RL News: Team hit with RFL misconduct charge, huge game headlines Challenge Cup draw and seven players banned by Match Review Panel

Below is a round-up of all the latest news from the world of rugby league over the last 24 hours.

Super League players set to hit the market

May 1st is the crucial date when it comes to roster building for the 2024 season as that’s when Super League players who are uncontracted for next season can begin negotiations. We’ve compiled a list of the major names and there is plenty.

Super League Attendances, Injuries and Team of the Week

Round 10 saw some huge upset results as well as some impressive performances but another thing it highlighted was the continued impressive attendance figures. Three games saw amazing crowds throughout round 10, and fans at one game saw some mammoth performances which saw their players make the team of the week. Unfortunately as always there were injuries with some teams faring worse than others. 

SL side used ‘desperation’ of ‘rock bottom’ to inspire performance

Tony Smith’s Hull FC were in a dire streak of form losing seven straight including some home hammerings at the hands of Salford and their city rivals Hull KR. That led to urgency for their game against Huddersfield and he’s cited the need to be “desperate” as a key factor in helping his side achieve their first win since round two.

Seven banned by Match Review Panel

It’s been another hugely busy week for the Match Review Panel with a whopping 11 players charged. Of those 11 there have been seven bans including three for one side. There are fears though that teams could navigate these bans with potentially only three of the seven bans set to be served.

Challenge Cup draw completed

Super League sides enter the hat of the Challenge Cup draw that was made tonight and there’s been some monster ties picked out. Just four none Super League sides remain with those teams being Batley, Halifax, London and York who will all aim to make the 1895 Cup final as well.

Wane explains England squad selection

Shaun Wane shocked many when he announced a monster 40-man squad to head into the international fixture against France but he’s since explained why he’s selected who he has. He’s also outlined the plans to build for the future, which in itself is an admission as to why the squad features so many youngsters. Despite his claims former England international Kevin Brown has referenced his disappointment over one man’s omission.

How England could line up

There’s been reports from Yorkshire Live that the England squad 0f 40 men has dwindled to just 26 which makes team selection a whole lot easier. We’ve predicted how Wane will line up his players in the international which is on Saturday night at the Halliwell Jones.

Boss backs “bounce back” from youngster

Huddersfield fell to defeat at the hands of Hull FC on Sunday but it was only a one try margin that separated them in the end. A crucial moment in the game came when young winger Sam Halsall failed to ground his try and in the coming minutes Hull FC extended their lead. That was effectively a 12 point swing but Ian Watson has backed the youngster despite the “big error”. He also explained the shock defeat citing effort areas as somewhere that his side fell short. Another youngster also had issues in the game but it wasn’t error based, instead Watson’s highlighted fears that the player could have picked up an injury.

Coach bemoans transfer woes

One side who have been struggling this season is Wakefield Trinity and as such they’ve often resorted to the loan market to try improve or invigorate their team. Whilst they’ve done it a handful of times already, it’s been revealed by Mark Applegarth that they’d intended to do it far more often with the coach claiming they’ve “missed out on five players”.

Super League side to become fan-owned

Fans are at the heart of rugby league and one Super League club is set to embrace that massively as they aim to become the first community owned elite club in the northern hemisphere. They’ve launched a ‘Rise Together’ initiative in which fans can become stakeholders and earn voting and even potentially board status.

Sunday results round-up

We were treated to three Super League games on Sunday and three great ones at that. The earliest of the kick-offs saw Salford host Catalans in a game decided by just one missed conversion. Wigan then beat Wakefield however it was a much improved performance from Trinity, whilst the most improved performance saw Hull FC snap a seven-game losing streak against Huddersfield Giants.

Two shocking bombed tries

Every week rugby league highlights the best of player’s abilities but at times it also throws up some major errors, this week was no different. In a game where the Dolphins of the NRL came back from a record margin they also managed to fluff one of the easiest tries you’ll see. Watch here for that and another of the worst bombed tries this season.

Championship side hit with RFL misconduct charge

Cumbria is one of the forgotten hubs of rugby league with three teams from the county in the professional and semi-professional ranks. Following Workington’s relegation to League One there remains just two sides in the Championship but when they clashed on Easter Sunday the rivalry was there to be seen in full flow. Some fans went too far and ruined the spectacle for others which has led the RFL to hand a misconduct charge to one of the sides.