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Can England finally end 37 years of hurt against Australia on Saturday ?

All we need now is for those Atlantic fronts summoned up by England captain Jamie Peacock at the start of the Four Nations to sweep in at Elland Road on Saturday night. It's showdown time, the English juggernaut up against the Australian Ferrari, and the build-up all week has been one of storm and tempest, fire and brimstone. The only risk is one of anti-climax, such is the bubbling anticipation. Remember the 2004 Tri-Nations final at the same venue ?

What a week it has been, from the referee rumpus and catcalling between the respective packs to Johnathan Thurston's "who ?" dig at Kyle Eastmond and a tired and emotional Bobbie Goulding's big night out at the international awards dinner. Before things kicked off at the Leeds Casino, where the ceremony was held, it was interesting to note the respective drinks on the Australia and England players' tables. Our brave lads were putting away the water (still and fizzy), while a few of the Kangaroos - okay, Darren Lockyer and Greg Inglis, to name two them - were partaking of a cheeky little Italian red.

How to beat Australia

Victories over Australia are like hens teeth. When they happen, they're worth savouring, and no victory at which I was present stirs me more even now than a 12-man Great Britain beating the Kangaroos 8-4 at Wembley in the first 1994 Ashes Test. Two incidents stick out - captain Shaun Edwards getting sent off and this try for the gods by Jonathan Davies. The two men take up the story ...

4 Nations final, Bold England v Bouncing Kangaroos

A few hours before David Haye slayed the Goliath, Russian Nikolai Valuev, to become WBA champion, the heavyweight Four Nations clash in Huddersfield produced another surprise, the big, bad Kiwis being toppled by big, bad England, as it transpired. So Australia have outside backs to die for. Tony Smith has built a monster England pack, ably supported by a couple of buzzing young half backs in Kyle Eastmond and Sam Tomkins. The future, dare one say, is bright.

ENGLAND SERVE NOTICE OF POTENTIAL. READ CHRIS IRVINE'S STORY IN MONDAY'S TIMES HERE AND MATCH REPORT OF KIWIS GAME HERE

Naturally, Australia are odds-on favourites for the final. "Our time is near," was coach Brian Noble's confident declaration after Great Britain beat the Kiwis twice and Australia once, en route to the 2004 Tri-nations final. Darren Lockyer, for those of you who recall that chastening evening at Elland Road, ran the Lions ragged. The pack and England's defence went Awol, a Lockyer-inspired Australia went into overdrive and they were 38-0 up by half-time. The result ended up 44-4, which only Jamie Peacock and Adrian Morley, of the present side, have first-hand knowledge of.

OUT NOW, Rugby League Blog Book 2

The second book of The Times Rugby League Blog, sponsored by The Co-operative, is published today. It's big and beefy, with 50 more pages than last year, more blog readers' comments, more of Chris's swinging arm tackles around the throat of the sport and a quid cheaper - £2 cheaper if you order direct from YFP Publishing HERE. From now on reading is a sport ...

Rugby league webchat, with Christopher Irvine

Christopher Irvine, rugby league expert and the host of this blog, tackled the sport's big issues during a live webchat today.

As England prepare to face New Zealand in the Four Nations tomorrow, Chris was inundated with questions, made bold predictions and answered your queries on the future of rugby league.

When asked if he was optimistic about England's chances against the World Champions, he said: "The Kiwis are big, rough and tough and there's some good football in their side. They're proud World Cup holders and we're going to have to play awfully well, match them up front and hope that Tomkins and Eastmond can weave their magic. I'd say Kiwis by six points, unfortunately."

Chris also discussed the most memorable game he had ever seen and spoke at length about whether the sport was financially stable in the current climate. Scroll through the webchat to see Chris's thoughts on all the major issues. 

Ding, ding. Sam Burgess v Fuifui Moimoi, round two

Of all the immense physical match-ups that make Saturday’s must-win game for England against New Zealand in the Gillette Four Nations such an enticing prospect, the battle between the heavy-hitting Sam Burgess and equally uncompromising Fuifui Moimoi shapes up as the most compelling. Read story in Thursday's Times HERE

England, the good, the bad and the ugly

It was a game of two halves in Wigan and it's been a Four Nations tournament of two halves so far for England - 80 poor minutes and 80 good ones. Better than 160 bad ones, which was the case at the same juncture in the World Cup a year ago. But without an 80 minute performance against New Zealand - yes, just like the World Cup, it's a must-win game against the Kiwis next Saturday - England will not get another crack at the Kangaroos at Elland Road on November 14.

It was a lovely afternoon in Wigan - warmer and drier than Melbourne a year ago, would you credit it - but for 32 minutes England were transported back to the nightmare of the Telstra Dome. It was a Halloween horror show, the 26-0 half-time scoreline worse than the 22-4 by which they trailed at the break in Melbourne, with Greg Inglis and Billy Slater, England's tormentors that night, again running riot down England's right side where Danny McGuire, Lee Smith, Kevin Sinfield and Tom Briscoe were torn to shreds.

ENGLAND SHOW SIGNS OF HOW TO CROSS FINAL BARRIER. READ REPORT IN MONDAY'S TIMES HERE

An Anglo-Australian encounter back on BBC 1 live on a Saturday afternoon for the first time in 14 years, and I imagined a disgruntled nation switching over in their hundreds of thousands to the racing from Newmarket or Oklahoma!

