Feki signs for Cas as of 2020

Cas Tigers

Castleford Tigers have signed winger Sosaia Feki on a three year deal from Cronulla Sharks, he will join the Tigers from 2020 onwards.

Although the 28 year old was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and played for the New Zealand Warriros junior sides and risen through the ranks there, he has played twice for Tonga.

Feki won the 2016 NRL Grand Final, and says he is now ready for a new challenge after being at the sharks for seven seasons. He said on the move to the Super League outfit: “I’ve been at Cronulla for seven years now, I’ve been comfortable here but this is a new chapter in our lives and my partner and I are really excited to come across to Castleford and to Super League.

“It’s going to be a new challenge but Cronulla play an attacking style of rugby as well so hopefully I can bring that over there. I’ve played with Junior Moors at the Sharks and I know Jesse Sene-Lefao already as well. I’ve been messaging him and he’s been tipping me up on the club and what it’s like.

“As a player, I just try to do my job for the team and finish any opportunities that come my way. I’ve played a lot of my games with the Sharks on the left but I’m also really comfortable on the right and I played on that side at the weekend.

“I’m not bothered where the coaches want me to play; wherever they put me I’ll come across and do my best for the club.”

On his new signing Castleford head coach Daryl Powell commented: “Sosaia is a player who has been performing at the top level for a number of years in the NRL,” he said.

“He was a part of the Cronulla team that won the title in Australia which means that our last two recruits from overseas know what it takes to win a championship.

“He is big, strong and aggressive with the ball and an experienced defender. Our back line for next season has a real look of ability about it with strong competition for places in all positions and Sosaia adds hugely to our quality.”

Advertisement

Burrow confident on Broadbent’s ability

Leeds Rhinos academy product Jack Broadbent has moved to Betfred Championship side Batley Bulldogs on loan for a month. Rhinos academy coach Rob Burrow insists that Broadbent has what it takes to play in England’s second tier.

Broadbent who has already had a taste of Championship rugby whilst being on dual registration with Featherstone Rovers, played for Batley Boys as a youngster and also played for Dewsbury Moor. Now though the 17 year old will be coming up against some of the toughest players in the Championship.

On Broadbent, Burrow’s said:  “He has probably been our best performer this season; he has been consistently good for us. I think Jack Broadbent is someone who can handle it in the Championship, this is probably a good time for him to go and play somewhere else and I certainly think he is ready for it.

“His attitude is first-class and it will be good to see where he’s at, it will be good for him to test himself against Championship teams, hopefully regularly over the next four weeks.”

Ward on his way back

Leeds Rhinos Stevie Ward is now back in full time training and is hoping to make his Super League return in the next few weeks.

The 25 year old has been out of action since round three after sustaining a knee injury which he has since had surgery on back in February against St Helens. He is hoping to be back for the Rhinos game against Castleford Tigers on July 5th, however he could be available for the game against the Catalan Dragons five days earlier.

On returning from injury he said: “I am just putting everything into practice that I can do. I have worked really hard on my ‘rehab’ and the stuff around it and I can’t wait to get back on the field and share a bit of the journey with the boys.

“It is a weird one; through different times of the injury sometimes it felt like it was progressing and other times it didn’t. Now I am back running and doing contact so I am back in the main bits of it now and it’s not long until I am back out there.

“My knee has reacted well over the last few weeks and it’ll be nice to get out there, I still haven’t played in the full [rebuilt] stadium yet, so I am looking forward to that when I get the chance.”

Workington stadium hits snag

Workington Town have hit a bump in the road for their new stadium plans as the local council has had a change in leadership. This may effect the bid to have no 2021 World Cup games to be played in Cumbria.

With Labour losing the local elections, the proposed 8,000 seater capacity stadium which would be shared by both the rugby club and football team has now been put into doubt.

Supporters recently set up an online petition in support of the development, World Cup chief Jon Dutton has insisted that if the stadium doesn’t go ahead, then Cumbria will not host games in the tournament.

On the situation Dutton said: “We are aware of the leadership changes at the council and the potential impact this may have on the stadium project. Since the local elections we have, and will continue to have, dialogue with the council.

“We completed an open bidding process in 2018 and the impressive Allerdale bid included the new stadium. Our decision to host games in Allerdale was conditional upon the stadium being built as there are no viable alternatives available locally. As confirmed previously, we have a contingency stadium should the new facility not be developed in the agreed timeframe. This stadium is not in Allerdale or West Cumbria, we remain committed to working with the partners in Allerdale.”

Will Sydney Rule the Roost Once More in 2019?

