The London Rugby League Blog

Quins tame the Wildcats

2008-02-24T22:05:00.000Z

Harlequins Rugby League produced a comprehensive victory over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats yesterday at The Stoop, making it two wins from the first three rounds of Super League.

The home side were made to work hard for their victory, the opening twenty minutes of the first half saw a burst of points scoring, a Scott Grix try handed Wakefield an early lead, but shortly after Scott Hill brushed through some weak defence to open the Quins account.

A smart piece of play from hooker Chad Randall put centre Matt Gafa away for the next Quins try, but the good work was undone when the Wildcats found a massive hole in the middle of the Quins defence for Sam Obst, who had come on early for injured hooker Brad Drew, to burst through.

The final twenty minutes of the half saw Quins soak up consistent pressure from the visitors, and were fortunate enough to survive a close scare when powerful centre Ryan Atkins grounded the ball short of the line after Rikki Sheriffe failed to diffuse a towering bomb. The Wildcats bad luck was only to get worse, with former London Broncos centre Tony Martin and skipper Jason Demetriou joining Drew on the sidelines.

Despite the set backs Wakefield started the second-half strongly, utilising the offload to stretch the Quins defence and pick up some easy yards. Jamie Rooney came close to scoring with a surging run, only to find himself pulled down short by the impressive Mark McLinden. But a quick play the ball saw young back-rower Brett Ferres push off some sloppy marker defence to power over.

At 10 – 18 down Quins finally began the fight back; McLinden put centre David Howell in, only to see the effort ruled out for an imaginary forward pass. But the wrong was soon cancelled out when a minute later Kevin Henderson botched a scrum play in front of his own sticks and Chad Randall reacted fastest to poach the try. The lead swung back to Quins when Sheriffe capitalised on opposite number Luke George’s failure to deal with a bomb.

A try from Henry Paul, who ran himself into the ground in defence, put clear space between the two sides. Wakefield were beginning to run out of steam, with the first half injuries restricting them to just one fit interchange player. With a cushion now opened up the Quins had the opportunity to take a few chances, Gafa’s off the cuff kick behind the defence, bounced kindly allowing him to pass inside to Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook who raced away from the flagging Wildcats defence to cap the win.

Coach Brian McDermott will no doubt be impressed by the gritty determination of his side for the second week in a row. Loose forward Paul and prop Danny Ward in particular produced fine performances in both attack and defence. A big concern will be the injury to standoff Hill, who was forced off for the second consecutive game following heavy hits. The former Kangaroo has been growing in influence this term, following a first season with the club subdued by injury and illness.

Critics have predictably raised the issue of crowds as a late kick off, television coverage, the Six Nations and Wakefield’s smaller away support saw the gate drop from over 8,000 against Wigan to just over 3,000 yesterday. However, given the combination of negative factors, the club will probably be thankful that Sky chose to televise a game against a side with a more modest away following, as the potential loss of gate receipts would be much more significant against one of the bigger sides such as Wigan, Leeds or Saints.

Cynics may also question the decision of Sky Sports Boots ‘n’ All programme to use this particular game for it’s preview of 2008 license applications. The combination of factors for this particular game offering a perfect showcase for a predictable, rote like, “journalism by numbers” feature in which Quins gain credit for facilities and development work but get marked down weak crowds. Whether such sloppy regurgitation will actually guide the editorial is yet to be seen, but the odds in favour of it are likely to be very short.

Harlequins RL: 34 (10)
Tries: Hill, Gafa, Randall, Sheriffe, Paul, McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Goals: Purdham 5

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats: 18 (12)
Tries: Grix, Obst, Ferres
Goals: Brough 3

Dons double up on Skolars

2008-02-21T22:14:00.000Z

Doncaster pulled off their second win in two weeks against London Skolars yesterday, in the return leg of their Northern Rail Cup match-up.

A full report is here.

London Skolars: (4) 22
Tries: Miller, Gibbons, Thorman, Kerr
Goals: Thorman 3

Doncaster: (18) 36
Tries: Brown 2, Cook, Lawton, Lawrie, Woods
Goals: Crook 6

Quins flood Hull FC

2008-02-18T21:44:00.001Z

Harlequins RL bounced back from their opening weekend defeat by Wigan with a comprehensive win over Hull FC at the KC Stadium yesterday afternoon.

A match report is available here.

Hull FC: (0) 6
Tries: Berrigan
Goals: Tickle

Harlequins RL: (14) 24
Tries: Purdham, Howell, Gafa 2, Randall
Goals: Purdham 2

Skolars push Crusaders hard

2008-02-11T22:07:00.002Z

London Skolars first home game of the Northern Rail Cup ended in defeat to last years National League Two champions Celtic Crusaders. The Skolars pushed the visitors hard, in a game that featured appearances from Quins RL players Dwayne Barker and Tony Clubb, both on a short-term loan arrangement between the London clubs.

A match report is here.

London Skolars: (4) 10
Tries: Nowland, Coleman
Goals: Thorman

Celtic Crusaders: (16) 26
Tries: Hannay 2, Quinn, James, Dyer
Goals: Quinn, Van Dijk 2

Quins collapse flatters Warriors

2008-02-10T22:33:00.000Z

A collapse in the final thirty minutes saw Harlequins RL hand the advantage, and a flattering final score, to Wigan in yesterday’s season opener at The Stoop. A crowd of over 8000 saw the home side start brightly with Matt Gafa scoring thr first try after just three minutes, Danny Orr quickest to react to a Wigan error drew the defence and put the big winger away.

Wigan hit back with a try from centre Darrell Goulding and Pat Richards tagged on the conversion plus a couple of penalties to give the visitors a 6 point advantage with twenty five minutes gone.

Mark McLinden popped up with a spectacular try three minutes later, and Henry Paul added the extra two points to square things. A try from Michael McIllorum was cancelled out by a Scott Hill effort, with Richards and Paul trading conversions, leaving the score at 16 a piece going in to half-time.

Quins came out of the break firing, a try and two goals for Paul firmly handing them the initiative and when the impressive Matt Gafa added a second try on fifty minutes they appeared to be cruising to victory. However as happened so many times last season the team’s fragility didn’t take long to be exposed Harrison Hansen shrugged off some weak defence to score the try that sparked the comeback. The impressive Goulding added his second try, and when Iafeta Paleaaesina drove over with a typical block busting run the game had firmly swung to Wigan’s favour.

When McIllorum added his second try five minutes from time the result was inevitable, although the unusually quiet Trent Barrett added a drop-goal shortly afterwards to make sure. New Warriors fullback Richie Mathers benefited from some dubious officiating for the final try of the game, hooker Mickey Higham made a smart break only to be tackled short, but with the referee was caught up in back play he popped the ball inside to Mathers instead of playing it.

The incident was symptomatic of referee Gareth Hewer’s game, the official who usually controls National League matches struggled with the ruck areas, frequently retreating before the tackle had completed resulting in a number of calls which appeared to be little more than guesses. Unfortunatley for Quins these “50/50 calls” had a habit of favouring their opponents.

Quins coach Brian McDermott can take encouragement from the way his side competed for the first hour, but the capitulation in the closing stages does not bode well. Debutants Gareth Haggerty and Danny Ward both produced encouraging performances, whilst Scott Hill and Danny Orr looked to be finding some understanding in the halves, it was however captain Rob Purdham and winger Matt Gafa who produced the most notable performances.

Harlequins RL: (16) 28
Tries: Gafa 2, McLinden, Hill, Paul
Goals: Paul 4

Wigan Warriors: (16) 47
Tries: Goulding 2, McIlorum 2, Hansen, Paleaaesina, Mathers
Goals: Richards 9 Drop Goals: Barrett

Fans forum highlights

2008-02-07T21:43:00.000Z

Harlequins RL fans who attended last nights Fans Forum at The Stoop were told that over 1,200 season tickets have so far been sold for the new season, with a bumper crowd expected for the opening game against Wigan on Saturday.

Assistant coach Rob Powell spoke encouragingly about the development of the academy set-up, and confirmed that the reserve team (formerly the senior academy side) will be playing a number of games before the main event on match days.

The first team will be playing in the new away strip on Saturday, although the new home replica kit has arrived from manufacturers Kooga and should be available for sale in the shop.

Skolars take a lesson from Dons

2008-02-02T21:50:00.000Z

London Skolars opened their Northern Rail Cup campaign yesterday with a defeat away at fellow National League Two side Doncaster.

A match report can be found here.

Doncaster: (12) 32
Tries: Bauer, Hart, Benson 2, J Brown, Gale
Goals: Crook 3, Gale

London Skolars: (6) 10
Tries: Chan
Goals: Thorman

Quins RL announce latest Fans Forum

2008-01-29T16:25:00.000Z

Harlequins RL have announced they will be holding their second fans forum on Wednesday 7th February in the Jesters Bar at The Stoop from 7 p.m. onwards. See here for more details.

The first fans forum event in December proved to be highly popular with those who attended, with a frank discussion of issues being led by Paul Brown and Brian McDermott.

Next week’s event will see an appearance from assistant coach Rob Powell, who also heads up academy coaching. There is speculation amongst fans that Powell may announce the addition of academy games to the Quins match day experience. In the past academy games have been held in a variety of other West London locations on the same day as senior games, leading to criticism from fans who would ideally like to watch both.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of plans for amateur club London Griffins, to play their home games at neighbouring Richmond College on the same day as Quins senior matches. The Griffins club was founded by a group of London Broncos supporters in 2005.

Celtic Crusaders down Quins in experimental match

2008-01-28T16:40:00.000Z

Fears that Harlequins RL would go into the new underdone were underpinned on Saturday when the team went down 28 – 6 to National League One new boys Celtic Crusaders. The match, played at Brewery Field in Bridgend, was Quins final scheduled pre-season run-out.

Played as four fifteen minute long quarters, with unlimited substitutions from an extended squad, the Quins side started brightly before the home side ran away with the game. Head coach Brian McDermott was not disheartened by the result, suggesting that there were many positives to take from the game.

Although it is inevitable that some fans will read too much into the result, it’s worth remembering that pre-season trial games are intended for coaches to experiment with their line-ups, to practice patterns learned in training, and are rarely reliable indicators of performance in the competition proper. However, the Crusaders will take heart from the strength of their performance as they look to build on their promotion from National League Two last season, starting with their first Northern Rail Cup tie against Sheffield Eagles on Friday.

A full match report is available here.

Celtic Crusaders: (12) 28
Tries: Blackwood 2, Ballard, Vitalini, Quinn
Goals: Van Dijk 3, Quinn

Harlequins RL: (6) 6
Tries: Hill
Goals: Paul

Quins Capital Challenge performance deconstructed

2008-01-24T12:43:00.000Z

The comfort with which Harlequins RL despatched neighbour London Skolars in Tuesday’s pre-season friendly at the Royal Artillery Gardens has raised the question of how prepared the side will be when the season proper kicks off against Wigan Warriors on February 9th.

Although the Quins will face a potentially tougher challenge against Celtic Crusaders, last season’s National League Two champions, in their final friendly on Saturday, many other top flight teams including Wigan will have match hardened themselves against fellow Super League outfits. The argument in favour of pre-season friendly games are that they allow coaches to test out player configurations in an environment similar, but not entirely the same, to fully competitive games, whilst players get to work on their match fitness after the winter layoff. The argument against are that valuable players are put at risk of injury for games that mean nothing in the scheme of things, as Bradford Bulls recently demonstrated. It is also true that injury risk can never be eliminated, it being common for them to occur in training, so a friendly game played with a lighter intensity than a full tie may be a rational compromise.

But what did Tuesday’s game tell us? The coaches will no doubt have been looking at the shape of the play, the movement of the sides both on and off the ball, the way different players linked up in particular combinations, and in particular the way new signings slotted in with those retained from last year. Brian McDermott has already gone on record as being pleased with retaining the core of last year’s squad, a move that will hopefully produce some positive consistency in performance (and may also have influenced the decision not to play pre-season games against Super League opposition), but there have been some important changes to the squad in the close season.

The key axis of Mark McLinden at fullback, Danny Orr at scrumhalf and Scott Hill at standoff functioned well, with a perceptible dip in the sharpness of the decision making when the trio were off the field. Hill in particular looked rejuvenated, suggesting that he has put behind him the injury and illness problems that marred his first season with the club and is now ready to fully inject his undoubted class into the side.

In the troublesome centre slot David Howell made an assured debut, with Matt Gafa now looking likely to fill the other centre position come the start of the season. However, youngster Tony Clubb reminded everyone of why he is knocking on the door of the first choice side with some powerful running. On the wings it looks likely that Rikki Sheriffe and Jon Wells will remain as first choices, but Will Sharp and Lamont Bryan (who interchanged with McLinden at fullback) are likely to keep them on their toes.

In the forwards Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook shifted from prop to second row, a not entirely unforeseen move give McDermott’s previous statements about better utilising the young forwards devastating burst of speed. New signing Danny Ward slogged away at prop, in a low key but solid performance. Joe Walsh also showed he is fully recovered from his injury problems with some barnstorming runs, and it looks only a matter of time before he forces his way into the reckoning.

With captain Rob Purdham and fellow regulars Karl Temata and Daniel Heckenberg missing, and new signing Gareth Haggerty still returning from injury it’s difficult to judge how the pack will line-up come the start of the season. However, a reasonable guess is that with all props fully fit Heckenberg will start alongside either Ward or Temata, with the one who misses out joining Haggerty on the bench. McCarthy-Scarsbrook is likely to start in the second-row, with Henry Paul and Rob Purdham completing the back three of the srum. No changes are anticipated at hooker, Chad Randall provides crisp distribution and reliable defence, whilst Julien Rinaldi offers extra attacking options coming off the interchange bench. The likes of Grayshon, Walsh, Joe Mbu and new boy Dwayne Barker are all likely to feature from the bench at some point.

Quins RL CEO Paul Brown has confirmed that the club is no longer in talks with the former Newcastle Knights utility Daniel Abraham. Although the number 12 jersey had been left open for Abraham he was unable to secure a work permit, having lost his first grade slot due to injury he was subsequently played in the reserve grade side on his return to fitness, scuppering any chance that he would meet the percentage of first grade games played needed.

The one key question yet to be answered is where Chris Melling is likely to feature on his return from a groin injury. Melling was one of the standout performers last season, shining at fullback in the absence of Mark McLinden, however he’s unlikely to displace McLinden and looked unconvincing when shifted to the centres. However such selection headaches are the kind McDermott would prefer to have, rather than selections forced by injury as was the case for sections of last term.

From the London Skolars point of view the game will have been a positive experience, despite failing to score the side did produce some good attacking rugby and remained competitive for the full eighty minutes despite the class gulf between themselves and their fulltime opponents. In particular Skolars looked strong down the right hand flank, whilst the technical execution of a number of set piece plays, including one particular scrum play which should have resulted in a try for Dene Miller, were very sharp. Given that the men from North London were unable to field as strong a squad as they would have liked they showed that they now have a strength and depth that was missing a couple of seasons ago. They will start this season’s National Rail Cup competition against Doncaster next week with a genuine hope that they can make an impact.

* Photo reproduced by kind permission of Steph Kaye

Quins cruise to victory

2008-01-22T15:15:00.000Z

Harlequins RL inflicted a 56 points to nil defeat on neighbours London Skolars this afternoon at the Royal Artillery Gardens, Moorgate. A sell out crowd, predominantly made up of local city workers, saw a strong Quins side dominate the annual pre-season London Club Challenge.

Both clubs fielded expanded sides, allowing the coaches to experiment with different combinations, both halves of the game featuring a short break after twenty minutes to allow reconfiguration of the line-ups.

As to be expected from the first pre-season game of the year early exchanges saw some rusty handling, but it took a rejuvenated Scott Hill just four minutes to bag the first try, with a jinking run flat footing the opposition defence. Three minutes later Jon Grayshon’s angled run hit a hole in the Skolars midfield, arcing round to go under the sticks for the second try. Henry Paul added both conversions and the signs looked ominous.

Ten minutes in debutant Quins centre David Howell crossed but was pulled back for a forward pass in the build-up. The respite was short lived when fullback Mark McLinden made a break down the left flank before putting in a smart chip kick behind the retreating Skolars defence, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, operating out of the second-row, was quickest to the loose ball to collect his try.

