Good morning from Queensland's Gold Coast This RLCM newsletter has 25,000 plus readers is circulated to clubs, media, schools, players and coaches. If you know of other persons who would benefit from receiving it, please let us know at newmember@...  To unsubscribe from receiving the RLCM Newsletter, go to the very bottom of this email and click the UNSUBSCRIBE link.  To ensure you receive this e-mail in the future, please add rlcm.com.au to your list of approved senders. This newsletter is sent from the domain rlcm.com.au. Please inform your system administrator that you want to receive email from the domain rlcm.com.au. We are not responsible for delivery failure due to user applied email filters. RLCMtv Short Clip Click on Image "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 Join the RLCM Monthly Club and receive four 2008 DVD's/CD's monthly. AUS$29.95 per month [Credit Card only] Receive the five resources below by return mail today * CD-ROM - RLCM Drill Books 1, 2 & 3 - 250 pages * CD-ROM - RLCM Ultimate - Over 4000 pages of 36 RLCM Books * DVD - Canberra Raiders 2007 Coach Neil Henry * DVD - Wayne Bennett Brisbane Broncos Coach * DVD - Tim Sheens Wests Tigers Coach Then receive four new 2008 resources each month. Contact for more information RLCM PO Box 259, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Email: rlcm@... Gary Roberts Mobile 0414 234 718 Phone: 07/ 5538 9377 Fax: 07/5538 9388 Click here for more Rugby League News News Update Bradford 32 Harlequins 24 Paul Deacon produced an inspired performance to help Bradford return to winning ways with a 32-24 victory over struggling Harlequins. RHINOS ROMP TO VICTORY A review of Easter Monday's action in engage Super League XIII. CULLEN RELIEVED Post-match reaction to Warrington's 34-31 victory over Castleford. NOBLE PRAISES WIGAN'S RESOLVE Post-match reaction to Wigan's 18-12 victory over Hull KR. ANDERSON WANTS MORE VIDEO REFS Post-match reaction to Huddersfield's 28-26 victory over St Helens. SHARP IN DEFIANT MOOD Post-match reaction to Leeds' 30-4 victory over Hull. Co-operative National League One Favourites Salford went top of Co-operative National League One with a comfortable 42-12 victory over Featherstone. Matt Gardner scored two of Salford's eight tries in the Easter Monday clash before hobbling off injured late on while Jordan Turner, Stefan Ratchford and Ian Sibbit also touched down in a dominant first half display by Salford. The Reds led 28-0 after just 29 minutes of play before two tries from scrum-half Paul Handforth gave Featherstone a glimmer of hope. But Salford were always in command and second half-tries from young goal-kicker Andy Ballard, Stuart Littler and Paul White took their league record to two wins from two. Halifax kept up their strong start despite slipping to second on points difference with a thrilling 36-34 win at Dewsbury. Halifax trailed 28-18 going into the final 15 minutes but hit back with late tries from Graham Holroyd, Jon Goddard and Dave Wrench. Dewsbury's Liam Finn replied with a last-minute converted try but Halifax hung on. Sheffield Eagles got their season up and running with a commanding 25-6 victory over Celtic Crusaders at Don Valley Stadium. Danny Mills, Jack Howieson, Mitch Stringer and Craig Cook scored the Eagles' tries as the Crusaders' errors undermined their second-half performance. Batley ensured Whitehaven remain without a win so far as they enjoyed a 19-6 victory in Cumbria after dominating right from the off. The Bulldogs led 18-0 at the break with Bolu Fagborun, Francis Maloney and Anthony Henderson all crossing the line. Craig Calvert scored a try early in the second half for Whitehaven but Batley held on gallantly. At Halton Stadium, Widnes saw off Leigh with a 30-12 victory inspired by Tim Hartley's two tries and seven goals. League Two favourites Oldham beat Hunslet 40-12 to maintain their early 100% record. Matt Bramald's three early penalty goals gave Hunslet a strong start but tries from Jason Boults, Phil Joseph, Craig Littler, James Coyle, Adam Robinson, Gareth Langley and Neil Roden saw the home side roar back. Dean Townend crossed for the Hawks early in the second half but the game was beyond his side by that point. Barrow Raiders beat York City Knights 26-8 courtesy of a brilliant first half performance while Blackpool were hammered 54-12 at home to Doncaster. A late Matt Barron try condemned struggling Workington Town to an eighth straight defeat against professional opposition this season, losing 28-26 to Gateshead Thunder. Rochdale Hornets heaped further misery on London Skolars by beating them 54-4 in the capital, meaning Skolars have conceded 110 points from two matches. Read more Sporting Life Click for