The two codes need to show greater leadership and ask why so many of its number are suffering from brain injuriesYou may not have heard of the former professional baseball player Pete Frates but you may just be familiar with his work. Five years ago, a Facebook video in which Frates upended a bucket of ice-cold water over his head in order to raise money for motor neurone disease – or ALS, as it is known in the United States – swiftly went viral. Within weeks, something that became known as the Ice Bucket Challenge was on the way to becoming a global sensation, raising almost £100m in that initial summer alone.A couple of weeks ago, Frates died peacefully at...
Hull KR’s win over Hull left the club who once dominated Super League contemplating the unthinkableIn 1974 Manchester United – six years on from winning the European Cup – were said to be too good to go down, a statement of hubris that turned out to be wildly wrongheaded. Folk from Leeds and Manchester are not too fond of being compared but 45 years on, across the other side of the Pennines, another sporting dynasty is likewise in grave danger of enduring the unthinkable.Leeds Rhinos, Super League champions eight times in 14 seasons between 2004 and 2017, are bottom of the table with 10 games remaining and at serious risk of relegation. “We’ve got a 10‑game shootout with a number...
Can Castleford challenge again? How will Leeds fare without McGuire and Burrow? And can Widnes survive? Our guide to what to expectLast season 1st (lost Grand Final) Coach Daryl Powell Captain Michael Shenton Related: Super League 2018 kicks off with some clubs unsure what they’re playing for Related: Mikolaj Oledzki: 'A rugby league player from Poland? This isn't really heard of' Related: Wigan coach Shaun Wane is feeling upbeat before a make or break season Continue reading...
It was a season to remember for Leeds and for Castleford’s Luke Gale, while Wakefield bucked the big-spending trend and Toronto Wolfpack showed a glimpse of the futureHad these awards been published a fortnight ago, it could have been so easy to go for Zak Hardaker. The 25-year-old had looked throughout 2017 like a player – and, more important, a person – who had finally rid himself of the off-field indiscretions that plagued the early years of his career. We may now not see him on a rugby field again for some time. That, however, should not overshadow the outstanding form of our first winner: Hardaker’s Castleford team-mate Luke Gale. Related: Stevie Ward plays full part as Leeds equal record...
How will new boys Leigh fare? Can Warrington shake off the double disappointment of last year? Are Wigan contenders once more?Last year produced arguably the most unpredictable Super League season in history as Leeds went straight from winning the treble to a relegation scrap before Wigan defeated Warrington to lift the Grand Final trophy at Old Trafford. But how will all 12 teams - including newly promoted Leigh - fare in 2017? Related: From rock bottom to back in the big time: how Leigh came back from the dead Related: Danny McGuire and Leeds Rhinos ready to right last season’s wrongs Related: Sylvain Houles interview: on coaching Toulouse Olympique and farming sheep Continue reading...