Rugby League Today: O’Brien to Toronto, NRL to Perth and praise for Tomkins

James Gordon 12 Mar 2018 7:30 AM

What’s on site

Have a run through the weekend’s action, including the good, the bad and the ugly.

Our featured game came at Halifax, where the hosts added to Leigh’s early season misery with a comprehensive 38-18 win at The Shay. Read the Championship round-up.

There’s some more transfer news coming out of Toronto today, but over the weekend they confirmed that their first ever Canadian player is joining London Skolars for the rest of the season, along with Ryan Burroughs.

Drew Darbyshire has a closer look at Hull, who have a bright future ahead of them with the promise of their youngsters during a mini-injury crisis at the KCOM.

Take a look at some photos of Super League coaches during their playing days.

And if you get bored at work today, give the new Rugby League 18 mobile game (available on iPhone, iPad and Android devices) a download. Read more about it here.

What’s in the papers

A win for Wigan and more praise for Sam Tomkins, once again omitted from the England squads last week. Shaun Wane says he’ll be keeping him at full back, for now, according to Wigan Today.

Salford’s Paul Highton says working with prisoners is helping him in his new role at the club as team and player welfare manager.

Forget Perth in Super League, there’s a real case for them to get a spot in the NRL following an almost 40,000 attendance for the Warriors-Storm game there over the weekend, says The Guardian.

Keep an eye out for Monday’s regular Paper Talk column later this morning.

What’s on social

The Sun’s Gary Carter reporting that Gareth O’Brien is to leave Salford for Toronto Wolfpack, with official confirmation due imminently.

Gareth O’Brien to Toronto Wolfpack is a done deal

Posted by Gary Carter, Rugby League Journalist on Sunday, 11 March 2018

Some criticism of the RFL (what else is new) for not making more of this before the event, but Tara Jones making her debut as the first ever female Super League official probably enabled her to get on with it without pressure.

Tara Jones: First ever on-field female official in Betfred Super League & she's also a pretty awesome rugby player, right @Saints1890 ?

Find out a bit more about her here ? https://t.co/Ok338VTaBJ pic.twitter.com/mvv4A3obcy

— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 11, 2018

One of the more bizarre tweets of the weekend came from the official Keighley account during their defeat at home to Bradford.

27 min – @OfficialBullsRL TRY

Ross Peltier, who has somehow managed to get his ego through the door, scores for the Bulls. Joe Keyes converts.

COUGARS 0-10 Bulls. #KCRL18 #CDQ

— Keighley Cougars (@Cougarmania) March 11, 2018