RLCM's Junior Coaching Book 2 Results Monday, 24 March 2008 Engage Super League Bradford 32-24 Harlequins RL Castleford 31-34 Warrington Catalans Dragons 28-20 Wakefield Huddersfield 28-26 St Helens Hull 4-30 Leeds Wigan 18-12 Hull KR Co-Operative National League One Dewsbury 34-36 Halifax Salford 42-12 Featherstone Sheffield 25-6 Celtic Crusaders Whitehaven 6-19 Batley Widnes 30-12 Leigh Co-Operative National League Two Barrow 26-8 York Blackpool 12-54 Doncaster Gateshead 28-26 Workington London Skolars 4-54 Rochdale Oldham 40-12 Hunslet Telstra Premiership St George/Illawarra 30-12 Gold Coast Read more BBC Online Click here and send your POSITION VACANT advertisement, it will be sent worldwide. This is another service by RLCM. Ban the shoulder charge: Hodgson By Brent Read - As debate rages over the merits of the shoulder charge, Wests Tigers captain Brett Hodgson has become the first prominent player to advocate banning the controversial tackling technique. Hodgson, the victim of an ugly shoulder charge from North Queensland centre Ashley Graham at the weekend, said yesterday he believed the risk involved using the technique far outweighed the reward. His support for banning the shoulder charge comes only a day after former premiership-winning coach John Lang reiterated in The Australian his opposition to the technique. Hodgson was still smarting from Graham's tackle yesterday, but his head was clear enough to state the case against the shoulder charge. The former NSW custodian even admitted he could see the problems that a succession of shoulder charge-related incidents posed for the code given he and his wife, Skye, have discussed whether they would allow their son Christian to play the game. Graham has been charged with a grade four careless high tackle which could result in him being suspended for two weeks. "To be honest I think they should outlaw the shoulder charge," Hodgson said. "The majority of injuries these days happen in incidents where people are going in trying to hurt people with the shoulder. "Also for kids, thinking about playing the game later on, if mothers see such incidents they're not going to want their little boys to play it." Hodgson was one of two players injured on the weekend as a result of shoulder contact. Sydney Roosters' five-eighth Braith Anasta is nursing a broken nose following an incident which resulted in Brisbane's Karmichael Hunt being charged with a grade three careless high tackle. Brisbane officials, who have indicated they will contest the issue at the judiciary, will argue Hunt wasn't attempting a shoulder charge when he made contact. "I think there is a lot of risk," Hodgson said. "I fell into it. I don't think there's any doubt about that. But you can't pull out of shoulder charges like that. "Whereas there's an element where you may be able to pull out a little bit if you're going in with your arms and shoulders. If you're tackling normally you use your shoulder anyway so it's not as if you still can't get that force." Hodgson admitted he could see why parents would be concerned about letting their children play the game given the events of the first two rounds. South Sydney's Craig Wing is recovering from shoulder surgery. His injury resulted from a shoulder charge in the first few minutes of the season-opener. As a result of the Wing incident, the NRL issued a statement warning players it would be more vigilant with shoulder charges where more than one player was involved in a tackle. The Australian 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. Tigers build a brick wall but Simmons warns against sitting on defence By Greg Prichard - Wests Tigers players have pointed to defence as the main reason behind their win-win start to the season, but the man who organises the team in that department - assistant coach Royce Simmons - has warned them about the danger of confidence becoming cockiness. Former international Simmons says if the Tigers start patting themselves on the back, it will be at the risk of spending a lot more time standing behind the goalposts waiting for the opposition to take conversions than they did in the first two rounds. "There's nothing wrong with drawing confidence from how well you defend as a team," Simmons said yesterday. "If you get confidence out of holding the Cowboys to 10 points, that's great. But if you get cocky about it and think it's just going to happen naturally next time, you're in trouble. I've seen it happen in footy. "If you get cocky, you don't turn up with the same attitude the next week and the points start coming against you. Defence is all about attitude. It's a state of mind, and with a side like ours, which isn't one of the bigger ones, if you don't turn up