Gelling given Warriors chance

Wigan Warriors have signed imposing Kiwi centre or back-rower Anthony Gelling.

The 21-year-old Cook Islands international joins the Warriors from New South Wales Cup outfit Auckland Vulcans.

Gelling was previously with Sydney Roosters but he was sacked in 2010 after being accused of defecating over a hotel room.

Warriors head coach Shaun Wane said the youngster had been highly recommended by Wigan legends Kevin Iro and Dean Bell.

He said: “He maybe unknown to the rugby league public in the UK, however, some of English Rugby League’s most successful imports have come over with similar reputations.

“Players like Kevin Iro, Henry Paul, Frano Botica and even George Carmont were little known over here but proved to be world class acquisitions.

“I know he has learned from his experience both at the Roosters and in New Zealand and comes to the club fully prepared to buy into the Wigan culture and establish himself as a firs team player.”

Gelling has been handed squad number 24 and is due to fly out to Florida with his new team mates for the Warriors pre-season training camp today.

He said: “I am delighted to be here and am really looking forward to getting straight into training with my new team mates.

“It will be an honour to play for the world-famous Wigan club and I’ve already heard about how passionate the Warriors supporters are.

“I know the squad is packed full of talent so I will have to work hard to earn the opportunity to show the coaching staff and fans exactly what I can offer.”

Crusaders snap up local siblings

Wrexham-based brothers Owain and Iwan Brown have been unveiled as North Wales Crusaders first signings.

Head coach Clive Griffiths previously worked with both players while coach of the Wales Students side and Great Britain Students assistant coach.

Crusaders have also named former Great Britain and St Helens prop John Fieldhouse as Griffiths’ assistant.

Prop Owain, 27, and 25-year-old second row forward Iwan first played rugby league with Wrexham Raiders.

Owain said: “Both myself and my brother are delighted to be able to represent our home town club and can’t wait to get into training.

“We’ve always been massive rugby league fans and when the call came from Clive Griffiths we both jumped at the chance.

“It will be brilliant to be able to play at the Racecourse, which is a fantastic ground in front of our friends and families.”

Owain’s most recent club was National Conference League outfit Leigh East while Iwan has played for Halton Simms Cross.

Griffiths said “These two boys have a huge amount of experience and will be a massive asset to the squad.

“The fact that they are local lads just makes it all the more special.”

Both Owain and Iwan were part of the successful Great Britain Students squad which toured Bali and Australia earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Griffiths believes the addition of Fieldhouse as his assistant will prove to be a shrewd appointment.

The pair have previously worked together at South Wales RLFC in 1996 and on the backroom staff at Warrington Wolve

“I wanted someone who I could trust as my assistant and I have known John for years,” he said.

“He is an experienced campaigner with a wealth of knowledge and experience and has done a really good job with the BARLA Great Britain side and has brought a lot of amateur players through that have gone into the professional ranks.

“He knows the territory around here as well and historically ticks all the boxes for me. I’m delighted to have him on board.”

Griffiths hopes to announce further signings later this week

Take n0tice things look promising

As a strong believer in the power of ‘community journalism’ and an advocate of hyperlocal news sites, I’m eager to see how www.n0tice.com develops.

Developed by The Guardian, n0tice is currently in private beta but early impressions are good. Described as a ‘community noticeboard’, it will allow users to share news, publicise upcoming events and advertise items for sale. It will be almost entirely free to use, although members will have the option to pay for premium adverts.

Just like the traditional village noticeboard, n0tice is location based and everything on display can be viewed by anybody in the vicinity. Users are encouraged to contribute and give feedback on postings.

It is a white label platform so users will be able to customise noticeboards, something which lends itself to the development of hyperlocal sites.

The Guardian has experimented with the idea of social news before (Guardian Local closed earlier this year) and encouraging a more bottom-up approach might be the answer.

