General ESL Season 2016

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

2016 First Utility Super League fixtures announced

image: https://rflmedia.therfl.co.uk/images/imagesource.php?image=37206.jpg&maxwidth=600

18th October 2015
#SuperLeague2016

The First Utility Super League fixtures for the 2016 season have been released today, with each of the twelve clubs discovering who they will face at key points throughout the season.

Following one of the most exciting seasons in Super League history in 2015, which saw the League Leaders Shield won with the last play of the game and a sell-out Grand Final at Old Trafford witness Leeds Rhinos win the treble, Super League XXI will kick off with six fixtures over the first weekend of February.

Super League General Manager Blake Solly said: “2015 was one of the best years ever for Super League and I am really looking forward to see if 2016 can be just as exciting. The new league structure is now into its second year and it gives every team the opportunity to create some incredible moments and memories.

“There is so much to look forward to in 2016 for Super League fans. We have three top teams from the NRL coming over to battle three of our top clubs in the World Club Series, a fantastic return to Newcastle for Magic Weekend in May, the Super 8s, the Million Pound Game and, of course, the Grand Final at Old Trafford, all of which I am sure will make for another exciting year.”

Leeds will begin the defence of the title they famously clinched at Old Trafford last week with a home fixture against Warrington Wolves on Thursday February 4 in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Wigan Warriors, First Utility Super League runners-up for the second year running, get their 2016 season underway with a game at home against the Catalan Dragons on Friday February 5, whilst 2015 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup finalists Hull Kingston Rovers take on Castleford Tigers in one of two fixtures staged on Sunday February 7.

Elsewhere on Friday Hull FC take on Salford Red Devils and St Helens take on the Huddersfield Giants whilst the weekend is rounded off on Sunday evening when the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats host the Widnes Vikings.

Later in February, three of Super League’s top performing clubs of 2015, Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors and St Helens will go head to head with the top three NRL sides from 2015 with Wigan Warriors taking on Brisbane Broncos, Leeds Rhinos taking on the North Queensland Cowboys and St Helens taking on the Sydney Roosters in a rematch of the first ever World Club Challenge.

Other highlights in the domestic fixture schedule include a highly anticipated Easter weekend packed with local derbies including Castleford Tigers v Leeds Rhinos, St Helens v Wigan Warriors and an East Yorkshire derby between Hull KR and Hull FC, with all three games also featuring live on Sky Sports.

Magic Weekend 2016 will take place at St James’ Park, Newcastle, where six Round 15 fixtures will be played on Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22, including a rematch of the 2015 First Utility Super League Grand Final between Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors.

After all 23 rounds of the regular season, the First Utility Super League and the 12-team Kingstone Press Championship will once again split into three separate leagues, the Super 8s, the Qualifiers and Championship Shield.

The pick of the action will once again be screened live on Sky Sports, who will televise around 100 Rugby League games in 2016.

Speaking about the partnership, Blake Solly said: “I am once again delighted that our main broadcast partner Sky Sports will be capturing all the drama and excitement of the 2016 season. The importance of the exposure the sport gets through its partnership with Sky Sports cannot be overstated and the level of coverage in 2015 was once again superb.”

Tickets for the 2016 First Utility Super League Grand Final will be on sale from 9am Monday 19th October at rugbyleaguetickets.co.uk


Read more at https://www.superleague.co.uk/article/33212/2016-first-utility-super-league#JVkPzPVUYXig774z.99

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

https://www.superleague.co.uk/matchday/fixtures

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/n...jan/04/super-league-season-festive-friendlies

Super League clubs set up 2016 with intriguing results in festive friendlies

Reigning champions Leeds were beaten at home by Wakefield; Warrington swatted aside Widnes; and Ryan Hampshire shone on his Castleford debut

New kids on the Super League block
Super League XXI kicks off next month and half of the contestants have been in action over the last week. Most left out their international stars, opting to mix and match their senior players with rising talent from the youth ranks as the pre-season friendlies kicked off (strangely referred to as “warm-up matches” by the RFL and by that annoying Australianism “trials” by too many Brits). Among the top flight line-ups were plenty of names new to Super League spectators, some of them familiar to Premier Sports’ NRL viewers and plenty of youthful unknowns, a select few of whom will no doubt emerge asfuture stars as 2016 unfolds.

Champions Leeds fielded a strong-looking XIII, including 10 of their Grand Final team, and yet were surprisingly beaten 14-6 at home by wooden-spoonists Wakefield in a Watersplash Boxing Day derby. Trinity fans may have been alarmed to see Cameron Smith on the Leeds’ team-sheet but it turns out this one is the Rhinos’ wunderkind, the England youth captain who completed a notable achievement, leaping from the Under-16s to the first team without playing an Under-19s match!

Smith and 18-year-old centre Ryan Jones – playing against his hometown club – were among four young subs to make late appearances, watched by 11,000 at Headingley Baths. Also making their Leeds debuts in the monsoon were former Australia prop Keith Galloway and the magically named Aussie hooker Beau Falloon.

Super League newcomer Tinirau Arona impressed for Wakefield. The new signing from Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks looked at home immediately, despite playing in temperatures about 20 degrees lower than what he is used to at this time of year. The versatile, 26-year-old forward, who came through the Roosters’ system under Wakefield boss Brian Smith, is vastly experienced, having made his Cook Islands debut at just 17.

