Rugby League

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred League 1

West Wales Raiders 12 ... Workington Town 58

There has definitely been improvement of sorts for the Raiders as this seasons results show a marked decline in points per game conceded, as last season, many games saw them concede over 100 points. They held Workington to a 28 point deficit at half-time and even scored two tries in the second half.

Record now.....P10...W0 D0 L10...Pts for 88/Pts against 510...Points 0.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred League 1

Keighley Cougars finally obtained enough league points this weekend to overcome the 12-point awarded penalty by the RFL with their 38-26 home win over London Skolars and this now brings a sense of reality to the foot of that league table, with West Wales Raiders losing 10-72 at home to Hunslet, now in bottom place with 0 points.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils have now moved into 5th place in the league after two consecutive home wins:-
Salford Red Devils 26 ... Castleford 16
Salford Red Devils 44 ... Wakefield 20

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred League 1

West Wales Raiders 0 ... Doncaster RLFC 72

Doncaster were totally dominant in this match, scoring 14 tries in total, scoring 36 points in both halves of the game.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Sadly West Wales Raiders are an example of what can happen when you have a ring-fenced league with no relegation. In football, Fort William provide a similar example. And in rugby union, we have Italy. But they daren't have relegation from the Six Nations as one Italy win would almost certainly demote the team they beat, i.e. one of the big five.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Warrington Wolves 12 ... Salford Red Devils 22

Another shock result, as Salford beat second placed Warrington at the Halliwell Jones stadium for the second time this season. Salford had a narrow 8-6 lead at half-time but scored two further times immediately after the break and despite a late try by Warrington, Salford's second half performance was very good.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

West Wales Raiders 44 Coventry Bears 26

The Raiders win at last! It's been a long time a-coming. Well done boyos.

West Wales Raiders created history yesterday, picking up their first ever professional win after toppling Coventry 44-16.

Since rebranding from the South Wales Ironmen to the Raiders in 2017 following a takeover, they had lost their previous 43 fixtures, conceding 66 points per game on average.

They had suffered defeat in each of their 15 Betfred League 1 matches this year, scoring just 128 points in the process.

Nevertheless, they claimed the biggest win by a professional South Wales-based club since 2013 with victory over the Bears at Stebonheath Park.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils 40 ... Catalans Dragons 14

All to play for in this match between two teams hoping to make the play-offs and half-time saw Salford 16-8 in the lead but they really opened the play in the second half and outscored Catalans by seven tries to two.

Catalans remain in sixth place and Salford are now in seventh place.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

West Wales Raiders 44 Coventry Bears 26

The Raiders win at last! It's been a long time a-coming. Well done boyos.

Unfortunately, a more normal scoreline occurred in the following Betfred League 1 match, also played on their own ground.

West Wales Raiders 6 ... Newcastle Thunder 68

32-0 down by half time and conceded a further 36 points in the second half. Newcastle won the try count 13 to 1.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

London Broncos 28 ... Salford Red Devils 58

London looked nothing of the side who had twice defeated league leaders St Helens this season and were overwhelmed by Salford early on, with Salford leading 36-6 at half time. London showed more determination as an attacking force after the break but unfortunately their defence still were poor in the second half. Salford won the try count 10-5 of which three were scored by Niall Evalds, who is now the leading try scorer in the league with 21 tries.

This win takes Salford up to sixth place in the league.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils 32 ... Huddersfield Giants 12

Both sides approached this match with different priorities, Salford to move into the play-off places and Huddersfield needing points to pull away from the lower parts of the league. The first half was very hard fought, with Salford leading 10-6 at half-time, but the second half saw Salford far more dominant and they deservedly recorded a fourth consecutive league victory.

Salford now are fifth place in the league.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Hull FC 22 ... Salford Red Devils 44

An away match at 4th place Hull was going to be a good test for Salford, who had won their last four league matches, and the first half finished even at 16-16, but as in recent matches, Salford raised their game in the second half, to win by 22 points. Salford won the try count 8 tries to 4.

Salford consolidated their 5th league position and are now only two points behind Hull FC.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred League 1

West Wales Raiders 16 ... North Wales Crusaders 56

The Welsh derby went to Crusaders as expected. They led 30-6 at half time. Raiders did cross for three tries, but Crusaders ran in eleven.

 

[greyman42]

Does anyone know what the attendance was at Saturdays rugby league challenge cup final?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils 22 ... Warrington Wolves 6

Warrington went into this game in second place and not unexpectedly suffered post-euphoria syndrome after their cup final win over St Helens. The first half was very gritty and Salford only led 2-0 at half time, but Sio ran in a second half hat trick of tries as Salford raised their game play, finishing the match far stronger. Salford have now won their last six league fixtures, consolidating their play-off position.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Tonight This weekend (Sun) professional Rugby League in the city of Bradford will come to a (hopefully temporary) end with Bradford Bulls playing their final game against Sheffield Eagles at Odsal. From next season they'll groundshare with Dewsbury Rams due to the high running costs and expensive safety-critical work being required.

