Storm will win and do so comfortably.

Storm by 18

For more Rugby League talk, check out The Amphitheatre

By Eddie Taurus

Well, it's that time of year again, when the rugby league community find out the one thing we are all most interested in when the annual Rugby League Week Players' Poll comes out. Who is considered the Most Overrated Player in the game?

It's funny how that category dominates headlines, even more than the Best Player gong. Maybe it's a mutant child of the tall poppy syndrome. We Aussies seem to hate it when people get too big or famous. But we also hate fakes and charlatans, so a category like this probably makes us feel a bit better about the way sports people are idolised. We're just letting them know they shouldn't get too big for their boots...

As you are no doubt already aware, our good mate Big Willie Mason has claimed the coveted title this year. But more on that later.

What of the rest of the Poll? There are some pretty interesting results, so here at Sportsrag.com.au we have run the rule over the answers. Here is our analysis...

Best Player in the game? Greg Inglis with 22%

Quite a step down from Jonathon Thurston's 52% from last year. Interesting how this category reflects on Queensland's Origin dominance, with Inglis, Jonathon Thurston (19%), Scott Prince (16%) and Darren Lockyer (9%) rounding out the results. Lockyer has hardly even played this year and still made the top four. But no really dominant result like last year. A good category for Queensland.

Best Fullback? Billy Slater with 66%

Just goes to show your teammates can make you look better than you are. My colleague Gil Fooled called him Billy Liability at Origin time, and Queensland looked much safer with last year's winner Karmichael Hunt at the back. Sure, he SEEMS to be in good form this year for Melbourne, but how would he fare in the backline of the Cowboys, Bulldogs or Rabbitohs? You could probably put Jana Rawlinson at the back of Melbourne and she'd look good.

Best Winger? Israel Folau with 77%

Cannot argue with this one. Big Izzy is one of the best players going round at the moment. The Broncos must be licking their chops with glee at the thought of slotting this guy into their backline next year. Last year's joint winners barely figured, with Jarryd Hayne getting 7% and Eric Grothe missing out altogether. The only guy who came close was Anthony Quinn with 9% - and we all saw what happened to HIM in Origin.

Best Centre? Greg Inglis with 45%

This is a strange one. Inglis has been playing five-eighth all year, and wins best centre? Maybe Origin performances are weighted heavier than week-to-week form in the players' eyes, because GI had a blinder in the centres in Origins 2 and 3 (after looking shaky in defence in Game 1). I think the results in this category may be heavily linked with the next one...

Best Five-Eighth? Darren Lockyer with 44%

This one was equally puzzling. Don't get me wrong, as far as I'm concerned Lockyer is God - there is nobody better. But he has hardly played this year, and even when he did, his knee rendered him pretty ineffective, with Peter Wallace shouldering much of the workload at the Broncos. I think this is simply a measure of Locky's towering stature in the game. Hence why Inglis, who has played five-eighth all year, was shunted to the centres category, where his Origin performance got him over the line. You can't win Best Player in the game if you can't even win Best Player in your position, can you? Interestingly, Braith Anasta (39%) was the only player who came close.

Best Halfback? Jonathon Thurston with 56%

This is another category that reflects not only Queensland's Origin dominance, but NSW's utter inability to find a halfback and stick with him. Thurston, Scott Prince (28%) and Cooper Cronk (8%) took the results, with no NSW player figuring. This category is not so much about how good the Queenslanders are, but is an utter indictment of the pathetic NSW Origin selection policies. Here's what you do boys: Pick a halfback. Stick with him. Watch him get better. See him figure in the Players' Poll results. Who knows, you might even win an Origin series one day...

Best Lock? Greg Bird with 35%

A New South Welshman finally wins a category. So why did the Origin selectors pick him at five-eighth, a move now widely exposed as disastrous? Especially given Anasta was the only player to come close to Lockyer in the best five-eighth category? You can argue that Bird won two Origin man-of-the-match awards at five-eighth, but that is papering over the cracks. Queensland didn't turn up to play those games. Had Bird played Lock in Origin he could have been devastating.

Best Second-Rower? Sonny Bill Williams with 35%

We like to have a bit of fun at SBW's expense here at Sportsrag.com.au, but on his day, he can be a truly devastating player. Just look at what he did to the Broncos last weekend with a sore back. But when you really analyse his play, he really seems to value style over substance. Sure, he can put on a big, spectacular shoulder charge, but do they win games? He has a nice offload as well, but that is a 50-50 play at the best of times, and sometimes it just doesn't come off. Plus, considering where he spends most of his time on the field, he probably should have been considered as a centre. A victory for the media hype machine.

