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RLCMtv Short Clip Click on Image Steve Murphy Titans assistant coach after Friday nights win over the Cowboys "I believe all clubs and coaches at all levels should have copies of RLCM as a coaching resource" Wayne Bennett Contact: Gary Roberts Mobile: 0414 234 718 Phone: 07/ 5538 9377 Fax: 07/5538 9388 Email: rlcm@... Post: RLCM PO Box 259, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Click here for more Rugby League News News Update Cowboys display lack of discipline By Gary Roberts - RLCM As the two teams walked off the field at half time a feeling of anxiety came over the Titans' fans. They had just witnessed the brilliance of the Cowboy's half Johnathan Thurston in scoring a try and converting the goal and saw the comfortable lead of 22 to 6 diminish to a ten point margin of 22 to 12 on the last set in the first half. Their concern was that if the Cowboys scored first in the second half and reduced the Titans' lead even more, it would have been game on, and the Titans may have struggled against the supposedly more experienced Cowboys. That scenario never entered the Titans' players' mind. They went back on and won comfortably. The problem that did arise came from the said, 'more experienced Cowboys'. They showed a lack of discipline that was uncharacteristic of a rugby league team in the elite NRL competition. We will give them the concession of it being game one of the new season. Graham Murray, disappointed in his team's performance said, "We did not play as good as we planned but it was a fair hit out for us. We will improve on that for sure." Captain, Johnathan Thurson , said, "As a team we will need a lot of improvement. After the game we spoke about team discipline, tackle four and five, penalties, and dropped ball. We have to learn from today. If we do that [again] next week, we will have a problem." Statistics can tell you many things. However, it depends on who is analysing them and what is being sought. Below are basic stats RLCM recorded on the Cowboys' second half sets and plays, the NEGATIVE assertion is from RLCM criteria. During the second half, there were 38 sets contested. Titans had the ball on 20 occasions and the Cowboys on 18 occasions. Listed below are the 38 sets, but the emphasis is on the 18 times the Cowboys had the ball in the second half. Set 1 NEGATIVE - Ball kicked dead from 70m 5th play. Titan restart 20m tap. ---------- Set 2 - Titans Set 3 NEGATIVE - Ball knocked on 60m on 3rd play. Titan restart 40m. ---------- Set 4 - Titans NEGATIVE Set 5 - Titans - RECEIVED SET FROM COWBOYS' PENALTY Set 6 NEGATIVE - Ball kicked from 45m 5th play. No pressure, Titan restart 20m ---------- Set 7 - Titans Set 8 Cowboys restart in Titans' half after Titan K/O on 30m ---------- Set 9 - Titans NEGATIVE Set 10 - Titans - RECEIVED SET FROM COWBOYS' PENALTY ---------- Set 11 - Titans Set 12 NEGATIVE - Bowen runs on 5th play from 60m, K/O on 80m? Titan restart 20m NEGATIVE Set 13 - Titans - RECEIVED SET FROM COWBOYS' PENALTY ---------- Set 14 - Titans Set 15 NEGATIVE - Ball kicked dead from 50m 5th play. Titan restart 20m tap ---------- Set 16 - Titans Set 17 Cowboys receive penalty 1st play on 30m Set 18 NEGATIVE - Ball knocked on 85m on 3rd play. Titan restart 15m ---------- Set 19 - Titans Set 20 Carried ball from try line to 40m for 5th play kick to Titans 10m ---------- Set 21 - Titans Set 22 NEGATIVE - Gave penalty whilst in possession 3rd play 55m ---------- Set 23 - Titans ---------- Set 24 - Titans Set 25 NEGATIVE - Passed ball into touch after break 5th play 60m. Titan restart 40m ---------- Set 26 - Titans Set 27 Cowboys receive penalty 1st play on 50m Set 28 Cowboys receive penalty 1st play on 75m Set 29 No try Ty Williams, ball knocked on in process ---------- Set 30 - Titans Set 31 Carried ball from 45m to 95m for 5th play kick. ---------- Set 32 - Titans Set 33 Thurston scores and converts Set 34 NEGATIVE - Ball knocked on 50m on 5th play. Titan restart 50m ---------- Set 35 - Titans ---------- Set 36 - Titans Set 37 NEGATIVE - Ball knocked on 40m on 3rd play. Titan restart 60m ---------- Set 38 - Titans The Cowboys gave away penalties - one whilst in possession and showed an inability to get into the Titans' area due to lack of positive plays. A problem surfaced in this game that will have the Cowboys' coaching staff concerned and having to rectify very quickly. It is the skill of containing the opposition to within their own 30/40 metre before the 5th play. Nothing can be taken away from the Titans. They won comfortably. They showed patience, stuck to John Cartwright's game plan and they accepted the ball from some of the plays the Cowboys attempted to execute. The Titans showed again that positive completions plus accepting the errors from an opposition will always keep a team in the game. John Cartwright is astute enough not to get carried away with the win as he would realize the Cowboys were down on performance. A problem was noted with the Titan's kickers and although they escaped any major consequences from Friday night's game, if it occurs regularly, the Titans will pay a penalty. Titans 36 defeated Cowboys 16 Crowd 26 974 Skilled Park Stadium - Gold Coast Click for Johnathan Thurson Click for Scott Prince Click for Graham Murray Click for John Cartwright Click for Steve Murphy Titans assistant coach RLCM Online  Iestyn Harris could still have a role to play with Bradford Bulls By Andy Wilson - Iestyn Harris may have been dropped from the Bradford squad, but a fitting finale could still await him at Odsal Writing about Iestyn Harris at the moment comes uncomfortably close to kicking a man when he's down. The former Leeds, Wales and Bradford captain has been dropped from the Bulls' 17-man squad for their last two matches, and the fact that they have won them both after losing three of their previous four seems rather more than coincidence. The indignity of sitting on the sidelines compounds a mostly miserable 12 months for Harris in which he has lost the Bradford captaincy and endured bitter disappointment with Wales when they failed to qualify for this autumn's World Cup. All this with the legal wrangle between Bradford and Leeds, provoked by his 2004 return to league, still rumbling in the background, with Harris in the thick of the dispute and its potentially grievous financial implications both for him and the Bulls. Apparently the Wales Rugby Union team he left behind are doing pretty well, too. It seems a long time since those carefree days of the 1995 World Cup when a teenage Harris excelled at full-back in a memorable surge to the semi-finals. Two years later he moved from Warrington to Leeds and quickly became the darling of the Headingley supporters, evoking memories of their former Welsh wizard Lewis Jones and lifting the Challenge Cup at Wembley