So far I’ve created a noticeboard for Chester (http://chester.n0tice.com) and posted a couple of reports to test the water. The site is invite only at the moment and you can register for updates at http://www.n0tice.com, however I have a few spare invites for those who are keen to find out more. Get in touch @jimcgreen on Twitter if you would like one.

A dark day for rugby league

Of all the possible outcomes at the Super League licensing announcement, the decision of Crusaders RL to withdraw their application has to rank as the widest of outsiders.

The anger and fury with which the new has been greeted demonstrates how far out of the left field this has come.

There was always a chance the club’s licence application could be judged to be inferior to that of Wakefield or the other clubs thought to be under threat.

But the general consensus was that the RFL’s desire to strengthen its foothold in non-heartland areas would outweigh any concerns over Crusaders lack of financial stability and dwindling gates.

That the club would simply resign itself to failure and pull out of the race seemed implausible.

But late on Monday afternoon rumours began to circulate that Rod Findlay, the chief executive of Crusaders, had spent much of the day locked in talks with RFL officials.

It was unclear whether the talks related to the licensing process but the timing and sudden nature of the talks suggested it might be.

Ever since Crusaders relocated to Wrexham from Bridgend the club has effectively been reliant on three backers; Geoff Moss, Ian Roberts and the Rugby Football League.

Should one of more of these key players decide to withdraw, the club would in effect become house of cards waiting to crumble into the rugby league abyss.

In recent months it has become increasingly apparent that the club’s owners no longer had the desire to underwrite a Super League club in Wrexham.

With both Moss and Roberts embroiled in a protacted and complex deal to sell Wrexham FC and the Racecourse Ground their involvement with Crusaders has perhaps become an unwelcome distractions.

The abrupt way in which Crusaders three-year stay in Super League was brought to an end suggests one or perhaps both of Moss and Roberts decided enough was enough.

The way in which the club’s withdrawl from Super League has been handled is rotten, damaging and regretful.

Serious questions must be asked of the RFL, the club’s owners and the processes that led us to this situation.

Crusaders supporters – and let’s not forget they still have a loyal bunch who number around 2,000 – will rightly feel cheated and hurt.

They must now take stock of the news and ultimately it is they who will decide whether rugby league has a future in North Wales. I doubt the club can survive in the Championship but I hope I am proved wrong.

The game in Wales will survive thanks to people like Ian Golden but the progress made in recent years has suffered significant damage. This will perhaps be felt most strongly in the international arena.

Does the failure of Crusaders prove that expansion is a worthless exercise? No, but one hopes it will make the RFL take a close look at its expansion strategy.

I remain convinced that Super League could and should have flourished in Wrexham. There were many ingredients in place that suggested rugby league could prosper in the area and there is evidence it was beginning to take hold.

The fact Crusaders failed is not proof that our sport will forever be limited to the M62 corridor. It proves that the wrong people were involved and a more considered approach to expansion is needed.

Flintshire news – 70-year old pilot in Flintshire plane crash drama

This story appeared on the front page of The Leader on Thursday, July 14.

A LUCKY 70-year-old pilot escaped without a scratch after crashing his microlight aircraft into a field.

Huw Lloyd-Jones was forced to make an emergency landing when his engine failed at 1,200 feet.

It flipped onto its roof as he attempted to land in a field near Mold but he walked away unharmed.

Read the full article at www.leaderlive.co.uk

If you have a story for Flintshire, Wrexham or Chester please drop me an email to jim.green@nwn.co.uk

Opportunity doesn’t knock

Of the 14 coaches in Super League, just five were born in the UK.

That statistic is one of the primary reasons why Brian Noble believes the Rugby Football League isn’t doing enough to support homegrown coaches.

Writing in the newly launched magazine Forty-20, Noble said: “If I were a young, eager and enthusiastic British coach setting out now, trying to learn my trade, I would be incredibly disillusioned.

“Most likely, I would not even be tempted to try.”

Noble argues Super League clubs penchant of looking to Australia for coaches means the future for British coaches is bleak.