THE JAMIE PEACOCK COLUMN: "Nothing less than our best will work against Australia"

 
EXCLUSIVE By Jamie Peacock, England captain

I'd be lying if I said that last year's 52-4 loss to Australia in the World Cup hasn't been at the back of some of the players' minds this week. That result still hurts and it stays with you, but Saturday's encounter with the Kangaroos is about discovering how much we've learned from that low point.

We need to play better, that's obvious, and certainly play more as a team, which we've been working on both on and off the field. Nothing less than us being at our best from 1 to 17 will work, because if you're not, Australia will punish you.

I'm one of those fortunate enough to have played Australia and won. They're the heady moments you savour, the ones you want more of. The main difference between now and Melbourne twelve months ago is that we go into this game with no expectation of us. We're a new team in many respects. No-one is really backing us to do anything, so we're flying in under the radar.

There is a different team dynamic. Everyone has realised we have to make a much greater effort to get on. Like BT once said, 'it's good to talk'. People have been talking to one another, club barriers have been coming down, and that can only be good for us. Often, it's more about what you do off the field together.

Tomkins blinded by the light

 
Let the bells ring out in Wigan - and elsewhere - because local hero Sam Tomkins is in the England team for Saturday's clash with Australia at the DW Stadium. If Alex Murphy had been at the back of the room at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester, where coach Tony Smith reeled off the 17 names, he would no doubt have let out a whoop at Tomkins' inclusion at No.7.

The pro Tomkins lobby has been in full cry for a while. The young fella is hot property and dealt with the media scrum with the same minimum of fuss that characterises his game. There was a worrying moment, though, for this correspondent after dragging him outside for a photo to accompany an article for Saturday's Times. As the flash bulb went off, Tomkins appeared to be temporarily blinded.

It transpired that something had blown into his eye. For a few seconds, though, I feared the wrath of T Smith for disabling his great white hope for Saturday's Four Nations showdown. Tomkins fortunately wiped his eye and smiled for the camera. A better picture - perhaps - than the ones planned by the RFL for Saturday's red tops. Think Halloween and Adrian Morley dressed up as Frankenstein to put the frighteners on the Aussies, etc.

Tomkins given chance to dazzle against Australia. Read story in Friday's Times HERE

England: S Briscoe (Hull KR); T Briscoe (Hull), L Smith (Leeds), M Shenton (Castleford), R Hall (Leeds); D McGuire (Leeds), S Tomkins (Wigan); A Morley (Warrington), J Roby (St Helens), J Graham (St Helens), G Ellis (Wests Tigers), J Peacock (Leeds, captain), K Sinfield (Leeds). Interchange: S Burgess (Bradford), E Crabtree (Huddersfield), K Eastmond (St Helens), B Westwood (Warrington).

Would a Pommie invasion of the NRL be best for England ?

 
Gareth Ellis is already there. Sam Burgess will join him in the NRL next season, along with Mark Flanagan ... and not forgetting Gareth Widdop. Gareth who ? He's the 20-year-old half back from Halifax, who emigrated to Oz with his family in 2005, starred for Melbourne in the Storm's Toyota Cup Grand Final win over Wests Tigers and was the club's under-20s player of the year.

Will it take a mass migration of Poms to make a competitive England team ? After Ellis's successful crossover from Super League, following on from Adrian Morley and Brian Carney, it's clear that our top players can make it Down Under, but so few seem prepared to follow the lead of Ellis, Morley and now Burgess in the present England team. Look at New Zealand, a team no longer composed of players from its domestic competition but scattered across the NRL landscape, as well as at the Warriors.

Sam Tomkins, Kyle Eastmond, Ryan Hall and Tom Briscoe are rising talents in Super League but how much further would they progress if steeled in the fires of the NRL ? It's still amazing to me that British players won't even venture to Perpignan and play for Catalans Dragons. But if England are beaten by Australia and New Zealand over the next two weeks, can players of ambition really afford to cling to their home comforts ?

England lead Four Nations table but the Antipodeans are coming

A leading club coach in a bar at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday night, still reeling off superlatives at the spectacle he'd witnessed half an hour earlier, said: "England haven't a prayer against those lot. I haven't seen that level of intensity in our game. It was fantastic, wasn't it ?"

It was rugby league from another hemisphere, stratosphere, different world, you name it. To witness Australia and New Zealand going to toe to toe for 80 minutes in an absolute classic was a privilege. It was thunderous, joyous, the very essence of top flight sport. Nearly twelve months after the last game that left me on such a high - yes, New Zealand's famous World Cup final defeat of the Kangaroos in Brisbane - the same two teams transplanted that same vibrancy and intensity to a corner of West London.

AUSTRALIA RELIEVED AS RIVALS SERVE UP CLASSIC. READ STORY IN MONDAY'S TIMES HERE

The watching England coach Tony Smith didn't hang around to say anything after the 20-all draw. What could he say ? Help ? Many of England's gnarled forwards have seen it before, For the raw recruits in the back line, facing a stung Australian side, who must win to stay on course for the Four Nations final, represents a task so far removed from what they've experienced so far, it isn't funny. Smith has invested a lot of stock in Richard Myler, for instance, but the teenage scrum half's big game experience amounts to not a lot. Wales and France are NOT big games.

England coach Tony Smith: "Choosing between Myler and Tomkins was tough"

Richie Myler and Danny McGuire are England's half backs for the opening Gillette Four Nations match against France. Kyle Eastmond is on the bench but there's no place for Sam Tomkins. Not yet anyway. England coach Tony Smith talks sixes and sevens with Chris Irvine on the Blog.