in 1999. He was already a slightly fading physical force when he moved to Union in the autumn of 2001, having lost a crucial fraction of the pace that had inspired the Rhinos coach Graham Murray to switch him so effectively between stand-off and full-back. But that didn't stop him making a valuable contribution to Bradford's last Super League triumph in 2005, his first full season back in league, a fact oft-overlooked by those Bulls supporters who resent the long-term damage that his signing on a four-year contract has done to the club. It is nevertheless startling to consider that Bradford are still paying around one-tenth of their £1.7m salary cap to a player who no longer commands a place in their full-strength team, making the efforts of the current directors and especially the coach, Steve McNamara, to keep the Bulls challenging at the right end of the Super League table all the more admirable. McNamara has surely had one of the trickiest man-management tasks in sport in keeping Harris happy at a club whose directors have threatened to take legal action against him to cover their own potentially crippling losses should they lose their case against Leeds. Having dropped Harris, the coach now faces an even greater challenge in securing a useful contribution from his highest-paid player. However, Harris only has to look south to Harlequins to see how Henry Paul has reinvented himself as a grafting loose forward following his return from Union, and to be fair to the 31-year-old he has already gone a long way to doing so himself with outstanding defensive performances in the famous Bradford victories at Headingley in the last two seasons. He could yet have a significant role to play for the Bulls this year before the mooted return to Wales with the Celtic Crusaders, and that would be a far more fitting way for such a fine player to finish than as an expensive and embittered spare part. SportsBlog Click here for a RLCMtv short video of Ian Thomson ex player, coach, CEO of Manly Sea Eagles speaking at the NSWRL Level Two Coaching Conference. Click here and send your POSITION VACANT advertisement, it will be sent worldwide. This is another service by RLCM. Secretary David Ross fear: Kurri Kurri Bulldogs soft By Cecilia Peoples - The Kurri Kurri Bulldogs were given a lesson in the realities of how a team that looks good on a paper will take more than few trial matches to play the kind of football expected of them. Bulldogs secretary David Ross said the club was left disappointed with its final hit-out of the season against South Newcastle on the weekend. While the score remained irrelevant, the Bulldogs lost and did not give the Lions the "touch up" Ross and others had anticipated. The Bulldogs have recruited well. They know it, and they hope rival clubs will know it when the Newcastle Rugby League season starts on March 29. But Ross conceded Saturday's match showed they had got a bit ahead of themselves and expected too much. too soon. "I'm not going to try and gloss over it and make it sound better than it is," Ross said. "We were a bit soft. "I thought we'd give them a bit of touch up but they gave it to us. "They scored three tries in about the first 10 minutes. "I think everyone has a theory about what went wrong but I think we got a bit ahead of ourselves." It was a near-full strength team that played the Lions, with only captain Ji Hill (unavailable) missing the match. The performance was below expectations, but injuries rubbed salt into the club's wounds. Justin Peterkin is awaiting news of x-rays following a suspected broken arm, and Andrew Spicer also injured his arm but it is not believed to be as serious as Peterkin's injury. "But that's football. It's going to happen," Ross said. "It doesn't matter if it's the first game, the eighth game of the season or the tenth game you can't get down on it." Maitland Mercury Click here for a RLCMtv short video of Ian Thomson ex player, coach, CEO of Manly Sea Eagles speaking at the NSWRL Level Two Coaching Conference. Click here for a RLCMtv short video of Ian Thomson ex player, coach, CEO of Manly Sea Eagles speaking at the NSWRL Level Two Coaching Conference. Group 21 Selectors back winning ways By Geoff Newling - Unbeaten Scone and Singleton dominated the Group 21 senior selections after continuing their winning rugby league ways in the second round of the Group 21 Pre-Season on the weekend. Scone beat Muswellbrook 62-1, Singleton defeated Denman 50-24 and Greta Branxton overcame Aberdeen 28-18 in the three pre-season matches. Group 21 selectors released the Group 21 senior and junior sides Sunday night with Scone claiming eight berths in the 21-man senior squad, Singleton five and Greta one. Scone's Aaron Watts continues on as Group 21 player/coach and is joined by Thoroughbred teammates Wayne Hedley (Scone's 2008 first grade coach), Josh Adams, David Smith, Daniel Ritter and Daniel Seve. Ritter scored five tries from lock in his side's 62-1 romp against Muswellbrook. Singleton's five group 21 players are Jamie Garland, Luke Gardner, Russell Richards, Michael Millgate, Luke Holz and Clinton Tull. Gardner scored two of Singleton's 10 tries in its 50-24 win over Denman. New fullback Roy Bell is the only Greta-Branxton player in the squad. Bell scored one of five tries in his side's 28-18 win against an Aberdeen side which finished with players in the Group 21 squad - hooker Steve Hinschen, hard running forward Mark Macauley and versatile Brendan Hunt. Aaron Watts has scheduled three trial matches for his senior squad before its first round Country Rugby League's Centenary Trophy game against Group 10 in Orange on Saturday, May 10. It will play Central Coast at The Entrance on March 29 and then Group 4 and Group 19 in a new look Tri Series (replacing old Northern Division Championships) in Tamworth on Saturday, April 5. The Darryl Rando-coached Group 21 Under 18s play in a Tri Series against Wyong and Gosford Shires at Greta Branxton on March 29. From those games a Central Hunter Regional team will be selected. The Group 21 Under 18s also Tri Series against Group 4 and Group 19 in Tamworth on April 5. GROUP 21 SENIORS: Wayne Hedley (Scone), Jamie Garland (Singleton), Luke Gardner (Singleton), Josh Adams (Scone), David Smith (Scone), Russell Richards (Singleton), Aaron Watts (Scone), Michael Millgate (Singleton), Steven Hinschen (Aberdeen), Luke Holz (Singleton), Jeremy White (Scone), Clinton Tull (Singleton), Daniel Ritter (Scone), Gary White (Scone), Roy Bell (Greta Branxton), Mark Macaulay (Aberdeen), Brendan Hunt (Aberdeen), Daniel Seve (Scone), Brad Behsman (Denman), Shane Renshall (Muswellbrook), Gary McKeon (Denman). Coach - Aaron Watts (Scone). GROUP 21 UNDER 18S: Adam Bartholemew (Muswellbrook), Ben Norris (Muswellbrook), Mark Baxter (Singleton), Cameron Clarke (Greta Branxton), Jake Neeson (Muswellbrook), Ewen Bartholemew (Muswellbrook), Taylor Mathews (Greta Branxton), Marty Carroll (Singleton), Corey Holman (Muswellbrook), Danial Merrick (Muswellbrook), Jason Austin (Singleton), Kurt Badior (Singleton), Jacob Carey ( Singleton), Jai Padberg (Greta Branxton), James Barker (Scone), Ben Thorley (Singleton), Tyson Bruns (Denman), Kurt Neely (Singleton), Andrew Graham (Greta Branxton), Jacob Hafey (Greta Branxton), Ben Ham (Scone), Matt Hunter (Greta Branxton). Coach - Darryl Rando (Scone). Northern Daily Leader RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP TRAVEL UPDATE-UK PACKAGES ON SALE NOW Official Travel Packages are On Sale Now for UK Supporters MATCH TICKETS All of our tour packages provide Category 1 Reserved Seating offering great views of the ground. FIVE ORGANISED TOURS AVAILABLE - ON SALE NOW - BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT Click here for details The 2008 Rugby League World Cup to be held in Australia will be the biggest Rugby League event in the 100 year history of the game. The Rugby League Experience is providing a range of packages for local, interstate and international visitors. To be kept up to date with all the latest tournament and tour information you can register your interest here. Click for RLCM's Junior Coaching Book 2 Broncos must remember one hot day doesn't make a summer By Gorden Tallis - Well done to the Brisbane forwards. Last week I challenged them to step up and they delivered against Penrith on Sunday. But let's hope they don't forget one hot day never makes a summer. If they think a good performance in round 1 is going to stop people questioning their abilities and comparing them to the Broncos forwards of the past, then they are in for a rude awakening. No doubt the Broncos' big men were impressive against the Panthers. Ben Hannant was strong, and both Sam Thaiday and Ashton Sims made big statements. But the beauty and the challenge of the NRL is that it's on again on Friday night and these guys still have a long way to go before anyone is going to be convinced they can permanently fill the void left by the recent departures of Shane Webcke, Brad Thorn and Petero Civoniceva. The question these guys should be asking themselves is how would they have fared had they been in Petero's shoes on Sunday. I don't think I have ever felt sorry for the big man before, but I did on the weekend. He threw everything into the battle with his former team but it wasn't a fair fight. Outside of cameos from Luke Priddis and Nathan Smith, the Penrith forwards were an embarrassment. I barely sighted the Puletua brothers or Frank Pritchard. Petero was a one-out force and the Broncos, working as a pack, mauled him. But don't think Brisbane is going to get it so easy on Friday night against the Roosters "M and M" brigade featuring Mark O'Meley, Nate Myles and Willie Mason. Or the following week against Carl Webb and his Cowboys. When I was at the Broncos we would break the season up into four or six-game blocks. I'd imagine not much has changed. Brisbane is away to a flyer, but it won't mean much if it doesn't win two of its next three or four of its next five. The NRL is a brutal test week in, week out and the challenge for the Broncos pack is to step up for a full season. Civoniceva and Webcke earned their reputations, not on a weekend's work, but on a decade of excellence. Brisbane's new-look pack set the benchmark for its season on Sunday, now we expect them to maintain the rage. WHAT a way to start the season down on the Gold Coast on Friday night. To borrow a line from the Field of Dreams: "If you build it. They will come." The Gold Coast's new stadium is tremendous and the Titans played up to the same high standard, kicking off their second year in style. The Cowboys will obviously improve on their first-up game in which they suffered from having precious little possession. But that takes nothing away from the Titans who look like they are in for a good year.Read more Courier Mail Click here and send your POSITION VACANT advertisement, it will be sent worldwide. This is another service by RLCM. Hoffman faces scan for rib injury - MELBOURNE Storm forward Ryan Hoffman has joined the millions of dollars of playing talent on the sidelines after suffering rib cartilage damage at Telstra Dome. Ross's worst nightmare had happy ending - CRONULLA prop Ben Ross has broken his silence on his shocking collision with Manly enforcer Josh Perry, revealing he feared he would end up in a wheelchair.Read more Foxsports Click here for a RLCMtv short video of Ian Thomson ex player, coach, CEO of Manly Sea Eagles speaking at the NSWRL Level Two Coaching Conference. Titans to sign more locals after Atkins' rise By Luke Turgeon - In the wake of Jordan Atkins' runaway success, the Gold Coast will move quickly to lock up two more emerging local Queensland Cup players. Titans managing director Michael Searle said the club was in talks with Tweed Seagulls duo Selasi Berdie and Brock Hunter to sign them to deals similar to the one that kicked off Atkins' NRL career. "At this stage they won't be full-time contracts," said Searle. "But they will be very similar contracts to what we offered Jordan Atkins two years ago. "They will be following a similar model." Atkins was first signed to the Titans on a feeder deal while playing for the Burleigh Bears in 2006. He trained with the Titans NRL squad full-time last year before bursting on to the first grade scene with a match winning four-try haul on debut against the Cowboys on Friday night. Atkins now looks set to have picked up a long-term deal, which will take him through to the end of the 2010 season. Titans coach John Cartwright is believed to be impressed with tough 22-year-old back rower Berdie and giant 23-year-old prop Hunter. Berdie has been a regular component of the Tweed Heads pack since making his Queensland Cup debut as an 18-year-old in 2004 under former Seagulls boss-turned Titans assistant coach Steve Murphy. A 191cm, 116kg scaffolder, Hunter worked his way up through the grades and made his state league debut mid-way through last year against Redcliffe. Both played in the Titans' first pre-season trial against Canberra last month. Titans football manager Scott Clark yesterday said the Gold Coast were expected to name an unchanged line-up to take on St George Illawarra in Wollongong on Monday after making it through the 36-18 win over the Cowboys without any major injuries. Apart from Chris Walker -- who snapped his achilles at training on Saturday -- prop Ian Donnelly is the only injury concern after suffering minor knee damage playing for feeder club Tweed against Redcliffe. In the Titans under-20 side, Australian Schoolboy Ben Ridge will out for several weeks with knee ligament damage.Read more GC Bulletin Do you have a Drills Book? Click RLCM Drills