Sydney Roosters

The Sydney Roosters warmed up for the new NRL season in style by swatting Wigan aside in the World Club Challenge at the weekend.

A hat-trick from Brett Morris provided the inspiration for a famous victory, as the men from Bondi raced into a commanding lead and flourished in the face of second-half pressure.

It left fans daring to dream of a second consecutive Grand Final triumph in 2019 and the bookmakers have made them the clear favourites to pull it off. However, competition is fierce and they will need to be at their very best if they are to better the likes of Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs once again.

Last season they secured a first Grand Final victory in five years with a dominant 21-6 win over Melbourne. It was the first time these heavyweights had ever battled it out for an NRL premiership, despite being the two most successful teams since this era began in 1998.

They finished neck-and-neck in the ladder, with 16 wins, eight defeats and 34 points apiece, so it always promised to be an epic showdown. The Roosters vanquished South Sydney with relative ease in the preliminary finals and Melbourne swept aside Cronulla-Sutherland to set up an epic clash.

Melbourne went into the game as defending premiers and they received a huge boost when Billy Slater was cleared to play. That saw them installed as 2.5-point favourites and Sydney went to the ANZ Stadium as plucky underdogs.

Yet they delivered a fantastic performance, with Cooper Cronk helping to destroy his old club’s hopes of becoming the first team in 25 years to secure back-to-back titles.

His threat was blunted due to injury, but his leadership on the pitch was vital and Luke Keary stepped up with a sensational showing, helping his team open up an 18-0 lead that Melbourne never recovered from.

If you take a look at the NRL betting odds, you will see that the Roosters are the shortest priced pre-season favourites in the history of this ultra-competitive league. However, no team has successfully defended the premiership in the NRL Grand Final era.

The last team to win back-to-back titles was Brisbane, all the way back in 1993. Penrith Panthers captain James Maloney, a dual premiership winner during his glittering career, claims it is impossible to successfully defend the title.

“They’ll have a really good side and they’ll be tough to beat, but history says it’s tough to do,” he said. “As much as people say you’ve still got the hunger, it’s hard when you actually achieve what you try do all year and finally get it.” He contested that every team will be extremely motivated when they face Sydney, desperate to claim the scalp of the reigning champions. “Whether you’re running second or 16th, you’ll play your best game of footy against them,” he added.

History is certainly against this team, but it is hard to argue with the depth of quality at their disposal and they could finally break that trend.

Former Kangaroo Morris is a great addition to the side and he showed his worth with a man of the match display to put Wigan to the sword in the World Club Challenge.

He showed he has lost none of his finishing power as he produced two magnificent tries in the opening eight minutes to stun the near capacity crowd at the DW Stadium, before wrapping up a first-half hat-trick in style.

Former South Sydney second-rower Angus Crichton is another star recruit and his defection from Souths marks a real coup for the club, who saw off significant competition to capture his signature.

The arrival of England star Ryan Hall gives the team a further boost and freshens things up. “A natural finisher blessed with size, speed and strength, we believe that Ryan will be a terrific fit within our squad and we look forward to welcoming him to the club,” said recruitment manager Adam Hartigan.

Hall scored 231 tries in 327 appearances and won six Grand Finals with Leeds Rhinos since making his debut in 2007, so he brings a winning mentality to the team.

Keary is expected to go from strength to strength after winning the Clive Churchill Medal and being elevated to a Kangaroos debut. He was the dominant half again as the Roosters beat Wigan at the weekend, and it will be interesting to see if the Roosters start to rebuild their attack around him. But there are so many big guns at this club. Kangaroos fullback James Tedesco enjoyed a perfect first season in red, white and blue, winning an Origin series and a premiership, scoring 62 points per game from mid-July as he stepped up his game.

Jake Friend is one of the busiest defenders in the business, while the hard-hitting Victor Radley will continue to rock opponents and the likes of Cronk, Latrell Mitchell, Boyd Cordner, Siosiua Taukeiaho and Isaac Liu will be up for the battle as they for another premiership.

Melbourne will be back with a vengeance, it would be folly to rule Souths out and teams like North Queensland and Cronulla-Sutherland look dangerous, but right now the Roosters deserve their status as heavy favourites and they will take some stopping in 2019.

 

Five Things We’ve Learned From The Opening Weeks Of The Super League

Shaun Wane

We are now a few weeks into the new Super League season and the table is already starting to take on a familiar look.

Heavyweights Warrington, Castleford and St Helens have stormed to the top of the standings after beginning the campaign in immaculate fashion.