"It was a tough call on Sam Tomkins. I can tell you it was real tough between Tomkins and Richard Myler [at scrum half].
We leaned towards Richard playing because maybe he's a little better at guiding the team around, as well as his individual stuff, whereas Sam's terrific with his individual play and he's still developing his ability to boss a team around.

"We needed somebody to steer this big ship around. But I haven't nailed my colours to Richard Myler's mast. It was a tough call and he needs to produce, otherwise Sam will got a nod at some stage. The same goes for Danny McGuire [at stand-off]. Danny needs to play well, because I'd have no qualms about throwing in two boys [against Australia and/or New Zealand], if we felt that was necessary.

MYLER LIFTS LEADEN-FOOTED ENGLAND TO OPENING VICTORY OVER FRANCE. SEE REPORT IN SATURDAY'S TIMES HERE

"We've actually got some competition at half back for a change. You can throw Kyle Eastmond [who starts on the interchange bench against France]  into the mix . I've have no qualms about throwing him in either, because I know he's going to take on the opposition. They all need to produce. If they do, they're fine. If they don't, we've got some options.

Gillette Four Nations, England don't expect ...

Deep breath. Here we go again. If there's one thing last year's World Cup did achieve with England, it was to shred any sense of expectation about them doing anything remarkable in this year's Gillette Four Nations. Beat France, lose to Australia and New Zealand, and let the big two scrap it out at Elland Road on November 14. That's the "expectation" this time around, however miserably modest/awfully abject that may seem.

We journos and many more besides paid for our optimism Down Under 12 months ago. There's no danger of that, as we don our sackcloth and ashes and gird ourselves for the worst over the coming four weeks. That's the way the England management prefer it, too, after we meddlesome media built England up and knocked them down good and proper. Well, up to a point, Lord Copper. Any hype this time will be our fault apparently; England, we are told, will just be out to do their best, win or lose.

That anticipation about England doing well a year ago - who knows, even win the World Cup - was not simply the preserve of journalists and several thousand England supporters who stumped up big money to follow the team around Australia. There was a genuine expectation in the England dressing-room, before Stanley Gene and his fellow battling Papuans came along, while the subsequent Melbourne slaughter by Australia destroyed all vestiges of confidence for the two ill-fated encounters with the Kiwis.

At no stage in the World Cup did England perform as they should have done. That's why the P word is paramount this time. Perform and "if that's good enough to win the tournament, then great, if it's not, so be it," according to Smith, who you''ll not catch building England's hopes up too much.

Sam Tomkins or Danny McGuire for the stand-off spot ?

Does Tony Smith see Sam Tomkins and Richie Myler as his starting half backs against Australia? Look at the squad and Myler is Smith's automatic starting scrum half, but Tomkins or Danny McGuire at stand-off for England ? Whichever one Smith picks for Friday's opening Four Nations match against France, has got to be in the No 6 shirt to face the Kangaroos the following week. Tomkins is a gamble. As good as he was scoring a hat-trick of tries and laying on three more in the 48-12 win over Wales, his lack of structure at times left me worrying. McGuire has had an exceptional season with Leeds and represents the safer choice. If he's Smith's man for the job, he's got to be in against France, in which case I'd have this as my team to face Bobbie Le Goulding's team in Doncaster.

Sean Briscoe (Hull KR); Peter Fox (Hull KR), Michael Shenton (Castleford), Kyle Eastmond (St Helens), Ryan Hall (Leeds); Danny McGuire (Leeds), Richie Myler (Salford); Adrian Morley (Warrington), James Roby (St Helens), Jamie Peacock (Leeds, captain),  Sam Burgess (Bradford), Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers), Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan). Interchange: James Graham (St Helens), Garreth Carvell (Warrington), Kevin Sinfield (Leeds), Ben Westwood (Warrington).

Coming soon, Rugby League Blog Book 2

Rugby League Blog Book 2, the follow up book to Chris Irvine's Down & Dirty, A Rugby League Blogging Year, is out in early November. Sponsored by The Co-operative and published by Leeds-based YFP Publishing, The Times Rugby League Correspondent is back with his second insight into the mad, bad, dangerous world of rugby league. From Paris to Barcelona and Edinburgh to St Helens, Irvine tackles the sport's big issues and the downright daft.
 
England stars Jamie Peacock, who has also written the foreword, and Jon Wilkin chip in with their two penn'orth and so do many blog followers, from the wonderfully ubiquitous St Di to pot stirrer Mike Hunt and Boston's greatest Warringtonian Jim Savage to the erudite Ronnie the Rhino for MP, all with their own colourful and controversial takes on The Greatest Game over 180 pages. From now on reading is a sport ...

You can order the book from YFP Publishing HERE

Sean O'Loughlin to plug England centre gap against Wales

Sean O'Loughlin finds himself out of position at centre for England's Four Nations warm-up against Wales in Bridgend on Saturday. His Wigan team-mate Sam Tomkins is one of two international newcomers, with 19-year-old Hull wing Tom Briscoe among five players under 21 chosen. There are five players from Tony Smith's Warrington club in the 17, including the starting props, Adrian Morley, who is captain for the night, and Garreth Carvell, who represented Wales in the 2000 World Cup. Former Ireland player Chris Bridge is on the bench. With David Mills injured, Ben Flower, one of up to 11 Crusaders likely to feature, takes over the Wales captaincy. Featherstone Rovers’ Ross Divorty, Bridgend Blue Bulls’ Christiaan Roets and Celtic quintet, Ashley Bateman, Elliot Kear, Lewis Mills, Lloyd White and Neil Budworth, are in line for their Wales debuts.