Responding to Noble’s comments, the RFL said it was powerless to prevent clubs appointing coaches from Down Under.

It also said it was actively encouraging senior players to move into coaching when they retire.

But is that enough? Why are club’s choosing southern hemisphere coaches over their UK counterparts? What can be done to better promote homegrown coaching talent?

The below list details the nationality of each club’s head coach and assistant coach or coaches:

Bradford Bulls – Mick Potter (AUS) – Francis Cummins (ENG) and Lee St. Hilaire (ENG)
Castleford Tigers – Terry Matterson (AUS) – Andy Hay (ENG)
Catalans Dragons – Trent Robinson (AUS) – Laurent Frayssinous (FRA) and Jérôme Guisset (FRA)
Crusaders RL – Iestyn Harris (ENG) – Barry Eaton (ENG)
Harlequins RL – Rob Powell (ENG) – Latham Tawhai (NZ)
Huddersfield Giants – Nathan Brown (AUS) – Paul Anderson (ENG)
Hull FC – Richard Agar (ENG) – Andy Last (ENG) and James Webster (AUS)
Hull KR – Justin Morgan (AUS) – Chris Chester (ENG)
Leeds Rhinos – Brian McDermott (ENG) – James Lowes (ENG)
Salford City Reds – Matt Parish (AUS) – Phil Veivers (AUS)
St Helens – Royce Simmons (AUS) – Keiron Purtill (ENG)
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats – John Kear (ENG) – Paul Broadbent (ENG)
Warrington Wolves – Tony Smith (AUS) – Willie Poching (NZ)
Wigan Warriors – Michael Maguire (AUS) – Shaun Wane (ENG)

While less than 40 percent of Super League head coaches are homegrown, 10 of the 13 UK-based clubs employ a British assistant coach.

Does this suggest coaches are, for whatever reason, stalling on the development pathway?

It’s also worth casting an eye to the Championship and Championship One where the likes of Daryl Powell, Karl Harrison, Mark Aston and John Stankevich probably believe they are deserving of an opportunity in Super League.

One suggestion put forward is that coaches should count on a club’s overseas quota.

The RFL has so far been reluctant to impose such a restriction and is perhaps fearful of blocking those coaching imports who can have a hugely positive impact on the sport in the UK.

It’s also been suggested that the RFL should only allow coaches with first grade experience in the NRL to take positions at Super League clubs. But under this rule Michael Maguire and Tony Smith would have been prevented from coming to the UK while somebody like Shaun McRae would be welcomed with open arms. I am sure that would concern Salford fans.

It is clear that far more needs to be done to promote British coaching talent and to ensure opportunities exist at the highest level.

However Super League chairmen will, perhaps justifiably, argue they are entitled to appoint the best man for the job.

The problem facing the RFL is convincing club’s the best man is just as likely to be British as he is Australian.

Blues out for redemption

 

After five straight series defeats, New South Wales head into next week’s State of Origin opener on a mission.

The Blues pride is hurting after last year’s whitewash series defeat in which Queensland were far superior across the field. New South Wales were unable to compete with a well drilled Maroons side.

There were problems off the pitch too with Blues centre Timana Tahu storming out of the camp after assistant coach Andrew Johns, who later quit his post, was accused of making racist comments.

However, New South Wales head into the 2011 series with a renewed sense of belief.

The returning Ricky Stuart, who replaced Craig Bellamy as coach, has spoken openly about the need to replicate the model used by his former team mate and current Queensland coach Mal Meninga.

“I’d like to be able to replicate what Mal has done in regards to his team,” said Stuart, who played alongside Meninga at Canberra.

“Outside being a very good footy team, they’re a very happy and comfortable team and that comes back to the environment that Mal creates.”

Stuart said that sense of togetherness echoed their successful spell at the Raiders yet the former Australia coach is intelligent enough to know that team spirit alone does not win a State of Origin series.