Teams tipped to struggle are already bracing themselves for a long battle to avoid relegation, while there has been a bountiful supply of drama, intrigue and controversy. Here are the top five things we have learned so far:

Shaun Wane’s absence is already being felt

Wigan’s legendary head coach bowed out in style last year as his team put Warrington to the sword in the Grand Final. It marked the culmination of a 40-year career with the club for a local lad who started as a volunteer and then served as prop, scout, academy manager and head coach. He was always going to be a huge loss after he left for a high performance coaching role with Scottish Rugby, and Wigan’s early season form has suggested that the transition into a brave new era will not be plain sailing.

There is no shame in losing to Syndey Roosters or St Helens, but they have conceded soft tries and there is plenty of work for Adrian Lam to do. They have also been deducted two points due to a salary cap breach in 2017, but there is plenty of time for them to bounce back. Lam insists this is not a team in transition, and he is making the right noises about Wigan defending their crown, but it remains to be seen how these players will react to his demands for a more flamboyant style of rugby.

Warrington and St Helens looking strong

Warrington’s wait to be crowned champions now stretches back 64 years and fans will probably be glad to see the back of Wane, who vanquished them in the 2013 and 2016 Grand Finals too. Yet they have made a strong start to the new campaign and a look at the sports spread betting at Sporting Index shows you that they are the favourites to finally end their trophy drought this year.

Comprehensive victories over Leeds and Hull KR have seen them surge to the top of the table, and those long-suffering fans will be delighted by the impact that Man of Steel favourite Blake Austin has made. He inspired them to a thumping victory against the new look Rhinos, sparking fresh optimism that this might finally be Warrington’s year. Yet Saints are also looking extremely menacing, having swept aside the defending champions in contemptuous fashion in their opener and then getting the better of Wakefield. If Wigan cannot rediscover their best form, it could develop into a fascinating tussle between Warrington and St Helens to seize glory this season.

Expectations tempered at London Broncos

The Broncos are back in the Super League after a five-year absence and they marked their return with a thrilling 42-24 victory over Wakefield at the Trailfinders Sports Ground. Rhys Williams and Eddie Battye both scored two tries and generated a party atmosphere inside the stadium. Those proclaiming that the Broncos would finish bottom of the table were urged to reconsider, and fans dared to dream of a decent season. However, those aspirations have been somewhat dashed by the team’s subsequent form, as they lost 24-0 to Salford and 22-12 to Hull KR. They are still the clear favourites to finish bottom, but they look as though they will battle valiantly throughout the campaign.

New rules have changed the look of the games

All eyes have been on the new rules in the early weeks of the season after Super League chief executive promised they would make the competition faster, more intense and more dramatic. The shot clock is a welcome addition as it has improved the pace of games, and reducing the number of permitted interchanges from 10 to eight should result in more late drama as legs grow weary. We are yet to see the controversial golden point extra-time, but that should provide some exciting moments further down the line too, and the rule changes appear to be largely positive thus far.

Clubs might start looking at Barba

Ben Barba has started a new job driving trucks in Mackay after being sacked by North Queensland Cowboys before he even had the chance to make his debut. Footage has emerged of the former Dally M and Man of Steel winner allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and he has been handed a lifetime ban from the NRL.

Nobody condones such actions, but there is no real precedent in Super League for excluding players on those grounds. Former England international John Wilkin, who played with Barba last year, said he expects the RFL to allow him back into Super League, where he was the top try scorer last year.

Zak Hardaker, Scott Moore and Gareth Hock are still playing, despite their transgressions, and it might not be long before Barba is given another chance in England. There are many clubs that would love to have someone of his talent, provided they can stomach his alleged actions off the pitch.

 

Anderson announces retirement plans

Louis Anderson

Catalans Dragons forward Louis Anderson has announced he will retire at the end of the Super League campaign.

The experienced player has played at the highest level of rugby league for many years, and the 33 year old has played the last 11 years in Britian’s Super League, he is the third overseas player to make over 100 appearances for the Frinch club.

Anderson is a former New Zealand international; he first came to Britian’s top flight in 2008 where he joined Warrington. He has spent the last sevent years at Catalan becoming a mainstay in the team over those years.

He has won the Challenge Cup twice, in his four years at Warrington and was involved in Catalans first ever major trophy win, when they were victorious in the recently played Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

On retiring from the game, Anderson told the Dragons webstie: “After 15 years, the time has come to chase something different. I am so grateful to have worn this jersey for the last seven years. What an amazing journey. Thank you.”

Dragons head coach Steve McNamara commented: “Louis has been a fantastic servant not only for the Catalans Dragons but also the whole of rugby league. He is highly respected by everyone within the game.

“His decision to retire after a glittering career will leave a big void to fill within our team. He has contributed enormously in the development of our club and we wish Louis well in the next stage of his career.”