Tony Smith has one eye on England's future. Read report in Friday's Times HERE

ENGLAND: Paul Sykes (Bradford Bulls); Peter Fox (Hull Kingston Rovers), Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors), Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers), Tom Briscoe (Hull FC); Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors), Richie Myler (Salford City Reds); Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves, capt), Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants), Garreth Carvell (Warrington Wolves), Gareth Ellis (West Tigers), Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves), Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls). Interchange: Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook (Harlequins), Mickey Higham (Warrington Wolves), Danny Tickle (Hull FC), Chris Bridge (Warrington Wolves).

WALES (from): Matt Barron (Gateshead Thunder), Ashley Bateman (Celtic Crusaders), Anthony Blackwood (Celtic Crusaders), Neil Budworth (Celtic Crusaders), Geraint Davies (Celtic Crusaders), Ross Divorty (Featherstone Rovers), Gil Dudson (Celtic Crusaders), Ben Flower (Celtic Crusaders), Rhys Griffiths (Warrington Wolves), Jordan James (Celtic Crusaders), Elliot Kear (Celtic Crusaders), Craig Kopzcak (Bradford Bulls), Lewis Mills (Celtic Crusaders), Christiaan Roets (Bridgend Blue Bulls), Ian Watson (Leigh Centurions), Ian Webster (Central Comets), Lloyd White (Celtic Crusaders), Lee Williams (Celtic Crusaders), Rhys Williams (Warrington Wolves).

Giants star Paul Whatuira undergoing mental assessment

Huddersfield's former New Zealand international Paul Whatuira, 28, was taken to a secure mental health unit in Bradford following his arrest early on Tuesday. It followed attacks on two men in a street in Huddersfield. One was left with what are described as severe facial injuries. 

Whatuira, a two-times NRL Grand Final winner with Penrith and Wests Tigers, was stopped by police, restrained and taken to Huddersfield police station, but later bailed and taken to the unit in Bradford for a mental health assessment. Giants Managing Director Richard Thewlis said: "Paul and his family have the full medical support of the club available to them at this difficult time. The club is upholding its duty of care to provide the best possible environment to help Paul."

Welcome to Hull Sean, now smile for the camera

Sean Long looks about as happy to be in a Hull shirt as a lifer awaiting execution. Had he been called to walk the plank, tossed an incendiary device, or ordered into a minefield, the former Saint might have cracked more of a smile than in this bizarrely grim publicity shot provided by the Hull press office. So why the Long face, Sean ?

Smith unveils new look England

No Leon Pryce, Rob Burrow, Paul Wellens, Ade Gardner, Jamie Jones-Buchanan or Maurie Fa'asavalu - and no recall for Keith Senior. Indeed, there are only nine players from the two Grand Finalists in Tony Smith's encouragingly youthful Four Nations squad, compared with 15 from Leeds and St Helens in Smith's World Cup party last year. In come three uncapped players in Kyle Eastmond, Sam Tomkins and, surprisingly, Chris Bridge, formerly of Ireland. Smith has retained 14 of the 17 on duty in June against France and recalled Kevin Sinfield, Lee Smith and Paul Sykes. Thirteen of the squad will play in Saturday's warm-up against Wales.

England look ahead as old guard makes way for youth. See story in Tuesday's Times HERE

England Four Nations squad: Chris Bridge (Warrington), Shaun Briscoe (Hull KR), Sam Burgess (Bradford), Garreth Carvell (Warrington), Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield), Kyle Eastmond (St Helens), Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers), Peter Fox (Hull KR), James Graham (St Helens), Ryan Hall (Leeds), Danny McGuire (Leeds), Scott Moore (Huddersfield), Adrian Morley (Warrington), Richard Myler (Salford), Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan), Jamie Peacock (Leeds, capt), James Roby (St Helens), Michael Shenton (Castleford), Kevin Sinfield (Leeds), Lee Smith (Leeds), Paul Sykes (Bradford), Sam Tomkins (Wigan), Ben Westwood (Warrington), Jon Wilkin (St Helens).

Leeds Rhinos history men inspired by Antarctic hero

What comes after a "threepeat" ? A foursome, possibly. Leeds have been unstoppable for three years now and their latest Grand Final success was another triumph of will over a numbed St Helens, whose pursuit of the Rhinos desperately needs others to join in during 2010.

So what exactly spurred the mighty Rhinos in their brutally compelling 18-10 triumph ? Some motivational videos of Muhammad Ali, Tigers Woods, the LA Lakers and ... Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Are Leeds the greatest team of the Super League era ?

Leeds have achieved their historic Grand Final "threepeat" but are the Rhinos the greatest team of the 14-year Super League era ?

Their 18-10 victory over St Helens at Old Trafford on Saturday moved them level with Saints on four Grand Final wins apiece. But if you're counting Super League titles, Saints are still out in front on five, having won the inaugural championship in 1996.

There's also a good case for Bradford, who won the title in 1997, the last year of the first-past-the-post system. The Bulls have also won three Grand Finals, adding up to the same number of championships as Leeds in the modern era. The only other Super League champions were Wigan in 1998, as winners of the first Grand Final. 

So which is the greatest Super League team ? You decide.

