11 conclusions: Hull FC horrorshow, Wigan Warriors woes, Brad Arthur issues
Another weekend of incredible rugby league, another bucketload of talking points.
From Super League to the Championship and beyond, there have been some significant results, and some significant moments that, quite frankly, need a debrief.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Mikey Lewis is Super League’s best player
Right now, anyway.
Lewis was at his brilliant best on Friday night to take Hull KR to the top of Super League with a stunning victory against Warrington Wolves. In a battle of two England half-backs, Lewis and George Williams, it was the Rovers star who came out on top.
If he continues in this form for the remainder of this season, then Rovers have a monumental chance to create history.
Hull KR’s Warrington win was about more than two points
Yes, it was a significant result in that it took Rovers to the Super League summit. But it was also important in terms of a psychological breakthrough for Willie Peters’ side, too.
They have a notoriously wretched record across the Pennines, with some real poor form away from home. At Warrington, they’ve been beaten routinely since Peters took charge.
But the manner of Friday’s win felt like a breakthrough moment for a side who now have to be taken very seriously indeed.
Hull FC’s problems are still painfully evident
Granted, the tide had started to turn somewhat at Hull FC – but the old problems still remain.
The Black and Whites were utterly woeful on Saturday in defeat to St Helens, being annihilated by a side completely out of form. Defensively all over the place and struggling for ideas in attack, Hull are once again in serious danger of finishing bottom of Super League.
Incoming head coach John Cartwright will be learning plenty from his squad as the weeks go on ahead of taking charge next year: and not much of it is pretty at present.
Daryl Clark is St Helens’ most important player
There’s a fair list of players who are vital for the Saints, many of whom have been out injured in recent weeks and months.
But could Clark be the most crucial of them all? Without him, Paul Wellens’ side would be in real mire – even more trouble than they already are, you could argue. Clark was outstanding in the victory over Hull FC and is still one of the very best hookers in the business.
Replacing James Roby was always going to be an impossible task but in Clark, they have as good a replacement as they were ever likely to find.
MORE SAINTS: James Graham reveals St Helens coaching role offer
Leeds are masters of their own downfall
It seemed as if Brad Arthur had turned the tide pretty quickly at Leeds Rhinos but some things clearly can’t be fixed overnight.
Once again, Leeds fell short against a side sat inside Super League’s top six with a disappointing defeat to Salford that leaves them with a major amount of work to do in order to reach the play-offs.
If they’re to make it, the Rhinos have to snap out of the old habits which are costing them dearly.
Leigh’s season is on the line Tuesday night
With eight games to go, and a five-point gap to the play-offs, it’s not an exaggeration to suggest the Leopards’ play-off hopes rest on their mouthwatering clash with Wigan on Tuesday evening.
Win that, and the gap to sixth is just three points. The Leopards have some very winnable games on their run-in too. But lose, and there’s perhaps too much of a gap to bridge; Leigh would have to win three games more than Catalans to stand any chance.
It all rests on Tuesday: and we can’t wait.
What happens if London don’t finish bottom?
Nothing, in reality – we know that in terms of what IMG have got planned for the Broncos and indeed Super League in 2025.
But it will prompt a major conversation if Mike Eccles’ side can somehow rally to get themselves off the foot of the table at the expense of Hull FC come the end of the season.
London’s win over Catalans on Sunday reignites the possibility of that happening and while it wouldn’t necessarily keep them in Super League, London avoiding finishing bottom given what they’ve had to deal with would be a major story.
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Some of Wigan’s key players need a rest
They’re not going to get one any time soon, with games against Leigh and Leeds this week in the space of four or five days.
But there’s a tinge of fatigue lingering in the reigning champions’ recent displays. While they were good enough to get the win over Huddersfield on Thursday night, it was a real struggle.
The likes of Harry Smith and Liam Farrell look like players who are in need of a break; and when you look at the amount of games they’ve played this year, it’s not hard to see why. When will Matt Peet opt to freshen things up at Wigan?
How many teams are in Championship relegation trouble?
Yes, it’s the latest instalment of ‘the Championship is utterly bonkers’.
Incredibly, there are just six points between the team in the final play-off spot – Featherstone Rovers – and the team occupying the second automatic relegation spot in Whitehaven.
The picture shifted dramatically at the weekend on numerous fronts. Halifax were perhaps the big winners, and they look to now be on an upward trajectory after back-to-back wins moved them two points clear of the drop zone.
But there is still so much rugby to be played, and so many chapters of this remarkable story left to be written.
Who are Wakefield’s biggest threat?
You would assume Toulouse, but there’s a couple of sides beneath that making a real fist of it.
Take Widnes Vikings, who now have four straight wins to their name and are coming into great form just as the play-offs approach. Sheffield are also still right in the fight for second place, too.
Can someone cause an upset in the Championship play-offs?
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