Warrington swatted aside a young Widnes side 40-0 on the Sunday after Christmas in front of over 5,000 at Naughton Road, veteran Aussie recruit Kurt Gidley running the show from stand-off, where he may have to fill in for the injured Stefan Ratchford. Warrington started with a far more experienced side than Widnes and led 30-0 at the break, before introducing a dozen youngsters off the bench. Among them was the intriguing case of Richard Harris. A centre or full-back, he learned the game with his local side Medway Dragons in Gillingham, spent several years with London Broncos and captained Scotland Under-19s. Having fallen out with the Broncos he managed to get an opportunity at Warrington last year and did well enough for the Wolves Under-19s to secure a new contract. He also made his full Scotland debut in last autumn’s European Championship campaign, appearing in all three internationals despite having never played a senior game of club rugby.

Among the new faces for Widnes were former Canterbury Bulldog Corey Thompson, the Indigenous Australian who came through the local scene in Brisbane before making the NRL in Belmore. He was replaced at full-back after 25 minutes by England Academy full-back Olly Ashall, who makes the fresh-faced Tom Briscoe look like Jamie Peacock. Local 20-year-old twins Jay and Teddy Chapelhow (who both play tennis for Cheshire, by the way) impressed coach Denis Betts on their first-team debuts. It could cause chaos in the commentary box if those two play regularly together.

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

First game is 8.00am on Friday morning so set your MySky for Sky Sports 2;

 

[mrblonde]

Back on topic, the ESL starts this week with live coverage of selected games on Sky.

I recall there was a time it seemed all the Warriors players went to Bradford (it was probably only 2-3 over a couple of seasons in reality). I know Tomkins is at Wigan, Hohaia retired last season I think and am sure Moon went to Salford after leaving here. Just bought to mind Vinnie Anderson for some reason, assume he's retired by now (he left us 2004 I think?)

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

I recall there was a time it seemed all the Warriors players went to Bradford (it was probably only 2-3 over a couple of seasons in reality). I know Tomkins is at Wigan, Hohaia retired last season I think and am sure Moon went to Salford after leaving here. Just bought to mind Vinnie Anderson for some reason, assume he's retired by now (he left us 2004 I think?)

It didn't do Bradford much good!

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

Results for ESL and div 2 from first weekend from the beeb;

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

Salford canned St Helens this morning!

 

[bruce]

Salford canned St Helens this morning!

 

[OMG]

Salford canned St Helens this morning!

And now Hull is at the top of the table lol..Floss went good.

 

[Miket12]

And now Hull is at the top of the table lol..Floss went good.

I don't think that well last very long: but then I thought the same about Leicester City in the round ball code so what would I know.

 

[OMG]

I don't think that well last very long: but then I thought the same about Leicester City in the round ball code so what would I know.

Hull was pretty good, they've got a great pack, Pritchard, Sika, Ellis, Mark Minichello and a couple of other Poms, Fonua and Talanoa aswel as Floss in the backs.

 

[bruce]

Pritchard

He is going to be a rock star in that game

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

Hull was pretty good, they've got a great pack, Pritchard, Sika, Ellis, Mark Minichello and a couple of other Poms, Fonua and Talanoa aswel as Floss in the backs.

And Carlos Tuimavarvea ran rings round Krisnan Inu all night!

 

[Miket12]

Krisnan: so much talent but, sadly, so little drive.

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

And now Hull is at the top of the table lol...

And Leads are bottom.

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/35580732

Willie Mason: Catalans Dragons sign veteran Australia prop

Willie Mason played almost 300 NRL games during his 15-year career with Manly, Newcastle, Sydney Rooster, North Queensland and Canterbury

Catalans Dragons have signed former Australia and New South Wales prop Willie Mason on a one-year deal.

The 35-year-old, who played six Super League games for Hull KR in 2011 before moving to French rugby union side Toulon, was at Manly last season.

He played 290 NRL games during his 15-year career spent with five clubs, including Canterbury, where he won the 2004 Premiership.


"Willie knows the job a prop has to do," coach Laurent Frayssinous said.

"He is a physical and aggressive player, both in attack and in defence and we have spoken a lot about the quality of our group and he is really excited to join the club."

Frayssinous' Dragons side have lost their first two games in Super League this season, with defeats by Wigan and Hull FC.

Veteran front-rower Mason scored seven tries and played 24 tests for the Kangaroos, including the famous Great Britain 2006 Tri-Series defeat in Sydney where he struck Stuart Fielden and was involved in a scuffle with tourists captain Jamie Peacock.

He also played 13 games for the Blues in State of Origin, scoring once.

 

[mt.wellington]

On paper the Dragons have a good roster but man they are so ill disciplined. The game against Hull had so many coach killers for the Catalans. They get the ball from a knock on and one of their players decides to come charging in late and take out the guy who knocked the ball on. Idiot.

With Todd Carney, Remi Casty, Vincent Duport, David Taylor, Krisnan Inu, Justin Horo, Glenn Stewart, Paul Aiton, Louis Anderson, Pat Richards and now Willie Mason on their books they should do well if they get it together. Big if after watching the Hull game.

Was good to see Laurie Daley play well. Still has his defensive issues but he can move quite well with a bit of space...

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

On paper the Dragons have a good roster but man they are so ill disciplined. The game against Hull had so many coach killers for the Catalans. They get the ball from a knock on and one of their players decides to come charging in late and take out the guy who knocked the ball on. Idiot.

With Todd Carney, Remi Casty, Vincent Duport, David Taylor, Krisnan Inu, Justin Horo, Glenn Stewart, Paul Aiton, Louis Anderson, Pat Richards and now Willie Mason on their books they should do well if they get it together. Big if after watching the Hull game.

Was good to see Laurie Daley play well. Still has his defensive issues but he can move quite well with a bit of space...

I've watched both Catalans games so far and can't believe how shit they are with the players that they have.

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

I am just watching Hull v Castelford and big Frank is still knocking on and Carlos Tuimavarve still can't mark up.