DimmestStar

The real success of Toronto Wolfpack has been the consistently high crowds they have attracted. TBH if a very rich man spends very large amounts of money it really shouldn't be too difficult to assemble a team better than what the second tier of Rugby League has to offer. It could have been done anywhere Toronto, Batley or Timbuktu. What has been remarkable has been the steady growth in support from a base of nothing at all. The enthusiasm was plain to see and hear with the chants of 'Wolfpack' in the second half. Now it would be good if Toronto could be self sustaining and produce some home grown players. That takes much more time but why not? There is now a foundation to build on if David Argyle can maintain his commitment and investment.

I have really enjoyed my visits to Toulouse it is a great city but sadly TOXIII seem a million miles off Super League. Their team is well short and the attendance last time against York was just 1,132 maybe a bit better tonight with perhaps 300 fev fans. I assume they have a benefactor otherwise I don't know how they maintain a full time team. You don't have to spend much time in Toulouse to realise it is a real Rugby Union stronghold. The performance of TOXIII tonight ensured that is not about to change anytime soon.

I think this year has been the most interesting for some time both the top 5 race and the relegation battle. The only team which has not been involved in one or the other has been St Helens! I expect a Wigan v Saints final whatever happens this week with Wigan retaining their title.

Saints have lost just 3 times all season twice to the bottom club London. That could not have happened if Saints had decided not to let it. Can there really be any doubt about that?

London have graced Super League with distinction. They are undoubtedly the weakest team and the weakest club with the poorest facilities and smallest support but my goodness they battled against the odds right to the end. The four competition points against St Helens left a bad taste which artificially skewed the relegation battle but that was down to Justin Holbrook no fault of the Broncos. The Broncos will be missed but not their ghastly bouncy plastic pitch. Overall a wonderful effort, sadly the whole thing passed the public of Ealing by. Never mind the City of London.

When Rovers lined up without Garbutt, Parcell & Linnett it looked a tall order and even taller after a complete gift try put Cas 14-26 ahead into the second half. Cas were on top then but Rovers produced a brilliant try after a break from Atkin and from then on it was all Rovers. Try scorer Crooks made it a double with a quite brilliant leap, catch and spin to score another. Could Cas hang on? Well it then became who would get a drop goal winner and Rovers set up...and missed chance after chance. Castleford had an effort charged down and then referee Kendall seemed to decide the outcome by awarding a penalty to Cas for the most innocuous offence. From an eminently kickable position Cas missed and it went into golden point. As is almost always the case the team who wins the toss wins golden point. You get first use of the football you win. It wasn't quite as simple as that Cas defended their hearts out kept Rovers pinned back but Danny McGuire produced a wonderful 40/20. Rovers had another 6 and McGuire slotted over a one pointer on the first tackle with nobody in a Cas shirt expecting it. Breathtaking quality entertainment Super League.

Anyone who has been in the away end at Catalans will know there is a boxed area at he top full of Catalans fans. The Catalans fans in that area like to lean out and taunt away fans. More than once I have seen away fans clambering up but tonight the Warrington fans made it to the top and fighting broke out. This followed a prolonged mass brawl on the pitch in which I think 4 players were red carded. mcIllorom & Tomkins plus a couple of Warrington players. When the players noticed the crowd violence it looked like they were going to go into the crowd to intervene but Childs just about managed to stop them. Totally disgraceful scenes both on the pitch and in the stand.

Warrington dominated field position mainly due to an outstanding kicking game from Blake Austin. Even so they only really looked like scoring off kicks. For me Hull were overly negative in twice kicking for goal in the first half when they could have had 6 tackles on the line. With so little field position I thought it was unwise to settle for just 2 on those occasions. Easy with hindsight I suppose. I actually think that if Minichiello hadn't coughed the ball up after the goal line drop out at 16-14 Hull would have snatched it. It wasn't to be and Warrington deserved it .......just.

Tony Smith has encouraged Rovers to take risks and play football. Goodness sometimes it has me anxious when we pass the ball about in our own 20 but we have gone from a team unable to score against 11 men to a pretty dangerous attacking force. Ignoring all that the problem for teams in the lower half is being able to maintain maximum intensity week in week out. If any of them could do that they wouldn't be in the lower half. They can't so they aren't.

If you want fairness the team who finishes top should be promoted. If TV drama is more important you have a grand final at a neutral venue with the losers facing job losses.

8 games left now but just 3 at home for London against St Helens, Salford & Leeds. Rovers have 4 home games against Huddersfield, Castleford, Wakefield & London. London have been defying the odds all season they need to continue doing so.

At this time of the year in the South of France everyone closes the blinds and has a sleep in a darkened room.

Plus 2.

Hull couldn't cope with Masoe & Garbutt and Hauraki's hit on Taylor was a joy to behold. Jake 'Mistake' Connor had one of his bad days. Matt Parcell was outstanding playing the whole game and actually getting more and more prominent as the game went on. If Rovers stay up he will be at Craven Park next year and there will be no transfer fee. Plenty of twists in the relegation battle still to come I fancy and Hull have a habit of responding well to bad defeats.

The Sun is a comic which usually leads with stories from soap TV. It sells more copies by far. 1.5 million per day than any other...er....newspaper. For many years it has had the best Rugby League coverage of any national paper and recently has stood by Gary Carter after the sickening assault on him which left him fighting for his life. It clearly cannot be good for Rugby League to lose coverage to 1.5 million readers per day even if like me they only look at the easy crossword puzzle and the excellent RL coverage from Gary Carter.