In a new series, we take a look back at who is hot, and who is not, in the world of Rugby League.
HIGHLIGHT: London Broncos
There were a lot of people avoiding Twitter on Sunday evening.
In the build-up to the season, certain individuals in the Rugby League community had made it very clear that they didn’t think London Broncos would do very well this season. They went as far as saying they wouldn’t win a game.
Well, one game in… one win down!
London put 40 points up Wakefield as they secured a quite astonishing result against Chris Chester’s shellshocked side.
It was a wonderful result and a superb day for the Broncos on their return to Super League as they proved they can, and will, be competitive in the top flight.
And don’t even get us started on those gifs!
LOWLIGHT: Leeds Rhinos
Where do we start?
After so much hype and expectation, Leeds looked very much like the side that failed to inspire last season and finished in the bottom four of Super League.
The Rhinos went down to a much slicker and quicker Warrington side in a 26-6 defeat.
It was a bitterly disappointing performance, with the club’s high-profile new signings failing to catch the eye.
It’s only round one of course and this defeat means little in the great scheme of things.
But it was a bitterly underwhelming start.
HIGHLIGHT: Anthony Gelling
If you haven’t already noticed, Anthony Gelling is a quite interesting bloke.
Gelling woke up on Sunday, ahead of their match with the Halifax Fax Machines (we’ll explain soon), and decided to go on a walk and upload a video to Twitter encouraging everyone to go and watch in his own weird and wonderful way.
Within the video, he called Widnes’ opponents, Halifax, the Fax Machines, and did a weird celebration on his forehead.
It got hundreds of retweets in itself, but you would have to think his goading of Halifax may have been used as a motivational tool.
3pm @ the Fortress 🤘 #riseagain pic.twitter.com/Uf4j78XKyZ
— Anthony Gelling (@AnthonyGelling) February 3, 2019
It didn’t work. Gelling tore Fax apart, scoring twice and setting two others up in a 40-16 win. Then he was subbed, but decided going viral once in a day wasn’t enough. So he went into the crowd to watch the rest of the game with a young fan.
👏 @AnthonyGelling: “Pull your kids off Fortnite, put that Netflix series on hold and be part of something real…”
📸 @WidnesRL pic.twitter.com/knGMmTzje8
— Rugby Football League (@TheRFL) February 3, 2019
You’ve got to give it to the bloke, he knows how to create headlines!
LOWLIGHT: Huddersfield Giants
There’s perhaps nothing worse than getting comfortably defeated on your own patch in round 1.
So spare a thought for Huddersfield, who were on the end of a beating as they went down 34-14 to Salford Red Devils.
Now look, Huddersfield had 10 players out and that left them stretched. But nevertheless, defeat, and against Salford too, must be pretty hard to take.
It was a very underwhelming start to the season for Simon Woolford’s side.
HIGHLIGHT: Hull derby
As far as opening weekends go, 2019 has got to be right up there.
There were high-quality games, shocks aplenty and some memorable moments.
But none of them perhaps top Jimmy Keinhorst’s lunge to the corner to win the Hull derby for Hull KR, and the scenes that followed thereafter.
It was a superb spectacle in front of a sell-out crowd.
Long may it continue.
LOWLIGHT: Ben Barba
Oh Ben…