A reshuffle of creative options saw Danny Orr, Hill and McLinden temporarily giving way to Julien Rinaldi, Michael Worrincy and academy halfback Dylan Skee. Although Quins continued to dominate the game there was a marked difference in the speed of decision-making, with the attacking patterns at times becoming over elaborate and lacking the directness and cutting edge of the first twenty.

Rinaldi was next to pick up a try, scooting from dummy half the ball was stripped from his grasp but bounced kindly allowing him to re-gather and scamper over the line. Skee took over the kicking duties from Paul to add the conversion.

Just after the half hour mark Skolars centre Dene Miller produced his side’s best chance, a well worked move from the back of the scrum saw him slice through the Quins defence, only to be called back by a harsh forward pass call.

Young Quins winger Will Sharp, recently promoted to the first team squad, piled on the agony for Skolars, coming in field to burrow his way over a minute shy of the break. Skee converted to close the first half at 30 – 0.

Quins returned from the break all guns blazing, centre Tony Clubb’s powerful run saw him cross for a try in the left hand corner, followed in quick succession by two almost identical tries from winger Rikki Sheriffe on the opposite side. Skee added two conversions from three attempts and it looked as if the floodgates had burst on the Skolars.

However, the National League Two side managed to compose themselves, putting in a solid defensive spell to shut out Quins for almost a quarter of an hour, till Orr’s lively performance was rewarded with a try on the hour mark.

At 50 – 0 it appeared the Skolars were dead and buried, but the final quarter saw Quins ease off allowing the North London side to produce some of their best attacking rugby of the afternoon. Unfortunately despite stepping up the tempo the Skolars lacked the cutting edge needed to breach the Quins parsimonious defence, several promising attacks breaking down on the final play. Ultimately the second half finished in the same fashion as the first with a ruthless late score from Quins, Dwayne Barker’s storming run connected with Worrincy’s deft flick pass to crash over just before the final hooter.

In the final analysis Quins simply had too much power and pace for their part-time neighbours, Skolars deserve full credit for maintaining the commitment to keep the tie competitive throughout and can feel very unlucky not to have put any points on the scoreboard.

The Quins coaching staff will be pleased to see the match pass off without any serious injuries, with debutants Barker, Howell and Ward all slotting in well. However, questions will be raised about whether today’s game and the friendly against Celtic Crusaders on Saturday will leave the side match hardened enough going into the season opener against Wigan on February 9th.

London Skolars: (0) 0
Tries:
Goals:

Harlequins RL: (30) 56
Tries: Hill, Grayshon, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Rinaldi, Sharp, Clubb, Sheriffe 2, Orr, Barker
Goals: Paul 3, Skee 5

* Photos reproduced by kind permission of Steph Kaye

Quins show Capital Challenge intent

2008-01-21T11:26:00.000Z

Harlequins RL head coach Brian McDermott has named an almost full strength squad for tomorrow’s annual pre-season friendly against National League Two side London Skolars. In previous years the match has seen Quins field more speculative sides based around academy youngsters, fringe players and a few first team core players looking to develop match fitness after injury, but the indications are that McDermott will be looking to make full us of this match, the only full fledged trial scheduled before the season opening against Wigan Warriors on February 9th.

The main absentees from the Quins line-up are utility back Chris Melling who has suffered a reoccurrence of the groin injury that disrupted the later stages of last season, new signing Gareth Haggerty who is not yet match fit following a shoulder injury and fringe player David Tootill who is recovering from a knee reconstruction. Fans will however get a chance to see some rising stars from the senior academy set-up, including Lamont Bryan and Will Sharp who have been promoted to the first team squad for 2008.

The Skolars have yet to name a squad for the match, but will be looking to raise a credible challenge to a side sitting two leagues above them. The North London based side recorded their best ever season in 2007, ironically under the guidance of Latham Tawhai who has since crossed London to join Quins as an assistant to Brian McDermott. New head coach Tony Benson will be hoping his charges can pick up where they left off last season, with a strong performance against Quins providing a launch pad into their forthcoming Northern Rail Cup campaign.

Both clubs hope to use the event as a springboard for attracting corporate sponsorships, with Quins in particular yet to confirm a main sponsor for the new Super League season, and last season’s sponsor Sports Cafe have recently entered administration. Both the timing and venue of the match, a lunch time kick off at Moorgate’s Royal Artillery Gardens, are aimed squarely at the many financial institutions close by. Sponsorship for the game itself has already been attracted from a number of finance sector companies, who will be hosting investor seminars before the game. Tellingly all corporate hospitality for the event sold out well before the general match tickets.

The Times plan Rugby League blog

2008-01-16T16:49:00.000Z

The Times rugby league correspondent Christopher Irvine has announced plans to the RLFANS network that the newspaper intends to launch a blog dedicated to the sport. Irvine hopes that a positive response towards the blog will put pressure on The Times to give over greater space to the sport in the print version. Slated for launch towards the end of the January, the blog is initially planned to run through to the end of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup in late November, but a successful run might see it become a permanent feature.

Although blogging as a concept originated outside of the mainstream media, traditional media companies have in recent years recognised the opportunities presented by the medium, with professional journalists using blogs as a more informal way of distributing their work. With the rise of online media constantly eroding the market for traditional print media the development of online offerings, including popular features such as blogs, is no longer a matter of differentiation but one of necessity. The development of online media opens up the possibility of online advertising revenue streams, with the online advertising market being one of the strongest growing sectors of the advertising industry.

Rugby League has often struggled to attract the attention of the mass media, especially the quality end of the market, lacking the mass support of football whilst carrying the perception of a narrower geographic distribution and lower socio-economic supporter base than comparable sports such as tennis and rugby union. Where a rugby league blog holds potential for The Times is its capacity to extend the audience for the content it produces beyond the traditional readership of the print version, many rugby league fans may not have any interest in purchasing The Times newspaper, but that won’t stop them reading the blog.

If the online rugby league audience can show a viable demand for a rugby league blog, it will not only strengthen the case for more coverage in print, but it may also force competitors of The Times to evaluate the potential of their own rugby league coverage. This would ultimately have the double benefit of raising the exposure of the game to a general audience, but in particular raising awareness of the game amongst the corporate readership of the quality press (and online versions) increasing the marketable value of the support. A win for the media companies, a win for rugby league fans hungry for quality journalism, and a win for the administrators of the sport itself.

Harlequins RL confirm 2008 squad

2008-01-16T15:40:00.000Z

Quins RL yesterday confirmed the line-up of their twenty-six man squad for the forthcoming season:

1 Mark McLinden,
2 Jon Wells,
3 Matt Gafa,
4 David Howell,
5 Rikki Sheriffe,
6 Scott Hill,
7 Danny Orr,
8 Karl Temata,
9 Chad Randall,
10 Daniel Heckenberg,
11Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
13 Rob Purdham,
14 Julien Rinaldi,
15 Chris Melling,
16 Gareth Haggerty,
17 Danny Ward,
18 Joe Mbu,
19 Tony Clubb,
20 Jon Grayshon,
21 David Tootill,
22 Dwayne Barker,
23 Henry Paul,
24 Will Sharp,
25 Lamont Bryan,
26 Joe Walsh,
27 Mike Worrincy

The absence of a name in the number 12 shirt will reinforce the speculation that the club still hope to sign former Newcastle Knights back-rower Daniel Abraham. Rumours have it that negotiations between Abraham and the club are complicated by the player’s business interests back in Australia.

Elsewhere the promotion of Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to the number 11 berth is not only a reward for a cementing himself as a regular first grade player last term, but may also indicate Brian McDermott’s thinking around the young forward. At the December fans forum the coach suggested he may attempt to leverage McCarthy-Scarsbrook’s impressive turn of pace away from his preferred front-row position. A switch to second-row may provide the Quins with the big, but mobile forward missing from that role since the departure of Solomon Haumono.

As it stands the squad remains the core of last season’s players, with young backs Will Sharp and Lamont Bryan academy elevated from the academy, second-row Dwayne Barker joining from Castleford, and props Gareth Haggerty and Danny Ward picked up from Salford and Hull KR respectively.

The squad will be formally unveiled to fans at next Thursday’s season launch in The Stoop members bar, 7:30pm start (see here for more details).

South London Storm unveil new season plans

2008-01-15T16:42:00.000Z

Giovanni Cinque, general manager of South London Storm, recently unveiled details of the club’s plans for the forthcoming season.

Following the departure of head coach Andy Gilvary at the end of last season, former London Skolars player Marcus Tobin will be taking over the coaching reigns at Strom Park. Tobin who also played for St Albans Centurions has built up a solid coaching record over the last few years, working with the London Broncos Academy set-up, England Lionhearts, London Skolars and most recently the Cambridge University side. Following the successes of recent years Tobin will inherit the core of a very good squad and will hope to continue the work done by Gilvary and Rob Powell before him.

Players will benefit from reduced membership rates this year, with annual subscription costs dropping £20 from last season to just £80 (payable in a variety of ways). As well as receiving a club polo shirt as part of their membership, players will also qualify for a free season ticket covering all Harlequins RL Super League games.

The free season ticket offer is likely to be based on the unallocated East Stand season ticket currently being offered for £65 by Quins RL (see here for further details). It is not yet clear whether the free ticket offer is being extended to playing members of all London amateur clubs, but it would fit with recent comments made by Quins RL CEO Paul Brown that he was planning an initiative to reward the contribution of the amateur clubs to rugby league in London.

In recent years Quins RL have faced criticism for playing their fixtures concurrent with the local amateur competitions; given that fewer clashes are scheduled for the 2008 season such a move may well help build stronger bridges with the amateur clubs. Quins RL will no doubt be hoping to recoup some of the investment via match day merchandising.

Storm’s pre-season preparations start 7:30 Tuesday 11th March down at Storm Park (see here for further details), with the first pre-season trial match against Kent Ravens slated for 2:30 at Princes Park in Dartford (further details tba).

Harlequins RL announce season launch

2008-01-15T15:55:00.000Z

Quins RL will be holding their season launch event at The Stoop from 7:30pm on Thursday 24th January. The evening will provide an opportunity to see this season’s squad unveiled and mingle with the players.

For more details see here.

Harlequins RL December round-up

2008-01-09T10:44:00.000Z

The off-field progress made by the club in November continued through into the final month of the year with Paul Brown formally taking the reigns as CEO (although his influence could already be detected behind the scenes).

The family fun day aimed at building ties with the local community was positively received, whilst Brown made a solid start on reconnecting the club with the views of supporters via the first in a planned series of fans forums. The club acknowledged the challenges faced in the coming season; building up poor attendances, squad development, the demands of the licensing process as well as many other issues, outlining where progress was being made and where improvement is needed.

In on-field matters Brian McDermott moved to strengthen the squad with the addition of Canberra Raiders centre David Howell, whilst it was acknowledged that the club was in talks with another player, though to be former Newcastle Knight utility Daniel Abraham. Whilst throughout the month the academy set-up ran a series of recruitment trials at the Roehampton Vale training ground.

Details of the annual pre-season friendly against London Skolars were announced, with the two clubs taking the bold move to switch the game to a midweek afternoon slot close to the City of London in the hope of attracting corporate sponsors. Season ticket holders also found their packs dropping through letterboxes at the close of the month, a positive sign that the often maligned ticketing process is making progress.

Fans Forum initiative starts brightly

2007-12-20T13:18:00.000Z

In contrast to the bitterly cold December evening, the forty or so Harlequins RL fans that made the trek over to The Stoop last night were given a warm welcome by new CEO Paul Brown. The event, the first in a proposed series, is intended to reconnect club and fans, to address concerns, and to share information where possible. Over the course of two hours Brown and head coach Brian McDermott covered a whole host of on and off field matters, ranging from attendances, marketing, match day experiences, merchandising, the franchising process (euphemistically re-titled “licenses” by Red Hall), player recruitment and development structures.

Brown was never less than honest about the scale of challenges faced, in particular admitting that a major sponsor for the forthcoming season has yet to be finalised, although a potential trade off between pure revenue and the capacity of the major sponsor to raise the profile of Quins RL may be considered. On a more positive note it was confirmed that the link-up with Harlequins RU would run through till at least 2010, assuaging fears that 2008 could see it come to an end. The rugby union outfit have been immensely supportive of Quins RL, recognising that it takes time to build a stable proposition following years of instability, whilst there are still many ways the rugby league club can learn from the recent successes of the rugby union club.

It was openly acknowledged that crowd figures remain poor and that a more integrated strategy towards raising attendances is required. Throughout the Super League era the club has produced innovative and individually successful marketing activities, but has failed to find a common thread linking them together to build continuous improvement. The distribution of tickets through amateur clubs, through the schools development programme and similar community activities were all raised, with the ultimate concession that all of these channels and many others, working in concert, will be required to deliver growth.

Proactive attempts are being made to raise media profile, but the domination of the media landscape by soccer, especially in print media, is one driven by the demands of the media business itself and is not easily resolved. The growth of rugby league participation in London may be impressive, but a chicken and egg situation exists with media coverage; the Quins RL brand and the profile of the sport as a whole needing to be raised so they become more valuable to the media. Media contact Joanna Lester has driven recent improvements in the club’s information strategy, boosting the news feed to the website and the supply of press releases that can be picked up by sports editors, whilst the overall online media strategy is under review.

From a franchising/licensing perspective the management recognise that a London based license is not a given, the RFL is taking the matter extremely seriously, if not only to ensure that the end result is a step forward, but to prevent legal challenges from clubs that miss out. A robust, balanced package of measures will be required, including sound long-term business planning, player development commitments, the delivery of a modern entertainment package, as well as competitiveness on the pitch. Whilst crowd figures will undoubtedly be a negative, it will almost certainly be offset by the positive role played spreading rugby league beyond traditional markets.

The introduction of the active salary cap in 2008 will increase the technical demands on administration, but it is not one that holds any fear. Whilst some clubs may feel they can gain advantage by testing the cap to its limit, or by finding loopholes, the management of Quins RL recognise that for smaller clubs a commitment to establishing a genuine level playing field is worth far more than the short-term benefits of subverting the cap.

Moving to on field matters McDermott was upbeat about the strength of his squad, citing the stability of retaining 21 out of 25 first grade players from last season and previous criticism aimed at the club for making wholesale changes every year. He admitted that there will be no big name signings this year, with just one further signing alluded to, but the squad has retained stars such as Scott Hill and Mark McLinden, with great things expected from Hill in particular following a patchy first season. The key is that a strong core team now exists, with enough depth in place to cover injuries to first pick players.

The decision of Henry Fa'afili to renege on his contract was clearly a disappointment, with the matter now in the hands of the club’s legal representatives. McDermott was open about the difficulty attracting big name players but refused to countenance paying over the odds, suggesting that the short-term franchising concerns of certain clubs had allowed some fairly average players to inflate their salaries. A process has now been put in place to vet potential signings more thoroughly, to ensure they understand the challenges faced by relocating to London, but to also reduce the risk of the club being let down in future.

McDermott made it clear he is leading a deliberate player recruitment and development strategy, both to reduce the reliance on players brought in, but also to ensure compliance with new competition rules on locally developed players. The progress being made by the club’s player development system is something that genuinely excites McDermott, a man not known for flights of fantasy. Although he stresses that the system is not yet perfected, he is quick to point out the trickle of first team squad players emerging; such as Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Tony Clubb and Michael Worrincy who are already establishing themselves, and those on their way through such as Lamont Bryan and Will Sharp.

What is particularly pleasing for McDermott is that unlike teams in rugby league’s northern heartlands, who fight over a geographically limited talent pool, Quins RL sits alone atop an expanding pyramid of feeder clubs and development programmes whose youngsters aspire towards just one professional club. It is only a matter of time before the current trickle becomes a fully fledged conveyor belt of talent.

The overall message from the club is one of optimism, tinged with a refreshing honesty and pragmatism about the realities faced. It’s clear that Paul Brown wants to involve the supporters in the direction of the club, not only as a way of placating concerns, but to find positive ways forward.

Kent Ravens ready to party

2007-12-18T11:50:00.000Z

Kent Ravens will be holding a Christmas party at new home Princes Park this coming Friday.