on CD-ROM to order. Compiled from RLCM Drills Books 1, 2 & 3 and offering 233 Training Drills a neccessity for coaches at all levels of the game Huddersfield Giants prop faces seven-match ban - Huddersfield prop Darrell Griffin could be banned for up to seven matches after being sent off against Wigan on Sunday. Harlequins prop faces four months out - Promising Harlequins prop Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook will be out of action for up to four months after undergoing surgery on a broken wrist. The 22-year-old was injured during Friday's 48-0 defeat at Leeds, and now faces a battle to recover full fitness before the end of the season. Stand-off Paul Cooke available for Hull KR - Hull KR stand-off Paul Cooke could return to the Rovers line-up against Hull FC after serving his suspension. Cooke was banned for six weeks for approaching Rovers without permission while still contracted to Hull FC. The 26-year-old will be available for Friday's derby game against his former side and KR scrum-half James Webster said Cooke's return is a huge boost. Read more BBC Online Click for Leaguecoach Discussion eGroup New laws stress need for speed By Matthew Johns - As expected, round one this year was a lot faster than the opening round last season. The reduction on interchange forced big men to play longer and made possession all the more valuable. The referees' crackdown on the ruck had players peeling off tackles quicker and this suited the faster, mobile packs. Let's take a look at the first week. Souths v Roosters - The Roosters dismantled the Rabbits impressively. They played fast and direct against the Souths pack. The back-row for the Roosters, headed by Anthony Tupou, showed creative touches of class that took pressure off Pearce and Anasta. The Rabbitohs never built the game they wanted to. The combination of Issac Luke and Craig Wing, looking to torture the Roosters through the middle, was cut in half when Wing left the pitch early. Titans v Cowboys - The Titans were too fast and athletic in the middle third for the Cowboys. The speed and footwork of the Titans' back-row, in particular, never allowed the Cowboys to control the Gold Coast ruck tempo and they were forced to defend in reverse.The Cowboys' defensive worries were again in evidence last Friday night. Their big men looked vulnerable. Eels v Bulldogs - A tale of two teams and two halves. The Dogs arrived after an off-season being fed on criticism and public pessimism about their chances. But the Eels turned up sluggish and their resolve weakened after an off-season of praise and public optimism. The Dogs are very much a side whose fortunes rise and fall with possession. In the second half, a much more focused Eels went back to the script and worked on denying it from them. Knights v Raiders - Both sides really struggled to settle. The Knights did eventually, while the Raiders never really looked like it. The Knights played with plenty of width and depth, using a pass-short or pass-long style of ball movement. The Raiders did nothing to silence their critics who believe they are favourites for the wooden spoon this year. Manly v Cronulla - What a sensational defensive display from Cronulla. In the first 20 minutes Manly threatened to blow the Sharks away, but they hung on and the game turned. The Sharks have a tremendous blend of players with fast, energetic forwards and big, strong outside backs. Manly were the carbon copy of their 2007 selves in the first 20 minutes, setting a fast tempo with plenty of players in motion. From then on, however, they played frustrated and ventured outside their game plan. Broncos v Panthers - The Broncos were super impressive. One of the most pleasing aspects was that key player Darren Lockyer, a man who will again carry much of the fortunes for Brisbane, looked good when he came off the bench. It was a typical Broncos display. They ran strongly and outmuscled a pack who on paper looked more impressive. Along with the Raiders and the Dragons, Penrith put in the most disappointing display of the weekend.There was a lot of hope surrounding them this season with new arrivals and talented players on the up. Yesterday, they were simply outmuscled and outclassed. Tigers v Dragons - The Tigers built their game beautifully, with Robbie Farah operating as a hooker and a halfback rolled into one. Farah tortured and tormented the big Dragon forwards with his skill and guile out of dummy-half. The Tigers are fast, mobile and know how to wear a team down, but the Dragons were disappointing to say the least. Their ball handling was terrible, their decision-making under pressure erratic and their defence structure around the ruck lacked energy and steel. Read more Daily Telegraph Create your own Animated Drills for Rugby League with Rugby Pro 2006 from TruStorm Software. Rugby Pro is an easy to use coaching tool to design rugby league drills and plays, click here to read more. Double blow for Warriors By Peter Jessup - The Warriors lost in Melbourne last night and another bad result threatens today when medics give a verdict on skipper Steve Price's hamstring after he left the field early. The Storm played mind games with the Warriors, keeping them waiting for the kick-off and the re-start after half-time. The New Zealanders were about to walk off when the Storm came out. But that aggravation was no excuse for the errors that followed. Poor marker defence, errors and penalties helped the Storm to an early lead and on to victory. The Warriors stayed with them in the first spell despite losing Price with what is thought to be a bad strain of the upper left hamstring soon after the first quarter, the injury to be assessed today. But unfortunately, the error rate increased. They didn't look as fit as their opponents. The Storm came out at a hundred kilometres an hour and their intensity appeared to stun the visitors. It took Melbourne just four minutes and three consecutive sets of six to score through fullback Billy Slater after the Warriors gave them territory through a knock-on then a penalty. And at 10 minutes Slater used his pace to go in again, running at Vatuvei while the Warriors wing was rattled after he'd dropped a high ball to concede a goal line drop-out. When the Warriors did get possession they used it well, spreading the ball across the field and Jerome Ropati making a break then backing up to score off the bomb, Michael Witt's kick making it 10-6. Slater's support play brought him a hat-trick just after the quarter-time water break called to cope with the intense heat, after Cooper Cronk had dropped a kick out to wing Steve Turner. Then Vatuvei held off three tacklers to plant the ball just inside the corner flag and it was 16-12 at the break. But Vatuvei was villain again, to blow another kick take, another repeat set let Dallas Johnson