for a game full of energy it's going to lead to problems. It's something you've always got to keep an eye out for as a coach." Tigers forwards Todd Payten, Robbie Farah and Liam Fulton told the Herald yesterday that the improved defence was the result of the huge amount of work the team did on that aspect of its game under the guidance of Simmons during the off-season. It is only early days, but in the wins over St George Illawarra and North Queensland the Tigers have conceded an average of only 13 points a game this season, compared to 23 points a game when they missed the finals last year. "The defence is the reason we're winning," Payten said at the team's pool recovery session. "Everyone is turning up and putting their shoulders into it. The Dragons didn't throw a lot at us in the first round, but we held [Johnathan] Thurston and [Matt] Bowen pretty well on Saturday night. We haven't changed the defensive pattern - it's more about increased desire and better communication and making sure our line speed is good. We had a couple of busted players defending towards the end of last season, as well, and that hurt us." Farah added: "We knew defence was the area in which we had let ourselves down in the last couple of years. We used to fall into the trap of trying to attack our way out of trouble, but sometimes you'll be off your game in attack and they're the games you've got to win on defence. We've got the hunger in defence again now." The Tigers were bound for the finals until they fell apart over the closing stages of 2007, when they lost six out of their last eight games and conceded an average of 27 points a game. Fulton says that was the catalyst for the shake-up. "'Roycey' really stepped it up on defence," Fulton said. "He's got us primed. It's about us showing more aggression in defence than anything else." The players also believe the reduction in the number of interchanges allowed - down to 10, from 12 - suits them. The Tigers are smaller and more athletic in the forwards and can take advantage of other teams being forced to leave bigger forwards on the field for a bit longer. "We've got back-rowers like Fulton and [Chris] Heighington who can play 80 minutes," Farah said. "So we've still got a bit of flexibility when it comes to using the interchanges. Bigger blokes at other clubs are having to play a bit more time." Tigers fullback and captain Brett Hodgson remains in doubt for the game against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Sunday after being badly concussed against the Cowboys. "I felt a bit dusty when I woke up but . the headaches are subsiding now," Hodgson told the Herald yesterday. "I'll see the doctor on Wednesday and find out what he thinks." Read more League HQ 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 Gold Coast Titans - On the road to ruin - The Gold Coast Titans inability to win away from home again came into question last night with a deflating 30-12 loss to the under siege St George Illawarra. Gold Coast Titans U20s given a tough introduction to life on the road - THE teenage Titans struggled in their first Toyota Cup away match, going down to the Dragons 28-4. St George Illawarra scored four tries to one in the first half to head into the break at WIN Stadium up 18-4. Read more GC Bulletin Click for Leaguecoach Discussion eGroup Renewed push for Bennett - NORTH Queensland have delayed a decision on a replacement for coach Graham Murray amid a renewed push for Brisbane's Wayne Bennett to be given the job. Eels in SOS to Smith - PARRAMATTA halfback Brett Finch says he's looking forward to reuniting with Tim Smith, admitting life is more comfortable with the regular No.7 in the Eels side. Ross fears being made scapegoat - CRONULLA prop Ben Ross wants Cooper Cronk to help reduce his expected lengthy striking suspension, fearing he will be the scapegoat of the NRL's crackdown to protect kickers. Bulldogs to probe Maitua incident - RENI Maitua's immediate playing future at the Bulldogs is in doubt with the NRL club investigating an incident at a Sydney nightspot on the weekend. Anasta to be Hunt's star witness - BRISBANE plan to use Sydney Roosters five-eighth Braith Anasta as their star witness in a bid to clear representative fullback Karmichael Hunt of a careless high tackle charge. Ban the shoulder charge: Hodgson - AS debate rages over the merits of the shoulder charge, Wests Tigers captain Brett Hodgson has become the first prominent player to advocate banning the controversial tackling technique. Eagles lose way without Monaghan - MICHAEL MONAGHAN is gone but he is not forgotten at Manly, with coach Des Hasler acknowledging it will take time for his side to adjust to life without its former