Super League Rugby – Worldwide Sports News

July 19, 2021

Jack Welsby shows in Challenge Cup final what England need at World Cup

The battle of the halves ended even at Wembley but the young utility sub swung the Challenge Cup final for St Helens

By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required

There were few surprises at Wembley on Saturday. Hugely experienced St Helens, the reigning Super League champions, beat mid-table Castleford; their captain James Roby was magnificent, the 35-year-old hooker overshadowing his supposed England successor Paul McShane; and Cas coach Daryl Powell lost another final. Cas knew they needed to be almost perfect. That, or for Saints to have a very rare shocker. Neither happened.

Instead, we saw a high class duel between half-back pairings and full-back combinations, starring a surprise second-half guest act: Niall Evalds, Jake Trueman and Gareth O’Brien for the Tigers; Lachlan Coote, Jonny Lomax and Theo Fages for Saints before Jack Welsby arrived to steal the show.

July 11, 2021

Harry Smith’s late try gives Wigan vital victory over makeshift Huddersfield

Wigan 16-12 Huddersfield
Hosts overcome 12-point deficit in battle of depleted sides

Few games have epitomised where Super League, not just Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants, finds itself right now better than this one. The very fact both these sides were scrambling to keep their seasons alive and arrest drastically poor form here was symptomatic of the competition’s wider situation.

With more than 20 first-team players – countless internationals among them – missing across both sides here because of injuries, suspensions and Covid-related issues, no game summed up Super League’s problems better as rugby league’s premiere competition fights not only to keep the integrity of the season intact but to get the campaign through to any sort of finish whatsoever this year.

July 4, 2021

Lachlan Coote imperious as St Helens beat Wigan and close on leaders

St Helens 24-6 Wigan
Wigan have two players sent to sin-bin

St Helens inflicted a fifth successive Super League defeat on Wigan Warriors for the first time in 15 years with victory in a rain-sodden derby to keep the pressure on league leaders Catalans Dragons.

Wigan had not lost five consecutive league games since 2006, but they continue to slide down the table after a promising start to 2021 which saw them win their opening seven games. Since then, they have exited the Challenge Cup and are in the midst of a terrible run of league form, compounded here with defeat at the home of their great rivals.