get first points after the break. Epalahame Lauaki sent the kick-off dead over the goal line. A stripped ball gave Smith a penalty. Unbelievably, Lauaki booted the kick-off dead again. The Storm scored, Witt sent the kick-off dead. The game was gone when Vatuvei got his second try to end the scoring. New fullback Aidan Kirk had a quiet night, not sorely tested in defence and with few chances on attack before replaced. Brent Tate was quiet on attack. Ruben Wiki and Nathan Fien were best forwards, Ropati and Witt best backs. The under-20s side lost players to injury and thus the game, 32-22. Read more NZ Herald Do you have a Drills Book? Click RLCM Drills on CD-ROM to order. Compiled from RLCM Drills Books 1, 2 & 3 and offering 233 Training Drills a neccessity for coaches at all levels of the game RFL appoint general manager for Wales - The Rugby Football League have appointed a general manager for Wales as part of a new initiative designed to further develop the 13-man game in the principality. Caro Wild, who has worked for the RFL for nearly 10 years, will move from his current post in London next month to lead a four-man team based at National League Two club Celtic Crusaders in Bridgend. Dan Clements, an experienced coach at Conference and Wales junior level, has been appointed as a development officer and coach of Celtic's new Colts team - and he will be assisted by former Crusaders, Sheffield Eagles and Wales player Aled James. The Crusaders will also appoint a community development officer to complete the line-up, which is part of a link-up between the Bridgend club and Wales Rugby League. Crusaders chief executive David Thompson said: "This is a significant stage in the development of rugby league in Wales and the UK. "The Crusaders and WRL have been working together closely since our inception. But the formal arrangement we are now entering into will enable us to really promote and develop rugby league, pooling all of our resources and working to common goals. "Being able to persuade Caro to join us in our joint venture is a massive coup. Caro has done a fantastic job developing rugby league in London and the south and is highly sought after." Celtic Crusaders open their League One campaign on Friday with a home match against Dewsbury, with Wales taking on England at under-16 level in a curtain raiser. Read more Sporting Life Click for RLCM's Junior Coaching Book 2 Storm punish ill-disciplined Warriors - The Storm kick-started their NRL premiership defence with a commanding 32-18 victory over the Warriors in their season-opening clash at Docklands in Melbourne on Monday night. A superb first-half hat-trick from Melbourne full-back Billy Slater set up a 16-12 lead at the break, but handling errors and poor discipline cost the Warriors dearly after half-time. New Zealand international winger Manu Vatuvei experienced a bittersweet evening, scoring two tries and setting up team-mate Jerome Ropati for another in a highly energetic performance, but committed numerous blunders in defence. Vatuvei spilled several grubber kicks and high balls on his left wing, his handling errors leading directly to at least three of Melbourne's tries. However a good end to the match saw him come to the rescue at the back for the Warriors, cleaning up several balls in the in-goal to stem the flow of points from the home side. Melbourne: 32 (B Slater 3, D Johnson, S Tagataese tries; C Smith 3 conversions, 2 penalty goals; S Turner conversion) Warriors: 18 (M Vatuvei 2, J Ropati, tries; M Witt 3 conversions) Chris Walker's NRL future 'not bleak' - The brother of injured Titans flyer Chris Walker believes the former Queensland Origin star has up to seven years of first grade football left in him. Brown in the clear over Wing tackle - The NRL judiciary says it will take no action over the tackle which injured Rabbitohs half-back Craig Wing during South Sydney's season opener against the Roosters on Friday night. Benji struggling with latest NRL setback - Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall claims his NRL career has reached a new low with the injury-prone pivot set to spend more time on the sidelines. McCallum happy with NRL judiciary powers - Sydney Roosters hooker Riley Brown has escaped sanction for his role in the tackle which has sidelined South Sydney star Craig Wing. Marshall sidelined for up to 10 weeks - Superstar Wests Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall should return to the NRL by round 11 after undergoing scans on his injured left knee on Monday. Thurston fit after dramatic NRL comeback - North Queensland skipper Johnathan Thurston has backed up "100 per cent" after making a remarkable comeback from shoulder surgery. Wing on NRL sidelines for three months - A visit to a specialist has confirmed South Sydney halfback Craig Wing will require shoulder surgery followed by three months of rehabilitation. Read more Yahoo Sport Click here and send your POSITION VACANT advertisement, it will be sent worldwide. This is another service by RLCM. Broncos injuries - Brisbane are counting the cost of thrashing Penrith with injuries to Joel Clinton, Corey Parker and Ben Hannant. Taylor in line for Broncos recall - BRISBANE teenager Dave Taylor is poised for a Good Friday NRL call up against Sydney Roosters with the Broncos hit by early season knee injuries to forwards Joel Clinton and Corey Parker. Dragons plead for a second chance - SENIOR St George Illawarra players have pleaded with coach Nathan Brown to shelve the axe and give the side which lost to Wests Tigers on Sunday an opportunity to atone for their abysmal performance.Read more Foxsports Click here for a RLCMtv short video of Ian Thomson ex player, coach, CEO of Manly Sea Eagles speaking at the NSWRL Level Two Coaching Conference. Junior league taking off in Armidale - MORE THAN just the National Rugby League competition got back underway this week. On Thursday Country Rugby League conducted their annual Armidale and District High School sevens gala day. The sevens competition is in its fourth year of competition. It caters for schools from Armidale, Tamworth and Inverell districts. Schools are able to nominate teams in under 14 and under 16 divisions with this years gala day attracting 22 schoolboy sides. Country Rugby league Development officer James McCormack said "although the day was extremely warm, the standard of rugby league was outstanding". At the completion of the gala day the top four teams in each age division will return to play semi/grand finals under lights at Rugby League Park on Thursday, April 3. Teams that were successful in the under 14s were Macintyre High (Inverell), Armidale High 1, O'Connor Catholic College and Tamworth High School. Teams that were successful in 16s were O'Connor Catholic College, Walcha Central School, Macintyre High (Inverell) and Duval