Saints Prepare for Craic at Skolars

v-deniso

Saints’ preparations are being finalised for their opening game of 2006, against London Skolars in Dublin this Sunday.

The game, which will be Saints first-ever in Ireland, will provide a boost to Rugby League Ireland who are working hard to raise the profile of the sport in the country.

It is a youthful side that will represent the Saints in this exhibition match, but there is still plenty of quality on show.

Former Great Britain international Paul Anderson will captain the squad, which also contains first-teamers Maurie Fa’asavalu, James Graham, Ian Hardman, Scott Moore, Paul Clough, Matty Smith and Miles Greenwood.

The game will be played at Donnybrook, which is just a short bus or taxi ride from Dublin city centre. Tickets are available on the day priced €15 Stand, €10 Ground and €5 Concession, with under 16s free when accompanied by an adult.

Kick-off is 2.30pm.

Saints Squad:
1. Paul Anderson (Captain)
2. Ste Bannister
3. Liam Bland
4. Paul Clough
5. Danny Cooper
6. Kyle Eastmond
7. Maurie Fa'asavalu
8. James Graham
9. Miles Greenwood
10. Ian Hardman
11. Gaz Langley
12. Paul Leyland
13. Craig Littler
14. Dean McGilvray
15. Scott Moore
16. Matty Smith
17. Ste Tyrer
18. Ian Webster
19. Sean Weed

Maccattack

Leinster RFU throw their marketing machine behind this weekends Dublin
Rugby League Clash!!

Leinster RFU have pulled out all the stops to promote this weekends
game at Donnybrook. Their website www.leinsterrugby.ie has the fixture
featured twice on the home page. They have also sent an ezine to 25,000
fans and are displaying the match details on the digital sign outside
the ground that faces the busiest road in Ireland.

It is the breakthrough Rugby League Ireland has needed. Its now up to
all those associated with the game of rugby league in Ireland to vote
with their feet and attend the game with as many friends and family as
possible. If this happens the game will be a guaranteed success and
Donnybrook should be available for furture big league games. The
importance is similar to Croke Park being opened up for union and soccer!

To minimise the impact of the Leinster game vs Bath being on TV at the
sametime the game will be showed delayed after the league game at the
stadium.

Maccattack

Anyone else from Boards going to this?

should be a greT GAME. sKOLARS ARE PRETTY STRONG. tHEY BEAT bRADFORD LAST YEAR.

Amz

I'm going, even though I was slagged off on air by George Hook and Gerry Thornly for saying that.

It better be worth it!

Amz

On the price list it says "€5 Concession" What is the concession and where does one get it?

BigDragon

Amz wrote:

On the price list it says "€5 Concession" What is the concession and where does one get it?

Usually student or OAP.

Amz

Sound, was just wondering if I had to bring along a poster, or something.

Thanks!

Maccattack

George Hook is a cretin.

What did he say?

BigDragon

Amz wrote:

I'm going, even though I was slagged off on air by George Hook and Gerry Thornly for saying that.

It better be worth it!

Tell us more? Is there a podcast?

nobody else think this is a pretty pathetic Saints team? i mean if you are going to play a friendly that supposed to get some press in ireland paerhaps at least one of the stars could turn up instead of a past it prop and some promising youngsters.

Wigan played leigh in a friendly last week with 75% of their first team playing, and leigh even more, why is it any different for saints coming to ireland?

Amz

Probably because they were coming to Ireland.

This weekend was probably one of the few chances some of the players might have had to see family, or go home etc. for a while.

Plus there's always a risk that someone key might get injured. It's disappointing yet totally understandable that they wouldn't play a full strength team.

Amz

BigDragon wrote:

Tell us more? Is there a podcast?

I was asked to go on air on Friday's rugby show to discuss the rugby league game, but basically George and Gerry Thornly extracted the urine out of me and the game of rugby league.

Not sure if there's a podcast. The show is often repeated, but there's no definite time.

Amz

Amz wrote:

Probably because they were coming to Ireland.

This weekend was probably one of the few chances some of the players might have had to see family, or go home etc. for a while.

Plus there's always a risk that someone key might get injured. It's disappointing yet totally understandable that they wouldn't play a full strength team.

Yes its understandble from the coaches point of view but that is missing the big picture. If RLI is trying to get the game some fans and Saints are supposedly doing there bit to help the game develop in other nations, it is a waste of time.
I am a rugby league fanatic, but when it comes to watching teams with no good players, flair etc it can make for a very dull game indeed, same as any sport. Then its quite easy to to take the piss out of and dismiss it

Amz

Ok, you have to be realistic.