The Maroons major advantage has been the quality of talent at their disposal and the consistency of their side. While New South Wales chopped and changed, Queensland were able to rely on their outstanding spine of Billy Slater, Darren Lockyer, Jonathon Thurston and Cameron Smith.

Recognising the need for New South Wales to develop their own core, Stuart has made some fairly drastic changes to the Blues line-up. He will hand Origin debuts to Josh Dugan, Akuila Uate, Jamie Soward, Jason King, Trent Merrin, Tim Mannah and Dean Young.

Stuart has also spoken of the importance of choosing the right type of player, believing that it takes a certain kind of person to handle the Origin cauldron. In naming the fiercely combative Paul Gallen as his captain, Stuart has made his clear that his side will be looking to take the initiative to Queensland.

There is much to like about the Blues team for game one. Dugan is an exceptional talent, Uate likewise while the forwards are unlikely to take a backwards step. Questions remain over the half back pairing of Soward and Mitchell Pearce but the former undoubtedly deserves his chance.

Whether this Blues side is capable of defeating Queensland on their patch remains to be seen. The Maroons are missing Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges but the trusted spine remains in place and, with a passionate crowd behind them, will take some beating.

For New South Wales this opening game is about redemption. Regardless of the end result, they must show the desire and pride that was missing in 2010.

State of Origin Game One

Wednesday, May 25 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

New South Wales: Josh Dugan, Brett Morris, Michael Jennings, Mark Gasnier, Akuila Uate, Jamie Soward, Mitchell Pearce, Jason King, Michael Ennis, Kade Snowden, Beau Scott, Greg Bird, Paul Gallen (Bench: Ben Creagh, Trent Merrin, Tim Mannah, Dean Young)

Coach: Ricky Stuart

Queensland: Billy Slater, Darius Boyd, Dane Nielsen, Willie Tonga, Jharal Yow Yeh, Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston, Matthew Scott, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday, Ashley Harrison (Bench: Cooper Cronk, Ben Hannant, Corey Parker, Jacob Lillyman)

Coach: Mal Meninga

Franchise shootout at the Racecourse?

Turn the clock back three months or so and there seemed to be little doubt about which Super League club would miss out on a licence on July 26.

The announcement that Wakefield were to enter in administration back in February led most rugby league fans to predict that the Wildcats’ time in Super League was coming to an end.

However, it now appears that things may not be that clear cut.

Few would have blamed the Wildcats new owner, Andrew Glover, had he spoken of “consolidation”, “rebuilding” and “coming back stronger” upon completing his takeover. After all, Trinity were widely believed to be near-certainties to start the 2012 season in the Championship. They had no money, no ground and arguably the weakest squad in the competition.

But Glover, a wealthy Wakefield-supporting window salesman, has had a hugely positive impact on the club since assuming control. A new membership scheme has been launched, attendances are improving and new players have arrived.

Without their points deduction for entering administration, John Kear’s side would be ninth in the table. That would place them above Salford, Harlequins, Bradford, Hull KR and Crusaders, Wakefield’s opponents this evening.

Crusaders are currently sat at the foot of Super League and are perhaps the club most at threat from the revitalised Wildcats.

The Wrexham-based club has attracted only one crowd in excess of 5,000 from their first five home games this season. At the same stage of last season they had attracted four.

New coach Iestyn Harris has also struggled to match the on-field achievements of his predecessor, Brian Noble. His side have conceded 40 points on more in five matches and have recorded just three wins so far. Defeat this evening would leave them six points behind the Wildcats.

The inclusion of Crusaders in Super League has been debated at length and there has been much speculation over the RFL’s financial commitment to the club by way of a loan secured against the Racecourse. This has caused some to believe that whatever happens on and off the field, Crusaders place in the elite is secure.

However, I am not convinced that is the case and neither are the Crusaders, who continue to work hard to grow their crowds, increase their revenue and improve their on-field performance.

