Tuesday 29 January 2008

Quins RL announce latest Fans Forum

Harlequins RL have announced they will be holding their second fans forum on Wednesday 7th February in the Jesters Bar at The Stoop from 7 p.m. onwards. See here for more details.

The first fans forum event in December proved to be highly popular with those who attended, with a frank discussion of issues being led by Paul Brown and Brian McDermott.

Next week’s event will see an appearance from assistant coach Rob Powell, who also heads up academy coaching. There is speculation amongst fans that Powell may announce the addition of academy games to the Quins match day experience. In the past academy games have been held in a variety of other West London locations on the same day as senior games, leading to criticism from fans who would ideally like to watch both.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of plans for amateur club London Griffins, to play their home games at neighbouring Richmond College on the same day as Quins senior matches. The Griffins club was founded by a group of London Broncos supporters in 2005.

Monday 28 January 2008

Celtic Crusaders down Quins in experimental match

Fears that Harlequins RL would go into the new underdone were underpinned on Saturday when the team went down 28 – 6 to National League One new boys Celtic Crusaders. The match, played at Brewery Field in Bridgend, was Quins final scheduled pre-season run-out.

Played as four fifteen minute long quarters, with unlimited substitutions from an extended squad, the Quins side started brightly before the home side ran away with the game. Head coach Brian McDermott was not disheartened by the result, suggesting that there were many positives to take from the game.

Although it is inevitable that some fans will read too much into the result, it’s worth remembering that pre-season trial games are intended for coaches to experiment with their line-ups, to practice patterns learned in training, and are rarely reliable indicators of performance in the competition proper. However, the Crusaders will take heart from the strength of their performance as they look to build on their promotion from National League Two last season, starting with their first Northern Rail Cup tie against Sheffield Eagles on Friday.

A full match report is available here.

Celtic Crusaders: (12) 28
Tries: Blackwood 2, Ballard, Vitalini, Quinn
Goals: Van Dijk 3, Quinn

Harlequins RL: (6) 6
Tries: Hill
Goals: Paul

Thursday 24 January 2008

Quins Capital Challenge performance deconstructed

The comfort with which Harlequins RL despatched neighbour London Skolars in Tuesday’s pre-season friendly at the Royal Artillery Gardens has raised the question of how prepared the side will be when the season proper kicks off against Wigan Warriors on February 9th.

Although the Quins will face a potentially tougher challenge against Celtic Crusaders, last season’s National League Two champions, in their final friendly on Saturday, many other top flight teams including Wigan will have match hardened themselves against fellow Super League outfits. The argument in favour of pre-season friendly games are that they allow coaches to test out player configurations in an environment similar, but not entirely the same, to fully competitive games, whilst players get to work on their match fitness after the winter layoff. The argument against are that valuable players are put at risk of injury for games that mean nothing in the scheme of things, as Bradford Bulls recently demonstrated. It is also true that injury risk can never be eliminated, it being common for them to occur in training, so a friendly game played with a lighter intensity than a full tie may be a rational compromise.

But what did Tuesday’s game tell us? The coaches will no doubt have been looking at the shape of the play, the movement of the sides both on and off the ball, the way different players linked up in particular combinations, and in particular the way new signings slotted in with those retained from last year. Brian McDermott has already gone on record as being pleased with retaining the core of last year’s squad, a move that will hopefully produce some positive consistency in performance (and may also have influenced the decision not to play pre-season games against Super League opposition), but there have been some important changes to the squad in the close season.

The key axis of Mark McLinden at fullback, Danny Orr at scrumhalf and Scott Hill at standoff functioned well, with a perceptible dip in the sharpness of the decision making when the trio were off the field. Hill in particular looked rejuvenated, suggesting that he has put behind him the injury and illness problems that marred his first season with the club and is now ready to fully inject his undoubted class into the side.





In the troublesome centre slot David Howell made an assured debut, with Matt Gafa now looking likely to fill the other centre position come the start of the season. However, youngster Tony Clubb reminded everyone of why he is knocking on the door of the first choice side with some powerful running. On the wings it looks likely that Rikki Sheriffe and Jon Wells will remain as first choices, but Will Sharp and Lamont Bryan (who interchanged with McLinden at fullback) are likely to keep them on their toes.

In the forwards Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook shifted from prop to second row, a not entirely unforeseen move give McDermott’s previous statements about better utilising the young forwards devastating burst of speed. New signing Danny Ward slogged away at prop, in a low key but solid performance. Joe Walsh also showed he is fully recovered from his injury problems with some barnstorming runs, and it looks only a matter of time before he forces his way into the reckoning.

