French farce, Barba shines, and Walker overcomes curse - 7 talking points from the weekend's Super League action
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Loading... - Frank Hayes
- 05 Feb 2021
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Super League is back in business with tries, sin-bins, trash talk and handbags.
Victories for Leeds, Hull FC, St Helens, Wigan, Wakefield and Widnes set the ball rolling this weekend.
St Helens full-back Ben Barba showed why he will light up the competition.
Castleford scrum-half Luke Gale showed why he may need another type of barber.
And then there’s cheerleaders supremo Chelsea Tickle.
Here are seven talking points from the week...
1. French farce a familiar story
Derriere, posterieur, fesses, croupe...pardon my deliberately comedy translation French but all of these got a good boot up them on the pitch and in the Catalans dressing room.
Dragons coach Steve McNamara admitted his side had their “backsides kicked” as they were hammered 40-12 at Widnes.
And the Perpignan side may need another 12 Michael McIlorums if they are going to survive in Super League.
After conceding 15 penalties on the way to defeat McNamara praised the former Wigan hooker: “He was tough, tenacious and put his body on the line on numerous occasions.”
Prop Sam Moa was sin-binned early on and the French outfit capitulated in the second half, a familiar tale. Next up a rampant St Helens and this next man.
2. Ben Barba passes the first test with ease
Ben Barba rightly won the man-of-the-match award as St Helens smashed Castleford 46-6.
He helped himself to two tries and one crash tackle on Greg Eden had teammates backslapping and high-fiving.
But perhaps more impressive is the full-back’s support play with his final pass setting up four more tries.
Barba may not go the length of the field like those blistering days at Canterbury Bulldogs but for purists wanting to see a craftsman’s array of deft and varied passes in tight traffic, he’s a dream.
3. Hair today, gone tomorrow for Luke Gale
What’s going on with Castleford’s folically-challenged scrum-half Luke Gale?
The 2017 Man of Steel was a muted figure against Saints - though he wasn’t the only one in Cas colours.
Gale famously had a £6,000 hair transplant during the off season but now seems reluctant to show off his new barnet.
He was interviewed pre-match wearing a baseball cap and sported new headgear during the game, even leaving it on as he left the pitch.
Close scrutiny showed either he was wearing a flesh-coloured swimcap beneath his head protector (unlikely) or the transplant has given him a full Kojak (equally unlikely).
Maybe Wig-an will put in a bid for him.
4. That’s one Hill of a statement from Sky
It took just seven minutes for the Sky hype-machine to crank into action during the opening game of the season.
Pundit Phil Clarke was talking up the credentials of Warrington prop Chris Hill before the game with Leeds.
“Players like Chris Hill are simply the best players in the world,” said Clarke with a straight face.
Hill was below par last season and for most of the World Cup for England before an admittedly epic stint in the final against Australia.
But even his biggest fans will be puzzled at ‘best in the world’.
Hill made an early exit from the match to be by his wife’s side for the birth of their fourth child, a girl called Iris.
5. Walker back to happiness for Leeds
Leeds full-back Jack Walker looks like he should be still in his school uniform with a catapult in his back pocket.
But the fresh-faced 18-year-old put in a heroic performance against the Wolves, smashed nose and all, despite the commentator’s curse.
Over to Barrie McDermott…
“In young Jack Walker, Leeds have got a player with composure. You’ll rarely see him drop a ball no matter how much pressure he’s under.”
Walker spilled the ball the very second those final words had left McDermott’s mouth.
The teenager’s goal line defence and desire for the ball throughout earned him the man of the match award.
6. Where Leigh’s cheerleaders fit in the game
Formula One and darts have put an end to grid girls and walk-on girls but rugby league still seems to fly in the face of an increasingly PC Britain.
Leigh owner Derek Beaumont got a bit shirty over talk of Eddie and Barry Hearn taking the reins of the game.
He said: “I have forgot more than they will ever know about rugby league.
“We have tried fit cheerleaders, loud music and fancy dress.”
I don’t recall the Leigh cheerleaders or even whether they were ‘fit’ or not but a quick snoop around on Google (before I delete my search history) reveals they once had a head coach called Chelsea Tickle.
And no, this is not the name of a dodgy massage parlour near Stamford Bridge.
7. Ryan bails out of his debut
Didn’t take long for Ryan Bailey to make an impression on his debut for Workington in the derby at Whitehaven.
Pantomime villain Bailey was sin-binned just five minutes after coming off the bench.
That comes after he was let go on the eve of the season by Toronto Wolfpack alongside Fuifui Moimoi and Dave Taylor.
Bailey was one of four yellow cards in the game with Town’s Elliott Miller collecting one then getting a straight red just before half time.
Whitehaven won 30-12 with their official club Twitter account saying at one point “26 man brawl after a few handbags”.
Arsenal or Man United maybe but they don’t do ‘handbags’ in Cumbria.