hooker. Injured Zillman remains wanted - THE prospect of a second knee reconstruction in as many years has done little to dull interest in Canberra's William Zillman. Lang calls for shoulder charge ban - FORMER Penrith premiership-winning coach John Lang has renewed his attack on the shoulder charge, saying the NRL should ban the practice because it provides more trouble than it's worth. Elliott's not for the axe - PENRITH chief executive Glenn Matthews last night vehemently denied his coach Matt Elliott was under pressure to retain his job. Read more Foxsports 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. Panthers fans want Elliott's head Penrith fans have begun death-riding embattled coach Matt Elliott, openly discussing replacements on the club's website including Wayne Bennett, Graham Murray and Steve Folkes. After two successive losses on the back of last year's wooden spoon, anxious Panthers fans have called on the club to actively sound out Bennett and Murray if Elliott fails to quickly turn around the winless start to the season. Panthers chief executive Glenn Matthews is adamant Elliott is under no pressure from within, but concedes the grumbles of fans and media will grow louder if Penrith fail at home to South Sydney on Sunday. "That's footy. It's a week by week thing. You can win four or five on the trot and then fans are talking about another coach from another club," Matthews said. "He is under no pressure from the club. "I'm pleased with how Matt is going and that's all that matters. "No one is pleased with how we've started the year . . . (but) in comparison to last year it was vastly improved." Elliott's Panthers won three of their last five games in 2007, to end the season with eight wins, but were still left clutching the wooden spoon when they lost at home to the Warriors in the final round. The general consensus among Panthers fans is Elliott has until mid-season to produce results or he should be shown the door. But other fans believe the Panthers should approach Bennett, Murray or Folkes - if his Bulldogs contract is not renewed - to come in and clean up Penrith's undisciplined football team. "I think Wayne Bennett would be the perfect coach for Penrith," wrote one fan. "You look at Brisbane Broncos, they produce players, every season you seem to see a new kid coming through the ranks for Brisbane. "They've got the whole city to choose from, but Wayne Bennett seems to get the best out of these kids and turn them into internationals. "I've always said, the biggest problem with Penrith is local talent not making the next step. "I'm probably dreaming, in fact I'm certain of it, but I'd love Wayne Bennett to be Penrith's next coach." Read more Daily Telegraph 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. St George 30 defeated Titans 12 - St George Illawarra finally relieved some of the heat on coach Nathan Brown, taking care of round one hotshots Gold Coast 30-12 at WIN Stadium. The Dragons found their groove with three tries in the space of 13 minutes after halftime, the gutsy win coming after a week of negative publicity for the red and whites and due reward for the 10,521 fans who braved a wet Easter Monday in Wollongong. Brown's vote of confidence in new halves combination Jamie Soward and Rangi Chase - who he said he would persevere with no matter what the result - paid off with the duo having a leading hand in all five of the Dragons' tries. The win may also lead to a vote of confidence in Brown, with many experts calling for his head following the opening round loss to Wests Tigers. The teams went to the break locked at 6-6 after Matt Cooper and Nathan Friend traded four-pointers in a sloppy opening term, but the Dragons came out on a mission following the break. Having bombarded Titans winger Ben Jeffrey with high balls throughout the opening term, Soward tested out opposite winger Jordan Atkins with his first kick of the second period. Atkins, the hero of Gold Coast's opening round win with four tries, quickly turned villain as he let the ball bounce, Dragons flyer Jason Nightingale scarcely able to believe his luck as he pounced on the loose ball to go over untouched. The rain got heavier but it couldn't douse the red hot Dragons, Chase grubbering for Mark Gasnier to score a simple try before the Kiwi five-eighth did it all himself as he stepped past Mat Rogers and Anthony Laffranchi to make it 24-6 after 53 minutes. The shellshocked Titans regrouped as handling errors again became a feature of the home side's play, Scott Prince kicking for Laffranchi to score and once more make a game of it on the hour. Ill-discipline cruelled the visitors with Soward extending the lead to beyond two converted tries before his boot