DRAGONS, ASHES & BBQs
Well I suppose I can't start this week without mentioning the ‘Ashes'!! All the Aussies in the squad have had to take some stick from the English boys about the result. We did the rain dance before the first innings just to get some movement in the pitch and we bowled them out for a reasonable score but Stuart Broad came on and bowled really well for England. It is very disappointing and I think it should be played again next month!!
We had a great victory over the Dragons and I was delighted it was at home. We needed a good win at home because we know we haven't been doing too well there but we are on a bit of a role now and playing some good footy. We certainly are enjoying ourselves as are the fans and they did the week before at Huddersfield. We have given them something to sing about and we want to keep that going. We have another chance at home the next game after the week off and hopefully we can get a bigger crowd and keep them singing and cheering and keeping the dream right to the final glass.
Catalans were certainly a big side. They are very similar to Huddersfield and we knew going into the game that our forwards would have to stand up to them. I think Sam coming on after about eighteen minutes really changed the game for us. He put in some great runs and set up the try and from the kick off's he really charged in as hard as I think he has all year and I think as much as anything that's what laid the platform for us to go forward and get the good win. I managed to get over for another try. I have only one more game left at home and the crowd were great to me when I scored. I really appreciated that and I hope I can get another one and enjoy a victory in my last game at the Grattan.
Speaking of tries, it is nearly the end of the season and I think there is only one player left for the naked run; Langers!! He certainly had a chance early on but he gave the ball back inside to Sam. I think if I was him I would be looking to be a bit more selfish and get over that line myself but he is a team player and I don't think he's particularly bothered about getting his clothes off!!. I'll have to check the rules because Cooky has only scored once in the Challenge Cup!! It seems that he has had to do the naked run every year I have been here and it could be that he misses out this year, which will be a shame for him because he really enjoys it!!
We have a few days off now because of the Challenge Cup Final and for me it will be a trip to Loughborough because our cheerleading group has the national finals coming up. I think we are in six divisions and it would be great to get six trophies and places on the podium. So that's my time off taken care of but some of the other boys are getting away and spending some times with their families, which will be good and it will help them get over some little bumps and bruises.
On the last day of training before the break we had a Bar B Que and a cricket match at Woodhouse Grove. We had the game review and then a sort of ‘Ashes' cricket match. We bowled first to give them some hope but this time the Aussie boys proved too strong and myself, BJ and Beaver were all in great form with the bat and ball!! We have been having a laugh at some of the young guys bowling. We have been given most of the young guys and Mike Worrincy and I think ‘extras' has been the highest scorer for the English side because most of them couldn't get it on the pitch!! Beaver bowled really well though. He has a bit of pace and he nearly took a couple of chins off and one ball to Langers was a beauty and took out his middle stump! It's always fun and we went a bit easy on them but Beaver showed some pace and they were soon calling for the helmets!!
It's the Challenge Cup Final this week and it's a very close one to call. I think, looking at our Tipping Comp, it's really split down the middle. I think in the last few weeks Huddersfield have been the form team and they have been big and strong but Warrington have that big game experience there with Moz and a couple of their other players and that might just tip it for them. I think they need him and Garreth Carvel to step up and take it to the Giants pack and if the do that then the experience of guys like Matt King could just swing it for them bit it's going to be tight.