Apparently Bradford City's Valley Parade was considered (but would be no cheaper) as was Bradford (Park Avenue)'s Horsfall Stadium which was deemed to be too small.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils 17 .... Hull KR 16

Both sides had different targets in this match and Hull KR produced a very good first half performance in defence and led 8-4 at half time but with the scores level at 16-16 near the end, the Salford winger Krisnan Inu scored a drop goal to ensure that Salford had won eight consecutive league matches to move to third place in the league and a place in the play-offs. Not bad for a side that in pre-season, the "pundits" had predicted to be relegated.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Following on from complaints from supporters, the Mayor of Salford, Swinton and Pendlebury councillors and local residents, the entire board of Championship side Swinton Lions RLFC, which was founded in 1866, have resigned when it became public knowledge that the board had submitted a proposal to change the name of the club to Manchester Lions RLFC.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League...Qualifying Final

Wigan Warriors 18 ... Salford Red Devils 12

Both league sides (2nd v 3rd) came into this match on a run of victories, with the winners to play the runaway leaders St Helens. The score was 6-6 at half-time but Wigan ran in two tries in quick succession early in the second half to which Salford responded with their try and the Wigan defence rose to the occasion in the last quarter to stop wave after wave of Salford late pressure.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League...Play-off eliminator

Salford Red Devils 22 ... Castleford Tigers 0

Salford were 14-0 at half time with two tries and added another one after the break, to win this play-off eliminator match. They will now play the loser of the St Helens v Wigan Warriors semi-final later this week.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League...Final play-off Semi-Final

Wigan Warriors 4 ... Salford Red Devils 28

Salford were very motivated by this opportunity to play in the Super League Grand Final and at half-time, were 12-0 up. Both sides scored a try in the second half, but a total of 8 goals from the boot of Inu saw Salford emerge wothy winners, winning the try count 3-1.

It will obviously be a far harder match at Old Trafford, when Salford meet St Helens in the Grand Final, but considering many of the "experts" had forecast relegation for Salford at the start of this season, to have finished third in the league table and to have reached the Grand Final says much for the team and its coaching staff.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

St Helens 48 ... Salford Red Devils 4

If anyone had any queries how St Helens, the defending champions, would fare this coming new season, these were soon answered by a totally professional match domination against a side who finished last season in third place and who they beat in the Grand Final. Saints led 18-2 at half time and were again dominant in the second half, scoring a match total of eight tries.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils 24 ... Toronto Wolfpack 16

Salford needed to show far more resilience than they did in the opening day thrashing last week at St Helens and the first half showed Toronto making life difficult for them, with Salford only leading 6-4 at half time, but Salford showed far more determination in the second half and won the try count 5 - 3.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Betfred Super League

Salford Red Devils 18 ... Wigan Warriors 14

Most definitely a game of two halves with Wigan displaying the confidence of their winning recent sequence in the first half that saw them leading 14-2 at half time, but Salford showed a far better team performance in the second half, scoring 16 unanswered points and winning the try count 3 to 2.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It appears that there have been discussions concerning the continuation of the Super League season with a "triple header" being played behind closed doors on 2nd August, followed by a full fixture list on the weekend of 8th and 9th August. I wonder if these will come to fruition?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Any news as regards where the closed doors venue is and which the three initial fixtures might be?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Any news as regards where the closed doors venue is and which the three initial fixtures might be?

All snippets of information talk of "neutral venues". The "triple-header" item refers to:-
Hull KR v Toronto Wolfpack
St Helens v Catalans Dragons
Huddersfield Giants v Leeds Rhinos

There is no news whatsoever yet concerning either the Championship or League One remaining fixtures.

 

[wireforever]

Still no news on a neutral venue.I did think of Bolton FC or Elland Road Leeds if they are available or perhaps Warrington or Wigans grounds as no fans are being allowed in and having watched some of the Exeter v Northampton Play off final at Wembley a large stadium with no fans does not make any sense I understand the reason and accept I can't watch Rugby League in a stadium live

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Headingley (Leeds) has been mentioned as a possible venue for the opening three matches on 2nd August (which includes a fixture for Leeds Rhinos, so hardly a neutral venue for them).

Also hear that the six additional "loop" fixtures, as well as the Magic Weekend in Newcastle, have now been binned, so just 22 league fixtures for each of the Super League clubs (notionally 11 at "home" and 11 "away"), and aiming to finish the regular season in November.

 

[UP13]

Anybody following the NRL at the moment? Just saw the highlights of the Storm v Roosters game and it looked like a belter.