Super League returned this weekend after the fourth round of the Challenge Cup last week. Round 8 saw Jamie Peacock’s 500th appearance, new Salford Red Devils coach Harris secure his first win in his first game and London put on a strong performance at the DW Stadium.
Hull FC vs Huddersfield Giants
The Thursday night game saw Hull FC take on the Huddersfield Giants, who were both trying to get over their defeats in the Challenge Cup the previous week. This tie saw the Giants have a 4-day turn-around, which is hard for any professional team to do. This was clear to see as Huddersfield just were not themselves. Hull FC were clearly over their extra-time defeat against Salford in the Challenge Cup in the previous week, with a strong performance which saw some beautiful tries. The result sees the Giants 10th in the Super League table, way below their standards. It ended 30-6 to Hull FC, with a crowd of 9,515.
Wigan Warriors vs London Broncos
London Broncos put up a good performance against the champions, but just couldn’t quite finish as strongly. London lead the Warriors for 30 minutes of the game, but Wigan managed to hit back and score 3 tries just before half-time, leaving the score 16-10 at half-time. Four of the five tries scored by London boys (O’Callaghan, McMeeken, Sarginson and Clubb). Wigan managed to score a few more tries in the second half, securing a win. London showed signs of improvements though and based on this game, their first win of the season won’t be far away! 36-14 the full time score to the Warriors, in front of 10,680 people.
Warrington Wolves vs Hull KR
Warrington Wolves continue their disappointing season with a loss to Hull KR, who are showing signs of improvement every week. Michael Weyman scored his first try for Hull KR, and then added another to his tally. I say this almost every week, but some Warrington players need to really step it up BIG time. The game finished 25-12 to Hull KR, with tries from Weyman (2), Burns and Keating. The attendance was 8,778, which is incredibly low for a fixture at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Leeds Rhinos vs Wakefield Wildcats
The second time these two sides have faced each other in a week, and both fixtures going Leeds’ way. Jamie Peacock celebrated his 500th career appearance, which saw Peacock’s face printed out for masks and the night was topped off when the man himself scored a try. Wakefield Wildcats also need to improve, after only winning 2 games of their first 8. The fixture ended 42-6 to Leeds, in front of a good crowd at Headingley, 13,969.
Bradford Bulls vs Salford Red Devils
Newly appointed Salford Red Devils coach Harris will be glad to see his side win in his first game in charge of the Devils. It was the Bulls’ fifth successive defeat this year, still leaving them at the bottom of the Super League table on minus 2 points. Salford led 22-6 at half time, but the Bulls managed to get some more points on the score board and made a much more respectable score line. Salford secured the win with a 38-24 victory, in front of a crowd of just 6,144. Over a 1000 less than last year’s fixture.
Castleford Tigers vs St Helens
If you’re a Tigers fan, you’ll probably want to forget about this game. St Helens remain on top of the Super League after defeating the Tigers in a game that looked over at half time. 24-6 the half time score to the Tigers. In the second half, Castleford just weren’t concentrating, which saw St Helens hit back. Tigers coach Powell described the second half performance as ‘dumb’. Makinson grabbed himself another try, leaving him on top of the most-tries scored leader board, with 9 to his name. 30-28 to the Saints the game finished in front of a small crowd of just 6,487.
Catalan Dragons vs Widnes Vikings
Catalan are starting to maintain their strong performances by beating the Widnes Vikings. The game leaves the Dragons 12th place in the First Utility Super League table, where as Widnes are happily at 5th. The game saw Elliot Whitehead score his first hat-trick for the Dragons, where other tries came from Pomeroy and Duport, with two tries each to their name. The game finished 42-20 to the Catalan Dragons in front of a crowd of 9,588, over 2000 more than last year’s fixture. Catalan’s attendances starting to rise, as well as their performances.
The First Utility Super League Round 9 see’s Hull KR take on Hull FC, St Helens take on the Wigan Warriors and lots of other games you don’t want to miss out on. Make sure you follow @LeagueFreak on Twitter and my account @RLLatest to ensure you won’t miss out on Round 9!