Fans will be able to take advantage of the excellent hospitality facilities at the state of the art stadium in Dartford which hosted its first rugby league game back in August. The event will provide a fitting setting for The Ravens to celebrate the remarkable progress made both on and off the pitch since foundation in 2004. The club has made real efforts to develop community ties in the area, especially the tireless work carried out by the Bacon family.

The fun starts at 7pm with admission free for all. For more details see the Ravens website.

London RL website re-launched

2007-12-18T11:32:00.000Z

The RFL backed London rugby league website londonrl.com re-launched yesterday with a re-skin and a host of new features. Anybody interested in getting involved in RL in London and the South can get updates on courses, events, fixtures as well as club details.

Quins RL fans brave the cold for seasonal cheer

2007-12-17T10:34:00.000Z

Many Quins RL fans braved the bitter cold yesterday afternoon to attend the Christmas fun day down at The Stoop. Visitors were treated to a full programme of musical entertainment, an appearance by the Harlequin Hearts, and a variety of activities for children.

Those who shunned the warmth of the Kings Bar entertainments may have caught a glimpse of new signing David Howell who took part in a training run out with the academy squad despite only arriving in London that morning.

Reports from the club suggest that the recent academy recruitment programme is also progressing well with prospective young players being put through their paces over the last couple of Sunday’s at the Roehampton Vale training ground.

A fans forum in scheduled to take place at The Stoop this Wednesday at 7pm when new CEO Paul Brown will be outlining his views on the future of the club.

London Club Challenge details unveiled

2007-12-13T22:39:00.000Z

The details of this year’s London Club Challenge between Harlequins RL and London Skolars have been confirmed, with kick off at 1pm on Tuesday 22nd January, at the Artillery Garden, Moorgate.

Fears that the event would be a corporate only affair have proved groundless as all three hundred tickets have gone on sale at just £10 each, with corporate hospitality available as an optional extra. A stellar line up of sponsors have been announced with ETF Securities Ltd, Selftrade, Flow Traders and the London Stock Exchange all putting their name to the game.

Quins have also announced a second friendly fixture four days later away at Bridgend based Celtic Crusaders. However, the game to kick of at 5.30pm at Brewery Field, has raised eyebrows due to the decision to play four 15 minute quarters. In theory the structure will allow the coaching staff of both clubs room to experiment with their line-ups whilst maximising intensity, but there is considerable scepticism about whether such experimentation will turn the game into little more than a convoluted training exercise.

Tickets details for the game between Quins and Skolars can be found here. Details of the game between Quins and Crusaders here.

Harlequins RL reach out to the public

2007-12-11T09:46:00.000Z

Quins RL are planning to hold a fans forum down at The Stoop on Wednesday 19th December. The event is being billed as a means for the club to get closer to its fans and supports a number of other initiatives launched recently aimed at raising the profile of rugby league in London.

In recent years the management of Quins RL have been criticised by some sections of the supporter base for distancing themselves from the fans, although much of this criticism is perhaps drawn from the club’s previous incarnation as London Broncos whose often hand to mouth existence required greater involvement from volunteers. Some have lamented a loss of community club spirit whilst others have seen the shift as a positive development placing the administration of the club on a more professional footing.

Other efforts intended to raise the club’s profile include the open day this coming Sunday and various promotions building awareness amongst local communities. Whilst at a London wide level Hector McNeil, chairman of London Skolars, is leading efforts to sell rugby league as a whole to the business community through initiatives such as the City of London RL Luncheon Club and the revamped London Club Challenge.

The marketing of rugby league in the capital is a hard sell, nowhere else in the UK has the same level of competition for leisure spend, whilst the sports entertainment market in particular is dominated by football. It is a mark of how competitive the market is that Quins RU is the only top flight rugby union team still based in Greater London, despite the supposed strength of the code in the area.

New Quins RL CEO Paul Brown is noted for the development work done establishing community links in his time at the helm of South London Storm and as a consultant for the RFL, he will need all of that experience to grow the Quins RL brand.

2008 London Club Challenge gamble

2007-12-10T10:26:00.000Z

The organisers of the traditional pre-season trial game between London Skolars and Harlequins RL are reported to be switching the game away from its traditional late January weekend slot at New River to a corporate focused event played on the afternoon of Tuesday 22nd January at the Honourable Artillery Company ground near Moorgate.

Initial indications are that tickets for the match will be restricted to three hundred people at £55 per person including some form of corporate hospitality. The hope behind the move is that it will introduce potential corporate supporters to both clubs, which in turn will produce a much needed influx of capital into rugby league in London. The danger, however, is that the game may fail to sell, leaving the clubs out of pocket and existing supporters alienated by the exclusivity of the pricing policy.

It will be interesting to see the makeup of any potential Quins side; recent years have seen a line up based largely around academy and fringe first team players allowing a more competitive friendly than would be expected from a straight clash between a professional Super League club and a semi-professional National League Two outfit. Creating any new corporate event is likely to be a challenge, creating one around a match that has traditionally been little more than a training exercise is likely to be even harder.

As by far the smaller of the two clubs London Skolars arguably have the most to lose from the event failing, a home game against Super League opposition early in the year usually attracts a decent crowd by regular season standards and with it a much needed cash boost. An expensive corporate event would need to deliver sufficient ticket sales to cover costs as once tickets have gone on sale any cancellation would leave both clubs looking very shoddy to the investors they are desperate to attract. If however just one significant investor were to come forward from the event then any short-term loss would be mitigated by the long-term benefit.

Harlequins RL ease recruitment worries

2007-12-09T20:00:00.000Z

The club moved to ease concerns over the lack of depth in the back division by signing Canberra Raiders player David Howell. Powerfully built, twenty-four year old Howell can cover the wing and fullback positions, but is most likely to fill the centre slot vacated by the departed Paul Sykes. His arrival will also hopefully provide the club with breathing space to nurture home grown youngster Tony Clubb as a long-term first team centre.

Howell joins the club amongst mixed signals over his commitment and desire to play in the UK. He is understood to be disappointed not to feature in Canberra’s plans and hopes to return to the NRL after his spell in London. Quins fans are unlikely be too perturbed about such a prospect as any return to the NRL would require Howell to demonstrate some fine form over the next two seasons.

The former St George-Illawarra junior found limited opportunities at the Dragons where he was behind Kangaroo centres Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper seeing him switch to the Raiders in 2005. He played forty-eight first grade games during his time in the Australian capital, but after two seasons as a first choice player his appearances were restricted by injuries in 2007. He comes to Quins with a reputation as a solid performer who is prone to unfortunate errors under pressure. However Quins fans will give him the benefit of the doubt given the club’s past reputation for picking up unheralded signings who prove themselves to be inspired choices.

In other news London Skolars head coach Latham Tawhai will be making the trip across the capital to join Brian McDermott’s backroom staff as an assistant coach. Kiwi Tawhai, a former journeyman in the lower leagues, led the Skolars to their best ever standing last season and will link up with Bill Peden and Rob Powell to form one of the brightest young coaching teams in the Super League. He will be replaced at New River by former Leigh boss and fellow New Zealander Tony Benson.

Harlequins RL November round-up

2007-12-03T17:38:00.000Z

November proved to be a month of off field progress for the Quins marketing and promotions machine, with the club getting involved in a number of initiatives to drive awareness around the capital. There were also encouraging signs that revenue from ticket sales would be up year on year although some fans are unhappy about the steep price rises of certain seats.

In on field matters there were positives reports from the early pre-season work, with injury victims Rob Purdham and Daniel Heckenberg back in full training. The club also ramped up its development work through the Community Coaching Programme, a recruitment programme for potential academy players and new opportunities for talent scouts.

On a less positive note the club appear resigned to the reality that former Warrington winger Henry Fa'afili will renege on the contract he signed for next season in order to remain with French rugby union side Biarritz. However, Fa'afili’s decision may in the passing of time be seen as a blessing to the club, given that he was allegedly recruited to play centre, a position in which he has looked rather less assured than his regular wing slot.

Quins RL Festive Open Day

2007-11-22T14:47:00.000Z

Quins RL have announced a festive open day at The Stoop on Sunday 16th December. Fans can watch the squad training session, with appearances from the Harlequin Hearts, mascots Buck & Dusty and a visit from Father Christmas. The event featuring a number of indoor and outdoor activities begins at 3 pm and entrance is free.

More information here.

Paul Brown talks Rugby League

2007-11-09T23:03:00.000Z

An interview with new Quins RL CEO Paul Brown is now up on the South London Storm website, discussing his time at the helm of the Storm and his thoughts on rugby league in London.

See here for details.

Scouting opportunities at Harlequins RL

2007-11-01T15:57:00.000Z

Following the recent changes at the club Quins RL are looking to expand the scouting network launched last season. Details can be found here on the club website.

Harlequins RL October round-up

2007-11-01T15:54:00.000Z

October proved to be a busy month for Quins RL, as the off season restructuring hit full swing.

The month began brightly with the Quins collecting the Fair Play trophy at the annual Man of Steel awards. Unfortunately back-rower Henry Paul caused a few ripples in the press by picking up the trophy whilst intoxicated, although plenty of fans welcomed the ensuing publicity in the national media.

On the playing front Lamont Bryant made the step-up from the academy by being offered professional terms for next year, whilst fans favourite Joe Mbu signed a new contract, reward for some solid performances at the end of the season. Rising star forward Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook also put pen to paper on a new three year deal ending speculation that he was heading in the direction of a big northern club. The squad was also boosted by the arrival of second-row Dwayne Parker from Castleford, in what will be his second spell with the club following a loan spell with London Broncos back in 2005.

Off the field the major shock came with the announced departure of Director of Player Development Tony Rea, following more than a decade with the club as a player, coach and administrator. An integral part of the set-up for so long Rea will be missed by many as a continuous link across the entire Super League area. Although reportedly leaving to pursue other coaching opportunities the speculation is that Rea’s role had become untenable given the recent restructuring within the club.

The month closed with chairman Ian Lenagan’s takeover of Wigan Warriors confirmed, and the announcement of a much needed new management structure. Long-time advisor, and former director of the club, Keith Hogg was appointed as the new chairman, whilst the highly rated Paul Brown of South London Storm became the new chief executive.

With the immediate future of the club settled fans will now be looking for further announcements of signings and initiatives for the forthcoming season.

Quins unveil new look leadership team

2007-10-30T19:38:00.000Z

The speculation over the future of Harlequins RL following the acquisition of Wigan Warriors by chairman and majority shareholder Ian Lenagan was resolved yesterday at a press conference at The Stoop. Lenagan will step down from his day to day responsibilities for the club in early December, and will then be given two years by the RFL to reduce his shareholding below 25%.

Lenagan has ruled out a fire sale, claiming that any new investors must have the best interests of the club at heart, he has also committed to a £600,000 investment per season to the club whilst he remains the majority owner. Rumours circulate that potential new investors in the club are already in discussion with Lenagan, although there is speculation that his shareholding may be spread across more than one investor who would then join the club’s other main shareholder, former chairman David Hughes. It has however been made clear that the club is in a far stronger financial position than it was two years ago when Lenagan took over, being debt free and with the final year of an initial three year partnership with Harlequins RU still to run.

The new management structure at the press conference sees fomer London Broncos director Keith Hogg take over as chairman, with South London Storm chairman Paul Brown taking the hotseat as chief executive. Hogg, Group Sales Director of giant brewing company Scottish & Newcastle, is a long term supporter and advisor to the club and will provide much needed continuity. Business consultant Brown is a prominent figure in London rugby league community, well respected for his work for the RFL as a consultant on various development programmes and his success in building South London Storm into the capital’s top amateur club.

Fans will feel much more confident now that a clearer idea of how the club will operate post-Lenagan has been outlined, although there remains the possibility that any new investors may choose to shake-up the management structure again. The committed investment from Lenagan should help the club remain competitive in the interim, and hopefully extend its current partnership with the rugby union outfit. There will also be renewed hope that the arrival of a senior management team with such strong experience in sales and marketing will address some of the long identified weaknesses in the club's attempts to establish a greater presence in the highly competitive London sporting market.

The press release is here.

Tony Rea steps down

2007-10-16T14:58:00.000Z

Quins RL Director Tony Rea has announced his decision to leave the club after thirteen years of service both on and off the pitch. Queensland born Rea initially joined the then London Broncos club in 1994 as a hooker and captained the side for two seasons until he retired from playing to take-up the position of chief executive in 1997. In 2000 he took over the role of interim head coach following the departure of the ill fated John Monie, but was eventually persuaded to take on the role permanently. He was to hold this role for nearly six years, until the arrival of current head coach Brian McDermott halfway through the 2006 season, upon which he took over the role of director responsible for recruitment and player development.

At times a controversial figure as coach, Rea is much admired by Quins fans for his loyalty to the club; and for several astute signings over the years including current stars Mark McLinden and Rob Purdham as well as past legends such as Lee Hopkins, Jim Dymock and Dennis Moran. In his current role as a director he has played a major role in the progression of home grown youngsters into the first grade playing ranks along with the development of a grass roots scouting network.

Rea has stated his intention to seek further coaching roles but is expected to stay with the club for the next few months whilst his responsibilities are handed over to others. His departure is likely to give greater responsibility for signings and player development to McDermott, but will still leave a huge void at a club which has benefited from both Rea’s vast experience as player, coach and administrator throughout its entire existence as a Super League club.

Harlequins RL: 2007 season in review

2007-10-07T20:29:00.000Z

The 2007 season was one of mixed fortunes for Quins RL, one in which the term “punching above their weight” was frequently used to describe the efforts of a squad that looked light on go forward from the very start and was to get worse as a consequence of injuries. No one can doubt the efforts of the players, there was no shortage of commitment from those who pulled on the jersey, but the lack of strength in depth across the squad and the inability to find a settled combination conspired to rob the club of any chance to progress on the field.

The late departure of Solomon Haumono in the close season and the abortive signing of Sione Faumuina who passed through the club without ever wearing the shirt left the pack looking short on mobility and power. The gamble on former Kangaroo test forward Richard Villasanti also failed to bear fruits when he failed to recover from the serious knee injury that ultimately ended his career. There were however some positives; young prop Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook made the transition from promising fringe player to first choice pick, whilst club stalwart Joe Mbu who was controversially released to Doncaster at the end of the 2006 season returned in the club’s hour of need to lend his trademark solid, reliable, grafting presence.

The arrival of Scott Hill from Melbourne Storm, Julien Rinaldi from Les Catalans, and Danny Orr from Wigan Warriors led to questions over how the team’s organisational and creative options would line up; as it was injuries and illness that largely dictated the selections. The signing of Chris Melling turned out to be an inspired move as the former Wigan man established himself at fullback in the absence of Mark McLinden, but any battle for the number one shirt was to prove short lived as Melling also fell pray to injury problems.

The expectations of fans fell most heavily on former Kangaroo Hill, the classy standoff being seen as the key to the side’s progress. The early signs were that Hill and Orr were forming a sound understanding, but illness and injury disrupted the pairing, whilst at times Hill looked to be out of sync with his teammates. However, there were occasional signs of brilliance from the star signing which will hopefully signal a greater reward from the link-up in 2008.

Although the season began with a promising away victory at St Helens an erratic pattern emerged, with a series of losses followed by a series of wins, keeping the club out of the relegation dog fight but ultimately preventing qualification for the playoffs. An injury crisis from the middle of the season onwards delivered some remarkable results from a side that was frequently cobbled together from those players left available, but ultimately the squad ran out of steam in the final stages. A ninth place finish for the club was two places down from the previous year, but was probably a fair reflection of a season in which the performances on the field could be inspired one moment and directionless the next.

The closing stages of the season also brought speculation over the future of chairman Ian Lenagan, the Wigan born businessman who masterminded the club’s recovery from near oblivion three years ago through the partnership with Harlequins rugby union. Fears are running high amongst the fans that Lenagan will be leaving the club to take over his hometown team following the decision of current Wigan Warriors owner Dave Whelan to offload his stake. For now this particular question remains unanswered, current rumours are that the Lenagan family may ultimately take control both clubs, albeit with separate figureheads. It is to be hoped that the situation will be resolved quickly to avoid casting a shadow over the preparations for 2008.