With captain Rob Purdham and fellow regulars Karl Temata and Daniel Heckenberg missing, and new signing Gareth Haggerty still returning from injury it’s difficult to judge how the pack will line-up come the start of the season. However, a reasonable guess is that with all props fully fit Heckenberg will start alongside either Ward or Temata, with the one who misses out joining Haggerty on the bench. McCarthy-Scarsbrook is likely to start in the second-row, with Henry Paul and Rob Purdham completing the back three of the srum. No changes are anticipated at hooker, Chad Randall provides crisp distribution and reliable defence, whilst Julien Rinaldi offers extra attacking options coming off the interchange bench. The likes of Grayshon, Walsh, Joe Mbu and new boy Dwayne Barker are all likely to feature from the bench at some point.

Quins RL CEO Paul Brown has confirmed that the club is no longer in talks with the former Newcastle Knights utility Daniel Abraham. Although the number 12 jersey had been left open for Abraham he was unable to secure a work permit, having lost his first grade slot due to injury he was subsequently played in the reserve grade side on his return to fitness, scuppering any chance that he would meet the percentage of first grade games played needed.

The one key question yet to be answered is where Chris Melling is likely to feature on his return from a groin injury. Melling was one of the standout performers last season, shining at fullback in the absence of Mark McLinden, however he’s unlikely to displace McLinden and looked unconvincing when shifted to the centres. However such selection headaches are the kind McDermott would prefer to have, rather than selections forced by injury as was the case for sections of last term.

From the London Skolars point of view the game will have been a positive experience, despite failing to score the side did produce some good attacking rugby and remained competitive for the full eighty minutes despite the class gulf between themselves and their fulltime opponents. In particular Skolars looked strong down the right hand flank, whilst the technical execution of a number of set piece plays, including one particular scrum play which should have resulted in a try for Dene Miller, were very sharp. Given that the men from North London were unable to field as strong a squad as they would have liked they showed that they now have a strength and depth that was missing a couple of seasons ago. They will start this season’s National Rail Cup competition against Doncaster next week with a genuine hope that they can make an impact.


* Photo reproduced by kind permission of Steph Kaye

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Quins cruise to victory

Harlequins RL inflicted a 56 points to nil defeat on neighbours London Skolars this afternoon at the Royal Artillery Gardens, Moorgate. A sell out crowd, predominantly made up of local city workers, saw a strong Quins side dominate the annual pre-season London Club Challenge.

Both clubs fielded expanded sides, allowing the coaches to experiment with different combinations, both halves of the game featuring a short break after twenty minutes to allow reconfiguration of the line-ups.

As to be expected from the first pre-season game of the year early exchanges saw some rusty handling, but it took a rejuvenated Scott Hill just four minutes to bag the first try, with a jinking run flat footing the opposition defence. Three minutes later Jon Grayshon’s angled run hit a hole in the Skolars midfield, arcing round to go under the sticks for the second try. Henry Paul added both conversions and the signs looked ominous.

Ten minutes in debutant Quins centre David Howell crossed but was pulled back for a forward pass in the build-up. The respite was short lived when fullback Mark McLinden made a break down the left flank before putting in a smart chip kick behind the retreating Skolars defence, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, operating out of the second-row, was quickest to the loose ball to collect his try.

A reshuffle of creative options saw Danny Orr, Hill and McLinden temporarily giving way to Julien Rinaldi, Michael Worrincy and academy halfback Dylan Skee. Although Quins continued to dominate the game there was a marked difference in the speed of decision-making, with the attacking patterns at times becoming over elaborate and lacking the directness and cutting edge of the first twenty.




Rinaldi was next to pick up a try, scooting from dummy half the ball was stripped from his grasp but bounced kindly allowing him to re-gather and scamper over the line. Skee took over the kicking duties from Paul to add the conversion.

Just after the half hour mark Skolars centre Dene Miller produced his side’s best chance, a well worked move from the back of the scrum saw him slice through the Quins defence, only to be called back by a harsh forward pass call.

Young Quins winger Will Sharp, recently promoted to the first team squad, piled on the agony for Skolars, coming in field to burrow his way over a minute shy of the break. Skee converted to close the first half at 30 – 0.

Quins returned from the break all guns blazing, centre Tony Clubb’s powerful run saw him cross for a try in the left hand corner, followed in quick succession by two almost identical tries from winger Rikki Sheriffe on the opposite side. Skee added two conversions from three attempts and it looked as if the floodgates had burst on the Skolars.





However, the National League Two side managed to compose themselves, putting in a solid defensive spell to shut out Quins for almost a quarter of an hour, till Orr’s lively performance was rewarded with a try on the hour mark.

At 50 – 0 it appeared the Skolars were dead and buried, but the final quarter saw Quins ease off allowing the North London side to produce some of their best attacking rugby of the afternoon. Unfortunately despite stepping up the tempo the Skolars lacked the cutting edge needed to breach the Quins parsimonious defence, several promising attacks breaking down on the final play. Ultimately the second half finished in the same fashion as the first with a ruthless late score from Quins, Dwayne Barker’s storming run connected with Worrincy’s deft flick pass to crash over just before the final hooter.