again laid it on a platter for Cooper to make it a double, the former Test centre doing well to pull up as he slid into the brick wall below the grandstand. Read more Yahoo Sport Click here and send your POSITION VACANT advertisement, it will be sent worldwide. This is another service by RLCM. Ben Ross denied early plea by judiciary - The League's match review panel has denied Ross the option to enter an early plea for his high hit on Storm half-back Cooper Cronk in Cronulla's 17-16 win over Melbourne on Sunday. Ross cleaned up Cronk late and high after the number seven put up a bomb for winger Israel Falou. Storm prop Brett White will miss three weeks for retaliating and hitting Ross, if he enters an early plea. Both White and Ross were sent from the field. In other judiciary news, Broncos full-back Karmichael Hunt and Cowboys centre Ashley Graham will each miss one game if they enter early guilty pleas to careless high tackles. Graham risks a two week ban if he fights the charge after a high shot on Tigers captain Brett Hodgson. Manly's Josh Perry is also facing a one week ban for striking in the Sea Eagles loss to the Knights on Saturday. ABC Sport Click RLCM Bookshop buy a RLCM eBook and it will be in your PC today. Newtown Jets give the Magpies a History Lesson - The Newtown Jets celebrated the reopening of their home ground for most of the past 72 years, Henson Park, with an emphatic 64-10 win over fellow 1908 Rugby League foundation club Western Suburbs in the NSW Cup match played on Saturday. The NSW Government had provided funding last year for the complete resurfacing of the battered old ground as well as the installation of a new irrigation system. With Marrickville Council weighing in with renewed timber seating and brand new goal posts, the old ground was opened again for professional Rugby League football by Marrickville MP Carmel Tebbutt and the Mayor of Marrickville Dimitri Thanos. The Jets swept to an early 16-0 lead with tries to man of the match Ray Moujalli, Brent Grose and the very efficient winger Byron Ford. The Magpies responded with a long-distance try that revealed some flimsy defence, but Newtown added a further two tries through Mickey Paea and Ford's second to go in at halftime with a 24-6 lead. With Sydney Roosters Chairman Nick Politis, Deputy-Chairman Michael Conn and former Magpies and Jets player Tom Raudonikis interested onlookers, the Jets completely dominated the second half scoring seven tries to one. Prop Frank-Paul Nuuausala scored two tries and surely signalled to the Roosters coaching staff that he is ready for call-up to the NRL ranks. Other Jets to play well were fullback Donny Thompson, ex-Hull KR winger Byron Ford (who scored 3 tries), five-eighth Luke Branighan, lock Jimmy Andersen, second-rower Mickey Paea and Nuuausala's front-row partner Ray Moujalli (who was also voted the players' player award winner). The Newtown Jets play away next Saturday (March 29th) to the Melbourne Storm's feeder club the Central Coast Storm at the Morrie Breen Oval, Wyong at 1.30pm. Newtown Jets Online Click for RLCM's Junior Coaching Book 2 NORTHERN RAIL CUP GROUP 7 WARRINGTON WIZARDS 30 BRAMLEY BUFFALOES 24 - Wilderspool Wizards took the battle but Bramley won the war, their narrow loss at Wilderspool seeing them hang for a 44-36 aggregate win and a trip to Salford in the knock out stages. On a bitterly cold afternoon, Wizards opened the scoring in the fifth minute when a high cross field kick by scrum half Warren Ayres saw Matt Taylor out jump the cover defenders to collect and score between the posts. Chris Mellor added the conversion and three minutes later Warrington increased their lead when good work down the right saw Jono Smith make a forty metre break and send supporting Andy Addison in at the side of the sticks. In a rampant opening quarter hour by the hosts, a penalty gave them good field position and prop Luke Worsley powered twenty metres taking three defenders with him as he scored at the left of the posts. Mellor's third conversion eradicated the overall deficit, however, Buffaloes hit back three minutes later when Jon Nicholls went down the blind side close to the line and found centre Matt Mullholland who squeezed over in the right corner. Two minutes before the break the visitors narrowed the gap further when John Elliker managed to offload in the tackle to hooker Graham Harrison who put Bradley Asquith over between the posts. Shaun Flynn converted to make the half time score 18-10 and Bramley started the second period in determined fashion, slick passing causing uncertainty in the home ranks as a lovely inside ball found Elliker at speed who powered over. Flynn converted and then added a penalty three minutes