2007 Player Ratings:

Stephen Bannister – a mid season signing from St Helens, the young second-row looks a promising prospect from his limited outings but questions about his temperament remain. 5/10

Tony Clubb – the young centre made only a handful of appearances, although promisingly there are signs that the club sees him as a centre rather than a makeshift winger as he was used in 2006. 2008 will hopefully be the season when Clubb can breakthrough, with the departures of Tyrone Smith and Paul Sykes opening up the centre births. 6/10

Matt Gafa – although primarily a winger Gafa demonstrated his utility value with some strong performances as a makeshift second-row during the club’s injury crisis. 7/10

Jon Grayson – an unheralded signing at the start of the season but proved a reliable presence in the pack, competent in both attack and defence. 6/10

Daniel Heckenberg – after a fairly quiet first season Heckenberg demonstrated his true value to the club with some outstanding performances at prop. His go-forward was clearly missed after injury cut short his season. 7/10

Scott Hill – the club’s marquee signing struggled to live up to the fans’ expectations but did show clear signs of his undoubted class. At times Hill looked out of sync with the players around him, although illness and injury also disrupted any chances of fully developing that understanding. Next season will hopefully see a more influential Hill emerge. 6/10

Lee Hopkins – the warhorse of the side, gave his all to the cause, although the physical effects of his fearless attitude and Trojan work rate started to slow his effectiveness. Hopkins will be much missed by the club following his return to Australia. 7/10

Zebastian Luisi – competition from Chris Melling and Mark McLinden at fullback saw Luisi restricted to a handful of appearances. A loyal and reliable servant to the club it is uncertain whether he will be retained for 2008. 5/10

Joe Mbu – the decision to release Joe to Doncaster at the end of 2006 backfired when the club failed to find a suitable replacement, returned at the end of the season with some quietly effective performances. 7/10

Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook – started the season as a promising young squad player, ended it as a first choice. Mobile, aggressive and with an eye for a try LMS is rapidly emerging as one of the best props in SL. 8/10

Mark McLinden – the arrivals of Scott Hill, Danny Orr and Chris Melling created a potential headache over how the combinations would work, as it was injuries made the question academic. A talismanic presence in the side, he offers extra options when running from fullback or a steady hand when operating in the halves. 8/10

Chris Melling – his arrival from Wigan launched speculation about where he would play, as it was he established himself as a first-rate fullback in McLinden’s absence, winning a GB call-up in the process. His own injury problems curtailed any rivalry for the fullback birth, but if will be interesting to see what 2008 brings when both players are available. 8/10

David Mills – the big prop offered much needed size to the Quins front-row which was missed when injured. A solid player, he will be lining up for Hull KR next season. 6/10

Danny Orr – signed from Wigan with Tommy Leuluai going the other way, Orr offered a more stable presence than the mercurial Leuluai and a more effective kicking game. 7/10

Henry Paul – settled into a hardworking back-row role and was missed during spells of injury. A little lacking in pace these days, Paul cut out some of the loose passing that marked his game on return from Union to become a stabilising influence on the Quins side. 7/10

Rob Purdham – the skipper and heartbeat of the Quins side, an influential figure in all aspects of the clubs play. 9/10

Chad Randall – settled into the side following a lower key first season, a solid defender and crisp distributor of the ball, often overlooked by the plaudits. 7/10

Julien Rinaldi – interchanged well with Randall and offered extra options in attack, a luxury player at times, Rinaldi was more useful to the side when on a roll than when under pressure. 7/10

Rikki Sheriffe – on loan at Doncaster for most of the season returned towards the end of the season scoring six tries in ten games. Quick, strong and brave but handling can be a problem when under pressure . 6/10

Tyrone Smith – a solid and reliable presence in the centre, Smith leaves the club this year after a three-year spell in the capital. 6/10

Andy Smith – signed from Bradford, the big winger failed to establish himself in the Quins side despite early promise. 5/10

Paul Sykes – leaves the club this year after an outstanding five year spell with London Broncos and Harelquins RL, rewarded for his consistent strong performances with his first Great Britain cap during the season. A massive loss to the club. 8/10

Karl Temata – the frequent lack of depth in the front-row saw Temata take on more of the workload and consequently had less opportunity to produce the bullocking runs he’s capable of. A rock in the pack. 7/10

Jon Wells – another season of assured performances from the intelligent winger, reads the game excellently and is a solid defender. 7/10

Michael Worrincy – effective during his limited performances, Worrincy like fellow youngster Tony Clubb is a player the club will be hoping kicks on in 2008. 6/10

Jones signs-off with a win

2007-09-16T20:30:00.000Z

Retiring scrumhalf Stacey Jones inspired Les Catalans to a victory over Quins yesterday in Perpignan. The Kiwi legend ensured that the Dragons finished the season with a victory over the Quins following defeats in the three previous meetings this campaign, as well as the distinction of claiming at least one victory over every other side in the competition.

A match report is here.

Catalans Dragons: (18) 30
Tries: Stacul, Wilson 2, Greenshields 2
Goals: Jones 5

Harlequins RL: (4) 14
Tries: Sykes 2, Clubb
Goals: Sykes

Skolars breakthrough season ends on low note

2007-09-10T20:48:00.000Z

London Skolars ended what has been a breakthrough season with a narrow defeat away at Oldham. Despite the defeat the season saw the north London based outfit finish in their highest ever position, with a record eight wins in the National League Two competition.

A match report is here.

Oldham: (22) 28
Tries: Ford 2, Morton, Hoyle, Hodson
Goals: Morton 4

London Skolars: (6) 26
Tries: Tozer, Maitua, Simms 2, Nowland
Goals: Thorman 3

Quins heap misery on doomed Salford

2007-09-09T20:28:00.000Z

Harlequins RL picked off bottom club Salford yesterday in their final home game of the season. The Reds are almost certain to be relegated at the end of the season, providing the eventual winner of National League One meets the criteria for promotion to the Super League.

Quins still remain mathematically capable of squeezing into the playoffs, but the likelihood is extremely unlikely, with a win in their final game away at Les Catalans next week still leaving them reliant on other results.

A match report is here.

Harlequins RL: (10) 22
Tries: R Sheriffe 2, L McCarthy-Scarsbrook, J Rinaldi
Goals: P Sykes 3

Salford: (10) 16
Tries: L Dorn, J Wilshere, R Barnett
Goals: D Hodgson, J Wilshere

Return to St Helens fails to inspire Quins

2007-09-01T10:17:00.000Z

Harlequins RL brought their UK based away travels for the season to an end with a disappointing defeat away to league leaders St Helens yesterday. A brace of tries for winger Ricki Sheriffe did little to soften the blow as the London outfit simply lacked the power to compete with the reigning champions. In an ironic twist Quins began the Super League season with an encouraging win over St Helens on the same ground back in February whilst yesterday’s defeat all but ended any hope Quins had of making the end of season playoffs.

A match report is here.

St Helens: (12) 32
Tries: Cayless, Graham, Wellens, Flannery, Gilmour
Goals: Tyrer 6

Harlequins RL: (10) 10
Tries: Sheriffe 2
Goals: Paul

Saints make it two in a row

2007-08-27T08:11:00.000Z

There was to be no fairytale ending to Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final as St Helens finally overcame the plucky underdogs from Perpignan to claim back to back victories in the competition. However, there was much to be positive about as the game returned to its spiritual home, even if there is still much room to improve the experience.

For half an hour the game was a tight affair, the Catalans can consider themselves a little unlucky to see Jason Crocker’s touchdown chalked off by the video referee in what was an extremely tight call, but there was no doubt about the brilliance of James Roby’s opening try as the young hooker weaved his way through a mesmerised Dragons defence. To their credit the Catalans hit back almost immediately through Younes Khattabi and they could do little about the missed forward pass that gifted Saints winger Ade Gardner a try just before halftime and his team a slightly undeserved 12 – 4 lead going into the break.

In the second-half the power of the Saints pack and the speed of the backline took its toll on a Dragons outfit who started to wilt in the wide open spaces of the Wembley pitch. Saints fullback Paul Wellens put daylight between the two sides just after the break with an opportunist try capitalising on an error from opposite number Clint Greenshields. Youngster Paul Clough effectively ended the match as a contest ten minutes later, capping a strong run with a try.

To their credit the Catalans never gave up hope and when winger Justin Murphy pounced on an uncharacteristic error from Wellens to race away for a classic poachers try it was just reward for their efforts. Any fears of a collapse failed to materialise, although a second try from Gardner underlined the dominance of a St Helens side that ultimately never looked like losing the game.

The decision to jointly award the Lance Todd Trophy for the man of the match jointly to Paul Wellens and Leon Pryce, the first time such an award has been made, raised mant eyebrows. Whilst Wellens had a fine game, it was Saints standoff Pryce who had the single biggest impact on the proceedings, with a highly influential display in attack.

The new Wembley itself provided a magnificent venue for the eighty-four thousand plus crowd (it was noticeable that the empty seats were mainly confined to the Club Wembley areas), although the current absence of entertainment facilities in the area around the stadium compares it unfavourably with last year’s venue in Cardiff. It is to be hoped that planned redevelopment work will provide the surrounding environs will a more fitting location for the carnival atmosphere of the Challenge Cup.

Catalans Dragons: (4) 8
Tries: Khattabi, Murphy

St Helens: (12) 30
Tries: Roby, Gardner 2, Wellens, Clough
Goals: Long 5

Skolars playoff dream ends

2007-08-25T09:27:00.000Z

A New River crowd boosted by visitors in town for the Challenge Cup Final saw London Skolars fall to a disappointing defeat against playoff rivals York City Knights last night. The defeat ends the Skolars chances of making the National League Two playoffs.

A match report is here.

London Skolars: (0) 0
Tries:
Goals:

York: (16) 34
Lowe 3, Sullivan, Godfrey
Goals: McDonald, Liddell, Esders 5

Challenge Cup Final returns to spiritual home

2007-08-24T11:18:00.000Z

The Rugby League Challenge Cup returns to its spiritual home Wembley Stadium tomorrow afternoon as holders St Helens take on first time finalist Les Catalans Dragons. The match will be the first time rugby league has been played at the new stadium, and brings to a close a break of eight years since the last final took place at the old stadium back in 1999.

This final poses a genuine enigma, the Catalans being the first non-British side to reach the final since it was first contested in 1897. The participation of the French team is even more remarkable given that the club is in only its second season in the top flight Super League competition, and the fact that it only came into existence in 2001 following the merger of Perpignan club sides XIII Catalan and Saint Estève.

The other finalists St Helens have a far more illustrious track record in the competition they won at Twickenham last year; the Saints have lifted the trophy ten times in nineteen previous appearances since they lost the inaugural final to Batley in 1897. St Helens have undoubtedly been the standout team of the Super League era, although whilst they currently top the league table on points difference above Leeds Rhinos they are a side that has show far more vulnerability than the one that swept all before them last season.

The interest in the game’s return to Wembley has resulted in an effective sell-out, with the only issue being the possible take-up of 15,000 Club Wembley seats that have been pre-sold to mainly corporate investors for the next ten year. The logistics of transporting fans from a team in the South of France to North London mean that the Catalans supporters making the journey will be heavily outnumbered by their counterparts from Lancashire, but in true Challenge Cup style the French side are likely to have the lion’s share of the neutral spectators to boost their voices.

On the injury front the Catalans enter the game hoping that former Queensland State of Origin representative Casey McGuire will be fit following a torn pectoral muscle, whilst prop forward Mathieu Griffi may also be back following a layoff. Skipper Jerome Guisset will also return having been rested in last weekend’s defeat at Warrington. The Saints only notable absence is long-term victim Paul Sculthorpe, the former Great Britain captain, with standoff Leon Pryce making his return from a three match ban.

A series of intriguing clashes are expected right across the pitch; the Catalans are noted for their big, physical forward pack, ably led by the vastly experienced Guisset. Former Kiwi prop Alex Chan provides an intimidating presence in the front row, whilst ex-Kangaroo back-row Jason Croker has the experience and all round game to keep the pack ticking over. St Helens will be led by veteran hooker Keiron Cunningham, the sole survivor of Saints 1996 visit to Wembley, and his young apprentice James Roby. Rugged prop Nick Fozzard will be desperate to make an impression having been left out last year, whilst Samoan impact forward Maurie Fa'asavalu is a fearsome weapon to unleash on a tiring defence.

In the backs St Helens arguably have the edge with a back five packed with international experience, notably ex-Kangaroo centre Matt Gidley and current Great Britain fullback Paul Wellens, the reigning Man of Steel. The Dragons standout back is centre Adam Mogg, a State of Origin winner last year with Queensland and one of the leading contenders for this season’s Man of Steel.

But the clash predicted to determine the outcome is between the midfield generals Sean Long and Stacey Jones. The quicksilver Long has already secured his place in Challenge Cup history with a record three Lance Todd Trophy awards, the best British scrumhalf of his generation, he remains a controversial figure within the game due to his erratic contributions to the international scene and a betting scandal three years ago. In contrast Stacey Jones is arguably the second best scrumhalf of the past decade, behind only the great Andrew Johns, the Kiwi legend is the consummate strategist.

Les Catalans Dragons will go into their inaugural final as clear underdogs; with a warm afternoon forecasted it will requite a huge effort to combat the champagne football of St Helens across the wide open spaces of Wembley. So-called “expansion” clubs (it is debateable whether a club from the French rugby league heartlands warrants such a tag) have a patchy record in the show piece event, London Broncos fell to the final’s heaviest ever defeat against Leeds in 1999, but the previous year Sheffield Eagles produced the competitions biggest ever upset downing massive favourites Wigan.

Whatever the result is it is to be hoped that the final produces a match befitting the return of rugby league’s “grand day out in the sun” to its spiritual home.

Skolars kick-off weekend of rugby league

2007-08-24T10:40:00.000Z

London Skolars this evening look to kick-off a weekend of rugby league in London when they take on York at New River this evening. The Skolars who have been in a rich vein of form lately will be looking to take the points needed to keep alive their National League Two playoff hopes.

Whilst attention may be diverted away from New River tomorrow for the showpiece Challenge Cup Final Sunday will see the return of the annual Middlesex 9s competition, complete with real ale festival.

For more information about tonight’s match, or the Middlesex 9s, click here.

Skolars boost playoff hopes in Blackpool

2007-08-20T18:41:00.000Z

London Skolars boosted their National League Two playoff hopes with a win away at Blackpool Panthers yesterday. The side’s eighth win of the season leaves them in seventh place on the ladder, just one point behind York.

The win caps a remarkable run of eight victories in eleven games since the beginning of July, following a difficult start to the season.

Blackpool Panthers: (4) 20
Tries: Sloman, Stoute 3
Goals: Gambles 2

London Skolars: (22) 34
Tries: Hodgkinson, Barker, Thorman, Shears, Louw, Aggrey
Goals: Thorman 5

Hainault crowned London League Champions

2007-08-20T18:29:00.000Z

Hainault Bulldogs capped their inaugural season with a 30 – 4 win over Eastern Raiders on Saturday afternoon to pick up the London Amateur Rugby League title (match report here).

In the final of the London League Shield competition Feltham Y.O.I. overcame Kent Ravens II 72 – 10.

The emergence of Hainault and the stregnth of competition in the London League this season is a major sign of encouragement for the RLC Region South competition that has lacked depth in recent years due to sides moving up to the RLC Premier.

Quins drop a point against Wigan

2007-08-19T21:38:00.000Z

Harlequins RL will feel disappointed today after sharing the points with Wigan Warriors yesterday afternoon, in a game marred by poor officiating. Referee Ben Thaler, who as video referee was at the centre of several controversial decisions against Quins last week, turned in an inconsistent performance that again raises doubt over the success of the RFL’s decision to employ fulltime Super League referees.

It took just four minutes for Thaler’s influence to be felt, ironically missing a clear example of crossing from the Wigan side before compounding the mistake by awarding a penalty against Quins for a one on one ball steal. Wigan fullback Pat Richards wasn’t complaining as he gratefully accepted the two points.

The home side snatched back the lead after a quarter of an hour when second-row Matt Gafa produced a great run to touch down for the Quins. Three minutes later Scott Hill showed his experience to find his way over for the second try and Henry Paul added the conversion to extend the lead to 10 – 2.

It was former Quins halfback Thomas Leuluai who pulled Wigan back into the game just into the second quarter, shrugging off some weak tackles with a powerful run to the line. Richards added the conversion to make it 10 – 8.

