Sean McGuire: Lost chance to start season with a bang

Feb 7 2008 by Sean McGuire, Liverpool Daily Post

RUGBY fans expect a bang not a whimper, but there was no doubt what they got on the opening weekend.

Not with England’s abysmal showing against Wales in the Six Nations – although whimper barely does their second half performance justice – but with the start of Super League XIII.

Don’t worry if you missed it, you’re far from being the only one.

It may be the 13th summer season of the 13-a-side game but there was nothing unlucky about the low-key start to the season. It was just bad management.

A standalone fixture, Leeds v Hull KR, was the morsel that was to whet the appetite for the next 10 months of action.

This game was brought forward to accommodate the World Club Challenge match at the end of the month that brings together the champions of the northern and southern hemispheres, Leeds and Melbourne Storm.

After the same scenario arose last year, the Rugby Football League have had 12 months to sort it out, but they haven’t.

The blanket coverage of football makes it critical that every opportunity to gain column inches must be taken but this false start to the season dissipates whatever impact might be achieved.

As for the season itself, which properly gets underway this weekend when the remaining 10 clubs start their season, expectations are eerily similar to last year.

St Helens and Leeds, the best two sides over the previous three seasons, will be the teams to beat once again, with Hull lying in wait if last year’s Grand Finalists fail to perform.

This could be the year that Wigan and Warrington make a concerted push for the title (see also 2007, 2006, 2005...) while Bradford are the big club that might find it hard to keep up with the pace.

Two stories will dominate the rugby league year. For the first half, the handing out of three-year licences for a place in Super League from 2009 will cause debate and disputes, and ultimately disappointment for clubs who believe they belong in the top flight.

The second half of the year will be focused on the 2008 World Cup in Australia which is currently challenging for the prize of the most low-profile international tournament since rugby league’s 2000 World Cup.

It will be a great event but, shhh, don’t tell anyone.