High School. Armidale Express Do you have a Drills Book? Click RLCM Drills on CD-ROM to order. Compiled from RLCM Drills Books 1, 2 & 3 and offering 233 Training Drills a neccessity for coaches at all levels of the game Langfords Hotel to become Mackay Cutters' home base - The Mackay Cutters have announced they will take over the lease of Langfords Hotel and make it the home base of the team and supporters. Greg Sutherland from Mackay District Rugby League says the kitchen will be upgraded, but few renovations will be needed. He says the club will be viable without pokies or TAB facilities. Mr Sutherland says the hotel has a number of attractive features that make it an ideal leagues club. "One, it's not in the middle of town, there's plenty parking, we're able to be able to hold the functions and small business club meetings that we want to hold down there," he said. "It has some accommodation and obviously we've got players who come in from out of town as well as those who are in for the Mackay District Rugby League Foley Shield competition." ABC Online Click for Leaguecoach Discussion eGroup Armidale Rams mix things up for trial By Matt McLennan - It's not often a team uses 30 players in one match, but that's what the Armidale Rams did in their trial with Wests Lions at Rugby League Park on Saturday. Even though they lost the match 40-36, coach Sam Ducat was still happy with the outcomes of the match. "We mixed it up a little bit, each quarter we changed the side around, we had 30 players to choose from," Ducat told the Express yesterday. "They only had 20-odd players, so they used a more consistent team throughout the whole game. "In the first quarter we used our stronger side, then we changed it in the second quarter, and again in the last two quarters. "It was a good hitout." Ducat said his side performed well in certain parts of the match. "We probably won the third quarter 20-4 or something like that, so that was good," he said. Ducat highlighted a number of standout players in the side's loss. "Anthony Postle played really well," he said. "Will Archibald also had a great game. He had a few games for us off the bench last year, and on Saturday night he conducted himself really well. "Matt Pittman played a good game as usual." The match was the last of the trial games for the Rams. The team will now concentrate on their first match, against Uralla on March 29. Uralla, along with Tingha, are making their comeback to Group 19, after winning the Group 4 Division 2 premiership last season. "Everyone is really looking forward to that game, it should be a really good match," Ducat said. "I am going to have a hard job picking a side. We have a lot of depth this year, especially in the halves. "The only part where we are a little bit short is in the outside backs, but other than that we have pretty good depth all round the park. "We now have some good combinations worked out after the trial games, and we will just keep on training hard ahead of the first game." Armidale Express Click for RLCM's Junior Coaching Book 2 Crusaders on track for Halifax in Rail Cup - Celtic crusaders have been drawn away to Halifax in the first knockout stage of the Northern Rail Cup. The Yorkshire side, whose director of rugby is Welsh coach Martin Hall, knocked the Welsh outfit out of last year's competition in the quarter-finals. The match will be played on the weekend of April 3-6 and is among the favourites to be shown live on Sky Sports. The Crusaders still officially have one match left to play in the group stages following the postponement of their home match against Doncaster on Saturday evening. However it may not be replayed as Crusaders and Doncaster have both qualified for the last 16 already with Doncaster already assured of being one of the best third-placed sides even if they lost the game. A decision is expected to be made by the RFL this week. Hundreds of fans were already packed inside the Brewery Field bars watching the Wales rugby union side lift the Grand Slam title with a 29-12 win over France when the news of the postponement broke. Two hours before kick-off, there was already plenty of surface water on the pitch which had been chewed up after a union match between Bridgend and Swansea the previous evening, which was itself played in wet conditions. Torrential rain followed throughout Saturday and referee Peter Brooke, in consultation with match commissioner Alan Smith and the RFL's Ray Tennant initially declared that the match was on as both teams wanted to play. But the rain continued and despite efforts from both Crusaders and Doncaster staff tto clear surface water from the pitch, the act was similar to painting the Forth Bridge as more and more rain fell by the bucket-load and the turf eventually resembled something not so dissimilar to the nearby River Taff. "It was disappointing not to play," said Crusaders' operations manager Gerald McCarthy, "But the safety of the players was at stake here. There was water everywhere, not just in the in-goal areas but a lot in the middle and by the touchlines. "This was dangerous and we couldn't risk it. It's a shame though as the atmosphere in the ground would have been tremendous. "The bars were already packed, people were on a high thanks to the Wales win in rugby union, and everyone was looking forward to our game. We now have to concentrate on getting the pitch ready for the National League One opener against Dewsbury on Good Friday." That match at the Brewery Field kicks off at 5.10pm and can be seen live on S4C. The fourth annual U16 international between Wales and England precedes it and kicks off at 2.30pm. icWales Online Create your own Animated Drills for Rugby League with Rugby Pro 2006 from TruStorm Software. Rugby Pro is an easy to use coaching tool to design rugby league drills and plays, click here to read more. Raiders resources already stretched - By Daniel MacDonald - Canberra Raiders coach Neil Henry could be forced to promote four players into his run-on team as the Raiders recover from the heavy injury toll suffered in their NRL opening round loss. Injury clouds loom over key players ahead of next weekend's match against the Penrith Panthers. Lincoln Withers and William Zillman failed to show at the Raiders' recovery pool session yesterday. Withers was nursing a serious rib injury while Zillman was absent because of the concussion he sustained in Saturday night's 30-14 loss to the Newcastle Knights at EnergyAustralia Stadium. Prop Scott Logan, who was forced to leave the field early in the match with a knee injury, may miss round two. Logan, last year's club player of the year, tore the tendon from his knee. But he said it felt no worse than a corked muscle. Logan and Withers have a slim chance of playing, unlike second-rower Neville Costigan, who is expected to miss at least the next