Champions Leeds make it a Grand Final threepeat

It was exhausting to watch let alone play in, but Leeds made it three Grand Final victories over St Helens in a row in titantic tussle. "Money can't buy the memories from tonight and what we have had in the last few years. We are a team of billionaires in that respect," Captain Fantastic Kevin Sinfield said after his man of the match performance in the 18-10 triumph. Saints gave their all, but were ultimately kicked and tackled into submission, for all the controversy over the Wasps-bound Lee Smith's second try and whether he snaffled up Danny McGuire's kick in coming from an offside position.In allowing the try, video referee Phil Bentham ruled that Smith was behind the kicker.

"I try not to look at the screen. I just asked the bench how it was looking and they thought it was offside," Saints coach Mick Potter said. "I will probably look at it some stage but that is the way it goes. I thought for most of the game we had a big chance and put some pressure on the other team. I thought we looked pretty good at half-time [at 8-8]. We were in with a shout. But we came up with a couple of errors and they had a couple of good measured kicks. If we were playing cricket we would have scored a lot of fours but they scored some threes and that's what you need sometimes. They had more skill in that department and came up with the right plays."

St Helens' one-man kicking game - perhaps not Sean Long's finest 80 minutes in his last appearance for Saints - contrasted with a kicking trio for Leeds of Sinfield, Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow, while Sinfield's brilliant cover tackle in denying Kyle Eastmond a second try proved vital. The Rhinos simply had more options. They're a team who can win fancy, grind opponents down in the wet and armwrestle for 80 minutes and come up smiling.

"It was the toughest Grand Final I've played in," Sinfield, who has now lifted the Super League trophy four times as Leeds captain, said. "The competition as a whole is much tougher. Thankfully we have had enough to come through. We are a salary-cap sport. For the management to keep this team together - all right we may lose the odd one each year - but it is an unselfish team in many ways. Every one of those players could go to another club and earn more money but they choose to sacrifice a few extra quid in their pocket to play for this great club." PICTURES BY ANDREW VARLEY AGENCY

Jamie Peacock aiming to make it six Grand Final triumphs

The following interview by Christopher Irvine with Leeds' Jamie Peacock appears in Saturday's Times

“It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood . . . who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly . . .”

The words of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, are tattooed on the back of Jamie Peacock, the Leeds Rhinos prop and England captain, for whom they could almost have been written. Deeds, daring and devotion; blood, sweat and no few tears have characterised Peacock’s career, which suffered its stumbles before a glorious decade, with Bradford Bulls and now Leeds.

The Super League Grand Final Long and short of it

Were you aware that there's a Grand Final on Saturday night ? There have been times this week when the small matter of Old Trafford and the Super League showdown between the top two sides has been strangely overlooked. Take Huddersfield sweeping the board of the major honours at the Man of Steel ceremony and Sean Long, like a fan dancer showing us flashes of his naughty bits, teasing us with that book of his.

Long has played the old betting scandal story with the same skill and dexterity with which he terminated Wigan's Grand Final quest last Saturday. He's actually revealed not that much, but his dark hints of widespread involvement have had the Rugby Football League and others jumping. Good news for sales of his colourful - not colouring - book, described by St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus as "refreshingly amusing, if not one of the great works of literature".

When he wasn't book plugging, Long spent Monday with his new club Hull. Sense prevailed when it came to donning a Hull shirt in Grand Final week. Longy ain't that daft, despite what parts of his book might suggest. On the subject of great literary works, my humble apologies to the famed Rugby League Literary Quartet, Messrs Hannan, Caplan, Hadfield and Collins, for failing to mention their appearance this week at the Ilkley Literature Festival, where Sean Long was strangely conspicious by his absence.

Rather than his boozy antics, I'm rather more interested in Long's knack of winning in the nick of time. His last gasp dropped goal in beating Bradford in the most controversial of Grand Finals in 2002, his crucial touchline conversion against the Bulls in 1999, his steady, triumphant hand at the tiller against Wigan in 2000. Will the gypsy king prevail again in his final St Helens game after 12 years, or must Saints suffer the same fate at the hands of Leeds for a third year running ? A bigger, stronger Saints pack would help Long's cause and that's their problem against the powerpacked Rhinos.

Gidley the centre of attention for Saints at Old Trafford

This interview by Christopher Irvine with St Helens centre Matt Gidley appears in Friday's Times

St Helens have been blessed by the cultured skills of some outstanding Australian centres stretching back to the great Mal Meninga's year-long sojourn at Knowsley Road in 1984. The silky handling of Jamie Lyon, the pig hunter from the outback, achieved a similar impact in 2005 and 2006 and Matt Gidley has been another potent contributor for three seasons.

Lyon's drawing of defenders and flick pass to release Ade Gardner, who nowadays profits on the St Helens right flank from Gidley's immaculate service, was a direct lift from Gidley's heyday at Newcastle Knights, with whom he won the 2001 NRL Grand Final. Now 32, his selfless approach, vision and consummate passing remain key elements to Saints as an  attacking force.

Gazing out over the green sward this week at Old Trafford, where St Helens encounter Leeds Rhinos for a third consecutive year in Saturday's engage Super League Grand Final, Gidley was reminded more of his solitary success there in the 2000 World Cup final with Australia than successive losses to Leeds.

For Gawd's sake, don't get me to the church on time!

Problems for the Kangaroos. Melbourne's Brett White looks like he's going to have to postpone his wedding on October 17 to fly out with the tour party 24 hours earlier. Fiancee Cassie Adland has been planning their big day for a year, but White told reporters: "It looks like I'm going to have to make a phone  to one very disappointed fiancee. I'll probably go to the florist and buy her a big bunch of flowers and talk to her about it. I'm here and I want to play. I'll do everything that's right by the team. I don't know if it can happen, but apparently I might get divorced before I get married."

