Brown named new St Helens coach

This morning St Helens have announced that Huddersfield Giants Head Coach Nathan Brown will take over at St Helens at the end of the year.

St Helens have been without a coach since they dismissed Royce Simmons after a run of 4 consecutive league defeats helped the Saints to their worst ever start to a Super League Campaign.

Brown will leave the
Giants at the end of the season

Brown (left), 38, was expected to leave the Huddersfield Giants at the end of last season however signed a one year extension and so it was again widely believed that he would head back to his native Australia, where he previously coached St George Illawarra Dragons, at the end of the current campaign. Although it would seem as if his head has been turned by this opportunity and he has decided to stay. In an interview for the BBC Brown said:

"They are a great and historic club and continuously associated with success. I'm relishing the challenge for next season onwards. That said, this season is all about Huddersfield Giants for me. It's good to get this announcement out of the way so that I can concentrate totally on the job at hand."

Browns' Giants currently sit on top of the Super League table and his impact at the Giants has been huge and this news will be a blow to Giants fans as he is going to be very tough to replace. He is a young and well regarded coach in the game who will be looking to add to the success that Saints have had in previous years as well as finishing this year with hopefully some success for the Giants.

St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus said: 

"We are extremely pleased that Nathan will be joining us next season. He is still a relatively young coach but already has pedigree and experience gained over many years as a head coach at the highest levels, both in the NRL and in Super League. I believe he is ideally suited for the Saints, both with regard to the way we want to play and as to what we aim to achieve in terms of success".

As for this season Saints currently sit 7th however are on the up after the interim duo of Mike Rush and Kieron Cunningham have guided the Saints to two consecutive wins over the Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves respectively. This news means that these two men will remain in charge for the rest of the season. Their next game is on Good Friday as they host local rivals the Wigan Warriors, in the first derby at their new home of Langtree Park, in what promises to an absolute belter. 

Saints Go Marching On

'You shall not pass'- St Helens stand firm yet again as they win at Warrington

Last night St Helens recorded their second consecutive win as their upturn in fortunes continued under interim duo Mike Rush and Kieron Cunningham. Another impressive display earned Rush's side a 28-10 victory over the Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Two wins in a row since Simmons departure

After thumping current champions the Leeds Rhinos 40-6 last week, St Helens form continued as they made it two wins from two since the departure of  previous Head Coach Royce Simmons (right) as they beat current table toppers Warrington.

This rejuvenated St Helens side raced into a 22-0 lead in only 23 minutes as Warrington were stunned by the aggressive and intense forward play of St Helens. Wolves coach Tony Smith must have wonder was was happening to his team. A brace from Paul Wellens, and tries from Ade Gardener and Francis Meli and conversions from Jonny Lomax put Saints in a commanding position and leaving the Wolves a mountain to climb. Warrington seems to be panicking as they continued to make mistakes and handling errors. Their mistakes presented more chances for Saints who continued to push forward. St Helens had many more chances for points however failed to take them, notably when Sia Sollila crossed however failed to control the ball and apply adequate downward pressure.

Hodgson gave Warrington hope at the break

This could have been a turning point and when Brett Hodgson scored just before the break, Warrington had hope. Hodgson converted the try to make it 22-6 at the break. It seemed that maybe just maybe the comeback was on. This was even more so when Joel Monaghan crossed 6 minutes after the break and Warrington were well and truly back in the game.  However the Warrington onslaught which was expected any really came as St Helens defended resiliently and only a few times did Warrington truly trouble them. The points were sealed as Solliola scored Saints' five try of the game. Solliola powerfully smashed his way through despite the attempts of Warrington pair Chris riley and Chris Hill. Lomax converted and the game was over and Warrington were condemned to their first defeat since June of last year. Warrington did have the final say with a try on the hooter as Ryan Atkins scored. This defeat costing the Wolves top spot as Huddersfield returned to the summit of the Stobart Super League table after beating Leeds at Headingley 22-12.

On this form St Helens are very dangerous and I expect their rise up the table to continue. For Tony Smiths' Warrington I think they will bounce back, no doubt, and do not envy Widnes who whom they meet on Thursday. This one could be a long night for Widnes and a difficult watch for coach Denis Betts. 