Best Hooker? Cam Smith with 59%

Hard to disagree with the Australian captain winning this category. Has been the benchmark hooker for the last few years. His only rival (Danny Buderus with 35%) will be whingeing to the ref in England next year, so Cam has this one sewn up for the foreseeable future. Maybe Robbie Farah will step up now.

Best Prop? Petero Civoniceva with 71%

Would YOU run at him? Honestly? Big Petero is the heart and soul of any team he plays in. You know Penrith are currently in the top 8, don't you? Many Broncos fans are still very bitter he was let go. Steve Price (16%) was next, and in another reflection of NSW's Origin selection blunders, Jason Ryles (4%) was the only other prop to figure. But he didn't figure in the NSW Origin team...

Hardest Hitter? Sonny Bill Williams with 22%

Another victory for media hype. Dallas Johnson or Tonie Carroll hit just as hard, but they’re ugly and don't have all those cool tattoos.

Who wouldn't you pick a fight with? Carl Webb with 58%

Come on, he'd get tired after a few punches and have to go to the bench.

Biggest Sook in the game? Brett Finch with 35%

How did Danny Buderus not even figure in this category? Finch must be studying him hard. Or maybe the rest hate the fact that his dad is the ref’s boss and can’t resist sticking the boot in.

Dirtiest Player? Paul Gallen with 79%

See Rufus' story 'Ten Gallen Rat' from a few months ago.

Worst Defender? Benji Marshall with 22%

Come on, you can't defend when you're sitting in the grandstand.

Best Coach? Craig Bellamy with 57%

Origin began the busting of the Bellamy myth. Not such a great coach without Smith, Inglis, Folau, Slater and Johnson in his team.

Best Referee? Tony Archer with 31%

Though he also picked up 15% in the Worst Referee category.

And finally...you knew it was coming...

Most Overrated Player? Willie Mason with 20%

Big Willie Style takes the most talked-about title in rugby league for the next year. Though he has a long way to go to match four-time winner Braith Anasta. Interestingly, it is the sixth time a Roosters player has taken this one out. Willie's not such a bad player you know - he just opens his mouth too much. So really, it's his own fault because he is the one rating HIMSELF so highly. If he didn't constantly call attention to himself, he'd be getting a lot more respect for what he does on the field. This will work in Willie's favour though. Previous winners have been Anasta, Craig Wing and Justin Hodges, who are all playing pretty good football these days. Maybe it will be the spur he needs to get those ADD meds out again and just play footy.

Wigan v Saints
Kicking off perhaps the best looking round of fixtures this year is the competition’s most illustrious.  Two one-sided encounters earlier this season undermine expectations of this being the competitive derby we’re all used to.  Wigan fans won’t need reminding that they’ve only managed one win against Saints since 1066 and there won’t be too many anticipating a repeat of last year’s pain-relieving win.   Saints’ unbeaten run has to come to an end at some point and with this game and a semi-final next week you’d be inclined to think that two hard back-to-back games will contain at least one brick wall.  And it’s brick wall stuff that Wigan will probably have to come up with to create that juddering halt.  When the home side have performed well this year it’s been when they tightened their defence and upped its physical intensity.  If Wigan fail to meet Saints in that collision they won’t get on top and that’s just to start.  From there it’s a case of converting chances and more importantly maintaining that intensity for the duration of the game, which they have been able to do against Leeds. All too often against Saints it’s been a case of slumber time in the opening quarter of the game and before they’ve known it, they’re two scores down, shoulders slouched, individual running taking precedence over gameplans and infectious bouts of dropsy.  There is quality in the Wigan line-up (admittedly nowhere near as much as the top two) and I keep referring to one man who carries at lot of Wigan’s hopes.  This game is no different.  Gareth Hock continues to propel Wigan towards the playoffs and he must rank as one of the most influential players in this competition.  If he fires he doesn’t just give his side impetus, he gives them a destructive game that produces breaks or second phase possession.  Without moving the defence about Wigan’s attack becomes pedestrian, neutralising any zip that Barrett can muster on the ball.  There are a lot of ifs in the mix for this tussle.  Too many?  Probably.  There are also lots of reasons why Noble must have his men fired up for this too; the chance to put a big spanner in their rivals trophy hopes, put them in pole position for fourth, possibly reigniting the chase for third and more importantly giving them the self-belief they’ll need to avoid popping out during their first appearance at the postseason plate.  For me though, Wigan remaining patchy and there’s a chance that Saints can push through these two games, not because of their own form but the opposition’s lack of.  Has defeat strengthened Wigan’s focus for this one or has it removed what little confidence they might have picked up from beating Leeds?  You suspect that being at home should be enough to fire up Wigan even if Saints are their daddies they know they can come out against anyone there.  Nothing to lose Wigan, except pride.  Saints by 10.