On the half hour mark Quins fullback Mark McLinden picked up a controversial try, hooker Chad Randall looked to have knocked on but it was adjudged to have come off a Wigan hand and McLinden was in support to puncture the flat footed Warriors defence. Henry Paul added the conversion, giving the home side a 16 - 8 advantage going into the break.

The second half saw Trent Barrett collect two tries to level the scores at 16 all, but it was the decision of Thaler to disallow a McLinden try for the second week running on the basis of a dubious obstruction call that was to prove crucial to the game. As the half wore on the home crowd became increasingly vocal in their frustrated at the referees apparent unwillingness to keep the visitors on side or to stamp out the frequent holding down in the tackle, but the protestations were in vain.

The final stages saw both sides attempting drop goals to snatch the lead, but none found their mark. It was Quins who arguably squandered the best chances when on successive occasions they shunned opportunities to set-up properly for the one point by running the ball wide in the hope of sneaking a try.

Ultimately a point is of little use to either side, with both now looking outsiders to sneak into a playoff position.

Harlequins RL: (16) 16
Tries: Gafa, Hill, McLinden
Goals: Paul 2

Wigan: (8) 16
Tries: Leuluai, Barrett 2 Goals: Richards 2

St Albans claim RLC Premier South title

2007-08-19T12:40:00.000Z

St Albans Centurions picked up the 2007 RLC Premier South title yesterday with a hard fought 18 - 10 win against the holding champions South London Storm.

The opening exchanges were a cagey affair, marked by frequent penalties from both sides, St Albans in particular looking rusty after a three-week rest period. So it was no surprise when the Storm put first points on the board through a try from winger Ollie Bloom after eleven minutes. A 40-20 kick from Storm scrumhalf Darren Bartley gave his side the field position to build pressure on the opposition line, before Bloom collected a smart cross field kick from Steve Guan to touch down in the left hand corner.

However, the Storm were to suffer a major setback ten minutes later when influential hooker Luke Bonner picked up a match ending injury attempting to burrow his way over the line.

The Centurions levelled the match on twenty-four minutes when centre Russ Kellaway scored a superb individual try, using some deceptive broken field running to weave his way through the Storm defence.

Storm hit the front again just three minutes from the break when a well-executed passing move saw Bartley deliver the final ball to Paul Bottomley who dove over for the try. Bartley converted to provide a six-point cushion.

The Centurions immediately stepped up the pressure at the other end, and duly earned a penalty for not standing square at the play the ball from the back-peddling Storm defence, providing hooker Richard Smith the opportunity to power his way over under the sticks. Craig Foster added the conversion to send the sides into the break 10 a piece.

The first ten minutes of the second half opened brightly with some end-to-end, free flowing rugby, with both sides dropping the ball in promising positions, before the St Albans side really began to click. Winger Rudi van der Merwe broke free of the Storm defence to race over and end the deadlock. Five minutes later his colleague on the other wing, Ollie Fountain, scored the try of the game with a weaving run through the Storm defence to make it 18 – 10.

At that stage the men from South London looked to be running out of steam, but managed to find a second wind as the game entered its final quarter. Loose forward Mickey Walker looked to have put the game back in contention with a well weighted chip over the Centurions defence on sixty-seven minutes, but the resulting touch down was ruled out by a very harsh offside call.

St Albans dug in and worked their way through the pressure with some solid, percentages rugby league, driving down the middle of the field and turning around South London with some intelligent positional kicking. Five minutes from time Centurions fullback Kristian Warner found himself in the sin-bin for a professional foul on his own ten metre line, but a tiring South London were unable to capitalise on the extra man advantage.

The Centurions will now have a week off before facing Welsh side Bridgend Blue Bulls in Bristol to claim a place in the final of the national competition.

St Albans Centurions: (10) 18
Tries: Kellaway, Smith, van der Merwe, Fountain
Goals: Foster

South London Storm: (10) 10
Tries: Bloom, Bottomley
Goals: Bartley

Double-header at Twickenham Stoop

2007-08-18T09:13:00.000Z

Rugby league fans are looking forward to a feast of rugby league at The Stoop this afternoon, as St Albans Centurions on South London Storm in the Final of the Rugby League Conference South at 12:40 pm, followed by the Super League game between Harlequins RL and Wigan Warriors at 3:00 pm.

St Albans who finished divisional minor premiers in the RLC Premier South will be slight favourites to overturn reigning champions South London, but a tight game is likely. The Centurions have had several weeks rest since booking their place in the final so should be injury free, if not a little ring rusty. In contrast the Storm only booked their place in the final last week with a victory over third placed London Skolars II on a baking hot afternoon at Storm Park.

In the Super League game both Quins and the Warriors will be desperate to boost their chances of a playoff place with a victory, although both sides are mathematically safe from the drop following Salford’s loss last night, both know that dropped points will be a serious blow to making the top six.

Quins continued their re-signing spree this week, with hooker Chad Randall and loose forward Henry Paul both extending their stay in the capital. On a less positive note it appears that stalwart centre Paul Sykes, the longest serving player at the club, is returning to former club Bradford at the end of the season due to family commitments.

The Quins injury problems show no sign of improving with prop Karl Temata ruled out, whilst Sykes also misses out on compassionate grounds. Youngsters Tony Clubb and Stephen Bannister come back into a side that has lost its last four league games. Wigan in contrast appears to have a virtually full strength squad.

London ARL Finals: week 2 wrap-up

2007-08-14T21:36:00.000Z

Hainault Bulldogs will be at home to Eastern Raiders the final of the London ARL competition this weekend.

The Bulldogs beat St Albans Centurions II at home on Saturday 50 –20 to book their place in the final, whilst Eastern Raiders overcame Southgate Skolars 24 – 10 at New River.

Kick-off is at 3 p.m. at The Kenel, Ilford Raiders RFC. See here for details.

Wildcats ease past Quins into top six

2007-08-12T20:58:00.000Z

Harlequins RL suffered a 28 – 14 reversal away at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats this evening and can rue their luck as a string of dubious decisions swung the result in favour of the home side. The consistency with which controversial decisions went in favour of a solid Wildcats side arguably gave them the momentum with which to build their score, although the Quins only have themselves to blame for the poor handling and decision-making that saw too much possession squandered.

The first dubious decision came courtesy of video referee Ben Thaler after seven minutes when Wakefield standoff Jamie Rooney appeared to push the ball forward over the Quins try line but was given the benefit of the doubt. Mark McLinden subsequently had Quins reply chalked out by Thaler for a very dubious obstruction call.

There were no doubts about Wakefield’s second try from Ryan Atkins on twenty-two minutes, but Paul White’s try ten minutes later was given despite the final ball coming from a telegraphed forward pass ignored by the officials. It was the stroke of half-time before Scott Hill finally got the Quins on the scoreboard with a try in the corner to send the sides in at 14 – 4.

When Quins had a second try chalked out by Thaler after the break for an even more dubious obstruction decision it was clear that this was not to be their night. Fifty-two minutes in Wakefield forward Ned Catic took advantage of some poor play from Quins to pile on the pressure and the visitors looked to be out for the count. However ten minutes later Jon Wells finally found his way over the line, minutes after having a try chalked off in one of the video referee’s few sensible calls of the evening.

Arguably the most controversial moment of the game came after sixty-five minutes when Wakefield prop Ricky Bibey’s forearm smash on standoff Hill left the Quins man dazed with a gashed head that required off field treatment. The incident went unmissed by all the officials, leading to a moment of black humour a couple of minutes later when Julien Rindaldi conceded a penalty for a sloppy high tackle that rode up off the shoulder. It will be interesting to see whether the RFL take a hard line on Bibey given the governing body’s historic inconsistent approach to such offences.

Needing to score points quickly Quins decided to throw the ball around in the final quarter with largely unsuccessful results. Impressive Wakefield centre Atkins added a second try with five minutes to go putting the result beyond any doubt, before Tyrone Smith finally worked his way over for a Quins consolation try in the last minute.

Despite the poor officiating Wakefield proved good value for the win, completing a solid, well drilled performance that capitalised on Quins mistakes. Coach Brian McDermott will be concerned about the amount of possession his side turned over, as well as the injury toll to his already paper thin side which saw skipper Rob Purdham and fellow second-rowers Henry Paul and Lee Hopkins fail to complete the game.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats: (14) 28
Tries: Rooney, Atkins 2, White, Catic
Goals: Rooney 4

Harlequins RL: (4) 14
Tries: Hill, Wells, Smith
Goals: Orr

Storm blow away Skolars in semi-final

2007-08-12T12:37:00.000Z

A game of two very different halves saw South London Storm blow away London Skolars II yesterday at Storm Park to book a place in the RLC Premier South final next weekend against St Albans Centurions. A brutal and at times bad tempered game saw the Skolars lack of discipline ultimately cost them the game.

Skolars took an early lead after five minutes when the left wing found himself in space following a poor clearing kick from the Storm. The Storm fullback did well to slowdown the break but was unable to complete the tackle allowing the winger to get up and complete his run into the corner.

It took just three minutes for the Storm to level the scores with Ollie Bloom powering his way over in the opposite corner following a well worked move that saw the ball moved quickly through a series of hands open up a hole in the Skolars defence. Five minutes later Skolars almost regained the lead when a touchdown under the Storm posts from the loose forward was ruled out for a double movement.

It was at this stage of the game that the Skolars discipline started to put them under pressure with a succession of penalties for high shots, flops and niggling play. A quick tap penalty from Storm skipper Al Emerson on eighteen minutes put them back in front, the conversion from Darren Bartley making the score 10 – 4. Minutes later the referees patience with the Skolars underhand tactics finally broke with Todd Egan binned for deliberately interfering at the play the ball. Bartley took almost immediate advantage of the man short in defence to make it 14 – 4.

In the closing ten minutes of the half it looked like the Skolars were finally starting to get their act together, forcing several repeat sets of possession from which they clawed their way back into the game, with two tries and a conversion levelling the scores at 14 a piece. An injury to a Storm player saw the game stopped for several minutes, and when play resumed it was the Skolars who again applied the pressure forcing a knock on just five metres out from the Storm line which gave them the platform to seize a 14 - 18 lead.

The defining moment of the game came as the first half entered a period of injury time; an instinctive trip from Skolars player David Afreh after he was stepped by a Storm player resulted in an instant dismissal. Storm loose forward Mickey Walker crashed over from the penalty and Bartley’s conversion saw the home side head into the break with a 20 – 14 advantage.

The result of Afreh’s dismissal became obvious in the second half as the twelve men of Skolars ran out of steam in the baking afternoon heat. Walker’s forty-fifth minute try effectively sealed the game, as the Skolars lost their composure and stepped up their roughhouse tactics, which only put them under further pressure from the resulting penalties. Four further tries from the Storm followed as the Skolars defence increasingly struggled to fill the holes and the home side exploited the extra space with testing kicks. The Skolars did manage a late consolation try on the stroke of fulltime to leave the final scores at 48 – 24, but it did little to offset the comprehensiveness off the defeat.

Storm are likely to face a much tougher test against minor premiers St Albans when they meet at The Stoop in the curtain raiser to Harlequins RL game against Wigan Warriors. South London fans can take advantage of a special discount offer to see both games by calling Laura Harrison at Quins RL on 020 8410 6098 and quoting "Storm".

South London Storm: (20) 48

London Skolars II: (18) 24

Skolars outclass Thunder at Finchley

2007-08-12T09:52:00.000Z

London Skolars completed a league double over Gateshead Thunder yesterday, with a 32 – 12 win at Finchley Rugby Club to keep alive their National League Two playoff hopes. The north London based club were forced to play the game away form their usual home at New River Stadium due to an athletics meet but put the hindrance behind them to get the result that leaves them just outside the top six.

A full match report will appear here.

London Skolars: (6) 32
Tries: Aggrey, Shears, Tozer, Lynton, Simms
Goals: Thorman 6

Gateshead Thunder: (8) 12
Tries: Stephenson 2, Peers

Wakefield Vs Harlequins Preview

2007-08-12T08:22:00.000Z

Harlequins RL go into tonight’s clash with Wakefield Trinity Wildcats knowing that winner will see themselves pushed back into the top six and closer to a coveted playoff spot.

In recent weeks the Quins bandwagon appears to have lost its way, suffering comprehensive defeats against Huddersfield and Leeds as a horrendous run of injuries has taken its toll on Brian McDermott’s already limited squad. The return of influential captain Rob Purdham last week wasn’t enough to halt a rampant Rhinos side, but fans will be hoping he can spark some inspiration against the Wildcats.

The news that wingers Rikki Sheriffe and Matt Gafa and forwards Karl Temata and Jon Grayshon have re-signed for next season has been welcomed by fans, but is tempered by the decision of warhorse second-row Lee Hopkins to retire at the end of the season. All five players have been important in shouldering the burden of the injury crisis.

Wakefield go into the game on the back of a defeat against Bradford, an early season run of form eventually turned patchy and when the two sides met at The Stoop back in April the result was a draw. Coach John Kear has rebuilt much of his side this season, converting the Wildcats from a side heavily reliant of imports to one that has made greater use of home grown players and has consequently seen them lift from a side that only beat the drop on the final game of last season to one challenging for the playoffs.

The game will be a big challenge for the Quins, but if they are to be serious challengers for the playoffs, and to prove to Chairman Ian Lenagan who has been linked to a bid for the Wigan Warriors that the club is moving forward, it’s one they need to win.

Storm awaits Skolars

2007-08-08T08:25:00.000Z

The results of last weekend’s RLC Premier games between South London Storm and Kingston Warriors (see here for report) and Kent Ravens and London Skolars II saw the Strom confirm home advantage for this weekend’s semi-final clash with Skolars.

Reigning RLC champions South London Storm are likely to be marginal favourites for the game given home advantage, but only finished above Skolars on points difference in the regular rounds. The Storm have found life harder in this year’s competition following their all conquering run in 2006, the departure of head coach to Rob Powell to the assistant coach position at Harlequins RL and the loss of several influential players including Tani Kingi, Mark Nesbitt, Andy Hames and Todd Brandon, weakening the side.

In contrast to the Storm’s own internal challenges 2007 also proved to be a landmark year in competitiveness of the RLC Premier South, with the decision of St Albans Centurions to drop down from last season’s National League Three competition giving the division a new powerhouse club.

London Skolars II, who previously competed as the Skolars development side under the moniker Haringey Hornets, also seem to have benefited from closer links to their senior side. Many of the players currently playing in the RLC Premier side have significant experience playing and National League Two level.

Storm vs Skolars will kick-off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday 11th at Storm Park, Thornton Heath, see here for more details.

London ARL Finals: week 1 wrap-up

2007-08-07T11:00:00.000Z

Reigning London ARL champions South London Storm II were knocked out of the competition at the weekend by St Albans Centurions II.

The Centurions will travel to Hainault Bulldogs this weekend for the first semi-final, Hainault qualify as London ARL minor premiers, a remarkable result in their debut season.

The second semi-final will see third placed Eastern Raiders travel to second placed Southgate Skolars (a joint venture between London Skolars and Southgate College).

Both quarter finals will be played on Saturday 11th August, for venues and times see club websites or London ARL website.

Greenwich fall to the Roosters

2007-08-07T10:06:00.000Z

Greenwich Admirals defeat by Cambridgeshire side St Ives Roosters at the weekend ended the capital’s involvement in the Rugby League Conference Eastern Division. The Roosters will now go onto play division topping Bedford Tigers in the regional final this coming weekend to progress into the national finals series.

A match report can be found here.

More details of the game between Bedford and St Ives can be found here.

London Skolars clash moved

2007-08-07T09:01:00.000Z

London Skolars National League Two home game against Gateshead Thunder this coming Saturday has been switched to Finchley Rugby Club to accommodate an athletics meeting at usual home New River Stadium.

More information can be found here.

Skolars swoop on Hawks

2007-08-06T13:05:00.000Z

London Skolars continued their recent run of good form with a 6 – 32 away win at Hunslet Hawks yesterday. The victory keeps alive their slim hopes of achieving a playoff spot, although realistically their slow start to the season makes such a prospect unlikely.

A match report can be found here.