later to level the scores at 18-18. Warrington regained the lead on the hour when Bramley lost the ball on their own twenty metre line and hooker Steven Smythe gathered, his long pass putting Addison over in the right hand corner. Mellor goaled from the touchline but more excellent inter-passing by the Buffaloes created an overlap for Shaun Gilmour to cross wide out on the left. Flynn's fine conversion tied the scores once again but the Wizards had the final say when inspirational joint player/coach Mellor received the ball twenty metres out and side-stepped his way through the Buffaloes defence to score by the posts. Bramley face Featherstone Lions at Stanningley next weekend in the opening match of the Rugby League Conference National season, looking for revenge after losing out in last year's Grand Final to the Lions. GAME STAR - Wizards' player/coach Chris Mellor produced an inspirational lead for his charges, having a hand in everything they did best. GAME BREAKER - Mellor's try, six minutes from time, sealed the match for the Wizards but it was ultimately not enough to put them through. RFL Join the RLCM Monthly Club and receive four 2008 DVD's/CD's monthly. AUS$29.95 per month [Credit Card only] Receive the five resources below by return mail today * CD-ROM - RLCM Drill Books 1, 2 & 3 - 250 pages * CD-ROM - RLCM Ultimate - Over 4000 pages of 36 RLCM Books * DVD - Canberra Raiders 2007 Coach Neil Henry * DVD - Wayne Bennett Brisbane Broncos Coach * DVD - Tim Sheens Wests Tigers Coach Then receive four new 2008 resources each month. Contact for more information RLCM PO Box 259, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 Email: rlcm@... Gary Roberts Mobile 0414 234 718 Phone: 07/ 5538 9377 Fax: 07/5538 9388 Click for Dr Phil Jauncey QUEENSLAND WIZARD CUP - ROUND 2 RESULTS - Saturday 22 March WYNNUM MANLY 18 (David Seage, Dallas McIlwain, Cameron Joyce tries; Denny Lambert 3 goals) def MACKAY CUTTERS 10 (Aaron Barba, Daniel Abraham tries; Daniel Abraham goal) at BMD Kougari Oval. SOUTHS LOGAN 32 (Colin Best 2, Brad Cross, Marc Herbert, Glen Buttriss, McKanah Gibson tries; Michael Dobson 4 goals) def EASTS TIGERS 16 (Tangi Ropati, Isaac Kaufmann, Abraham Sila tries; Dane Campbell 2 goals) at Langlands Park. BURLEIGH BEARS 40 (Adam Fielder 2, Martin Griese 2, Brent McConnell, Ben Black, John Flint tries; Nick Parfitt 6 goals) def CENTRAL COMETS 10 (Nat Bowman, Liam Anlezark tries; Todd Titmus goal) at Pizzey Park. Sunday 23 March NORTHERN PRIDE 32 (Gordon Rattler, Mark Cantoni, Matthew Bartlett, Warren Jensen, Josh Vaughan, Ty Williams tries; Chey Bird 4 goals) def REDCLIFFE 18 (Liam Georgetown, Mitchell Rivett, Craig Priestley, Ryan Cullen tries; Liam Georgetown goal) at Dolphin Oval. NORTHS 20 (George Kepa 2, Jacob Fauid, Ryan Barton tries; Patrick Fray 2 goals) def TWEED 12 (Brenton Bowen, Dennis Gordon tries; Ryan Milligan 2 goals) at Bishop Park. BYE: IPSWICH QRL Online  Cronulla 17 defeated Melbourne 16 - Cronulla prop Ben Ross faces a long suspension after felling Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk with a vicious late elbow to the head in a thrilling 17-16 NRL victory by the Sharks at Olympic Park. New Zealand Warriors 30 defeated Parramatta 16 - Ivan Cleary hailed his young forwards after the New Zealand Warriors turned around a shaky season start to beat Parramatta 30-16 in their NRL match in Auckland.  Read more Yahoo Sport Click RLCM Bookshop buy a RLCM eBook and it will be in your PC today. Shaun Edwards backs Crusaders' Super League bid Shaun Edwards has thrown his weight behind Celtic Crusaders' Super League bid - and backed the man who started his own coaching career to take them there. The Bridgend-based side - who began life in National League One with a 14-12 win over Dewsbury Rams on Friday - have submitted their bid to join rugby league's expanded top division next year. And former league great Edwards, now defence coach with Wales' union side, believes they can be a real success. He said: "I definitely believe they can do it. I'm a big fan of theirs and always look out for their score. "I'm sure if they do achieve Super League status, the fans will get behind them. "The Catalan Dragons are a great example of how to spread the game - they got to the Challenge Cup final last year and I'd like to see the same thing happen in Wales. "It's great for rugby league and the growth of the sport in Europe has been amazing. "I know the people at the Crusaders are extremely committed to making the Super League and I wish them all the best." After an illustrious rugby league career where Wigan legend Edwards won a record nine Challenge Cup winners' medals in the 1990s, he started his coaching career with an information