Rugby League Today: Watkins waves goodbye, Cumbria stadium woe & Lebanon bans
What’s on site
As well as all the action on the pitch, there is plenty going on off it – with transfer rumours, rejected contracts and more, as reported in Paper Talk.
A mixed bag in this week’s good, bad and ugly – including Joe Westerman’s infamous knee.
Lebanon have suspended 17 players for misconduct, following recent protests surrounding their international against Fiji.
With a place at Wembley at stake, both 1895 Cup semi-finals will be streamed live on the OuRLeague app.
Oldham forward Liam Bent was in a car crash en route to their League 1 clash with West Wales at the weekend, and still put his hand up to play.
What’s on social
There is big disappointment surrounding the new stadium plans in Workington hitting the rocks following a local government change.
If you agree can you help by Re-Tweeting this?!
Hope to make enough noise to ask if there’s any way the powers that be at @allerdale could rethink, because this chance won’t come around again and I believe its too big to ignore!!
Thanks ?? pic.twitter.com/qUHC7hz2UD
— Kyle Amor (@kylejamor87) July 1, 2019
Featherstone’s loan rangers…
I was waiting for this. Turner, Briscoe, D Smith, Newman, Walters, Ormondroyd, Singleton, C Smith, Sutcliffe, Golding, Reynolds, Broadbent, McLelland, Chisholm, Ferguson, Holmes, Johnson, Albert & Trout. Dagger to come. https://t.co/p9hJHHcytY
— Kev Field (@Gerbelly) June 26, 2019
Anyone with an older brother will appreciate this…
Tommy reminds me of myself in the sense that his older brother is richer, more famous, got a missus and family, better at their chosen sport ??♂️
— MacGraff Leuluai (@Leuluai) June 25, 2019
The power of sport…
Told Ben today about taking him to his first home game at @CTRLFC on Sunday, and gave him his home debut letter and his new shirt… excited is an understatement as you can see on his face! #COYF pic.twitter.com/btTLqNmErm
— chloe (@chloe_wilmot) June 24, 2019
What’s in the papers
Kallum Watkins was denied a farewell at Leeds over the weekend, and he talks about his acrimonious and accelerated departure from the Rhinos in an exclusive in the Daily Star.
File this under – articles you never thought you’d read. James Graham will donate his brain to science upon his death to aid research in to concussion, reports the St Helens Star. Fair play.
Decent piece in The Guardian about Leeds’ relegation struggles, written prior to the much-needed victory over Catalans.
Birthdays
Dual-code international, World Club Challenge and back-to-back Harry Sunderland Trophy winner Alan Tait is 55 today.
Also celebrating: Ex-Widnes and Warrington back-rower Steve McCurrie (46); former Hull and New Zealand hooker Richard Swain (44); Leigh coach John Duffy (39); one-time adopted Londoner Luke Dorn (37); Wigan and England back-rower Liam Farrell (29); Wakefield centre Bill Tupou (29); France international Jason Baitieri (30).
What’s on TV/radio
7.10am – Super League Show – BBC Two
Trivia
Alan Tait (1989, 1990) and Andy Farrell (1996, 1997) are the only two players to win the Harry Sunderland Trophy – given to the man of the match in the Super League Grand Final (previously the RFL Premiership) – in successive years.