The promotion of Rugby League in Ireland is not going to be very high on the list of priorities of clubs like St. Helens. Their priorities are going to be on the domestic performances. If playing a promo game in Ireland could affect that performance i.e. players getting injured etc. then they're not going to risk that.

It would be fantastic for the promotion of League in this country if they could play full strength teams, but exactly how much would that risk pay off for RLI and the game in general?

It's up to RLI to organise it better, or ensure that more key players are brought over. Why not get the Wolfhounds to play some top English side? Get better local interest. St. Helens were never going to bring a full strength squad to a game like this. They don't do that in other sports. If Man Utd. play a promo game here you might get one, or two well known players, but the rest are going to be has beens, or up and comers.

For starters the game shouldn't have been played at almost the same time as a key Heineken Cup game. I'd say that affected turn out, particularly given that it was played in Donneybrook.

Out of interest, what was the attendance for the game yesterday?

v-deniso

Saints 42 London Skolars 14

Despite rarely finding their fluency in their first run-out of the 2006 season, a youthful Saints side proved too strong for National League 2 side, London Skolars, in the Annual Dublin City Rugby League Challenge.

Saints got off to an ideal start on four minutes when Ian Webster claimed the season's first try, scooting over from dummy-half when the Skolars' markers over-anticipated a pass from the hooker.

The Skolars were taking longer to settle, and three times in the opening ten minutes surrended possession in their own half. However Saints handling was not assured either, as shown when Littler wasted a line break on the first tackle with an unnecessary, speculative pass. His error was compounded by conceding a penalty moments later, allowing the Skolars their first foray into Saints' half; centre Mike Castle scored in the right corner, and Ben Joyce's convcersion from near the touchline levelled the scores.

Although still disjointed, Saints were maintaining their territorial ascendancy, and it was only a matter of time before the moves began to produce rewards. A delightful, delayed pass by Matty Smith created the space for Ste Bannister to run through unchallenged, then Sean Weed's offload caught the Skolars defence unawares and Dave Hull jinked through to open up a ten-point margin on the half-hour.

Saints were keeping the Skolars defence guessing with their range of passing, and Scott Moore's short pass to Weed was too astute for a stretched defensive line to combat, as the centre sprinted in for Saints' fourth.

The half-time interval proved to be merely a pause in the procession: Hull was ultimately the beneficiary from Moore's basketball pass, and 2005 Senior Academy Player of the Year Gaz Langley scored a trademark 80 metre interception try.

The Skolars rallied, and it took a first-class tackle by Hull to prevent Nathan Meischke from grounding the ball after he had intercepted a pass by Smith on halfway. The Skolars' efforts were rewarded two minutes later, though, when Austen Aggrey finished off a good move down the left flank.

The respite for the Londoners did not last long. Paul Leyland scored from close range after an imperious switch of play by Smith, who then scored Saints' eighth try from Clough's pass.

Hull capped a fine performance when he again tracked back to haul down a breakaway attack, this time preventing Rubert Jonker from scoring. Perhaps fittingly, the team in green had the final word: Matt Pitman scoring his side's third try in the last minute, as Saints ran out comfortable winners, 42-14, in front of an enthusiastic Irish audience.

Saints: Ian Hardman, Gareth Langley, Craig Littler, Sean Weed, Miles Greenwood; Scott Moore, Matty Smith; James Graham, Ian Webster, Danny Cooper, Ste Bannister, Mark Walker, Paul Clough.
Substitutes: Craig Ashall, Paul Leyland, Liam Bland, Dave Hull, Mark Beech, Olly Cooper, John Williams.

Tries: Hull (2), Webster, Bannister, Weed, Langley, Leyland, Smith.
Goals: Hardman (5 from 8)


London Skolars: Charlie Oyebade, Austen Aggrey, Mike Castle, Tane Taikoto, Corey Simms; Todd Egan, Nathan Meischke; Mike Morrison, Gareth Honor, Rubert Jonker, Matt James, Matt Pitman, Ben Joyce.
Substitutes: Alex Walker, Vinny O'Dowd, Malaki Forrester, Josh Garden, Huy Le, Mario Du Toit.

Tries: Castle, Aggrey, Pitman.
Goals: Joyce (1 from 3)

Amz

Amz wrote:

Ok, you have to be realistic.

The promotion of Rugby League in Ireland is not going to be very high on the list of priorities of clubs like St. Helens. Their priorities are going to be on the domestic performances. If playing a promo game in Ireland could affect that performance i.e. players getting injured etc. then they're not going to risk that.
, what was the attendance for the game yesterday?