Catalans Dragons v Leeds
Who isn’t angry about the game of the round not being on SKY?  Appalling.  This clash reminds me of Super League I when the Bulls hosted Wigan.  Do you remember the feeling watching that game?  That victory, more than the one over eventual champions, Saints, signalled the arrival of the Bulls as a true force in world rugby, both codes.  Amazingly, in three years, Catalans are doing the same and giving expansionists multiple orgasms.  A Dragons victory on Saturday really cranks that up, titillating the futurists as well as delivering what non-Leeds supporters will predictably enjoy.  At the same time, Mick Potter’s departure to Saints has those same people worrying for a potential, that hopefully isn’t peaking for just this season.  Whenever I have seen the Dragons face one of the considered titans of the competition their successes have been when the opposition has lost their fluidity.  Leeds go to Perpignan with fans confused about their fluidity which allows you to drift towards the Dragons but I am not so sure.  Doubting Catalans is common for me (tipped to win in only 50% of their matches) but we are talking about a Leeds side which may arrive in its recent meandering mental state or one responding to Brian McClennan’s coaching.  The champions need the latter for the next two games or that early season invincibility will be nothing more than a longer version of the Super League VIII Saints.  At some point during the remaining few months Leeds have to return to their brilliant early season form, there’s no way that a side which has played as good as they have can slowly become dormant.  Is what’s happening similar to the tail off that Saints had last year after their great start?  Are Leeds starting to run out of gas?  I don’t think that’s the case, more just that drop in form you get at some point during the year.  Catalans might be a big side capable of getting on top of you and Leeds forwards are not as penetrating as you might think, Peacock the obvious exception, and you need that punch in the middle of the park against the Dragons to get your quick play-the-balls and push them on the back foot.  It’s in this mode that other teams have had success, forcing Catalans to play the boundaries of the rules.  Leeds have that speed in their play and whilst they can be devastating with half a chance, over in France you need to be in the game for the full eighty minutes.  This is a very difficult match to call.  How much impact is Adam Mogg’s absence going to play?  Do you go with Catalans’ form and home advantage or take a chance on the double-chasing champions having enough class to collect enough tries as their defence holds firm?  Dragons by 2.

Huddersfield v Warrington
Five wins from six has paper talk putting James Lowes in the driving seat for that vacant Wolves job, which was bound to happen at some point before the end of the season.  A closer look at those results reveals that most of those wins were in games that Wire should have won anyway.  Harlequins RL away was the trickiest but three games were at home, against slumping Wakefield, slumping Rovers and a Bulls side that had just lost at Huddersfield.  There was a last ditch win in a scrappy affair at the KC in there too and Lowes has done well to steady things, building confidence at the same time.  I’m sure he’ll be gaining confidence himself with each win and this is a tricky battle and the kind that he can’t afford to lose if he wants to secure that job.  My thoughts on him and the Warrington vacancy haven’t changed because this is a prime time job, handling a big wage bill and so requires a man with good first grade experience.  There’s no point ploughing that argument about giving people an opportunity because he’s got that and with a home game against Leeds after the cup semi, followed by a trip to Saints we could just as easily be dismissing his chances if he’s on the back of three defeats in a row.  The first of those three defeats could come this weekend against a Giants side that is tepid when facing the big men yet very competitive amongst the scavengers.  At the moment the Wolves are hovering just above that pit of coyotes giving this trip to the Galpharm added importance by the fact that the Wolves will go six points clear of seventh if they win, virtually assuring them of a finals appearance.  A Giants win, on the other hand, drags the Wolves back into a fight for fifth with a threat of still being able to lose out on sixth.  In their last home game the Giants dragged the Bulls back down with a one point win and you fancy that they are capable of doing that with the Wolves who have had problems with their Yorkshire trips this year, with their four wins being by a combined total of eights points (two two point wins, a win by three and a one point triumph).  Admittedly one of those victories was over the Giants, who they’ve beaten twice already this year.  Those Giants sides did not have the same kind of mindset and although their improvement probably isn’t substantial enough to be too strong for Warrington I expect the home team to be difficult to beat there.  If the visitors are to win this game, it has to be another one of those scraping results and I’m not sure the Giants will be compliant in this.  At the Galpharm you always expect your hosts to come back at you at some point, which is something that’s happened on Warrington’s travels all year and with confidence slowly building I think that Wire’s confidence is more vulnerable to collapsing than it is building towards a Grand Final run, at the moment.  Giants by 2.