Hunslet Hawks: (6) 6
Tries: Bravo
Goals: Robinson

London Skolars: (10) 32
Tries: Nowland 3, Hodgkinson, Webster
Goals: Thorman 5, Lynton

Quins wilt in the midday heat

2007-08-06T11:10:00.001Z

Harlequins RL produced two starkly contrasting performances either side of the half-time break yesterday as they fell to a rampant Leeds Rhinos sides in the baking heat of The Stoop.

Quins started brightly with a Paul Sykes try after ten minutes, only to see the lead cancelled by Jamie Thackray’s trampling run ten minutes later. Consistent pressure from the home side saw the Rhinos give away a string of penalties which ultimately resulted in the sin binning of fullback Brent Webb on twenty-five minutes for three high tackles in less than ten minutes. The card came too late for many who felt that Webb deserved a full red for the first and worst of the three high shots which typified the niggling performance of the Rhino’s in the opening period.

With Leeds down a man Quins quickly capitalised on the advantage with Scott Hill, providing one of his better performances this season, squeezing over for a try, closely followed by Mark McLinden whose weaving run finished off a good passage of open play. Two conversions from Sykes took the home side into the break with a well deserved 16 – 6 lead.

It was after the break that things started to go wrong for Quins, a series of unforced errors and poor ball control placed them under unnecessary pressure, whilst Leeds cleaned up their own act. Eight minutes into the second half Webb took the chance to redeem himself with the try that sparked the visitors’ revival, his effort closely followed by one from Jordan Tansey to put the Rhinos back in front. Quins fans new it wasn’t to be their afternoon when referee Phil Bentham was conned into giving a penalty for a non-existent ball steal on fifty-five minutes, with Kevin Sinfield touching down from the resulting position.

From that point onwards the game was a one sided affair, characterized by Leeds capacity to strike from deep. The Quins had no answer to the Rhinos speed and the quality of their support play, Gareth Ellis, Scott Donald, and Jamie Peacock all adding tries. A seventy-fifth minute try from Danny Orr, briefly interrupted the flow of traffic, but that’s all it was as Danny McGuire replied immediately followed by a second try from Webb in the final minute.

Ultimately the game highlighted the difference in depth between the two sides, in particular a Leeds pack featuring no less than five full Great Britain internationals up against a Quins forward line down to just two regular prop forwards and a winger filling in at second-row. However, coach Brian McDermott will have identified elements of the performance in both halves for attention before next Sunday’s away game at Wakefield.

Harlequins RL: (16) 20
Tries: Sykes, Hill, McLinden, Orr
Goals: Sykes 2

Leeds: (6) 54
Tries: Thackray, Webb 2, Tansey, Ellis, Sinfield, Donald, Peacock, McGuire
Goals: Sinfield 7, Tansey 2

Skolars win but fail to spoil Ravens party

2007-08-04T10:22:00.000Z

A party atmosphere descended on Princes Park, Dartford, last night as the Kent Ravens Rugby League team made their inaugural appearance at the new state of the art stadium. A crowd of around 500 were entertained by a full-blooded and at times frenetic Rugby League Conference Premier clash between the Ravens and visitors London Skolars.

The nerves of the Ravens players were palpable as the opening kick sailed out on the full and the Skolars used the resulting penalty to put them under early pressure. The Skolars almost capitalised immediately with the standoff’s clever dinking kick along the ground into the corner proving just too deep for the impressive speedster on the right wing.

The Ravens then took their chance to attack and a scoot from the play the ball by the fullback caught out the Skolars defence who resorted to giving away a penalty for holding down. The Kent side built on the possession to work the ball across the field, with forward Steve Scanlan showing great strength to bulldoze over the line and write a little piece of history with the first try at Princes Park four minutes in to the game. The Ravens lead lasted just three minutes, the Skolars right winger finding a gap out wide with his own scooting run into the corner to level the scores.

It was twenty minutes before the next score was to arrive, the Skolars kept the ball alive with some ambitious offloads which saw them eventually crash over close to the sticks. Skipper Kurt Pittman added the conversion to give his side a 6-point lead. This was the sign that the men from New River were to hit their first purple patch of the game, two minutes later a break and clever pass from the standoff found the fullback running an intelligent line to touch down beneath the sticks. A brave rally from the Ravens required some gutsy try line defence to deny them before the Skolars pulled out a long range move down the left hand touchline to find themselves under the sticks again.

The closing ten minutes of the first-half were to be a showcase for the Skolars right centre-wing partnership, first a break down the right hand flank saw the winger push the ball back inside as he was dragged into touch to put his centre in, then three minutes later the centre reciprocated with a long looping pass to send his winger into the corner following a well worked move orchestrated by the scrumhalf.

Despite some tired the legs, the Ravens remained committed and their persistence was rewarded with a second try when Daniel Smart smashed his way over on thirty nine minutes, with Thomas Claridge adding on the conversion to send the sides in to the break at 10 – 30.

The first five minutes of the second half saw both teams step up in attack, with both bombing gilt-edged chances with dropped balls under the challenge of some brutal, bone crunching defence. However, it took just eight minutes before the Skolars right centre found a way through some flat defence to stride away into the corner for the first try of the second half.

The Ravens again rallied and put the visitors under the most concerted period of pressure in the whole game. The home sides won themselves a series of back to back sets via a goal line dropout and a penalty for holding down, but despite being virtually camped on the opposition line they could find no way through. At times the scenes were almost slapstick as the Skolars defenders hurled themselves in front of the Ravens juggernaut in desperate, last ditch attempts to hold the line.

The Skolars finally broke the Ravens resolve on the hour mark, a solid set of six in attack punched them down the field and a drive over from close range extended the lead to 10 – 38. A minute later the standoff latched on to an offload thirty metres out to jink his way over and the floodgates had opened as the Skolars entered their second purple patch of the game. Three more tries followed in close succession as the visitors took advantage of some tiring defence on the Ravens left hand flank, before the right wing broke on the opposite side to feed the fullback for the final try on seventy five minutes.

To their credit the Ravens refused to let their heads go down and continued to take the fight to the Skolars to the very end, earning a standing ovation off the field from the vociferous partisan crowd. Ultimately it was the greater experience of the Skolars, many with experience in National League Two, which made the difference. The Skolars were quicker to get the second and third man to the tackle, showed more awareness in their support running and slicker handling of the ball in particular the crisp distribution of hooker Kurt Pittman from the play the ball.

Kent Ravens have come along way in the last three years and despite what the score line may suggest the side have great potential that will develop as they progress along their own learning curve. In Princes Park the Ravens have a stadium to be proud of and in Kent Ravens the town of Dartford has a rugby league side to be proud of.

Kent Ravens: (10) 10
London Skolars: (30) 68

Speculation mounts over Lenagan bid for Wigan Warriors

2007-08-01T14:34:00.001Z

Reports that Wigan RLFC major shareholder Dave Whelan is considering offloading his stake in the club has led to speculation that a consortium led by current Harlequins RL Chairman and majority shareholder Ian Lenagan is one of two contenders vying to gain control of the Super League club.

Whelan, who also controls Wigan Athletic Football Club and the JJB Stadium which both clubs share, is understood to be interested in selling following a series of events that have seen the club punished for breaching the Super League salary cap two years in succession, the team underachieve on the pitch and the decision of Chairman Maurice Lindsay to retire at the end of the season having increasingly become the target of criticism from fans.

Lenagan, a successful businessman and theatre entrepreneur born and raised in Wigan, has yet to confirm or deny any interest, but is reported as retaining both close links to his hometown and a lifelong support for the Wigan club

Should Lenagan acquire control of the Wigan club it would undoubtedly cast doubts on the long-term future of Harlequins RL, the London based club he took control of in 2005. It was Lenagan who was the driving force behind the London club’s partnership with the Harlequins rugby union club which saw the rugby league club relocate to The Twickenham Stoop and re-brand from their previous incarnation as London Broncos.

Many fans of Harlequins RL understandably appear to be concerned at this development, although it’s far from clear whether Lenagan would be forced to offload his stake in their club following the acquisition of any stake in Wigan RLFC. Without Lenegan Harlequins RL may be forced to look for new investors, or alternatively look towards their partners Harlequins RU for support.

The other candidate for Whelan’s stake in the club is understood to be Chorley born millionaire Trevor Hemmings, the owner of Littlewoods Pools and Blackpool Tower, who already has several sporting interests including the majority shareholding of Championship football club Preston North End.

Ravens ready to roost at Princes Park

2007-07-31T21:00:00.000Z

The fans, players and administrators of Kent Ravens Rugby League Club are counting down the hours to the biggest event in the club’s short history, their inaugural match at the new Princes Park stadium in Dartford. The move to the stadium, which will be shared with Dartford Football Club, will highlight the remarkable progress the Ravens have made since forming in 2004.

Initially based in nearby Eltham, the men’s first team have worked their way up through the local amateur ranks, from the London League in 2004 to the Rugby League Conference Regional in 2006 and the Rugby League Conference Premier in 2007. The progress hasn’t only been limited to the men’s open age squad, a successful youth set-up has been developing whilst the club also boasts one of the south’s best women’s outfit.

Older rugby league fans will be aware of the code’s patchy history in Kent, most notably the short lived Kent Invicta club of the early 1980’s. Several amateur clubs have at various points left their mark, albeit many temporarily, on the history of rugby league in the area, but it is the Ravens who have hopefully laid the foundations for more substantial development.

This is not to say it’s all been plain sailing for the Ravens, the step up to the RLC Premier has been a big ask for the club. The southern division of the RLC Premier is arguably the toughest of all the regional divisions, a sign of the growing strength of amateur rugby league in the south of England. The Ravens currently sit bottom of the division and on Friday night face a London Skolars RLC Premier side hoping to leapfrog reigning champions South London Storm into second place and guarantee home advantage in the semi-final playoff against the Storm.

An upset against the Skolars would no doubt be the icing on the cake for the Ravens and most of the unprecedented 500 fans that have already bought tickets for the match, but win or loss the future is looking good for the Kent outfit.

* Tickets for the game priced at £5 will be available on the gate, for directions and ground details click here for the Kent Ravens official site.

History beckons as the Challenge Cup Final returns “home”

2007-07-29T21:46:00.000Z

The results of this weekend’s Challenge Cup semi-final fixtures have set-up the prospect of a truly historic final befitting the return of rugby league’s grand day out in the sun to its spiritual home Wembley.

Holders St Helens will be the favourites to retain the trophy they collected last season at Twickenham, their comfortable victory over Bradford showing that whilst this season’s form hasn’t hit the highs of last year when they swept all before them, they remain the most dangerous side in British rugby league. But the imagination is really being captured by Les Catalans Dragons, the Perpignan based side who will become the first non-British side to contest the final.

Some had claimed it was “written in the stars” that former cup kings Wigan would return to the scene of their former glories to collect the trophy for the first time from the new Wembley stadium. However, the rest of the rugby league community were far less generous in their aspirations for the club following the recent salary cap scandal. If Wigan were already unpopular for profligate ways during their period of dominance, they are arguably even more unpopular at present due to the widespread perception that the club is attempting to resurrect those glory days by less than fair means.

As it was any script written in the stars was brought down to earth by a gutsy performance from the Dragons, a breath taking first half showed just how good the men from Perpignan can be when they hit their stride whilst the second half saw them tough it out in the face of a cherry and white fight back. Nobody doubts that they will face a far sterner test than Wigan when they line up against Saints in just under a month, but Mick Potter’s men may feel they have nothing to lose and in the Challenge Cup fairy tales do occasionally come true as Sheffield Eagles proved in 1998.

Rugby league fans love an underdog and it’s a fair guess to suggest that when the Catalans run out on to the pitch on August 26th most neutrals will be rooting for them to win, whether or not they get their fairy tale ending another chapter in rugby league history will be written.

RLC Premier Roundup

2007-07-29T19:40:00.000Z

The RLC Premier South is heating up with St Albans Centurions claiming the minor premiership following the failure of Kingston Warriors to raise a side for this weekend’s clash. They will now meet either South London Storm or London Skolars A in the regional final to be played at The Stoop before Harlequins game against Wigan on August 18th.

Reigning champions South London Storm have hit a patchy run of form winning just four of their last seven games seeing them fall into an unfamiliar second place, whilst London Skolars A are staging a late run to overtake them from third and gain home advantage for the semi-final playoff for the second spot in the region final. If yesterday’s game is any guide the match-up should provide a thriller, with Skolars A sneaking an away win against the Storm with a last minute drop goal.

Much will depend on the final round of fixtures with Kingston Warriors visiting Storm Park next Saturday, whilst London Skolars A will be the inaugural visitors to Kent Ravens new home at Princes Park. The Ravens have found it tough this season, having stepped up a division, but will be hoping to mark the beginning of a new era in the club’s history with a victory against one of the division’s big sides.

Skolars down Town

2007-07-23T18:28:00.000Z

London Skolars picked up their fifth win of the season away at Workington Town yesterday. The victory showcases perfectly how far the club has progressed in its short lifetime, even ten years ago it would have been considered madness to suggest that a student old boys side from North London would be competing professionally with long established clubs from the rugby league heartlands.

On a more immediate note a run of five victories in the last eight games has been fitting reward for Latham Tawhai’s side after a tough start to the season.

A full match report is here.

Workington Town: (12) 24
Tries: Lavulavu, Sidlow, Lunt, Blair
Goals: Forber 4

London Skolars: (6) 31
Tries: Hodgkinson 2, Coleman, Maitua, Nowland
Goals: Thorman 5
Dropgoals: Thorman

Giants step over tired Quins

2007-07-22T09:04:00.000Z

A lacklustre display from the home side saw Huddersfield Giants run out comfortable victors yesterday at The Stoop, with the 06 – 22 score line flattering a Harlequins side struggling to inject any effective structure or shape into their play.

The signs were ominous early on, with Quins defence looking lethargic in response to early probing from the Giants attack. It was therefore almost inevitable when Chris Nero finally broke free of the cover ten minute in to surge away for the opening try. For periods of the first half it looked as if the Giants might score at will, before loose control on the final ball conspired to thwart several promising plays.

Quins struggled on and managed a couple of breaks only to find the quality of the support play or on occasion the final decision making lacking, till Julien Rinaldi finally found a killer pass to send Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook crashing over close to the sticks. A halftime score line of 6 – 6 gave Quins much to be grateful for and the home fans false hope that the second half may bring an improvement.

There was to be no significant improvement in the Quins second half performance as injuries started to take their toll on a side that has punched well above its weight in recent weeks. Shortly after the break Nero added a second try for the Giants as the visiting forwards began to impose their dominance on the game, giving a platform for their decision makers to keep Quins on the back foot. Chris Thorman playing from fullback was impressive, chiming up into the line to put in effective kicks with predictable reliability, whilst Brad Drew operating off the bench injected fresh impetus into the Giants decision making. By the time Thorman converted Steve Snitches try to make the scores 6 – 16 it looked as if the floodgates were ready to burst on Quins.

However, Quins managed to keep their nerve and again looked like they might undeservedly force themselves back into the game when the ever reliable Paul Sykes ran in a try just after the hour mark, but was unable to convert his own effort leaving the sides a single converted score apart at 10 – 16. Unlike the Giants, the Quins decision makers seemed short on mutual understanding; the talismanic Mark McLinden jinked and weaved but found little support for his efforts, whilst halves combination Danny Orr and Scott Hill appear to have completely lost any understanding they appeared to be developing early in the season.

As the second half conditions deteriorated in a rainstorm the Quins forward laboured on in workmanlike fashion, but injuries to Joe Mbu and David Mills all but nullified chances of standing-up the Giants pack. It was clear that absence of first choice back-rowers Rob Purdham and Henry Paul had blunted effectiveness, whilst the penetrating runs of injured prop Daniel Heckenberg were sorely missed.

When standoff Kevin Brown jinked his way to a try with just over ten minutes remaining it was clear that any hopes of a late revival to snatch an undeserved victory had gone. Huddersfield can take full credit for a professional performance in which they outshone their opponents in every facet of the game.

Afterwards Quins coach, Brian McDermott, seemed philosophical about the result, perhaps recognising the way in which his side has in the opinion of many over-performed in recent rounds. The loss of winger Jon Wells early in the game and the knocks to Mills and Mbu symptomatic of a side running on empty. McDermott will no doubt be glad of a weekend off, in which to reassess the damage to his increasingly threadbare squad and regroup for the visit of championship contenders Leeds Rhinos on the 5th August.