two weeks with a recurring quad strain. "It is a heavy toll, but that's the nature of the game," Henry said. "We've got some depth for next game, but we don't need for the same to occur against Penrith." Withers and Logan both refused to rule themselves out of the clash against a team coached by former Canberra mentor Matthew Elliot. After scoring the first try of the Raiders' 2008 NRL campaign, Withers was left clutching at his rib cage after a vicious tackle. "I remember it. I was tackled by about four big forwards and they landed on me and then twisted me on the ground," Withers said. "With the weight of them on me and the way I was twisted in the tackle on the floor, I heard the ribs go 'pop'." Damage to Withers' abdominal muscles throws further doubt into his availability for Saturday's match in Penrith. He will undergo scans on his ribs today. Withers played through the pain because Costigan, Zillman and Logan were forced from the field, depleting the Raiders' interchange stocks. "It was pretty tough out there. But we were in a situation where we couldn't really afford someone else to go off, so I played on. I felt a bit useless out there, but that's footy." The pain of returning to Canberra without two competition points was made worse for Henry when he watched a replay of the match. He threw doubt over the refereeing decision to award Wes Naiqama the home team's first points of the night. "It was a 50-50. It was a benefit of the doubt and I looked at it when I got home and at the downward pressure. Well, I can argue that one, the hand was on the side of the ball," the coach said. "I think it was questionable, but the benefit of the doubt's there and I hope that we get a couple of them during the year as well." Winger Adrian Purtell said he would have happily exchanged his pair of tries for a win. The Raiders struggled with the ball, a string of handling errors ruining their chances. "We spoke about that away from home and the sort of little mistakes that were letting us down a lot," said Purtell. "I think we were 12 from 20 [for tackle completion rate] in the second half and that's not good enough for first-grade at the moment." Canberra Times Do you have a Drills Book? Click RLCM Drills on CD-ROM to order. Compiled from RLCM Drills Books 1, 2 & 3 and offering 233 Training Drills a neccessity for coaches at all levels of the game NORTHERN RAIL CUP - GROUP 7 BRAMLEY BUFFALOES 20 WARRINGTON WIZARDS 6 - Stanningley - Advantage to Bramley after the first meeting of the sides for the prized trip to Salford but it took a second half comeback and a try seven minutes from time to secure victory for the Buffaloes. On a cold, wintry afternoon, the visitors - who have already faced the City Reds in a Carnegie Challenge Cup tie - got off to a bright start with them spending the early part of the game camped in the Bramley quarter. Buffaloes defended well until the sixth minute when a high cross field kick was mis-read by the home defence and Matt Taylor walked in unopposed, Chris Mellor converting. Apart from two breaches of the Wizards' defence, first on the quarter hour when second rower Gareth Thirsk stormed over for an unconverted try and ten minutes later when Matt Mullholland broke through but was just hauled down short, both teams spent large periods of the first half camped in each other's 20 metre areas. With defences on top, Warrington held a two point advantage at the break but the second half started much brighter for the Buffaloes, a typical barnstorming run from John Elliker bringing him a score and his side a lead they then held on to. With little between the well-matched sides, it remained deadlocked until the 57th minute when evergreen home stand off Scott Pendlebury, dummied to his left and waltzed through the hole created for a fine solo score. Shaun Flynn added his second conversion to open up a ten point Buffaloes lead. A brief flare up in the 64th minute saw both sides reduced to 12 twelve men as Bramley's Mark Butterill and opposing hooker Steven Smythe were dispatched to the sin bin. With seven minutes to go, the Buffaloes rounded off the scoring when winger Dave Walker powered over in the corner for an unconverted try. Bramley coach Paul Cook commented, "That was a tough game for my boys, and we were pushed all the way by the Wizards, who are battled hardened after their Challenge Cup exploits." "We played some good rugby today, despite the conditions and overall I'm very happy. Warrington will be looking to get revenge on us next weekend to seal a place in the quarter final." The return game takes place at Wilderspool Stadium next Saturday, kick off 3:30pm GAME STAR - Hard working Buffaloes loose forward Jon Nicholls kept his side edged ahead with his non-stop efforts. GAME BREAKER - Dave Walker's try in the 73rd minute, killed any lingering hope that the Wizards had of narrowing the gap. BUFFALOES - 1 Shaun Flynn 2 David Walker 3 Matt Mullholland 4 Shaun Gilmour 5 John Richardson 6 Scott Pendlebury 7 Bradley Asquith 8 Richard Leese 9 Graham Harrison 10 Mark Butterill 11 John Elliker 12 Gareth Thirsk 13 Jon Nicholls Subs (all used) 14 Kevin O'Hare 15 Danny O'Connor 16 Neil Hesketh 17 Mark Neave Tries: Thirsk (15), Elliker (45), Pendlebury (57), Walker (73) Goals: Flynn 2 - Sin bin: Butterill (64 - fighting) WIZARDS - 1 David Yii 2 Paul Wilson 3 Danny Shaw 4 Matt Taylor 5 Billy Sheen 6 Chris Mellor 7 Warren Ayres 8 Scott Davidson 9 Steven Smythe 10 Matt Clarke 11 Anthony Beckett 12 Andy Addison 13 Matt Wilson Subs (all used) 14 Simon McEvoy 15 Luke Warsley 16 Mark Robinson 17 Jono Smith Try: Taylor (6) Goal: Mellor - Sin bin: Smythe (64 - fighting) - Men of the match - : BUFFALOES - Jon Nicholls WIZARDS - David Yii - Half time: 4-6 - Referee: T. Roby RFL Click for RLCM's Junior Coaching Book 2 HALIFAX NATIONAL YOUTH LEAGUE - RESULTS 16th March East Leeds 52 Wibsey Juniors 0 Gateshead Thunder 8 Elland 30 Keighley Cougar Cubs 14 West Hull 6 Saddworth Rangers 30 Kells 14 Waterhead 20 Leigh East 20 EAST LEEDS came up with their second consecutive home half century of points to demolish brave WIBSEY JUNIORS. The hosts ran in ten tries, with three of them coming in a first fifteen minute blitz to effectively settle the outcome. Centre and skipper Dean Langton led the way with two tries in six minutes, scrum half brother Neil also weighing in with a brace. Hindle and substitute Seagrave also both crossed twice, Goodman and Swainston the other try scorers, with Tomlinson kicking four goals and O'Brien two to complete the rout. Elsewhere, WEST HULL's title hopes took a blow with defeat at improving KEIGHLEY COUGAR CUBS and WATERHEAD left it late to secure a thrilling draw with LEIGH EAST. RFL Click here for a RLCMtv short video of Ian Thomson ex player, coach, CEO of Manly Sea Eagles speaking at the NSWRL Level Two Coaching Conference.