Bradford v Wakefield
In a round of fifty-fifty matches where four of the six visiting teams are as strong, if not stronger than the home ones, Odsal hosts what could be a fairly timid affair as the Kear factor is kept in the box for another week at least.  Hold this game a month ago and this is a contender for game of the round.  Now though, Wakefield’s capitulation from a strong fourth place to being in danger of falling out of playoff contention altogether indicates a welcome home win for the Bulls.  This season just hasn’t started for Steve McNamara’s men, every time they appear to get a couple of momentum wins under the belt, an unexpected defeat turns up or Leeds.  Here’s one of those games that can stimulate a mini-revival with a trip to Harlequins RL after semi-final weekend before their next game…at Leeds.  This stop-start season has a light run-in as both Hull sides visit Odsal with The Jungle the venue for the Bulls final regular season game.  Rollercoaster ride without the high points it has been and it’s also been enough to keep Steve McNamara in his job and if Leeds continue to falter you never know about that Leeds game, the Bulls may score a try.  The flip side of this game is that Wakefield really need to get hold of this ball and do something with it before next week’s kick off but I’m not expecting much, you’re not expecting much and their fans probably just want to get to that semi now so that they can get some league form again.  I do fear for Wakefield that this recent semi-final slump has destroyed the brilliant work the whole side had put into their first half of the season and it would be a shame for those players if that old skool mentality of “We’re in the cup so Metallica!” has been the reason for this downturn.  It’s a key match in the context of Wakefield and the Bulls making the finals series with that Bulls run-in looking a lot easier than Wakey’s final four, which is the hardest in the competition (Saints, Wigan, Catalans and Leeds).  Maybe John Kear did look at that fixture list and realise that whatever he does in the lead up to the semi, the rest is future history.  Bulls by 12.

Harlequins RL v Castleford
Fear not Harlequins RL fans, this is a guaranteed win, or rather it was until the Fisticuffs Four got themselves in hot water in France.  Now I’m not so sure. Having seen both teams ship female darts scores against Saints I must mention how disappointing the defences were even against an in-form side.  Of those two teams Castleford get some benefit from being away from home, still they were truly appalling in defence, making Saints look superhuman, including Adey Gardner.  It’s sad to say that neither of these sides have had an improvement in the second half of the season.  Harlequins RL started off with six wins in their first ten games, only to manage just two in the next eleven, a poor return no matter what the injury situation is.  If we look closer at those earlier victories we can see Harlequins RL were an effective, competitive team until arguably, the trip to Knowsley Road.  That loss wasn’t a surprise but it appears to have signalled changes in directions for its participants, Saints haven’t lost since that game and Harlequins RL have won just two.  It seems the early season predictions of a lowly placing for both might come true, however I think that the fans of both teams can take credit for being the best group of fans in the league, in terms of their vocal application.  It may be a meaningless award to many but for true fans they’ve both been a breath of fresh air in an increasingly biased and bitter supporting spectrum.  Harlequins RL by 4.

Hull v Hull KR
Just how typical of Hull’s luck is the timing of this fixture?  Last week, Agar’s men turned in the kind of performance that can be underrated because of the opposition’s failings and, relying too much on Wakefield’s showing chips away too much at the quality Hull turned out.  Hull are very much a work-in-progress with the Wakefield game being a match-up that gave Agar a chance to measure his side against an outfit of similar competitive capability.  At times I thought that Hull showed some traditional British attacking RL which is something that you could probably say hasn’t been shown by them before.  I don’t mean that this was a historic or most effective display, I mean the thought to keep the ball alive was a first thought instead of what I’ve always felt was a more conservative, ball control approach.  This derby would have been in Agar’s mind and a convincing win at Belle Vue was a five star achievement, given their season so far.  Agar would have seen, in front of him this week, a team on a slide after consecutive defeats, anticipating that Rovers’ form would shift the points spread in Hull’s favour.  Typical of Hull’s luck that Rovers suddenly pull a terrific win over contenders, Wigan.  Despite the gap that needs to be made up to the playoffs, the Bulls-Wildcats game means two points from this can give them a rope bridge to the six.  Realistically though, a win does nothing more than thwart their rivals’ finals ambitions, which suggests that Hull might not be as competitive especially with the semi-final looming next week.  Suggesting that I think is wrong because Agar has been looking for form from his side, which is a contrast to the perception you get of Wakefield.  Agar appears to have stronger control over his side’s focus than Kear at the moment but Rovers have been a team his side has found ways to lose against and that win against Wigan has given Morgan the lift his team needed.  That win, Rovers’ much stronger kicking game and the visitors recent record against Hull makes me favour them.  I don’t have any preferences in this east coast title bout but with an eye on the Challenge Cup I hope that Hull consolidate that form and manufacture more in case they do win next week so that the final isn’t the washout many are already thinking it will be.  It’s a fascinating contest and it is one of those games where you apply more weight to the psychology of the head-to-head because neither team is operating at a high technical level.  This, to me, means you can’t place too much emphasis on either team’s ability because they don’t have enough consistency for you to make a strong case for one side over the over.  Inevitably this has allowed me to type a stream of consciousness about how important the intellectual strength of the players is to the result.  Eventually that absence of reliable form pushes me back to the factors in Rovers favour rather than this possibly simmering Hull revival.  Promises to be a mini-epic.  Rovers by 2.