Harlequins RL: (6) 10
Tries: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Smith
Goals: Sykes

Huddersfield: (6) 22
Tries: Nero 2, Snitch, Brown
Goals: Thorman 3

Skolars stun Cougars

2007-07-15T20:25:00.000Z

London Skolars picked up their third consecutive home win yersterday with a 39 – 20 win over Keighley Cougars at New River. The Cougars preparation were disrupted by traffic problems on their way down from Keighley and were blown away by a first half onslaught from the home side.

A full match report will appear here.

London Skolars: (26) 39
Tries: Hodgkinson, Benson, Honor 2, Tozer, Lynton
Goals: Thorman 7
Drop Goals: Thorman

Keighley: (4) 20
Tries: Sutcliffe, Eaton, Knight, Sutton
Goals: Eaton, Knight

Quins fall to resurgent Hull FC

2007-07-13T23:56:00.000Z

Quins RL suffered their first defeat in three games against Hull FC away at the KC Stadium tonight. Despite the return of Danny Orr to the halfback role and an early lead from a Tyrone Smith try the side failed to find their form against a youthful Hull FC side.

A full match report is here.

Hull: (8) 20
Tries: Horne, Hall
Goals: Tickle (5), Hall

Harlequins RL: (8) 8
Tries: Smith
Goals: Sykes (2)

Joe Lydon joins Quins

2007-07-11T23:25:00.000Z

Following on from yesterday’s news of improved ticket sales at Quins RL this season it has been reported that former Great Britain RL star Joe Lydon will be joining the marketing team on a part-time basis.

Lydon who has spent much of the last 7 years working as a skills coach for the RFU is looking to re-establish himself in rugby league club administration. Although Lydon is not known as an administrator, he is recognised as one of the game’s highest profile personalities due to his involvement with the RFU and his reputation as an articulate broadcaster.

Hopefully Lydon will be able to provide a fresh impetus to a Quins RL marketing team that has looked short of ideas on occasions this season and recently saw the departure of long-time marketing manager Chris Warren due to his own broadcasting commitments.

Storm Dream Team announced

2007-07-11T20:31:00.000Z

South London Storm announced their dream at the weekend, the Thornton Heath based outfit who are the reigning Rugby League Conference Premier champions are currently celebrating their tenth anniversary

To see the full list click here.

Good news from Quins

2007-07-11T01:19:00.000Z

Harlequins RL yesterday announced a year on year uplift in ticket sales for the season to date, and with further high profile home fixtures remaining it is hoped this will continue.

The news comes as a welcome relief for many Quins fans on the back of long standing sniping criticism from the fans of many M62 corridor clubs about the level of support for London based clubs. Rugby league is a sport infamous for the parochial agenda of some fans who resent the expansion of the game beyond its traditional “heartlands” in the northern counties of England, despite the financial reality that modern professional sports need to be progressive in their outlook if they are to remain healthy. It was Sky Sports, the sport’s major paymaster, who facilitated the elevation of London Broncos to the inaugural Super League competition realising that a club in the British capital was crucial to establishing a higher profile for their investment and whilst all the clubs were happy to take the money on offer not all fans were happy with progress.

The status of Quins RL and its earlier incarnations as British rugby league’s most significant expansion club has attracted criticism of special treatment from the game’s administration, sometimes credible and sometimes based more on mythology than any substance (particularly in the case of the London Broncos holding company which was forced into liquidation by the Inland Revenue in 2005). Whilst it is true that Quins have been given special exemption from the player quota for several years, the quota has increasingly become a paper tiger due to the loopholes allowed by EU employment law, whilst flexibility with the laws of the game has never been a feature unique to the treatment of London based clubs.

The movement of the club from base to base over the past 27 years has undoubtedly hindered the development of the club, at each stop off the club has attempted to build-up a local presence only to see it abandoned with the next move. A firm settlement as Quins RL, at a modern stadium like The Twickenham Stoop which offers much needed facilities for hospitality, with solid management from the likes of Ian Lenagan will hopefully finally allow the club to develop the strength and depth it needs to become a serious challenger to the M62 clubs.

It’s also good to see the announcement that there are now 15,000 school children covered by the Quins development programme headed up by Kurt Pittman, the flow of players coming through the development system in the last couple of years has been a major bonus for the club and has removed the reliance on overseas players. With the Super League looking to reduce the number of imports and the club itself seeing the end of any advantage the quota may have once given, the development programme offers the chance to compete on a more even basis with the M62 clubs when it comes to tapping into the young player pool. There is massive potential in the South East of England and the growing improvement in the academy system and grass roots development is beginning to attract envious glances from some in the traditional heartlands.

Whilst there is a long way to go for Quins RL to truly establish itself as a serious threat to clubs such as St Helens, Bradford and Leeds improved ticket sales and promising youth development are positive steps in the right direction.

Quins slay the Dragons

2007-07-08T09:46:00.000Z

Quins RL picked up their third consecutive win over Les Catalans Dragons this season with a 30 – 22 win at The Stoop yesterday.

The Dragons arguably played some of the most attractive rugby of the evening, but Quins countered with a more consistent performance throughout the match. The most controversial moment came with Rikki Sheriffe’s try just after halftime, a sublime break from talismanic Mark McLinden saw the Quins fullback offload as he was being dragged into touch, with Rikki Sherrife first to the resulting loose ball to claim the try.

A full match report is here.

Harlequins RL: (18) 30
Tries: Paul (2), Gafa, Sheriffe (2)
Goals: Sykes (5)

Catalans: (12) 22
Tries: McGuire, Greenshields, Raguin, Bosc
Goals: Bosc (3)

Crusaders overrun Skolars

2007-07-08T09:12:00.000Z

London Skolars suffered a heavy defeat in Bridgend yesterday afternoon away to National League Two favourites Celtic Crusaders.

A full match report is here.

Celtic Crusaders: (14) 50
Tries: Duggan, Ballard 4, Van Dijk, Dalle Cort, Mapp 2, Wyatt
Goals: Van Dijk 5

London Skolars: (0) 6
Tries: Lynton
Goals: Thorman

Featherstone end Skolars run

2007-07-02T08:50:00.000Z

Featherstone Rovers brought London Skolars three match winning streak to an end yesterday at the Chris Moyles Stadium, running out 30 - 10 victors.

A match report is here.

Featherstone: (20) 30
Tries: Handforth, Dickens 2, Whittle, Kirmond, McHugh
Goals: Dickens 3

London Skolars: (0) 10
Tries: Hodgkinson, Coleman
Goals: Thorman

Grey skies fail to dampen Quins resolve

2007-07-01T22:11:00.000Z

The raggedness of Quins victory at The Stoop yesterday afternoon was rather fitting given the gloomy skies and intermittent drizzle. Leading into the match the fears were that Quins lightweight pack would struggle against the bigger Hull Kingston Rovers forwards, but in the end the greater mobility of the home side gave them the edge over a Robins side that often lacked invention outside of a couple of clever kicks from Paul Cooke.

Brian McDermott’s selections raised a few eyebrows with Zebastian Luisi, best known as a fullback, being selected at scrumhalf and Matt Gafa, who normally plays wing, again being selected in the back-row. Michael Worrincy started at prop, having been used in that position when Quins visited Craven Park in February, whilst Henry Paul moved from the back-row to standoff to cover the absence of Scott Hill.

In what was to be a scrappy first half the Robins took an early lead from a Cooke penalty, but it was Worrincy who crashed over from short range to give Quins the first try after ten minutes, Paul Sykes converting. Minutes later the scores were levelled when Ryan Tandy found a hole in the Quins defence to touchdown, but Cooke was off target with the conversion attempt.

At times it seemed that the home side were attempting to play dry weather football, distribution was frequently out of sync with balls being pushed to dummy runners who were then picked off with brutal effectiveness by the Rovers defence, whilst both sides regularly coughed up possession cheaply in the greasy conditions. However, it was clear from an early stage that Quins kicking game had the advantage over the men from Hull, with fullback Mark McLinden in particular coming up into the line to put in some effective kicks to turn around the big Robins pack.

Quins restored their advantage seventeen minutes in when Tyrone Smith pushed himself through a hole out wide as the Robins defence failed to slide quickly enough, Sykes adding his second goal for a 12 – 6 score line. Just three minutes later the scores were again levelled when Cooke received the ball first receiver from the scrum and put through a cheeky little kick behind the Quins defensive line, fullback Mark Lennon was first in the race to collect and Cooke added the conversion.

For a time it looked as if the conditions would nullify the attacking threat of both teams, a run of knock-ons and dropped balls marking out the play, but the best move of the game was to come on the half hour mark when Chad Randall initiated a Henry Paul orchestrated piece of free running rugby which was to see the hooker fittingly finish off the move with a try. Sykes’s conversion was to send the sides into the halfway break at 18 – 12.

After the interval Quins tidied up some of their play, cutting down on errors and Julien Rinaldi picked up the tempo of the attacking game with some snappier distribution from the play the ball, but a genuine fear emerged that the side may run out of players as Randall, Joe Mbu and Worrincy all felt the effects of heavy knocks.

The first points of the half were claimed by Sykes via a long range penalty, but the hour was up before Chris Chester claimed the next try for the visitors, Cooke’s goal pulling the scores to 20 – 18. The response was almost immediate when two minutes later Gafa found his way over, Sykes goaled and an 8 point margin was restored.

Rovers continued to plug away but lacked any cutting edge, Quins resolute ball and all defence shutting down the middle channels. The main threat came from towering kicks from Cooke, but even in the poor conditions it wasn’t enough. In the final ten minutes, Rikki Sheriffe had the chance to seal the game for Quins, but dropped a ball from Sykes with the line begging although the pass was almost certainly forward. In the end it was prop Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook who exploited some tired legs to race through a gap on the stroke of fulltime for Quins fifth try.

In retrospect it may not have been the prettiest of wins, but given the conditions and the rather threadbare look of the Quins squad Brian McDermott will take much heart from his side’s gritty performance.

Harlequins RL: (18) 32
Tries: Worrincy, Smith, Randall, Gafa, McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Goals: Sykes 6

Hull KR: (12) 18
Tries: Tandy, Lennon, ChesterGoals: Cooke 3

South London Storm anniversary celebrations

2007-06-29T13:20:00.000Z

South London Storm will be hosting a celebration of their 10th anniversary at the City Golf Bar, near Blackfiars station, on the evening of Saturday 7th July.

Details of the all ticket event can be found here on the club’s facebook pages, or here on the club’s official website.

Skolars hope to teach Featherstone a lesson

2007-06-29T08:29:00.000Z

London Skolars head to Featherstone Rovers on Sunday riding the crest of a three match winning streak, their best return in the professional leagues. However, the match will be a big ask for the men from North London, with Rovers who are currently top of National League Two dispatching them comfortably during their visit to the capital early last month.

Match details including directions can be found here on the Featherstone Rovers site.

In other news the Skolars have announced the return of a popular hospitality event before their next home game against the Keighley Cougars on Saturday 14th July. Details can be found here.

Quins return to The Stoop

2007-06-29T07:54:00.000Z

Quins RL return to The Stoop tomorrow for the first time in almost a month, to play Hull KR. In between the last home game the side suffered defeats away at Wigan in the Challenge Cup and Salford away in Super League, but fullback Chris Melling and centre Paul Sykes both made promising debuts in the mid-season Great Britain test match against France last Friday in Leeds.

Opponents Hull KR are experiencing a tough time at the moment, after some good early season results they are finding their first season in Super League a big challenge and are only one point above bottom club Salford. By comparison Quins have maintained a place in the top six in recent weeks and a home win would retain that position.

Despite the arrival of highly rated standoff or loose forward Paul Cooke from cross city rivals Hull FC the Robins have struggled in recent fixtures losing their last three league games, including a 40 – 0 blow out against champions St Helens in the last round. However, there is a danger that the Hull KR pack which features experienced forwards such as Michael Vella, Danny Ward and Mark O’Neill, may outmuscle an under-strength Quins pack.

Quins will be without GB debutant Melling, who picked up a groin strain last weekend, whilst in the halves Danny Orr is also injured; this may see Jon Wells moved to fullback where he’s played competently in the past, with Mark McLinden partnering Scott Hill in the halves. Up front Quins are looking most threadbare, prop David Mills is out with a reported hand injury joining long-term absentee Daniel Heckenberg, but youngster Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook is back after a spell on the treatment table. At the back of the pack influential captain Rob Purdham will miss the rest of the season, but the return of hardworking back-rower Henry Paul should mitigate some of the loss.

Despite the far from ideal situation on the injury front, and forecasted rain which may suit a forward based game, coach Brian McDermott will be quietly confident of a home win. Tickets can still be purchased online or over the phone for collection tomorrow, but fans travelling to the game by car should be aware that the Rosebine car park will be close due to an event at the international stadium.

Skolars make it a treble!

2007-06-25T08:53:00.000Z

London Skolars continued their climb up the National League Two table with a third consecutive win yesterday. The London sided ran out 34 – 12 winners against Swinton at home at the New River Stadium to seal their best ever run of results in the professional ranks.

A full match report is here.

London Skolars: (24) 34
Tries: Hodgkinson 2, Benson, Lynton, Thorman, Tozer
Goals: Thorman 5

Swinton Lions: (0) 12
Tries: Ashall, Bates
Goals: Marsh 2

2007-06-19T12:56:00.000Z

Harlequins RL have announced that former Kangaroo test prop Richard Villasanti, an early season capture from Cronulla Sharks, has been forced to retire at the age of 27 after failing to recover from close season knee surgery.

It was hoped that the player nicknamed “Villa the Gorilla” due to his all actions style would add power and aggression to a Quins pack that has been criticised for a lack of depth, but the failure of his knee to respond to rehabilitation has restricted him to just a handful of academy fixtures for the club.

It is hoped that the club will now be able to use up the extra space under the salary cap to bring in a replacement, with the club currently facing problems in the forwards with experienced prop Daniel Heckenberg out for the rest of the season and recent injuries to Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Henry Paul and skipper Rob Purdham.

Skolars make it two in a row

2007-06-17T07:54:00.000Z

London Skolars edged themselves up the National League Two table yesterday when they overcame bottom club Blackpool Panthers at home to record their second successive win in the competition.

A full match report will appear here.

London Skolars: (0) 28
Tries: Benson, Price, Hodgkinson 2, Aggrey
Goals: Thorman 4

Blackpool: (8) 14
Tries: Cantillon, Gambles
Goals: Brand 3

Quins fall at Salford in first ever tryless Super League game

2007-06-16T07:52:00.000Z

Quins RL succumbed to a narrow defeat away at a resurgent Salford last night, with the first ever tryless Super League game. A goal from John Wilshere and a drop goal from Luke Robinson was all that separated the two sides.

The win was a welcome start for new Salford coach Shaun McRae who faces a tough battle to lift his charges off the foot of the Super League ladder.

A full review can be found here.

Salford: (2) 5
Goals: Wilshere 2
Drop: Robinson

Harlequins RL: (0) 2
Goal: Sykes

Skolars pass Gateshead test

2007-06-11T13:18:00.000Z

London Skolars picked up their first win of the season in National League Two yesterday, beating fellow strugglers Gateshead Thunder at the Thunderdome.

A tightly fought contest saw goal kicking prove crucial with Jamie Nowland’s four goals ultimately separating the two sides.

A full match report is here.

Gateshead Thunder: (12) 20
Tries: Harris, Christensen, Martin, N Thorman 2
Goals:

London Skolars: (16) 28
Tries: Honor, Nowland 2, Hodgkinson, Tozer
Goals: Nowland 4

Wigan dump Quins out of Challenge Cup

2007-06-09T10:53:00.000Z

Quins RL crashed out of the 2007 Carnegie Challenge Cup last night, going down 25 - 6 to Wigan Warriors at the JJB Stadium.

The Quins had braced themselves for an expected backlash from the Warriors following the previous weekend’s win at home in the league against the same opponents. The home side took an early lead through tries by Chris Ashton and Pat Richards which were to eventually send them in 12 points up at half-time.

Quins pulled the scores back to 12 - 6 after the break when debutant Stephen Bannister, a recent signing from St Helens, went over for a try converted by Paul Sykes. The complexion of the game was changed thirteen minutes into the second-half when winger Jon Wells was sent off for a high tackle, Wells who is not known as a dirty player appears to have been clumsy in his attempt to tackle rather than intentionally aiming to injure Darrell Goulding.