exercise in Australia with Crusaders and former Brisbane Broncos coach John Dixon. He said: "I went down to see John and he was brilliant. He was superb at giving me tips and we've become really good friends. He's even been down to watch me take training with Wales earlier this month." Dixon's charges, who face a real test of their credentials with a trip to Super League champions Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup next month, held on to beat Dewsbury after being 14-2 up at one point. "To come up against a side like Dewsbury and come away with a win is a good start for us," said Dixon, who took the Crusaders to the League Two title last season. "We dug in well and held on. "It was a high-quality game in wet conditions and I thought both sides played really well."  icWales 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 Coaching - Is it genius at top - or plain luck? By John Lawless - I've got a theory that the higher level of rugby league a side plays, the less influential the coach becomes. That's not to say they don't need to know their stuff and don't work hard at their jobs. But I've got my doubts, once a certain level of competence has been reached, how much extra value the coach adds to a team. Perhaps there are some odd 'genius' exceptions, but generally speaking, I think this is the case. And it probably applies to football as well. Newcastle United weren't travelling too well so they brought in 'The Toon Messiah' (or is that Alan Shearer?) in the shape of Kevin Keegan. Result: They're still not travelling too well. The 'Special One', Jose Mourinho, left Chelsea and dire consequences were predicted as an unknown new coach took over. Result: Chelsea are going almost as well as they did before. This Messiah and Special One business is a load of codswallop. The coach probably gets far too much praise when things are going well - and far too much criticism when they're not so good. The problem is coaches make far more convenient sacrificial lambs than players. There is only one head coach so he is far more sackable than, say, half-a-dozen players. I heard tell that ex-Widnes Vikings coach Neil Kelly wanted to 'off' several of his charges when things weren't going too well. Result: Neil Kelly sacked. St Helens' trophy-hogging boss, Daniel Anderson, once said to me when I asked him about the secret of success: "It's your playing roster, mate." Or, as Wigan's former supremo John Monie once said: "It's amazing how good a coach I am when Ellery Hanley's on the field." I got thinking about this after attending the dinner held at Stobart Stadium Halton recently in honour of Widnes' 1989 World Club Championship-winning team. Listening to the great Doug Laughton speak was, as ever, a joy. Not for nothing did I once dub him 'The Hippy Coach'. What did he say to the lads at half-time to turn the game around after they'd taken a pummelling in the first half back in 1989? Er . . . nothing much. Result: Widnes go out and demolish Canberra Raiders with an awesome display of attacking rugby. It didn't help him at Leeds a few years later when things weren't happening for the team. Result: Laughton sacked. I once watched a documentary featuring football boss Barry Fry, who had just taken over at a new club. He was asked why he believed he could make things happen. His answer: "I'm a lucky fella, me." And that's not a bad thing to be. Liverpool Echo Click RLCMtv Shaun McRae for a short video clip. Joint venture must survive at all costs - By Daniel Lane, Will Swanton and Adrian Proszenko - St George greats Ian Walsh and Graeme Langlands have urged the Saints' joint venture with Illawarra be protected at all costs as the State Government's poker machine tax eats into leagues clubs' coffers. With the future of one of the game's most famous clubs under threat, suggestions have arisen the merger be abandoned after its failure to win a premiership in its 10 years. The situation has been highlighted by the St George Leagues Club's financial woes - a $1.6 million loss in the last financial year (see News, page 14). The club's poor financial state has resulted in a 44 per cent cut in the grant given to the football club. Steelers chairman Peter Newell, who is also ClubsNSW chairman and on the St George Illawarra board, said he had heard rumours the joint venture was on shaky ground but said the club's immediate priority was to make up for the $2 million shortfall from the leagues club's grant. "The Dragons have lost $2 million out of the St George Leagues Club," Newell said. "That's a 50 per cent cut which has got to be made up from somewhere - gate tickets, sponsorship or somewhere. Or you have to make cuts to accommodate it. "It's a serious issue." Walsh