Last week’s predictions;

Leeds by 12 (won by 38 )
Saints by 50 (won by 56)
Warrington by 8 (won by 4)
Catalans by 12 (won by 6)
Wildcats by 6 (lost by 8 )
Wigan by 6 (lost by 17)

Well despite my continual failure to grab a hold on any Rovers games consistency has arrived in the form of my preditions.  Another four from six making the overall record of 79-48 (62% still lol).

By Rufus Güütz

My loyal readers, you know old Rufus is a man who must speak his mind when he sees any limpening of the wrists in the world of the sportsman. In my sights this week - rugby league's interchange rules.

Ok, the NRL have at least made a step in the right direction by reducing interchange from 12 to 10. And good on old Bellyache for ramming it through for Origin (the toughest sport in the world). But 10 interchanges per game is still rubbish. These days, it is a big deal when you call a forward an "80-minute player". Back in my day, if you weren't an 80-minute player, you were cutting the half-time oranges for the real men.

The true skills of the prop forward and second-rower are being lost. These days, you go flat out for 10 minutes, then trot off to the bench for a bit of a kip and a warm cocoa. Or if you play for Manly they hook you up to an IV of calf's blood. Then once you are all better you might come out in the second half for a few tackles and a hitup or two, then it's back to the bench.

Apparently these players are called "impact forwards". I'll tell you what a real impact forward is - it's a front-rower who is still smashing the defensive line in the 79th minute. These impact players are the ones who in my day would have had their arse kicked by the coach at training for having a bad attitude and not putting the effort in. So what I would call a "lazy, unfit footballer" is now known as an "impact forward".

Back when I was plying the honourable trade of the front-rower you only hit the bench if that is where the team doctor had the body bags stored. Cos if you weren't quite dead yet, then you had a blast of the magic spray and got the hell back out there to take the next hitup.

The Balmain Old Boys still get together down at Birchgrove Oval every June 15 to remember Rhino Rutledge, who had to be taken to the bench in a game against North Sydney. We held him up in the defensive line for a few sets until the opposition hooker gave him the old three stooges eye poke in a scrum and he didn't punch on. The ref noticed he wasn't all there and made us take him off the field to get last rites. I think the legendary drinking session after that match was the basis for the film Weekend at Bernies.

These days a number of coaches reckon some forwards play better when they start from the bench. What forward worth his salt would miss the so-called "softening-up period"? I tell you, it is only the softening-up period if you are sitting on the bench. For the players out on the field, it's the hardening-up period.

Do we really want to go down the path of that softest of sports - the AFL? They go on about how far a player runs in each game...but most of this is spent running between the field and the interchange bench. Recently, AFL teams have been making more than 100 interchanges in a single game. How is this good? If I wanted to see two minutes of action I'd go watch tug-of-war. Or rugby union.

So the NRL honchos should tear a page from the book of Rufus and abolish interchange altogether. Well, unless your hooker dies and the ref notices.

By Gil Fooled

In a major disappointment for Australian sport, its underachieving national team has once again failed to qualify for the World Eye Gouging Championships.

In years gone by Australia has had a formidable and enviable record in the prestigious event. However, in recent times, the Aussies have dropped well off the pace as the South African and French rugby teams took the dark art to new levels of professionalism.

Sources close to the Australian team admit there is now concern that the good times are over and the side may never again revisit its glory days of the 1980s, when rugby league hardmen such as Balmain's "Backdoor" Benny Elias and South Sydney's Mario "Facial" Fenech were acknowledged as world leaders in the field.

"When Benny and Mario were out there running around, you just knew the claret was going to be running sooner rather than later. But these days, apart from a bit of sly elbow and knee work in the tackle, and of course those ju-jitsu holds that are all the rage now, there's really not much to get excited about," Australian Gouging Team manager Boxhead Baxter told Sportsrag.com.au.   

"So, for the sake of our national reputation, we're pleading with the local footy community to get behind us and embrace a return to the good old days when you could scratch a bloke's retina out and still head out with him for a few schooners after the game."

Baxter said the Springboks and Le Bleus were once again expected to fight it out for top honours at this year's World Championships in Paris, with Bok Bismarck du Plessis an early favourite following his impressive work-over of All Black Adam Thompson's mug recently.

As usual, a host French rugby contenders have also been heavily backed to win, thanks largely to their uncanny ability to combine a top-class gouge with a vicious and prolonged testicle squeeze - all without conceding a penalty.