However, the sending off did again raise questions about officiating impartiality following the decision not to punish Bryan Fletcher for apparently striking Quins hooker Julien Rinaldi in an off the ball incident. Two seasons ago Martin Aspinwall, then playing for Wigan, scythed down Wells in a game at Griffin Park with what appeared to be an attempted karate kick, but no further action was taken allegedly after the reviewing committee was unable to find sufficient evidence despite the incident being repeated shown in television footage.

A full match report is here.

Wigan: (12) 25
Tries: Ashton, Richards, Calderwood, O'Loughlin
Goals: Richards 4
Drop goals: Barrett

Harlequins RL: (0) 6
Tries: Bannister
Goals: Sykes

Hawks swoop to steal points from Skolars

2007-06-04T12:26:00.000Z

Hunslet Hawks yesterday scraped the narrowest of wins against Lonfon Skolars at New River, running out 20 – 21 winners. The London side appeared in complete control at the half way stage and were on course to pick up their first win of the season only to be denied by a second half fight back from the Hawks which saw fullback Matt Bramald steal the win with a drop goal.

A full match report will appear here.

London Skolars: (18) 20
Tries: Hoptkinson 2, Maitua
Goals: Nowland 4

Hunslet Hawks: (4) 21
Tries: Cook, Smith, Robinson, Cunningham
Goals: Robinson, Bramald
Drop Goals: Bramald

Quins too tough for Warriors

2007-06-03T08:31:00.000Z

Quins RL moved up to fifth in the Super League following yesterday’s 18 – 8 home win against the Wigan Warriors, but will now be bracing themselves for a backlash when they visit the Warriors on Friday night in the Challenge Cup.

It was Wigan who started brightest when Pat Richards jinking run bamboozled some hesitant Quins defence to create a space for departing fullback Chris Ashton to go over for the opening try just seven minutes in. Richards was unable to add the conversion but the home fans were set on edge by an early period of dominance from the visitors which saw Richards miss another shot on goal, this time for a penalty, after fifteen minutes.

Quins were to overhaul the deficit shortly before the half-hour mark when Matt Gafa, playing in an unfamiliar second-row role found a hole to out in centre Paul Sykes. Sykes added the extra two points and then another two shortly after for a penalty to send the Quins in 8 – 4 up.

It was Quins who were quickest out of the blocks, this time Gafa was the recipient of some good play from halves combination Mark McLinden and Danny Orr, going over for the third try of the game. Sykes added the goal and at 14 – 4 the Quins were looking good value for their lead. Growing indiscipline from a Wigan side frustrated at the parsimonious Quins defence led to another penalty opportunity for Sykes who gratefully accepted another two points to make it 16 – 4.

Just after the hour Wigan did manage to pull back a try, with star man Trent Barrett, who otherwise had a rather quiet game pulling off a piece of individual magic to cross in the south east corner. Richards was again off target with the boot to leave the scores standing at 16 – 8.

The Barrett try was to be Wigan’s last major threat at overhauling the Quins lead as their frustration continued to build leading to a string of errors that ultimately hindered their chances. In the final ten minutes forward Gareth Hock was sent to the sin bin for dissent as tempers frayed, leaving Paul Sykes to seal the scores with another penalty.

If the match had a general theme it was of a rather sloppy first half in which both sides made plenty of errors, only for Quins to tighten up their performance in the second half to give them the edge over Wigan. Quins fans had been concerned that the absence of reliable skipper Rob Purdham and hard working back-row Henry Paul (who dropped out before kick-off) would weaken the defensive unit, but the fears were largely unfounded. Gafa had a surprisingly effective performance in the back-row alongside Lee Hopkins, Michael Worrincy and Joe Mbu (in his first game back following a stint at Doncaster). Orr completely outplayed his counterpart, former Quins halve Tommy Leuluai, and looks far more comfortable playing alongside McLinden. If there was a downside it was that Scott Hill once again failed to impose himself on the game, with another quiet performance.

Wigan on their part looked short of cutting edge, giving rise to the suggestion that when Barrett has a quiet game the Warriors have a quiet game. Iafeta Paleaaesina put in some strong running in his first spell but faded badly, whilst front-row partner Stuart Fielden was also largely anonymous. Back-rowers Hock, Sean O’Loughlin and Bryan Fletcher worked hard without great reward, but some sloppy head high tackles particularly from Hock undid some of their good work. In the backs Richards looked sharp but was denied good service, whilst Ashton looked suspect in defence and under the high ball but did show some good running lines going forward.

Quins head coach Brian McDermott knows that this Wigan team is capable of far better performances and will be wary of Friday’s challenge cup game at the JJB Stadium. In front of an expectant home crowd Wigan will be driven by what they see as their best chance of silverware this season and should present a far tougher prospect.

Harlequins RL: (8) 18
Tries: Sykes, Gafa
Goals: Sykes 5

Wigan: (4) 8
Tries: Ashton, Barrett

Melling signs on for two more years in London

2007-05-30T08:32:00.000Z

Quins RL have announced that utility back Chris Melling has signed up for a further two years. The former Wigan player was signed initially for 2007 but has impressed in his debut season primarily playing at fullback.

More details here.

Quins mauled by stampeding Bulls

2007-05-28T08:31:00.000Z

Quins RL fell to a heavy defeat yesterday away at Odsal, the Bradford side ran rampant in the first half wracking up 22 unanswered points, effectively putting the game behind the visitors.

A full report is here.

Bradford: (22) 44
Tries: Vainikolo 3, Vagana, Deacon, Morrison, Henderson, Hawkyard
Goals: Deacon 6

Harlequins RL: (0) 18
Tries: Wells, Randall, Sykes
Goals: Sykes 3

Roughyeds too strong for Skolars

2007-05-27T15:15:00.000Z

London Skolars went down 6 – 34 against an in form Oldham Roughyeds at New River Stadium yesterday. Oldham effectively won the game in the first half picking up five unanswered tries which saw them into the break with an unassailable 26 point lead.

A full report is here.

London Skolars (0) 6
Tries: Aggrey
Goals: Nowland

Oldham: (26) 34
Tries: Wilkinson, Onyango, Hughes, Costin, Houlston 2, Hodson
Goals: Sanderson 3

South London Storm blow their way to the top

2007-05-27T15:03:00.000Z

South London Storm yesterday overpowered London Skolars A at New River Stadium to consolidate their position at the top of RLC Premier South. A tight first half saw just 4 points separate the visitors from their hosts, the struggle continued into the second half before the Storm finally pulled away in the closing quarter of the game.

A full match report is here.

London Skolars A: (16) 26

South London Storm: (20) 44

Feast of Rugby League planned at New River

2007-05-25T13:36:00.000Z

Tomorrow will see a full day of rugby league action at New River Stadium in Tottenham as London Skolars reserve grade take on reigning champions South London Storm in the RLC Premier, followed by the first grade team who entertain Oldham Roughyeds in a National League Two fixture.

The RLC Premier clash presents an intriguing match-up with both sides sharing joint top spot on the divisional ladder, with both unbeaten after four games. The Storm, who swept all before them last season are facing up to a much tougher prospect the season and were lucky to scrape past West London Sharks last weekend.

In the National League Two game Skolars will be buoyed by their draw against Keighley Cougars last weekend which saw them end a horrendous run of defeats and also lifted them above Gateshead Thunder into tenth place.

The action will start from 11:00 with a full programme of junior fixtures; Skolars A versus South London kicks off at 12:45, with Skolars versus Oldham following at 15:00.

More information is available here.

Quins optimism faces Odsal test

2007-05-25T12:19:00.000Z

Quins RL go into Sunday’s away game against Bradford Bulls with confidence riding high on the back of an impressive performance against Warrington Wolves. The Bulls however are likely to pose a more significant threat to their 100% record in May so far.

Joe Mbu joins the match squad following his recent return to the club, whilst Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook also makes the twenty man squad but must remain doubtful having missed the last three games. Star player Scott Hill remains on the injury list as does influential back rower Henry Paul. As a result Mark McLinden and Danny Orr are likely to continue as the halves combination which linked up well against the Wolves last weekend.

Bradford will be missing injury victims Shontayne Hape, Chris Feather, Jamie Langley and Matt Cook, along with aggressive hooker Terry Newton who is suspended. However they retain plenty of star quality throughout the side with Iestyn Harris and Paul Decaon forming one of the UK’s best halves combinations. Ian Henderson provides capable distribution from dummy half whilst Lesley Vainikolo remains one of the most feared strike players in the league despite recent injury concerns.

In recent years the Bulls have gained a reputation for steamrollering opposition with a big pack typified by the likes of Joe Vagana, Andy Lynch and the injured Feather. They also have some hard working all round forwards in Glen Morrison and former Kangaroo Chris McKenna, with Kiwi international David Solomona providing a key attacking threat with damaging runs out wide and one of the best offloading games in rugby league.

The Bulls who currently lie in third place have surprised many this season, having been written off as serious contenders in some quarters. When the sides met at The Stoop in March Bradford were made to work hard for their win but injuries have bitten deeply recently and they were played off the park by Huddersfield Giants last weekend. Quins head coach Brian McDermott himself a former Odsal favourite will be well aware of the threats and weaknesses of the Bulls but will be justifiably hopeful of a victory given his side’s current form.

Joe Mbu returns home

2007-05-23T07:50:00.000Z

Quins RL have confirmed that Joe Mbu is returning to the club for the rest of the season, following the financial collapse of Doncaster Lakers. The news that the popular second rower would be coming back to the club has been warmly welcomed by fans who were disappointed to see him leave for the Lakers at the end of last season.

Mbu who came through the youth ranks at London Skolars and later the London Broncos academy is regarded by most fans as a reliable and hard working forward, whose presence has been missed at times this season. Although never regarded as a flash forward Mbu has always given his 100% commitment to Quins and the London Broncos and will restore some much needed depth and experience to the pack.

Griffins mauled by Tigers

2007-05-21T15:52:00.000Z

London Griffins were brought down to earth with a bump on Saturday losing 52 – 28 away to Bedford Tigers in the London League. The West London based side who recently announced they will be stepping up to the Rugby League Conference next month to replace Broadstairs Bulldogs who have withdrawn from the competition.

A full match report is here.

London claw a draw out of Cougars

2007-05-20T19:24:00.000Z

London Skolars ended their losing streak today with a 16 – 16 draw away at Keighley Cougars. The Skolars who trailed by 2 points at the break clawed their way back into the game in the second half and secured the 2 league points for a draw with a last minute drop goal from Jamie Nowland.

A full match report will appear here.

Keighley Cougars: (4) 16
Tries: Knight, Duffey
Goals: Eaton 2, Knight 2

London Skolars: (2) 16
Tries: Kerr, Simms
Goals: Nowland 3
Drop Goals: Nowland 2

Ravens cut down by Centurions

2007-05-20T15:00:00.000Z

Kent Ravens fell to earth yesterday against St Albans Centurions. The Dartford side were on the receiving end of a 6 – 76 score line although they can take some consolation from the fact that they were facing a far more experienced side who are tipped as one of the favourites for this season’s RLC Premier title. On paper the match was an intriguing prospect, with St Albans having played in National League Three last season whilst Kent Ravens stepped up from the RLC division having been in the London League only two years ago.

A full match report will appear here.

Storm edge out Sharks

2007-05-20T14:28:00.000Z

South London Storm narrowly overcame a committed West London Sharks side 28 - 32 yesterday at Grasshoppers, their second win over the Sharks this season.

West London can feel unlucky not to have earned a share of the spoils against the reigning champions and reinforces just how tough this division has become.

A full match report is here.

Quins hunt down the Wolves

2007-05-20T09:01:00.000Z

Quins RL stormed to a first ever win at the Halliwell Jones Stadium last night, with a superb defensive effort restricting Warrington Wolves to just 4 points in eighty minutes.

The opening stages of the game saw both sides cagily test out the other’s defences before Matt Gafa broke the deadlock with the opening try after eighteen minutes, halfback Mark McLinden brushed off the efforts of Wolves skipper Lee Briers to guide in rangy wingman Gafa. Quins skipper Rob Purdham was off target with the conversion to leave the score at 0 – 4.

The visitors lead lasted about four minutes before Great Britain centre Martin Gleeson, who was arguably Warrington’s greatest threat throughout the game, glided over to level the scores. Briers also missed the conversion keeping the scores level at 4 – 4.

Just after the half hour mark Purdham extended his side’s lead with another try, but was unable to add the extra 2 points. Purdham was on target with the boot five minutes later when interchange hooker Julian Rinaldi weaved his way over the try line, sending the Quins into halftime with a well earned 4 – 14 lead.

After the break Wolves came out showing far more enthusiasm than in the first half and pushed the Quins defence hard. To their credit the visiting side soaked up wave after wave of pressure from an increasingly frustrated home side, which inevitably started to lead to relieving penalties as the Warrington discipline started to waver. The resoluteness of the Quins defence eventually paid off with a penalty goal from Purdham pushing the score to 4 – 16 with five minutes to go, before Paul Sykes added a late drop goal to finalise matters at 4 – 17.

Afterwards coach Brian McDermott was justifiably proud of a fantastic team effort, and will have been pleased not only by the way his charges maintained their intensity levels in defence but also by the way all the team members worked for each other.

Warrington: (4) 4
Tries: Gleeson
Goals:

Harlequins RL: (14) 17
Tries: Gafa, Purdham, Rinaldi
Goals: Purdham 2
Drop Goals: Sykes

Skolars go Cougar hunting

2007-05-18T18:31:00.000Z

London Skolars face a trip to West Yorkshire on Sunday to confront a Keighley Cougars side two places above them on the National League Two ladder.

The cougars who boast a former Super League halfback amongst their ranks in player/coach Barry Eaton will have been boosted by a win against Blackpool Panthers in the last round and go into the game as favourites against a London side that has yet to pick up a win this season despite some very solid performances.

The game kicks off 3pm at Cougar Park, directions can be found here.

Quins face the Wire

2007-05-18T18:13:00.000Z

Quins RL go into tomorrow’s away match against an erratic Warrington Wolves side on the back of a mini injury crisis. Star players Scott Hill and Henry Paul will both miss the game, as will young prop Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, whilst former Kangaroo Richard Villasanti is still yet to make his first grade debut.

Mark McLinden is expected to start at scrumhalf with Danny Orr at standoff, skipper Rob Purdham is likely to slot in to the loose forward slot, with Chris Melling at fullback. Up front Karl Temata and Daniel Heckenberg will probably lead the pack, with David Mills and Jon Grayshon coming off the bench.

Warrington, who won 12 – 19 at The Stoop back in March, are themselves just getting over their own injury crisis and will welcome back prop Paul Wood although standoff Chris Bridge and hooker/halve Michael Sullivan remain on the injured list.

The two sides both go into the game having won their last two games (one Super League and one Challenge Cup) but prior to that Warrington had a poor run of four Super League defeats at the height of their injury crisis.

The key figures in the Warrington side will be mercurial skipper Lee Briers, former St Helens and Kiwi international back rower Vinnie Anderson, and Great Britain internationals Paul Johnson and Martin Gleeson who provide one of the most balanced centre pairings in the league.

The game will be a big ask for the Quins, but a win is likely to cement their place in the top six.

Wests Vs Souths double header

2007-05-18T17:41:00.000Z

West London Sharks will take on South London Storm at home tomorrow seeking revenge for the heavy defeat they suffered on the opening day of the RLC Premier.

Both sides will be fielding their first and second grade sides in a double header London derby, with the second teams kicking off at 1pm and the first team kicking off at 2.30pm.

The games are being played at Grasshoppers in West London, click here for directions.

Griffins step up to RLC

2007-05-18T17:32:00.000Z

The London Griffins club has announced the decision to take the step up to the RLC South to replace Broadstairs Bulldogs who have pulled out of the league.

The decision will present the club with a major challenge, although now in its third season and with a solid player and supported base, the club has only recently stepped up to playing full contact rugby league having initially formed as a tag rugby side.

However, the solid management and coaching footing of the club should see it adapt to the rigours of the RLC, with promising signs visible in the recent defeat of reigning London League champions South London Storm II.

More information can be found here.