Five things: Worrying times for Catalans, Widnes hopes, Australia trips
There were six Betfred Super League fixtures this weekend and there are quite a few talking points.
St Helens and Wakefield are flying high
How good have St Helens and Wakefield Trinity been so far?! They both play great to watch Rugby League. The Saints eased past Huddersfield 26-12 in a game that they were expected to win but we still have to give them credit. Zeb Taia may be 33 but he looks better than ever this season.
It’s not easy for any team to go to Perpignan and win but Trinity put in a gritty and determined display to take the two points back to The Mobile Rocket Stadium. Tom Johnstone scored a blinder of a try while David Fifita continues to get better. St Helens and Wakefield are the only teams left in the competition that have won all three of their games.
Widnes look capable of finishing in the Super 8s
The Vikings may have only won two out of their opening four games this year but they don’t look like a side who picked up the wooden spoon last season. A stellar performance from Krisnan Inu inspired them to a thrilling 23-6 victory over current Super League champions Leeds Rhinos at the Halton Stadium on Sunday. Denis Betts has a good squad this year and they managed to pull off a solid win over Leeds without their frontline players in Gil Dudson, Lloyd White, Chris Houston and Alex Gerrard. Their two losses were only narrow to Castleford Tigers and Warrington Wolves as well so there are certainly positive signs for Widnes.
Australia trip affected Super League clubs
It’s safe to say that the trip to Australia affected Leeds Rhinos, Hull FC and Wigan Warriors. They only arrived back in the UK at the start of last week and it was always going to be an uphill battle for any of them to back it up with wins due to their jet lag. Leeds lost at Widnes, Hull were defeated at Castleford and Wigan fell short at Warrington. Will Hull and Wigan be regretting the New South Wales tour? Probably not after making a reported £500k each and as for Leeds, they won’t regret competing for the World Club Challenge.
Worrying times for Catalans
Catalans Dragons sit at the bottom of the Super League table, having lost all four of their opening games. When you look at their squad on paper, you would think that it would be a team that could finish in the top six but games aren’t played on paper, of course! In the past, they have never done well when playing away in the UK but they have done well at home in Perpignan. However, this season, they aren’t winning at home either. They lost to Wakefield Trinity on Saturday and something needs to change – sharpish.
Warrington showing glimpses of their old self
Warrington Wolves put in a fine performance to beat local rivals Wigan on Friday. The final result was only 16-10 to the Wolves but the scoreline flattered Wigan. Wolves coach Steve Price said he thought his side could have defeated the Warriors by at least 24 points and it’s hard to disagree with that. Warrington showed glimpses of the Wolves of old on Friday. Tyrone Roberts linked up well with Kevin Brown so that’s a partnership to keep an eye on. Could we see them competing for a place in the top four this year? Who knows…
What did you learn from the weekend’s action? Let us know in the comments below.