Below is a round-up of all the latest news from the world of rugby league over the last 24 hours.
Former Super League boss set for shock union switch
Lee Radford was dismissed from his job as Castleford Tigers head coach early in the season after just three games and three losses. That left his future uncertain but per reports now that has been cleared up with the former Hull FC and Tigers boss heading to rugby union.
Star signing touted for NRL return
Jake Clifford has been a shining light in Hull FC’s team this year and his consistency has been a key factor in that. It’s no surprise the Black and Whites form has taken an upturn now that Clifford is paired with Jake Trueman. One pundit has suggested that Clifford will be on the radar of NRL clubs and could even head home early given his incredible form.
Friday Team News
Friday night sees four Super League games, with the officials of those matches already confirmed, it’s down to the squad news. Salford have found themselves unable to name a full 21-man squad when facing the similarly injury-stricken Wakefield Trinity. St Helens will also miss some key players when facing Castleford Tigers, whilst the big game between Wigan and Huddersfield sees Jake Connor recalled. Details of the television coverage for this round’s fixtures can also be found here.
Yellow card controversy
During last Friday’s win for Hull KR over Wakefield Trinity the home side’s loanee winger Fouad Yaha saw yellow for a tackle on Trinity’s Max Jowitt. At the time it drew much disdain from former officials with one claiming the current approach “will kill the sport”, whilst another labelled the game as “unrecognisable“. It’s since been revealed by the Match Review Panel why Yaha was punished as he landed himself a Grade B charge, but thankfully no game ban. That was something Rovers’ coach Willie Peters commented on, questioning the necessity of the fine itself as well.
RFL report “sizeable losses”
The RFL have announced their financial reports for the past year revealing a loss of close to £1 million. Consequent to that they’ve also noted that team funding has been reduced dramatically with Super League clubs right down to the amateur game being hit hard. One positive to note was that of higher participation levels though thankfully which could invigorate the sport.
Rumours run wild at Headingley
Leeds Rhinos are coming off the back of their best win of the season but even still at Headingley there’s no time to appreciate it, with Rohan Smith spending the week silencing rumours regarding his half-backs. He first shut down the suggestion that an NRL half is incoming, before then also silencing talk that one of his current halves is homeward bound. There was some positive news though with the announcement of the Rhinos’ first signing this season. One of the Leeds halves though has started a charity auction to raise funds for fellow teammates Zane Tetevano’s medical costs.
Potentially record-breaking Super League game rescheduled
Huddersfield Giants announced earlier this season that their clash with Leeds Rhinos at the John Smith Stadium in August is a game they’re targeting to try and break their record Super League attendance. The most recent news though is that the game will be rescheduled on account of football team Huddersfield Town having a fixture.
Ex-player claims Griffin ban was soft
Paul Cooke represented both Rovers and FC in the city of Hull, a city he is immensely proud of but he was quick to call out a current FC star on radio this week. Speaking on BBC Humberside he claimed that Josh Griffin should have received a 10-game ban for swearing at official Chris Kendall. A similar case has happened in the NRL with full-back Reece Walsh copping a suspension, something England international John Bateman has weighed in on. He also went in on former Rovers boss Tim Sheens for his use of the word ‘merger’ in regard to recent comments Sheens made.
Demand soars for semi-final tickets
The Challenge Cup semi-finals are being hosted at neutral venues as double headers with both a women’s and a men’s game being played at both Headingley and the Halliwell Jones. As such the games are set to be a spectacle and fans don’t want to miss out, as evidenced by the huge ticket sales which has prompted the RFL to make more tickets available.
Forward facing “sleepless nights” over contract
Liam Watts is a veteran forward at Castleford Tigers and he was one of the standout performers in their win against Warrington Wolves last week. That said though he’s still without any certainty over his future, which he has claimed has led to “sleepless nights”. He also has spoken on how a reduction of funding has caused squads to become smaller and smaller and further fuels contract tensions.
