5TWLTW: Video ref flop, Catalan collapse and more
One – All roads lead to Wigan
No messing on Friday night, with the hubcap up for grabs when second-placed Wigan host leaders Huddersfield.
The Giants were never really challenged by Salford on Sunday. They were too good from the start – and they knew it.
Credit to Huddersfield for getting the job done, but Friday’s fixture will be something altogether different.
Expect the Warriors to come out firing, especially after their stuttering win over Hull KR left Shaun Wane seething.
His verdict on the 21-16 win that temporarily put the Warriors back at the top of the table? “It wasn’t acceptable for this club.”
Heaven knows what he’d have said if Wigan had actually lost.
Thankfully a decision or two went their way, which sets up this week just nicely.
Speaking of those decisions…
Two – Cricket isn’t the only sport with video referee controversies
First Steve Ganson, now James Child.
Child’s decision about Josh Charnley’s try on Friday wasn’t as clear-cut wrong as Ganson’s at Magic Weekend, but it certainly caused plenty of puzzled looks at the DW Stadium.
Rovers boss Craig Sandercock said: “I can’t comment because otherwise I’ll be copping a fine.
“Everyone saw it. I’ve no comment. What can I say? It’s on the line, 100 per cent.“
But what’s the answer?
Maybe Tony Smith’s suggestion to just ditch the video referee altogether has been right all along.
Three – Sacrebleu! Can Catalan’s collapse get any worse?
Any chance of Catalan finding form before the play-offs? It doesn’t look likely.
After Satuday’s home defeat against St Helens, the Dragons have won one of their last six games.
They’ve four games left before the start of the serious stuff.
First up is Bradford, buoyed by a terrific win at Wakefield, then three of the top four in Wigan, Leeds and Warrington.
Just the kind of run Laurent Frayssinous will want with a struggling team. Err…
Four – Something special at St Helens
Before Saturday’s match at Catalan, Jon Wilkin was dreaming about St Helens producing a stirring finish to the season.
Wilkin said: “I just feel there is the chance for us to do something special at this club this year and I don’t mind saying that.”
The inference – a copy of Leeds’ play-off charges in the last two years – was clear to see.
And a fifth win in six games, this time in the south of France – where Saints haven’t lost since 2008 – will only have bolstered their belief.
It still looks unlikely that they’ll even reach the last four in the play-offs, never mind getting all the way to Old Trafford.
But their odds are shortening.
Five – Brilliant Barrow do it for Darren
Eye-catching result of the weekend comes from Barrow, where the Raiders took a big step towards Championship survival by seeing off Halifax just days after news broke of Darren Holt’s battle with cancer.
Holt had a tumour removed earlier this week and has handed over temporary control to assistants Phil Atkinson and Dean Marwood.
The Barrow legend is hopeful of returning sooner rather than later, and a 26-12 win over Fax will have done his recovery no harm whatsoever.
We wish him all the best.
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Any thoughts on the weekend’s action? Leave them in the comments below.
Follow Neil Barraclough on Twitter @neilbarraclough