"Down the Line" blog by Robbie Paul
Down the Line by Robbie Paul
23rd February 2010
Frozen pitches have created havoc with the final group games and with only two matches escaping the weather which has been a harsh on the competition since the Cup competition kicked off on January 31.
We at Leigh have lost one game and won two: and we also top the Pool Two table. But it’ll count for nothing if we don’t make it to the quarter finals.
At the start of the season we indentified being in the mix when it came to the Northern Rail Cup and our match against the Rams on Sunday is a real big deal for us. We need to win it to assure our place in the draw.
And we’re not taking anything for granted because Dewsbury are running joint second in the qualifying table and under Coach Warren Jowett the men from the Tetley’s Stadium are a real threat.
We’ll be playing at their place and do you know that kind of thing makes a real difference at this level of Rugby League.
In the Engage Super League all the stadia are becoming generic so it’s not that different where ever the game is played.
But it’s not like that in the Co-operative Championship and Championship One. The changing rooms are all different; some stadiums like the Tetley’s are like postage stamps and come in on top of you, while there are there are tracks like Whitehaven’s that are wide open to the elements.
It affects the way players prepare for their games and it’s not without co-incidence that Championship games are harder to predict.
The conditions are so much different and it’s much tougher for the players for the away teams than it is in Super League.
Widnes managed to play and win their final games which means they sit proudly on top of Pool A. Keighley Cougars in second place with a 100 per cent record, however, still have to go to Barrow Raiders. They’re assured of their place in the Quarter Finals along with Widnes already.
But Barrow have a win and a narrow defeat against Widnes to show from their Cup outings and that’s got to leave an element of doubt in Steve McCormack’s team, especially as they were expected to do so well after taking the Championship honours and reaching the Northern Rail Final last year. Batley Bulldogs have just about qualified so the fourth place will need to be occupied by Barrow or outsiders Blackpool Panthers.
Sheffield Eagles’ excellent midweek win against cup favourites Halifax puts them in pole position in Pool B and they look favourites to progress, and I would be surprised if Halifax don’t join them along with two from four; Leigh, Dewsbury, York or Hunslet.
All clubs work hard with schools both coaching and marketing the game. I recently discovered this week that Northern Rail is taking the Cup to primary schools in partnership with the clubs. Not only is rugby league on the agenda on these Momentum Tours, the kids also get to learn about rail safety and the dangers of trespassing on railway tracks. The special assemblies are for pupils aged 7 -11, which is just the right age for their impressionable minds to learn lessons for life. Well done Northern Rail on a cool idea.