However, there has also been a late plunge on Leicester's Fijian rugby centre Seru Rabeni, who copped 14 weeks for a gouge that left Saracens hooker Andy Kyriacou's eye "painful and red for 16 days after the incident".

Also in the running are: Italy rugby forward Mauro Bergamasco, who missed the end of the Six Nations tournament after copping 13 weeks for a "finger in the right eye" of Wales fullback Lee Byrne; and Mexican soccer player Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who is yet to be sentenced for beautifully combining a stomach punch, eye gouge and head butt on three different victims during a Chicago Fire MLS match against DC United.

It is expected that the World Champion will personally receive their trophy from last year's winner - Kiwi-turned-Pom rugby hooker Dylan Hartley - who copped a 26-week ban for two gouging incidents while playing for Northhampton against Wasps.

Rugby League Rankings delivers the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Video Preview of their Playoff chances in 2008.

Here is the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Beta version as of July 15 2008.

We get straight to the point in these videos - your team’s Run Home, Key Player, Most Improved, Wildcard, Glue Guy and your team’s predicted Playoff Seed for September.

And although we’re still only in early July - NSC takes a stab at where we think your team will finish when the Finals are done and dusted for 2008.

Enjoy!

Rugby League Rankings delivers the Sydney Roosters Video Preview of their Playoff chances in 2008.

Here is the Sydney Roosters Beta version as of July 15 2008.

We get straight to the point in these videos - your team’s Run Home, Key Player, Most Improved, Wildcard, Glue Guy and your team’s predicted Playoff Seed for September.

And although we’re still only in early July - NSC takes a stab at where we think your team will finish when the Finals are done and dusted for 2008.

Enjoy!

Rugby League Rankings delivers the Melbourne Storm Video Preview of their Playoff chances in 2008.

Here is the Melbourne Beta version as of July 14 2008.

We get straight to the point in these videos - your team’s Run Home, Key Player, Most Improved, Wildcard, Glue Guy and your team’s predicted Playoff Seed for September.

And although we’re still only in early July - NSC takes a stab at where we think your team will finish when the Finals are done and dusted for 2008.

Enjoy!

By Teyshawn Geyshen

Sick as, bro. My manager be readin tha newzpaper to me this mornin. (He reckon I gots to know how much cash all tha otha playerz be gettin). An he tell me Greg Inglish could be gettin A MILLION BUCKS A YEAR as a NFL punta. You kno NFL - itz tha sport where you gots to wear a suit ov armour coz they is pussiez.

And Ruke Looney from tha Panthaz haz just had a $1.3 MILLION WAD'O'CASH stuffed in his back pocket to play Union in Franse. Craig Gowa iz also playin there wit my cuzybro Vaelicky. Berragan is off throwin his forward passes in Englund, and worst ov all, my homie Hot Sauce Gasnia might be leavin me here to fire up on my own!!!

What iz happenin? I and you know there iz somethin wicked wrong here. Tha way I be seein it, there iz 2 thingz that should be happenin. 

First - WHEREZ MY OVASEAZ OFFA???

Second - WHEREZ MY COUNTA-OFFA FROM CHANNEL 9 AND THA NRL TO KEEP ME HERE???

Everyone be sayin that by Kiwi cuzbrother SunyBil iz tha big target for Union. And Inglish could be makin a million in tha NFL. I'M SUNYBIL AND INGLISH ROLLED INTO ONE, MOFO!!! Cept I've had a few more injuries, but itz only coz otha playaz target me.

And when my Union or NFL offa comes, I expect Channel 9 to be there wit a big contract to keep me in tha NRL. You did it for Goey Johns, why not me? What if I offa to play for NSW?

My manager iz waitin for your call.

Rugby League Rankings will return from hiatus and deliver Video Previews of each team's Playoff chances for 2008.

Here is a sample of what to expect over the next week with Manly's beta Preview.

With only the Bulldogs and Cowboys not any hope of playing in September, RLR will release all other 14 Team Previews over the next week or so.

We get straight to the point in these videos - your team's Run Home, Key Player, Most Improved, Wildcard, Glue Guy and your team's predicted Playoff Seed for September.

And although we're still only in early July - NSC takes a stab at where we think your team will finish when the Finals are done and dusted for 2008.

Enjoy!

