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Championships A season of great significance GARETH WALKER casts his eye over the forthcoming Championships campaigns - which kick off on 31 January Like so many things in rugby league, the build-up to the new Championship season has not been plain sailing; the withdrawal of Northampton and an unwieldy late change to the competitions’ junior leagues has seen to that. But despite those mis-steps, there is no doubt that the 2013 season is one of great significance, and one rich in potential. This is a year that will see an expanded Championship of 14 teams, a revised Northern Rail Cup, and a Championship One including three exciting new clubs. There will be more junior teams at this level than in recent years, though the late switch from the planned U19s and U23s leagues, to just U20s, did cause difficulties. Throw in the, somewhat controversial, partnerships with Super League clubs, and there is no lack of interest for supporters of the game at a level that consistently overachieves in terms of on-field action. The bigger top division provides a more balanced 26 league fixtures, though even that decision brought concern in some quarters, with certain coaches feeling that promoting four clubs at once could dilute the quality of what has been a superb competition. But the fact that the three Cumbrian clubs are now back at the higher level, and the continuing emergence of visionary Doncaster, should provide enough positives to counter those fears. Cumbria provides an excellent feelgood story, as long as Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington can be competitive. Should any of the three manage to achieve notable success - a tall order in this cut-throat environment - then a county that is drenched in rugby league heritage might finally start to believe glory days of the past can return. Those three and Doncaster will find it tough, however, to match the heavyweights at this level. Featherstone, Halifax, Leigh and Sheffield are again expected to be the front-runners, though John Kear’s Batley will rightly feel that they can challenge strongly for the top four. Behind those, the likes of Keighley and Dewsbury - both with new coaches in Paul March and Glenn Morrison - plus Swinton, will be looking to push themselves into the play-off picture. That leaves last year’s bottom two of Hunslet and York, both of whom look well placed to improve on 2012’s efforts. The Knights have an experienced Championship coach in the shape of Gary Thornton, and Barry Eaton Back in the big time: Champions Doncaster and Barrow were promoted Going it alone: Featherstone won’t link but Hunslet will work with Leeds Rhinos rlphotos.com “The old mantra ‘if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got’ could be of huge relevance to clubs at this level...” continues to work wonders on a tiny budget with the Hawks. The hope is that - as has been the case for many years in the Championship - there are no easy games, despite the expanded format. To Championship One. Nine teams is hardly ideal, and comes about after Northampton - the first fledgling club to be accepted by the RFL pulled out of the competition in August. Still, there is a trio of new additions in Hemel Hempstead, the University of Gloucester and Oxford, each of whom bring their own individual strengths to the table. The RFL’s chief operating officer Ralph Rimmer has reported how presentations from each of those three at Championship meetings genuinely turned heads and raised the eyebrows of their more established peers, and his belief that the newcomers could actually improve the older clubs really would be a huge positive if it turns out that way. The mantra that “if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got” could yet become of huge relevance to clubs at this level. Bright new ideas from clubs looking at things differently could re-invigorate those around them. So what of the traditional names left behind; those who many predicted would flounder and die in the new surroundings? Local rivals Oldham and Rochdale Hornets have rarely started seasons on such a positive note. Both clubs have links with Super League counterparts - more of that later - new coaches, and genuine hope of some long-overdue silverware. The last time the Roughyeds 32 Forty-20 January 2013
page 33
Year of change: Championships fans can expect Sheffield Eagles, above, to challenge again, as will rebuilt Leigh Centurions and Keighley SWPix.com lifted a trophy was the 1990 Divisional Premiership at Old Trafford, while it’s been an even longer wait for Rochdale supporters - it’s over 90 years since they paraded the Challenge Cup, and they haven’t appeared in a final since 1991, the longest barren run in the professional game. Both now have very real aspirations of winning the competition, though that is not to say they will have it all their own way in 2013. In fact, the favourites in many eyes are Clive Griffiths’ North Wales Crusaders, who have built significantly on their encouraging first season, with former Great Britain international Stuart Reardon among their new recruits. Then there is London Skolars, who made very definite strides under Joe Mbu last year. If they can counter the losses of key players Lamont Bryan and Neil Thorman to the Championship, they should be right up there too. Gateshead Thunder and South Wales Scorpions will be hoping that a new-look competition will allow them to win significantly more matches, and perhaps make the play-offs come the end of the year. They too start 2013 with much optimism. That just leaves the new partnerships forged between Championship clubs and their Super League counterparts to cover. Encouraged by the RFL to provide opportunities for young players left by the wayside from the scrapping of the top flight’s U20s competition, they predictably created a stir when first announced. That most dreaded of rugby league terms ‘feeder club’ was regularly aired; many Championship fans feeling that their favourites were being used by those in the top flight, while others proclaimed a great conspiracy to further distance the game’s top two competitions. Since that initial heated response, the reaction has died down a little, as more has emerged about the link-ups. One varies greatly from the next - Rochdale and St Helens look to have the most extensive, with Saints effectively placing one of their own coaches at Hornets in Ian Talbot, a move that worried some at the time. But the facilities and advice that the top-flight club has already been able to provide has appeased many Rochdale supporters. Elsewhere, Batley’s link with Huddersfield will see the Bulldogs’ players covered by the Giants’ private healthcare scheme - how can that be in any way a bad thing? Other clubs will simply look to use the dual registration scheme for players. Leigh’s relationship with Wigan is one example of that - the Centurions have their own Super League aspirations, and any players that come from the Warriors will simply be seen as a bonus to what they have. Then there are the likes of Halifax, Featherstone and Sheffield, who have shunned the proposal all together, preferring to stand alone. Rovers coach Daryl Powell was among the most vocal initial opponents of the partnerships, feeling that it could seriously compromise the integrity of what has been such an admirable competition, if teams were fielding radically different lineups from one week to the next, depending on the Super League side’s needs. Everybody in the Championships hopes that doesn’t happen, because these are leagues that have huge entertainment value - Thursday nights on Premier Sports, which will thankfully return this year, are concrete evidence of that. Whatever unfolds, it is certain that both competitions will be fascinating to behold in 2013. January 2013 Forty-20 33