In the final analysis Quins simply had too much power and pace for their part-time neighbours, Skolars deserve full credit for maintaining the commitment to keep the tie competitive throughout and can feel very unlucky not to have put any points on the scoreboard.

The Quins coaching staff will be pleased to see the match pass off without any serious injuries, with debutants Barker, Howell and Ward all slotting in well. However, questions will be raised about whether today’s game and the friendly against Celtic Crusaders on Saturday will leave the side match hardened enough going into the season opener against Wigan on February 9th.

London Skolars: (0) 0
Tries:
Goals:

Harlequins RL: (30) 56
Tries: Hill, Grayshon, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Rinaldi, Sharp, Clubb, Sheriffe 2, Orr, Barker
Goals: Paul 3, Skee 5



* Photos reproduced by kind permission of Steph Kaye

Monday 21 January 2008

Quins show Capital Challenge intent

Harlequins RL head coach Brian McDermott has named an almost full strength squad for tomorrow’s annual pre-season friendly against National League Two side London Skolars. In previous years the match has seen Quins field more speculative sides based around academy youngsters, fringe players and a few first team core players looking to develop match fitness after injury, but the indications are that McDermott will be looking to make full us of this match, the only full fledged trial scheduled before the season opening against Wigan Warriors on February 9th.

The main absentees from the Quins line-up are utility back Chris Melling who has suffered a reoccurrence of the groin injury that disrupted the later stages of last season, new signing Gareth Haggerty who is not yet match fit following a shoulder injury and fringe player David Tootill who is recovering from a knee reconstruction. Fans will however get a chance to see some rising stars from the senior academy set-up, including Lamont Bryan and Will Sharp who have been promoted to the first team squad for 2008.

The Skolars have yet to name a squad for the match, but will be looking to raise a credible challenge to a side sitting two leagues above them. The North London based side recorded their best ever season in 2007, ironically under the guidance of Latham Tawhai who has since crossed London to join Quins as an assistant to Brian McDermott. New head coach Tony Benson will be hoping his charges can pick up where they left off last season, with a strong performance against Quins providing a launch pad into their forthcoming Northern Rail Cup campaign.

Both clubs hope to use the event as a springboard for attracting corporate sponsorships, with Quins in particular yet to confirm a main sponsor for the new Super League season, and last season’s sponsor Sports Cafe have recently entered administration. Both the timing and venue of the match, a lunch time kick off at Moorgate’s Royal Artillery Gardens, are aimed squarely at the many financial institutions close by. Sponsorship for the game itself has already been attracted from a number of finance sector companies, who will be hosting investor seminars before the game. Tellingly all corporate hospitality for the event sold out well before the general match tickets.

Wednesday 16 January 2008

The Times plan Rugby League blog

The Times rugby league correspondent Christopher Irvine has announced plans to the RLFANS network that the newspaper intends to launch a blog dedicated to the sport. Irvine hopes that a positive response towards the blog will put pressure on The Times to give over greater space to the sport in the print version. Slated for launch towards the end of the January, the blog is initially planned to run through to the end of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup in late November, but a successful run might see it become a permanent feature.

Although blogging as a concept originated outside of the mainstream media, traditional media companies have in recent years recognised the opportunities presented by the medium, with professional journalists using blogs as a more informal way of distributing their work. With the rise of online media constantly eroding the market for traditional print media the development of online offerings, including popular features such as blogs, is no longer a matter of differentiation but one of necessity. The development of online media opens up the possibility of online advertising revenue streams, with the online advertising market being one of the strongest growing sectors of the advertising industry.

Rugby League has often struggled to attract the attention of the mass media, especially the quality end of the market, lacking the mass support of football whilst carrying the perception of a narrower geographic distribution and lower socio-economic supporter base than comparable sports such as tennis and rugby union. Where a rugby league blog holds potential for The Times is its capacity to extend the audience for the content it produces beyond the traditional readership of the print version, many rugby league fans may not have any interest in purchasing The Times newspaper, but that won’t stop them reading the blog.

If the online rugby league audience can show a viable demand for a rugby league blog, it will not only strengthen the case for more coverage in print, but it may also force competitors of The Times to evaluate the potential of their own rugby league coverage. This would ultimately have the double benefit of raising the exposure of the game to a general audience, but in particular raising awareness of the game amongst the corporate readership of the quality press (and online versions) increasing the marketable value of the support. A win for the media companies, a win for rugby league fans hungry for quality journalism, and a win for the administrators of the sport itself.