Leeds v Huddersfield
Great news for Giants fans following the victory over Hull KR, Steve Folkes is on the shortlist for the vacant coaching position.  Bad news is that Nathan Brown and Royce Simmons are too.  We’ll trust in the Giants management to make the right appointment for their club and for this competition.  Right now though it’s take-on-the-Champions time for the caretaker coaches.  Caretakers who have done more than just change light bulbs, they’ve re-wired a few things as well.  Posting a couple of wins on the way, the Giants are in better form than Leeds over the past month.  Strangely there are murmurings amongst Leeds fans about how they’ve slipped from being in the driving seat with lots of leg room, to riding pillion with Saints.  Why is that?  If you surf the Leeds forum I’m sure you’ll find criticism varies but sometimes form just goes away and you don’t know why.  Yes, it can be attributable to personnel changes, injuries and, amazingly, even improvements in the opposition, but there are times when as a fan you just need to be realistic and accept that, in sport, teams can go through a dip.  Too much tweaking and you miss your consistency.  Barring their trip to Saints the Giants have been up for their games since Sharp left and you are left wondering if they can continue that against a team that is struggling to reach their own high standards.  I think that trip to Saints though was a real reflection upon the Giants this year, great in parts but, on the whole, messy.  I wouldn’t shy away from this being a reasonable test for Leeds but it is the Giants and they can get a bit awestruck with all that metropolis glitter, signed photographs and those manicured eyebrows.  Leeds by 12.

Saints v Castleford
Castleford remain the last side to beat Saints, some ten league games ago and it’s unlikely that they’ll be doing a double.  In the RL world it’s inevitable that some pea-brain halfwit will misconstrue overwhelming evidence for arrogance.  Saints by 50.

Warrington v Bradford
This week’s game of the round features a real humdinger, fifth at home to sixth with a four point gap on offer for the Wolves if they win.  Who would have thought a month ago that Warrington would be on the up, having seen off two playoff contenders with a third strolling into town, on an injured horse, short on bullets and with a Waco Kid hand?  Four league wins in ten is not gunslinger form, for the Bulls, compared to four in five for James Lowes posse so it’s only the Bulls pedigree that stops this game from being a foregone conclusion.  How much confidence can we place in a pedigree that has lost six of their last ten league games?  Well, four of those losses have been to the top three teams and the other two away from home, albeit against sides for whom playoff action is reliant upon a dazzling run of form.  At Odsal it’s usually the case that the Bulls pack can overpower even the best on their day and there’s a similar truth at the HJ where Warrington’s offensive firepower creates an always competitive team.  When faced with a big pack last week the Wolves came up with eight tries amongst their threequarters and you expect that Lowes’s side will continue to shift the ball wide and exploit what has always been this year, a disjointed Bulls side.  Wolves by 8.

Catalans Dragons v Harlequins RL
Twice this year I’ve backed Harlequins RL against Catalans and twice the Dragons have stolen the points, using their magic to lift themselves above McDermott’s hardworking side.  Being in Perpignan it’s unlikely that they’ll be getting anyone’s backing this week, reality not discrimination.  I say discrimination because has anyone else noticed the increasingly big chip on some Harlequins RL fans’ shoulders?  I say some because it’s not something that I’d ever encountered on my trips down there, quite the opposite in fact, the hospitality of their fans is second to none in this league, which is why this year has been a surprise.  After putting up with the usual gripes from non-expansionists I suppose it’s realistic to expect that some Harlequins RL will be a bit embittered about the attitude of other RL fans to their club, however I’m not sure that excuses this worrying trend of faux siege mentality.  If Harlequins RL fans want to be as lacking in knowledge as the rest of the RL world they can listen to any SKY broadcast for the latest set of home fans to be caught castrating themselves over a line ball.  Speaking of fans caught berating the referee for not calling passes the way they see them, did anyone hear the Hull fans earlier in the year when they yelled “forward” for a dummied pass?  Brilliant stuff and all home fans shout “forward”, except in Perpignan.  Catalans by 12.

Wakefield v Hull
A dress rehearsal for an upcoming Challenge Cup semi-final usually results in a dry, cautious affair with teams unwilling to go through their playbook for fear of giving too much away.  Did Wakefield have one eye on that game when they shipped sixty at Warrington?  As much as Kear might say they didn’t, I don’t imagine he’ll be overly concerned about that with his side through to the semi-final. Here though, we have a different fixture.  It’s at home, it’s against a side that Wakefield should be capable of beating and is one of those games that they would have been looking at as a key win in the push for playoff action.  With the two teams directly above them facing off, this isn’t a game that Kear can afford to play with, which presents no problems for Agar.  After slight improvements from the Sharp days, Agar is still finding his feet with Hull and with his side out of the playoff running, every game is a chance for him to tinker with the pressure off.  Sadly for Agar he’s not had the same kind of fortunate run with opponents, facing top-six teams in all but one of his league fixtures, which he did win.  I remember attending this kind of match in winter rugby when your side was ticking over with nothing to do but wait for an important cup game and although those kind of circumstances are few and far between nowadays, thanks to professionalism, you can’t help but feel this will be a scrappy game but it’s a scrappy game that the home side can’t really afford to play around with.  Wildcats by 6.