That's right Brett. Forget that "happy wife happy life" nonsense. Treat 'em mean and keep 'em keen, although a shoulder injury could still prevent the rookie tourist stepping on the plane for London and may yet rescue the couple's nuptials. Meanwhile, Morris brothers Brett and Josh will become the first twins since Kevin and Kerrod Walters in 1991 to be selected for Australia after St George Illawarra star Brett was called into the Four Nations squad as replacement for the injured Israel Folau.

Brits Gareth Ellis and Mark Flanagan will have a dual code international team-mate at Wests Tigers in Lote Tuqiri (pictured right) next season. It's understood Tuqiri, who was sacked by the Australian Rugby Union in July for an unspecified breach of contract, will sign a deal with the Balmain club on Friday. The former Kangaroos, Brisbane and Wallabies wing returns to the NRL after a seven-year gap, having failed to land a contract with a French union club. PICTURE BY ANDREW VARLEY

Hall's winning numbers for Leeds

This interview by Christopher Irvine with prolific scoring Leeds wing Ryan Hall appears in Thursday's Times

For a skilled mathematician, as Ryan Hall is, the numbers have been simple. The Leeds Rhinos wing’s 33 tries this year add up to ten more than his nearest rival’s count, a strike rate that he is looking to supplement in the engage Super League Grand Final on Saturday.

St Helens, Leeds’ opponents at Old Trafford, are right to be wary of Hall’s prolific left-sided combination with Keith Senior, the veteran centre who might not share Hall’s passion for trigonometric functions, but has cut all the right angles for his 21-year-old team-mate to flourish in a remarkable full first-team debut season.

Maguire is Wigan's new coach

It's official. Wigan have appointed Australian Michael Maguire as successor to Brian Noble as the Warriors head coach. Maguire, 35, is stepping down as assistant coach with NRL premiers Melbourne to take up a three-year contract at the DW Stadium.

The new man was not there in person at today's announcement. There's still a little more rigamorole with his visa to go through before he is due next month. Special dispensation from the RFL was required for the former Canberra and Adelaide player, who has not actually held a head coaching position in Australia. Before the Storm, he was an assistant and strength and conditioning coach at Canberra. "Michael is one of the most highly rated young coaches in the game who has learned under a master coach at Melbourne in Craig Bellamy," said club chairman Ian Lenagan, who admitted that Noble would have been kept on had Wigan won the Challenge Cup. As expected, Wigan's senior academy coach Shaun Wane will be Maguire's assistant.

"Wigan has some great structures in place, particularly with the development of young quality players through their ranks. I have spoken to many people in the game and everyone has good things to say about the Wigan club. I feel that the Warriors are certainly heading in the right direction and I can’t wait to get started," Maguire said from Australia.

The Kangaroos are coming

For those who didn't subscribe to the late Setanta Sports or get the ESPN feed of the NRL denouement, the Kangaroos squad for the Gillette Four Nations has a little of the old air of mystery and the exotic. Who is David Shillington ? It's nice to see Ryan Hoffman back, but who is this Josh Morris ? And Trent Waterhouse ?  Didn't he play for Australia a few years back ? I could swear that St George-Illawarra had a good season, so why no Dragons in Tim Sheens' 24-man squad ? Champions Melbourne, Brisbane and Penrith's finest are all there in a fabulous looking party, Billy Slater or Jarryd Hayne for the full back spot ? Australia's riches overflow, while England are scratching around for centres, with Keith Senior (supposedly retired at international level) and Lee Smith (on his way to rugby union) sticking up their hands. I'm hoping for the best but fearing the worst over the coming month.

Australia: Petero Civoniceva (Penrith), Cooper Cronk (Melbourne), Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers), Israel Folau (Brisbane), Paul Gallen (Cronulla), Kurt Gidley (Newcastle), Ben Hannant (Bulldogs), Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta), Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta), Justin Hodges (Brisbane), Ryan Hoffman (Melbourne), Greg Inglis (Melbourne), Michael Jennings (Penrith), Darren Lockyer (capt, Brisbane), Luke Lewis (Penrith), Josh Morris (Bulldogs), David Shillington (Canberra), Billy Slater (Melbourne), Cameron Smith (Melbourne), Sam Thaiday (Brisbane), Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland), Trent Waterhouse (Penrith), Anthony Watmough (Manly), Brett White (Melbourne).

Huddersfield's Brett Hodgson is the 2009 Man of Steel

The strike of midnight at the engage Man of Steel awards at the Hilton in Manchester and this year's winner, selected by his Super League peers, has just been unveiled - Huddersfield Giants' Australian full back Brett Hodgson, who has beaten the two England props, James Graham, of St Helens, and Adrian Morley, of Warrington, to the game's highest individual accolade. The 31-year-old Hodgson is only the fifth overseas recipient of the award after Gavin Miller (1986), Dean Bell (1993), Adrian Vowles (1999) and Jamie Lyon (2005) and the first Huddersfield player to receive the honour.

Huddersfield were the big winners on a night when Leeds and St Helens, Saturday's Grand Finalists at Old Trafford, were curiously, some might say bizarrely, overlooked.  Nathan Brown is coach of the year, despite the Giants crashing down at Wembley in the Challenge Cup final and losing early in the play-offs. Their rise to third place, though, was a significant achievement. The Giants were also named Club of the Year for making a "significant investment in coaching and talent development in the last 12 months".