Salford desperate to sign Jackson on permanent deal

Jackson Hatings

Jackson Hastings is a wanted man at Salford Red Devils and their head coach Ian Watson is desperate to keep ahold of the star man.

Hastings was again impressive when Salford thrashed Halifax in the recent Super 8 Qualifiers game, Salford won 62-4.

The Red Devils signed the former Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles half-back in mid-July on a deal until the end of the season. Manly released the Australian in June and since coming to England he has been on of the most consistent best performers for Salford.

The 22-year-old ended up scoring two of the 12 tries that was scored against Championship side Halifax. A lot is resting on whether Salford can guarantee top flight rugby to whether they can sign Hastings on a permanent deal.

On whether the club can keep hold of the talented player, Watson said: “Time will tell if we can keep Jackson but we have asked the club to give us the best shot we can of doing so. He’s really keen on us securing our Super League future before moving forward.

“There will be other clubs looking at him and want to have a little look at him now whereas they probably didn’t before because of his reputation.

“We did our homework on Jackson, spoke to an awful lot of people over in Australia, and they all gave us really positive feedback on him.

“We were happy to take that punt and it’s to our benefit at the moment. Hopefully we can keep him.”

 

Ryan Hall Still Has a Big Task on His Hands Before Departing Leeds

Ryan Hall

The 2018 season has been a nightmare for the Leeds Rhinos, who for the second time in three seasons find themselves fighting for their life in Super League having failed to secure a place in the Super 8s. 

After winning their eighth Super League Grand Final in 2017, the Rhinos have flopped, just as they did in 2016 after winning the competition. Without Danny McGuire in the halves, Leeds are lacking direction, and now, the West Yorkshire outfit are losing another member of their famous golden generation.

Over the last three years, Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock, Kylie Leuluai, Rob Burrow and McGuire have all departed, with Ryan Hall now confirmed to be leaving the English game for a crack at the NRL at the age of 30. Hall has been a regular on the wing for Leeds since his debut in 2007, but the colossus winger will end his spell with his boyhood club in October before linking up with the Sydney Roosters in the NRL.

Over Hall’s time in the first-team at Headingley, he has been superb on the wing, constantly developing his game. The 30-year-old started out as a try-scoring winger, but in recent times, he has become almost like a seventh forward, with his powerful running becoming a trademark, alongside some impressive finishes. His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, with the NRL constantly monitoring him and the Roosters eventually getting Hall’s signature. He has become a world-class talent at Leeds, featuring regularly for England over the years under a number of coaches. His try-scoring record for his country stands at an impressive 36 tries in 38 appearances, with plenty of those coming against Australia, which will have enhanced his reputation down under. We will soon find out if Hall is a success in Australia, but before that, he has plenty to play for with Leeds. The 6ft 2inch winger will not want to leave his boyhood club in the second division, which is looking a possibility, with Leeds left fighting for survival in the Qualifiers. Currently, Leeds are expected to come through, with bet365’s Rugby League betting market pricing the Rhinos at 5/4 to put a difficult season behind them and secure Super League status next season.

Although they will be going up against lower league opposition, who have a much lower budget, things will not be straightforward, with the inexperienced Sinfield leading the Rhinos. Of course, Sinfield as a player was untouchable, he was once the world’s best and will go down in Super League history as the competition’s most successful captain. However, off the field, he is about to find a lot out about himself in the Qualifiers.

Sinfield will be turning to his old teammate Hall to have an impact between now and the end of the season. The winger deserved to go out on a high like Sinfield, McGuire and co, but that isn’t to be, with Leeds not competing for a ninth Super League trophy. However, as exciting as Hall’s new challenge is, it will be devastating for the winger to leave his boyhood club without their Super League status. He will want to go out on a high.

 

Bateman moves to Australia

The latest news to come out of Wigan Warriors is that 24 year old John Bateman is to leave the English club and move to the other side of the world to play for Canberra Raiders.

The England international has signed a two year deal at the National Rugby League side from the beginning of 2019.

Bateman scored 36 tries in 125 games since his 2014 move from Betfred League 1 side Bradford Bulls. The player will return to Wigan to sign a three year deal on the conclusion of his contract in the NRL, which is two year plus an extra year if the Raiders want to take it up.

He said: “It’s great to know I’ll be returning here to Wigan, this has been an incredibly tough decision for me to make as I have enjoyed my time at Wigan so much.

“ultimately, I have always had the desire to play in the NRL at some point in my career, this opportunity is something I didn’t want to turn down.”

In a statement, Warriors confirmed Bateman also has a further year option on his deal with the Raiders.