Hull KR v Wigan
If you’d checked the analysis of how teams have performed against the predictions then you’ll already know that Hull KR are one of those teams that has let me down on the predictions front, perfectly exemplified by last week’s failure at The Jungle.  That loss to Castleford was Rovers fifth league defeat in a row and placed them on the furthest edge of the playoff picture.  Contrasting that poor form, Wigan gave their local rivals a hand by registering yet another league win over Leeds, making it five from six in the league after dropping three league games in a row before that.  Both these teams started the season relatively well until they went head-to-head in round 8.  Since that game, when Wigan won, Rovers have won just three out of twelve games.  Is Justininho feeling the pressure?  Is Michael Dobson?  Is Cabman exploding with internal rage at his team’s inability to back him up on anything outside of a local derby?  Wigan won’t care.  They’re heading upwards, chasing the top three with a game in hand and plenty of home games to come and this represents a difficult but far from impossible away game.  Can Noble instil the same kind of intensity in his side this week because they will need that over in Hull.  Had this been last week’s game I would have been edging towards Rovers but having looked at how often they’ve failed my predictions and dropped games that they should have won I’m not so sure.  A similar kind of principle applies to Wigan, who’ve been up and down most of the season but they have come away with results when they haven’t necessarily been hitting good form.  There’s more class in the Wigan side, more quality and a doggedness that has caused some greater teams to succumb.  My head says that Rovers compete well with Wigan but it also says that Rovers have played themselves out of the playoffs and I don’t think this is a fixture where they can just plug in and play, especially if Stuart Fielden continues his five minute long Golden Boot winning form.  Wigan by 6. 

Last week’s predictions:

Wigan by 2 (won by 1)
Saints by 8 (won by 54)
Rovers by 4 (lost by 8 )
Bulls by 6 (lost by 1)
Dragons by 6 (won by 12)
Wolves by 6 (won by 26)

Typical four from six week, lifting the overall won-loss ratio to 75-46 (62%).

Into the last straight for the year now with just seven games remaining and I thought I’d take a look at a few things today surrounding the previews and predictions just to see how things have shaped out and how some teams have performed alongside those.  Primarily the previews are there to preview the games and I put the predictions in according to how I see the games developing but mainly it’s an opportunity to have something to read prior to the weekend that isn’t strictly forum based.

If the results had gone exactly the way that I’ve predicted this would be what the current league table would like (there are a couple of points missing from that table because I didn’t preview the opening fixture of the season, so I’ve added an additional two points to Leeds as that’s who would have got my prediction).  A few interesting choices there with the two most notable differences being the positions of Harlequins and Catalans who I’ve underestimated during the course of the year.  Out of twenty rounds of games a Harlequins win has been predicted on just four occasions.  For those that are interested those four win predictions have been against Catalans twice (Easter bank holiday fixture and Millennium Magic), Hull (Round 14) and their most recent game against Warrington.  As you’ve may have noticed they lost three of those games.

* includes two points for opening fixture of season, due to non-prediction.

How does your team shape up?  Have any of the previews been reliable?  Well this latest round did include the first time that Leeds weren’t backed to win.  Over the course every single previous round Leeds had been tipped for the win.  Which teams have the best records on and which predictions are usually no basis for you to place bets on?

How often have your team been backed to win?

These numbers are percentages and understandably Leeds and Saints have been backed in 95% and 80% of the matches that they’ve played in.  Probably the biggest surprises on the backing front are the previously mentioned lack of backing for Catalans and Harlequins, who have overcome such a mystical penalty by winning games.  Looking down the list, it’s a top five heavy prediction listing which helps identify that there must have been several upset results, during the course of the season i.e. traditional non-top 6 teams beating the more firmly-established playoff campaigners.

How often has your team been backed to win correctly?

Following on from backing a team, just how often has that backing been right with your team.  When backed on XIII Oceans, how sure can you be that your team will win?  Some notable differences with this, as Catalans have a high rate which is due to their great form whereas Leeds fall down a few spots, mainly because they’ve been backed every week.   

How often has your team been tipped to lose?

No surprises here with Castleford being tipped to lose 85% of the time and it just goes to show that Harlequins RL fans aren’t just suffering from their normal paranoia when they proclaim that they aren’t given that much of a chance.

When tipped to lose, just how likely are they to lose?

Ignoring the Leeds position because that’s based on one prediction to lose, there’s a fairly high success rate in predicting losses for Hull and the Bulls so not a good sign for either if a loss is anticipated.  Fortunately for Hull fans there’s no previews of the Challenge Cup games.  Catalans are clearly the best side at overcoming predictions on here.