The young player award went to Wigan's Sam Tomkins, who pipped Salford's Richard Myler and Kyle Eastmond, of St Helens, to the prize. There were special awards made to Robbie Paul and Stanley Gene, who are bowing out of Super League, and Paul Wellens, Lee Briers and Lee Radford for club milestone appearances. James Graham did collect an award as Super League Metre Maker (4,752 metres) and Salford's Malcolm Alker was again the Super League Hit Man, with 981 tackles. The most emotional award of the night was the Mike Gregory Spirit of Rugby League Award to Steve Prescott. PICTURE BY ANDREW VARLEY

Read story on Hodgson's Man of Steel triumph in Tuesday's Times HERE

Co-operative finals really were Good for Everyone, especially me

There I was tapping the words dire and dismal into my laptop when up on the big television screen above me, Keighley ran in another fine try en route to beating Oldham in the Co-operative Championship One final. We all have our crosses to bear. Mine on Sunday afternoon was reporting Leeds v Gloucester in rugby union's Premiership for The Times. Keighley v Oldham looked like rugby nirvana compared with the dross being served up at Headingley. Maybe my eyes were deceiving me but the big bloke on the Gloucester wing looked like Lesley Vainikolo. Surely not, though. This guy was sluggish and he kept being manhandled into touch. This wasn't the "Volcano", just a hillock.

A Noble lost cause ... and, yes, it's Leeds v Saints, again

MPs, in the immediate aftermath of being unseated, have nothing usually left to declare but their honest raw emotions, all political shine stripped away. It was like that with Brian Noble's Wigan departure. He was admirably controlled and frankly relieved to speak with some honesty in the bowels of Knowsley Road after a thunderous semi-final derby, from which St Helens narrowly emerged as Leeds's Old Trafford opponents next Saturday.

In St Helens Comedy Week - a fact gleaned from a big sign on the East Lancs Road - there was a touch of black humour as Noble entered the cramped, overheated kitchen that doubles as Saints' press room/sauna in vain search of a coffee. "Heroin then ... a pint of Pernod ?"

Noble's departure paves way for Maguire. Read story in Monday's Times HERE and Long wants to bow out in style HERE 

There was an awkward moment when Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan (the man who Noble has "agreed to disagree" with) slipped in to the room, as Noble was speaking about pride in his team, his and their devastation at the 14-10 loss, how luck had failed them, how they'd enjoyed a fabulous year for all the distractions over his position, and how this Wigan side would develop into a force for years to come.

"It's been tough not knowing what you're doing or where you're going. I understand Ian's desire to have a change of direction, if you like. That's within the owner's right and he's put money in. Hindsight's a wonderful thing. Perhaps it could have been handled better, yes."

Grand Finals Sunday

Ain't life grand ? Four Grand Finals to savour on Sunday, starting with the NRL showdown between Melbourne and Daniel Anderson's Parramatta. The Eels have cleverly slithered their way into the final from an improbable eighth place on the league ladder, but the Storm have the firepower and subtlety to wreck Anderson's championship ambitions, just as effectively as Leeds did to Daniel's Saints in the last two Super League Grand Finals.

There follows a Co-operative-sponsored triple header in Warrington, kicking off with the Conference final between Huddersfield Underbank Rangers, who are celebrating their 125th anniversary, and Bramley Buffaloes. They're followed on at the Halliwell Jones Stadium by Keighley Cougars against surprise packets Oldham in the Co-operative Championship One final, before the big one, Barrow against Halifax in the Co-operative Championship final. Barrow's last major trophy was the 1955 Challenge Cup and they missed out on the Northern Rail Cup to Widnes in July but not this time, I fancy. Good luck to all.

Leeds are through to next Saturday's Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford after dousing the fires of Catalans Dragons in a crackling 27-20 semi-final victory. Read Christopher Irvine's match report in Saturday's Times HERE  and his report on Sean Long aiming for a fifth Super League winner's ring with St Helens HERE. 

Puff the magic Dragons

It'd be great if Catalans Dragons reached the Grand Final, wouldn't it ? They would never let on, but try telling that to the boys and girls of the Rugby Football League.  Imagine it, 20,000 plus tickets to flog and hardly a direct flight to the north of England from Perpignan. Yes, I know, we all became Frenchmen for a day at Wembley a couple of years ago, but that was the Challenge Cup final and there were several weeks to build the whole thing up. If Leeds were to lose on Friday night, there'd be some gaping holes in the stands at Old Trafford on Saturday week. So "come on Leeds" will quietly be on the lips of the Red Hall bods, but which unfortunately highlights that perennial weakness of Super League expansion. Where is the away support ?  Unless the Grand Final were to be shifted to Paris ... now there's a thought.

I've had money boldly riding on a Leeds v Wigan final since the start of the year, so why switch now ? Catalans have the monster pack, the Rhinos the mercurial backs. As for Saturday's St Helens-Wigan derby showdown, the Warriors possess the momentum but Saints the knowledge that their fiercest rivals have not won at Knowsley Road in their last eight attempts. Wigan got close last time before Kyle Eastmond struck, but there has been something awfully flat at times about the Red Vee men this year. As for Sean Long signing copies of his new book on the day of the game, what's all that about ? They may yet surprise us all, but should Saints win, I still reckon they'd lose the final, even to Catalans. PICTURE BY ANDREW VARLEY

Catalans pack punch. See story in Friday's Times HERE

Prison breakout as police are tied up at the match

Police fired tear gas and several live rounds as warning shots to an excitable crowd during the Australian Prime Minister's XIII's 42-18 defeat of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. A heavy police presence at the game, however, meant the authorities were unable to cope with an outbreak by 57 prisoners at Bomana jail in the PNG capital. There was a short of warders due to a pay dispute and a Correctional Services source told The National newspaper: "Maybe some of them went to the Kumuls game, but their lack of attendance was an issue in the escape." NCD metropolitan commander Chief Supt Fred Yakasa admitted: "We were tied up at a security operation at the rugby league ground, and could not do much." So far, only four prisoners, some considered as highly dangerous, have been recaptured.