A victory tonight will go a long way to restoring some of the faith that has been lost since last season but Wakefield will provide a stern test. Despite lacking star quality, their young side have won half of their last six games in Super League. The other three games resulted in defeats to Huddersfield, St Helens and Wigan – all currently in the top-four.

Tonight’s game should be an intriguing one and, although the home side will start as favourites, it is hard to ignore Wakefield’s new found vigour.

Read my report from the match this evening on Love Rugby League

Saints look to stay among elite

The St Helens side that takes to the field at the start of 2012 is likely to bear little resemblance to the one that has been such a major player in Super League for over a decade.

Yet the club appears determined to maintain its position at the top end of the competition after confirming the signing of Anthony Laffranchi from Gold Coast Titans.

Announcing the capture of the 30-year-old Laffranchi, Eamonn McManus, the Saints Chairman said: “We may be losing some players for next season but the fans can rest assured that we will be as strong, or stronger, next season as this.”

It was inevitable that the club would enter a period of significant transition but the rate at which Saints first team squad is being transformed is dramatic.

The iconic figures of Sean Long and Keiron Cunningham are long gone, James Graham and Kyle Eastmond have already announced they will depart at the end of the season and it is anticipated that Leon Pryce and Tony Puletua will follow them out of the exit door.

Given the loss of so many quality players, St Helens could be forgiven for entering a period of consolidation. Indeed, after a shaky start to the campaign it appeared that their star was on the wane.

However, the emergence of a new crop of hugely promising youngsters and the signings of Laffranchi and Kiwi international Lance Hohaia suggest otherwise.

As an Italian passport holder, Laffranchi will not count on the overseas quota. He has represented Australia and New South Wales and, although his progress has been interrupted by injury recently, is considered of the best second row forwards in the NRL.

A powerful and damaging runner, the former West Tigers man is the type of player Saints have lacked in recent years with the excellent Puletua often been left to carry the mantle out wide on his own.

The two new arrivals from the NRL are likely to be joined by at least one more, with Saints coach Royce Simmons likely to be targeting a prop given the massive hole that will be left by the departure of Graham.

Assuming that the stock of Jonny Lomax, Jamie Foster, Lee Gaskell and Gary Wheeler continues to rise then St Helens have every chance of maintaining their place among Super League’s elite well into the next decade.

Hohaia a shrewd capture for Saints

As the holder of both a World Cup and Four Nations winners medal, Lance Hohaia has grown accustomed to success in recent seasons.

The 28-year-old will be aiming to maintain his familiarity with silverware when he joins St Helens in time for the start of the 2012 Super League season.

With more than 160 appearances in the NRL to his name, the New Zealand international is not short of top-level experience and his signing must be considered something of a coup for Saints.

On first glimpse Hohaia can appear unremarkable. But having represented the Kiwis on no fewer than 22 occasions, there is clearly more to this 28-year-old than meets the eye.

In recent seasons Hohaia has been largely employed as fullback. However, St Helens coach Royce Simmons confirmed that the club plan to use him in the halves.

Hohaia’s utility value is probably one of the factors that drew Saints attention, particularly when considered in the context of the current St Helens squad.

Having signed a four-year deal, Hohaia is likely to play a key role in developing the club’s current crop of talented youngsters as well as helping the club through its current transitional phase.

Jonny Lomax and Lee Gaskell have shone in the halves in recent weeks but are still be considered works in progress. At the other end of the age range, fullback Paul Wellens is nearing the end of a fantastic career, although five tries in his last five appearances suggests he still has plenty to offer.

Hohaia’s intelligence and versatility is likely to see him float between several key positions. Saints have made a conscious effort in recent years to ensure that their players can slot into more than one position and Hohaia certainly tick’s that box.

With just nine rounds completed in the current season it seems odd to be looking ahead to the 2012 campaign. But the signing of Hohaia has clearly captured the imagination of St Helens supporters and added to the excitement regarding their return home in time for Super League XVII.