Harlequins RL confirm 2008 squad

Quins RL yesterday confirmed the line-up of their twenty-six man squad for the forthcoming season:

1 Mark McLinden,
2 Jon Wells,
3 Matt Gafa,
4 David Howell,
5 Rikki Sheriffe,
6 Scott Hill,
7 Danny Orr,
8 Karl Temata,
9 Chad Randall,
10 Daniel Heckenberg,
11Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
13 Rob Purdham,
14 Julien Rinaldi,
15 Chris Melling,
16 Gareth Haggerty,
17 Danny Ward,
18 Joe Mbu,
19 Tony Clubb,
20 Jon Grayshon,
21 David Tootill,
22 Dwayne Barker,
23 Henry Paul,
24 Will Sharp,
25 Lamont Bryan,
26 Joe Walsh,
27 Mike Worrincy

The absence of a name in the number 12 shirt will reinforce the speculation that the club still hope to sign former Newcastle Knights back-rower Daniel Abraham. Rumours have it that negotiations between Abraham and the club are complicated by the player’s business interests back in Australia.

Elsewhere the promotion of Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to the number 11 berth is not only a reward for a cementing himself as a regular first grade player last term, but may also indicate Brian McDermott’s thinking around the young forward. At the December fans forum the coach suggested he may attempt to leverage McCarthy-Scarsbrook’s impressive turn of pace away from his preferred front-row position. A switch to second-row may provide the Quins with the big, but mobile forward missing from that role since the departure of Solomon Haumono.

As it stands the squad remains the core of last season’s players, with young backs Will Sharp and Lamont Bryan academy elevated from the academy, second-row Dwayne Barker joining from Castleford, and props Gareth Haggerty and Danny Ward picked up from Salford and Hull KR respectively.

The squad will be formally unveiled to fans at next Thursday’s season launch in The Stoop members bar, 7:30pm start (
see here for more details).

Tuesday 15 January 2008

South London Storm unveil new season plans

Giovanni Cinque, general manager of South London Storm, recently unveiled details of the club’s plans for the forthcoming season.

Following the departure of head coach Andy Gilvary at the end of last season, former London Skolars player Marcus Tobin will be taking over the coaching reigns at Strom Park. Tobin who also played for St Albans Centurions has built up a solid coaching record over the last few years, working with the London Broncos Academy set-up, England Lionhearts, London Skolars and most recently the Cambridge University side. Following the successes of recent years Tobin will inherit the core of a very good squad and will hope to continue the work done by Gilvary and Rob Powell before him.

Players will benefit from reduced membership rates this year, with annual subscription costs dropping £20 from last season to just £80 (payable in a variety of ways). As well as receiving a club polo shirt as part of their membership, players will also qualify for a free season ticket covering all Harlequins RL Super League games.

The free season ticket offer is likely to be based on the unallocated East Stand season ticket currently being offered for £65 by Quins RL (see here for further details). It is not yet clear whether the free ticket offer is being extended to playing members of all London amateur clubs, but it would fit with recent comments made by Quins RL CEO Paul Brown that he was planning an initiative to reward the contribution of the amateur clubs to rugby league in London.

In recent years Quins RL have faced criticism for playing their fixtures concurrent with the local amateur competitions; given that fewer clashes are scheduled for the 2008 season such a move may well help build stronger bridges with the amateur clubs. Quins RL will no doubt be hoping to recoup some of the investment via match day merchandising.

Storm’s pre-season preparations start 7:30 Tuesday 11th March down at Storm Park (see here for further details), with the first pre-season trial match against Kent Ravens slated for 2:30 at Princes Park in Dartford (further details tba).

Harlequins RL announce season launch

Quins RL will be holding their season launch event at The Stoop from 7:30pm on Thursday 24th January. The evening will provide an opportunity to see this season’s squad unveiled and mingle with the players.

For more details see here.

Wednesday 9 January 2008

Harlequins RL December round-up

The off-field progress made by the club in November continued through into the final month of the year with Paul Brown formally taking the reigns as CEO (although his influence could already be detected behind the scenes).

The family fun day aimed at building ties with the local community was positively received, whilst Brown made a solid start on reconnecting the club with the views of supporters via the first in a planned series of fans forums. The club acknowledged the challenges faced in the coming season; building up poor attendances, squad development, the demands of the licensing process as well as many other issues, outlining where progress was being made and where improvement is needed.

In on-field matters Brian McDermott moved to strengthen the squad with the addition of Canberra Raiders centre David Howell, whilst it was acknowledged that the club was in talks with another player, though to be former Newcastle Knight utility Daniel Abraham. Whilst throughout the month the academy set-up ran a series of recruitment trials at the Roehampton Vale training ground.

Details of the annual pre-season friendly against London Skolars were announced, with the two clubs taking the bold move to switch the game to a midweek afternoon slot close to the City of London in the hope of attracting corporate sponsors. Season ticket holders also found their packs dropping through letterboxes at the close of the month, a positive sign that the often maligned ticketing process is making progress.