ghost crayfish

St Helens lost because of poor execution at key try scoring moments. The Lomax pass to set Makinson up was brilliant. He just dropped it. And on the left, it was clear it was a new combination. They looked disjointed, and blew at least two tries as a result. St Helens did themselves proud, and I thought their halves were great. Unfortunately Wellsby wasn't great when he came into the backline, and the execution out wide was off. At full strength, St Helens probably win.

Well yeah. Of course if the coach picks other guys ahead of him he won't get a run! But the coach did pick Watkins for this weekend's trial match. After a six month off season to get fit, I think we'll see the best of Watkins this year. I'm backing him to be one of the best centres in the NRL. As for Hall, I don't think anyone would doubt he was top drawer at his peak. A definite top NRL quality player. But right now he's in his 30s, his knee seems busted, and his speed is gone. If he can actually get into the roosters top team, he'll be doing well.

With Gelling out, is Burrell likely to start at centre? I'd love to see him get a good run of games there and see how develops.

Interesting to read that Tomkins had a blinder and scored three tries. His try against Huddersfield a few weeks ago showed some of that old spark too. Promising signs for him, Catalans, and England.

This is gonna get really embarrassing very quickly when the shiny new trans Atlantic Super League club with SBW can't field a full team!! English rugby league is amateur hour. It'll be a farce - an absolute indictment on English administrators - if Toronto aren't given dispensation to which they're entitled, based on cost of living and other salary cap dispensation they can't access as a new expansion club.

There's lots of good players competing for spots, and very few who have actually cemented them. So I've just guessed on how it might look - for example, I'd have no worries with any of Johnstone, Manfredi, Charnley getting in over Burgess if they're playing better. I'm backing Williams to become a top 7 under Ricky Stuart so think he'll be there, but then again, I also think there's a chance he'll flop and maybe by the end of the year Jake Connor will be a world class playmaker. I think at their best, Currie and Watkins could make an outstanding centre pairing in test football - I wouldn't pick either right now, but I'm backing them to be there by the ashes. Graham and O'Loughlin I have in because I think they're leaders you need, but if they're not looking up to it (and I agree there's every chance they won't be) then pick whoever is.

I think by the end of the year, something like this could be close: Tomkins, Burgess, Griffin/Currie, Watkins, Makinson, Williams, Widdop, Thompson, Roby, Walmsley, Bateman, Whitehead, O'Loughlin Res: Watts, Graham, Savelio, Connor I reckon that's a team that could beat Australia.

Much like Josh Dugan, Hardaker is good athlete and footballer, but doesn't quite fit any position perfectly. Both are great 90s style fullbacks, but don't have the ball skills needed of elite fullbacks today. And while they're both great ball runners and tacklers, they don't seem to have that natural awareness and timing of the best centres.

This has to be the most anticipated English rugby league season in quite a while. Certainly plenty of talking points, and that's even before we get to the build-up to an ashes series!

Why does this Folau business keep becoming a 'freedom of speech' issue? He has freedom of speech! He hasn't been locked up has he? Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequence. Eg. If you put the sponsors and fans who basically pay your wages offside, you're probably going to get sacked. If you bring bad publicity to the organisation you represent, repeatedly, you're probably going to get sacked. If you contravene the code of conduct set out by your employer, you're probably going to get sacked. The thought police didn't hunt him down here. He's a public figure who made public comments, was warned not to do it again, and did it again anyway. Doesn't mean he should be banned for life, but does mean I wouldn't want him at my club - and if every club feels that way, then that's bad luck.

It's not that superleague doesn't do expansion, it's that it doesn't do it well. No strategy, no investment, no patience, no support. To go for expansion as significant and complex as this, on the back of simple p&r (and all the lack of certainty and shortened timeframes it brings) is just crazy. It really is like they want Toronto to fail.

This is what happens when there's no clearly thought out plan for expansion...

Given league is actually part of the sport's title, is the word used to differentiate it from the other type of rugby, and it's in the title of the competition itself, I beg to differ. Besides, superleague's marketing needs are so different from the premier league it's not a really useful comparison. Anyway, that's my take. I like the ad, and think it might help attract interest from non fans, casual fans, and fanatics alike.

Seems like a reasonable slogan for promoting a competition called SuperLEAGUE to me. I think it's really good. Shows action, promotes players as characters to know and storylines to follow. Finishing with SBW saying 'we play league' is great!

So... England to win?