Im not bein smart here Amz but your wrong in what you say. Real Madrid travel to the far east every season and they play a FULL strength lineup. When english teams travel to the preseason games in ireland that tournament whatever its called they play almost full strenght teams. now players like beckham are on 100k a week so its a Big deal if they get injured, but they are the risks.

Ok Madrid are going to sell more shirts, then st's will in ireland, but for me its the same old tunnel vision from Rugby League. Can you tell me have any real advances been made since the world cup in ireland - where f all people turned up for the ireland games? there would be no difference now. You can say lets be realistic but in what terms? realistic in the fact that the game will never develop properly here? so lets not even try? So the bottom line is, everyone can be selfish or they can strive to bring the game forward.

and one more thing, that side that played for saints is a complete joke - its an academy side of 17 year olds. Ive heard of two players on it who are merely promising youngsters

Amz

Deleted User wrote:

Im not bein smart here Amz but your wrong in what you say. Real Madrid travel to the far east every season and they play a FULL strength lineup. When english teams travel to the preseason games in ireland that tournament whatever its called they play almost full strenght teams. now players like beckham are on 100k a week so its a Big deal if they get injured, but they are the risks.

If you'll notice you've just helped me back up my points there so I'm not wrong. The competitions you mention, in the Far East and Ireland are played off season. They're not mid season games. It's not as much of a risk to the clubs to play near to full strength teams. If a player is injured on these tours they're not going to miss as much of the season and it wont affect the team during its league/cup participation to the same extent.

Ok Madrid are going to sell more shirts, then st's will in ireland, but for me its the same old tunnel vision from Rugby League. Can you tell me have any real advances been made since the world cup in ireland - where f all people turned up for the ireland games? there would be no difference now. You can say lets be realistic but in what terms? realistic in the fact that the game will never develop properly here? so lets not even try? So the bottom line is, everyone can be selfish or they can strive to bring the game forward.

Rugby League doesn't have a history in this country. Playing one exhibition game a year (Poorly timed game etc.) is not going to boost it's profile at all!

It's not promoted enough, but it's very difficult for a sport, which let's face it, is relatively new to this country, to break into anywhere that already has established games like GAA, Soccer, or Rugby Union. I mean, Rugby Union which has a much longer history in Ireland still struggles to get players in certain areas.

I've no idea what advances have been made in this country, other than the establishment of this forum, the setting up of several teams (I had little, or no insight into Rugby League in Ireland until this forum was created).

Can I ask what you yourself have done to promote the game?

It seems you're fond of complaining and picking faults, but you've not suggested any more practical ways of promoting the sport in this country.

The competitions are played off season? strange that they are called preseason tournaments then. The last one I went to was 2 yeara ago when villa came over in AUGUST. I rest my case.

By the way since we are bein smart now, when a team is in preseason.....how do players get match fit? Do they just not play before the campaign kicks off in case they get injured? or just not play against an irish side? You are busy making excuses for saints, and thats all they are excuses.

A team plays games preseason to get fit, they have been off holidaying since end of october, dublin is 45 mins away by plane. none of the reasons you give justify them sending over an academy side. They are standard beliggerant rugby league reasons.

Now, I agree that yes it is a difficult sport to promote here, but does that mean we dont bother? Imagine a saints fans in reland hear's Sts are coming to dublin, he turns up and doesnt recognise any of his favourite players. very nice.

What have I done to promote the game? Well firstly it is not my job and secondly I dont live in the country anymore.

If I was in the job I would suggest 1. getting a couple of irish teams into the challenge cup there are even russian sides in it, but for some reason we havent botheres


play some NFP sides
nd maybe some french sides in perhaps a league or even a couple of one off games.
Get a big name team to come over for a week and play 2-3 games using their full squad preseason, pay them if needs be.
When the world cup was here, nobody actually promoted it. you need to get a PR company involved, get the international rugby league to provide the funds.
We have or had the best winger in the world from Ireland, have you ever seen a spread on him in the paper?, would you have heard of him if you didnt like rubgy league?
Use him in promotions etc, get him heard of.

There are many things that could be done if people were actually willing to try.

Amz

Eh ... Pre-Season is off-season, it is not "The season".

Frankly I don't really give a crap, I was attempting to have a discussion, I have a background in sports science so had an insight into the motivation behind the decisions made in relation to this match.

The match shouldn't have been played at the same time as Leinster's Heineken Cup game, that immediately damaged it's chances of success.

carlnz

what was the crowd like?

BigDragon

A few hundred with a fair proportion form England. It was a brutally boring game.

Amz

They had it on Setanta recently, or at least "Highlights" from it. I didn't watch it long enough to find out.