   
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COACHING NEWSLETTER

Coaching Methods with Kurt Wrigley St George Illawarra assistant coach

Extract from 2008 RLCM Yearbook 4 written by Hanna McCarthy

....towards the front end of the field is where the attack is concentrated on set starts; penalties, scrums, and turnovers.

Special attention is also given to shape and depth of the attack, as well as the early attacking kick. The important thing to remember is that when you're constructing sets off of penalties, is to try and not to have to set up plays.

Make sure that the set up plays aren't just a play at the ball, it's something you're trying to break the line with.

The ultimate aim is to generate the play the ball speed throughout the set. The only way you can do that, is to stress their defensive line. This can be done through the order of carry.

Traditionally, a forward carries the ball into the line followed by a smaller player. Wrigley has found though, that the smaller and often quicker players get better play the ball.

They have a greater chance of using a dummy to make ground while a bigger player just crashed up and goes under. The smaller player can also work on weak spots within the ruck.

The bigger player is better when the play the ball is quicker because he's got more momentum.

"The game's about pressure, about controlling momentum and handling the pressure, as well as limiting yardage." Wrigley says.

If the defence is really tight and standing shoulder to shoulder, that's when the player has to move the ball.

There needs to be a nice balance between moving the ball around and staying in the same area.

The issue simply comes down to knowing when to do it, and when not to do it. With the speed of the game being so quick, a lot relies on a player's instinct.

It's all about everyone in the team knowing what they are doing, and being in the correct position.

"The best way to help with defence is to control where you give the opposition the ball."

"What we're trying to do is have patterns where we mix up, where we have a nice balance of actually moving the ball across the field, and also staying in one area."

The little adjustments made to the game plan, are essentially what helps a team establish their balance.

Not massive changes, but slight changes that allow for improvement. That way, the right combination of attack, transition and defence are established......Distributed to PAID RLCM Subscribers

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