This year's Super League is looking fantastic as so many great games have already been seen and we are only a couple of months into the season. With so much to come it is all set up for another enthralling year of Rugby League

 Fridays Nights Results in Full:

Castleford	34 - 30 (18 - 16)	Hull K R
Tries: Griffin, Youngquest 2, Owen, Dixon, Orr		Tries: Welham 3, Hodgson, Withers
Goals: Dixon 5		Goals: Dobson 5

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Hull	24 - 18 (12 - 6)	Bradford
Tries: Horne 2, Manu, Briscoe		Tries: Lulia, Pryce, Bateman
Goals: Tickle 4		Goals: Sammut 3

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Leeds	12 - 22 (6 - 12)	Huddersfield
Tries: Hardaker, Leuluai		Tries: Crabtree, Chan, Eden, McGillvary
Goals: Sinfield 2		Goals: Brough 3

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Salford	20 - 40 (8 - 30)	Wigan
Tries: Holdsworth, Williams, Patten, James		Tries: Goulding 2, Charnley, Tomkins 2, Carmont, Farrell, Russell
Goals: Holdsworth 2		Goals: Charnley 4

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Warrington	16 - 28 (6 - 22)	St Helens
Tries: Hodgson, Monaghan, Atkins		Tries: Gardner, Wellens 2, Meli, Soliola
Goals: Hodgson 2		Goals: Lomax 4

Eastmond Heads To Bath As League Continues To Lose Its Stars

Eastmond on his way to bath 

With the recent announcement that Kyle Eastmond is leaving St Helens to join Bath it is a sad day for the game. One of the future stars in Rugby League will have left at the age of 21. He has conquered nothing in Rugby League with no winners medals.

'One that left earlier'
Ashton proved great success in Union

I could understand if he had won everything and wanted a new challenge like Jason Robinson did. I do believe that losing these players at an increasingly early age should worry the RFL. Before it was the older players Robinson, Andy Farrell and Henry Paul but recently Chris Ashton and now Eastmond both in their early 20's. Lee Smith also left and although he came back it is worrying how many good young players are being tempted. Maybe it is the money, Rugby Union has far greater financial power. Maybe its the prospect of playing in competitions such as the Heineken Cup or on the International stage in the Six Nations or in World Cup's in front of 80/90 thousand. League lacks these competitions competitiveness. 

Despite New Zealand's recent triumphs in League, which has been great to see, it is still only them and Australia. England are a far away third and after that you really are struggling. Union is now thought of by the world when people say Rugby. The Rugby Football League (RFL) were slow to react and Union stole a march and the initiative. As a result League has been left behind. The game itself is great  and as a spectacle is second to none. It has a host of famous fans from others sports including the likes of Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney. The newer rules introduced are good e.g. the idea of the 40/20 in 1999. 

Forward thinking- Video Technology 

It move to a summer sport has been a success and it has always been trying to improve e.g one of the first sports to use video technology in 1996, another major success. This has since been copied by Union as well as many other sports. It is a different game to Union as has pace, freedom and constant play. However the people who run Union have got the marketing side right. I know there is an argument for the coverage Union gets over League for many reasons such as background and snobbery however for me the RFL could and should have done more. In Union players have higher profiles due to the marketing and they have spread the game worldwide. Though still true that there is only 9 genuine teams. Although they have developing sides and the game is very strong in France (unlike League) and South Africa where League is non-exsistent. Having been left behind it is very tough for League to compete. The losing of stars also doesn't help. If Sam Tomkins of Wigan was now to leave it would be a disaster. The RFL must act as otherwise the game will go into further decline. It can not survive in England with many of the teams coming from only two counties. 

For too long people in the North of England want the game to be kept in the M62 corridor. They like it as 'their game' that no one really knows about. However this attitude for me must change if the sport is to get national recognition and international success.

Many will argue that it is flattering that other sports come and take the players and that the system of youth development is so good these players will be replaced and the game continued. For example I hear Jonny Lomax is to replace Eastmond. He is another young up and coming star. However despite the fact that I agree with this view I do not think it is healthy for the game. 

I do not really understand Eastmond's decision as he could have achieved so much and I would liked him to have seen the Australian NRL as a bigger challenge then going to Union. Union domestic game is poor as the only care is for the Heineken Cup and so for me the International pull and money may have done it. I wish him all the best however feel it is a mistake that he will later regret.