Monday 11 May 2015 17:23, UK
We look at the main talking points from last weekend's round of Super League fixtures.
A crowd in excess of 4,000 turned out for Keighley’s game with Coventry on Sunday to pay their respects to Danny Jones, who tragically died after a cardiac arrest during the Cougars’ match at London Skolars last Sunday.
The game went ahead at the request of the Jones family and kick-off had to be delayed by 15 minutes to allow the hordes of fans into Cougar Park.
Before kick-off on an emotional afternoon, Jones’ wife Lizzie walked onto the pitch, cradling twins Bobby and Phoebe, and fought back the tears as she released balloons in memory of her husband.
The RFL’s benevolent fund has so far reached £96,000 of the £100,000 target, while a bucket collection at the match raised a further £10,500.
Keighley’s players gave a fitting tribute to their former team-mate by running in nine tries in a 52-10 victory.
We are just past the halfway stage of the Super League regular season but it has thrown up some incredible results.
There have already been seven nillings, more than the entire 2014 regular season, with Wigan whitewashing three sides.
Huddersfield dished out a 19-0 defeat to Salford on Friday, having failed to score themselves on the opening weekend of the season, while Sunday’s victories for Widnes and Hull FC would have bust plenty of accumulators.
Only four points separate fourth-placed Huddersfield and the Red Devils, who lie second-bottom with a game in hand, so the battle for a place in the inaugural Super 8s looks set to go down to the wire.
Leeds oozed confidence when they romped to a 41-16 victory at St Helens last month and extended their lead at the top of the table to six points. But the Rhinos have failed to win since, losing two of their last three games.
The latest of those defeats came at Widnes, where Kevin Sinfield was once again a notable absentee. The veteran has struggled to hold down a starting place this season but the Rhinos missed his goal-kicking and calming influence at the Select Security Stadium.
Leeds fans have taken to social media to vent their unhappiness at Sinfield’s exclusion, and Rhinos coach Brian McDermott refused to be drawn on the issue following the Widnes game.
McDermott’s side begin their Challenge Cup defence with a tough test against Huddersfield on Sunday, and all eyes will be on the teamsheet to see if Sinfield will feature. The 34-year-old's final season in rugby league is not panning out as he would have hoped.
Marc Sneyd is more renowned for his unusual kicking technique from the tee, but the scrum-half popped up with a last-gasp drop goal to snatch victory for Hull at Warrington on Sunday.
The Airlie Birds have given their supporters a rollercoaster ride this season, from highs such as the win away at St Helens to lows like the derby defeat to Hull KR at the KC Stadium.
Lee Radford’s men trailed 26-16 at Warrington but scored 11 unanswered points in the final 12 minutes, with Sneyd’s late show securing back-to-back Super League wins for only the second time in 2015.
With their next two fixtures at home – including Saturday’s Challenge Cup clash with Castleford – Hull have a great chance to build some momentum ahead of the Magic Weekend meeting with their city rivals on May 16.
The Catalans Dragons remain as erratic as ever but there have been one constant for them this season – their leaky defence.
The Perpignan club have conceded 387 points in their 14 fixtures, which is an average of over 27 points per game. Only Wakefield have a worse defensive record.
The Dragons’ home form has been saving their bacon once again, with St Helens the latest team to come a cropper at the Stade Gilbert Brutus after Zeb Taia and Scott Dureau struck late on. Laurent Fraysinnous’ side have lost just one of their seven home fixtures this season, which is in stark contrast to their woeful form on the road.
If Todd Carney can stay fit the Dragons stand a good chance of making the Super 8s, but unless they plug their leaky defence their hopes of a first Grand Final appearance appear remote.
Wakefield looked as though they were set to prove the critics wrong yet again when they won their opening two games of the season, but they find themselves cut adrift at the foot of the table after 11 successive Super League defeats.
James Webster has had to contend with a lengthy injury list, which exposed their lack of strength in depth, and the Wildcats have conceded over 40 points in their last eight Super League games.
Wakefield trail 11th-placed Salford by seven points and already their fate looks sealed. The Challenge Cup should represent a welcome reprieve this weekend but Leigh Centurions have already claimed a Super League scalp – beating Salford in the previous round – and could deepen the gloom around the Rapid Solicitors Stadium.
Watch the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup clash between Wigan Warriors and Hull KR live on Sky Sports 3 on Friday from 7.55pm
