Thursday, March 19, 2009

Revenge on the agenda for Saints

And so the Rhinos bandwagon rolls on to Knowsley Road, for the biggest match of the Super League season so far.

Locked at the top of the table with an inform Hull FC side, Leeds’ 100% record will be firmly put to the test.

The word on the minds of the Saints’ players whilst stepping out on the pitch will surely be vengeance.

Two consecutive Grand Finals pitted these giants together, in which Leeds triumphed on both occasions.

Yet Mick Potter’s men will, once again, be the side that will challenge for the top prize.

Having lost out to the Rhinos in the last two years, Sean Long and co. will be hurting and looking to exact some retribution.

“I hope we meet again at Old Trafford, but are able to beat them this time. It will be a difficult season but I am confident it will be a Saints-Leeds encounter,” said Long at the beginning of the season.

Bluey’s boys haven’t hit top gear at anytime this season, but there is one man who is now beginning to be acknowledged for his work.

Unsung hero Carl Ablett, who was given the man of the match award against Wigan, is a man of few words, although he did give his view about his role in the dressing room and on the pitch.

“We’ve got a few loud ones who do all the talking, but we can’t all be like that,” said a shy Ablett.

He went on to say, “I prefer to be the quiet ones and let others take the credit.”

An intense rivalry has been forged between the two teams, and the fixture may now be seen as the one they look forward to more than their own enemies.

With Bradford struggling at the wrong end of the table and Wigan having already suffered three defeats, St Helens vs. Leeds must class as the number one match-up in the league.

A fast, free-flowing game of rugby league can be expected with a result too tight to call.

Will the Saints go marching in for a victory, or the Rhinos continue the season by marching on together?

Shamoon Hafez

Friday, March 13, 2009

Rhinos looking to maintain winning streak

The champions continue their Super League campaign as Wigan head into town in, what should be, a feisty encounter.

A win against the cherry-and-whites will consolidate their position at the top of the pile and keep the 100% record intact.

The 14-20 win over former coach Tony Smith’s side Warrington, showed the guile and determination of the players.

Danny McGuire’s try proved to be the match winner, as the Wolves were left rooted to the bottom of the table, leaving Smith with a big job on his hands.

However, they come up against a side that have picked up form, having started the season awfully.

Last weeks’ 44-10 demolition of Bradford showed how dangerous Brian Noble’s men are, even though some fans were calling for his head after just three games.

And the home side will be wary of this, as Noble has masterminded wins over the Rhinos on occasions in the past.

Yet, crucially, it has been Leeds who have come out on top in the final eliminator against Wigan in the past two years.

The victories gave them a passage into two Grand Finals, and we all know what happened after that.

Brent Webb returns to the side for his first game of the campaign after back surgery, having been out of action since last season’s game against Wigan.

Sadly, he was also unable to take part in his country’s World Cup triumph, something which will have been a bittersweet feeling for him.

Affectionately known by the fans as ‘Superman’, he will be hoping to continue his impressive record of 35 tries, in 47 games for the Rhinos.

Keith Senior misses out again with a shoulder problem and so Lee Smith should fill in, with Webb taking back his place at full-back.

A tight contest is on the cards, but Leeds should have enough to halt Wigan’s recent revival, piling the pressure back on Noble.

Shamoon Hafez

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Bore draw in the West Indies- test cricket at its worst

Coming from a background where cricket is our number one sport, I have grown up to appreciate test cricket and the beauty of a cover drive.

The finest player to ever grace such shot is former national team captain Michael Vaughan, under whom, England experienced their finest hour, after reclaiming the Ashes in 2005.

The 20/20 phenomenon is just a commercial gimmick, as any old Dick can smash a ball around a ground when there are only three fielders outside the circle.

The first test defeat against the West Indies, after a measly 52 all out, has to classed as one of the worst performances by a test nation, and meant England were, once again, a laughing stock.

People thought that after the Pietersen-Moores affair, the only way was up, but the team plunged to further lows.

Runs have been coming at a premium, with the teams scoring 566, 600 and 749.Good batting you may think, but the wickets have been flatter than a ran over hedgehog.

It is something that the authorities need to take a look at, as it seems grounds men are being ordered to roll such pitches so that tests go on for the full five days, but this is coming to the detriment of results being achieved.

Think back to the excitement of 2005, which turned out to be one of the greatest test series ever. Heroes such a Flintoff and Pietersen were made as the nation caught Ashes-fever.

The only thing caught in the West Indies so far, has been Daren Powell’s ankle in the ditches of the abandoned second test pitch.

What a farce!

And there is more controversy.

The referrals systems that is being used for the first time is a joke. I have never been a fan of technology as it undermines the ability of the on-field umpire, but when you have an incompetent buffoon in Darryl Hair, who has no idea how to use the equipment, it makes it more of a mockery.

Remove its use before more cock-ups occur.

This test series has been as entertaining as a joke in a Christmas cracker. Seeing the substance in my sixth-month-old nephew’s nappy has provided the family with more material to talk about than the cricket itself.

As to the state of the England team, you would have to be the biggest optimist to think that the side will recover by the time the Aussies arrive in June.

Sure, they’ve lost a number of illustrious players such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Matthew Hayden from the last time we met, when they panned us 5-0, but look at what is coming through.

Phillip Hughes has become the youngest ever player to score centuries in both innings of a test match, against a South African side that would have topped the ranking had they beaten Australia.

Another hiding looks on the cards as the men from down-under look to continue to set the benchmark in international cricket.

Shamoon Hafez