Who will win the Man of Steel award?

 

The players have given their three nominees for the Man of Steel award, but who do you think will win the engage Super League's most prestigious individual accolade on Monday October 5?

Can St Helens prop James Graham emulate Paul Sculthorpe, his former Saints team-mate, and win back to back Man of Steel honours?

Graham's fellow England forward, Adrian Morley, was consistently good in an otherwise disappointing league campaign for Warrington, and Brett Hodgson, Huddersfield's Australian full back, was the little Giant who wowed crowds with his daring and panache.

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Crowe lands Big Sam

Russell Crowe has got his man, Big Sam. Not so great news for Bradford Bulls, great news for South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sam Burgess himself, and a shot in the arm for the England rugby league team.  Burgess has made no secret of the fact that he wanted to test himself in the NRL at the earliest opportunity. Plenty of Australian clubs were after him, but the persuasive tongue of Crowe, the Rabbbitohs' famous co-owner, talked the 20-year-old round. So Burgess is a Bunny, and with Wigan's ex-Bull Mark Flanagan joining Gareth Ellis at Wests Tigers in 2010, the Brit representation is a healthier, if still meagre threesome. Adrian Morley, the Roosters' favourite Anglo, has long championed the cause of Great Britain, now England players, putting themselves through the NRL furnace and coming out better, stronger, mentally tougher individuals. Burgess will be the beneficiary and so will Tony Smith's England leading up to the next World Cup in 2013.
PICTURE BY ANDREW VARLEY

Let's do ClubCall next year in Spandex

Leeds choose Catalans and give St Helens the hex factor in the first ever ClubCall. The following is Christopher Irvine's reports in Monday's Times

The sport’s innovatory ClubCall had its X Factor moment, Gary Hetherington, the Leeds Rhinos chief executive, silently milking the sense of expectation before finally revealing that the champions would play Catalans Dragons at home in Friday’s first engage Super League Grand Final semi-final, condemning St Helens to a Saturday-night derby against Wigan Warriors.

In those few seconds of breathless hush, it was tempting to imagine that this “pick your own semi-finalists” idea was indeed some television game show. What next, phone a friend, get supporters to text who they want their team to play, vote off the weakest link? All it lacked was Sky Sports’ Eddie Hemmings, master of ceremonies at Headingley Carnegie yesterday, in a spangly suit.

Leeds mourn John Holmes

The Leeds and Great Britain legend John Holmes has died at 57 after losing his battle with cancer. As the Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield observed at today's ClubCall press conference, Holmes was not only Leeds's greatest-ever servant, he was the ultimate hero at Headingley. Born in Kirkstall, the stand-off made his debut for the club as a 16-year-old, was an instant success on his signing from Kirkstall Boys' Club, and went on to make 625 appearances from 1968-89. He gained 16 winners' medals. With 1,554 points, he is fourth on the club's all-time scoring list. He earned 20 caps for Great Britain from 1971-82 and played in the 1972 and 1977 World Cups. In the all-conquering Leeds teams of the 1960s and 1970s, John Holmes was a joy to watch as a supreme orchestrator. Rugby league is the poorer for his loss. PICTURE BY ANDREW VARLEY

Read John Holmes's obituary in The Times HERE

4,263 v 74,549

 

Championing the cause of column inches and rugby league is hard, I can assure you, when a "big match" attracts a crowd of 4,263. Was the sudden-death preliminary semi-final (a quarter final in old language) between Huddersfield and Catalans really such a big match when such a pitifully poor crowd turned up at the Galpharm Stadium ?  This on the same day that a crowd of 74,549 attended the NRL preliminary final between Parramatta and Canterbury Bulldogs - a big match in every sense, I think you'd agree.

I'd no complaints with the rugby on Friday night, Catalans' continued odyssey from eighth place mirroring the Eels' similar climb from a low rung on the league ladder. Messrs Mogg, Ryles, Bird, Greenshields and Bosc were magnificent. England may well be quivering in the Four Nations if the French authorities finally do rule that Mogg, Greenshields and Casey McGuire can play for the national team. No, my bone is with the size of the crowd - for the fifth play-off running way below the host club's season average. All the play-off receipts go into the Super League pot, which will represent a pretty meagre payout at the end of the day.

Blame it on the recession, blame it on the marketing, blame it on the unwieldy play-offs system, blame it on the boogie. Whatever/whoever is to blame, one clue lay in the stack of free newspapers at the stadium main entrance. Like every other Super League club, Huddersfield is pushing its 2010 season tickets. "£60 season ticket when you refer a new ticket holder ... £95 fantastic offer ... interest free season ticket ... free junior tickets ... help us sell the Giants success story ... " If only as much effort had been put into selling what, after all, was Huddersfield's first ever home play-off and biggest game other than their Wembley cup final appearance. Unfortunately, the Giants might as well have been playing a friendly against Workington on a wet Wednesday.

Catalans one match from improbable Grand Final. Read Christopher Irvine's match report in Saturday's Times HERE and Simon Barnes on the advent of ClubCall HERE.