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Championships

A season of great significance GARETH WALKER casts his eye over the forthcoming Championships campaigns - which kick off on 31 January

Like so many things in rugby league, the build-up to the new Championship season has not been plain sailing; the withdrawal of Northampton and an unwieldy late change to the competitions’ junior leagues has seen to that. But despite those mis-steps, there is no doubt that the 2013 season is one of great significance, and one rich in potential.

This is a year that will see an expanded Championship of 14 teams, a revised Northern Rail Cup, and a Championship One including three exciting new clubs.

There will be more junior teams at this level than in recent years, though the late switch from the planned U19s and U23s leagues, to just U20s, did cause difficulties. Throw in the, somewhat controversial, partnerships with Super League clubs, and there is no lack of interest for supporters of the game at a level that consistently overachieves in terms of on-field action.

The bigger top division provides a more balanced 26 league fixtures, though even that decision brought concern in some quarters, with certain coaches feeling that promoting four clubs at once could dilute the quality of what has been a superb competition. But the fact that the three Cumbrian clubs are now back at the higher level, and the continuing emergence of visionary Doncaster, should provide enough positives to counter those fears.

Cumbria provides an excellent feelgood story, as long as Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington can be competitive. Should any of the three manage to achieve notable success - a tall order in this cut-throat environment - then a county that is drenched in rugby league heritage might finally start to believe glory days of the past can return.

Those three and Doncaster will find it tough, however, to match the heavyweights at this level. Featherstone, Halifax, Leigh and Sheffield are again expected to be the front-runners, though John Kear’s Batley will rightly feel that they can challenge strongly for the top four. Behind those, the likes of Keighley and Dewsbury - both with new coaches in Paul March and Glenn Morrison - plus Swinton, will be looking to push themselves into the play-off picture.

That leaves last year’s bottom two of Hunslet and York, both of whom look well placed to improve on 2012’s efforts. The Knights have an experienced Championship coach in the shape of Gary Thornton, and Barry Eaton

Back in the big time: Champions Doncaster and Barrow were promoted

Going it alone: Featherstone won’t link but Hunslet will work with Leeds Rhinos rlphotos.com

“The old mantra ‘if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got’ could be of huge relevance to clubs at this level...”

continues to work wonders on a tiny budget with the Hawks. The hope is that - as has been the case for many years in the Championship - there are no easy games, despite the expanded format.

To Championship One. Nine teams is hardly ideal, and comes about after Northampton - the first fledgling club to be accepted by the RFL

pulled out of the competition in August. Still, there is a trio of new additions in Hemel Hempstead, the University of Gloucester and Oxford, each of whom bring their own individual strengths to the table.

The RFL’s chief operating officer Ralph Rimmer has reported how presentations from each of those three at Championship meetings genuinely turned heads and raised the eyebrows of their more established peers, and his belief that the newcomers could actually improve the older clubs really would be a huge positive if it turns out that way.

The mantra that “if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got” could yet become of huge relevance to clubs at this level. Bright new ideas from clubs looking at things differently could re-invigorate those around them.

So what of the traditional names left behind; those who many predicted would flounder and die in the new surroundings?

Local rivals Oldham and Rochdale Hornets have rarely started seasons on such a positive note. Both clubs have links with Super League counterparts - more of that later - new coaches, and genuine hope of some long-overdue silverware.

The last time the Roughyeds

32 Forty-20 January 2013

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