and Langlands say the Illawarra union must be preserved. "I believe the merger will always be in the best interests of the club," Walsh said. "The price of footballers has gone up so you have to develop your own and there is no greater nursery than the Illawarra area. For St George, around Kogarah and Rockdale, it's a restricted area so we had to move out and expand." Langlands said: "It is the best thing for the club because it's such a big schooling area down there. It'd be silly to get rid of them. Someone else will just come along and pick them up." Former Dragons prop Paul Osborne was stunned to learn of his old club's plight. "St George is the greatest brand in rugby league . the red V . it's priceless," he said. "It's not like we're trying to sell al-Qaeda in Washington DC." In its annual report, St George Leagues Club forecasts the poker machine tax and smoking restrictions will continue to have a further impact on future revenue. There is also proposed legislation to make poker machines the exclusive domain of casinos and racetracks within 10 years. If passed, this is expected to have a devastating effect on leagues club profitability. The issue of the St George Illawarra joint venture is certain to become a political hot potato for the NRL if rebel ticket R2K (Return To Kogarah) wins up to three seats on the board in the elections that start tomorrow. R2K leader Lachlan McLean said the group was not "anti-Illawarra" but that it was time to look at the viability of the joint venture. "R2K is not against Illawarra," said McLean ahead of the election, which runs until Thursday. "It's a good nursery but it [the relationship] needs to be reviewed. Issues need to be considered if they don't contribute anything [financially] to the joint venture." Fellow rebel Graeme Fleming, whose father John served as St George boss when they last won the premiership in 1979, told The Sun-Herald the leagues club's annual grant to the football club had shrunk from $5.6 million two years ago to $2.5 million this year. "The pokie tax and anti-smoking rules have had an impact but the reduction in grants to the football club has been heavily disproportionate," Fleming said. "We deserve a better explanation of where the money is going." McLean's ticket has been built on the promise that up to half of all Dragons games would be played at Jubilee Stadium. It is also committed to helping restore the leagues club to the grand old days of being the "Taj Mahal" of Sydney's clubland. Newell said football would have died in the Illawarra had the joint venture not gone ahead. He said it must be maintained no matter what the cost. "I've heard that talk [about the Dragons dumping the Steelers]," he said. "I've heard how it's been a takeover and it shouldn't have happened. League in the area would not have gone ahead without the merger. The money just wasn't there. "The people who knock the joint venture don't understand that it's a genuine joint venture, not a takeover. St George have bent over backwards to help at Illawarra's end. "They've never tried to do the wrong thing by us at all. They've supported us and I'd like to think we've treated them in the same vein. It hasn't been a dogfight at all. "People shoot from the hip a bit. They're passionate, they're not all dills. They wear their hearts on their sleeves a bit and I suppose we all do. But facts are facts." When the joint venture was formed in 1999 it was on the understanding the Dragons would provide the cash and the Steelers would produce the juniors. Illawarra have fulfilled their end of the bargain - the 2008 first-grade roster contains home-grown products Matt Cooper, Ben Creagh, Ben Hornby, Brett and Josh Morris, Justin Poore, Jason Ryles and Dean Young. The Steelers' inability to provide money to the venture is a sore point. It still owes close to $2 million from an $8 million loan it needed to bail it out of trouble four years ago. That debt was reduced thanks to the benevolence of WIN TV boss Bruce Gordon, whose company contributed an estimated $6.5 million for a 48 per cent stake in the Steelers in 2006 - or a 24 per cent stake in St George Illawarra. WIN TV, however, is not contributing to the ongoing costs of the Dragons. Some hope Gordon, a 77-year-old Bermuda-based billionaire, might be the joint venture's white knight, following Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court's lead and entertaining private ownership of the team. But this would put pressure on the St George faction because it is believed Kogarah is not Gordon's most "favourite place in the world". Leagues Clubs Association of NSW chief executive Peter Turnbull said the traditional model of funding an NRL team had to be examined. Dragons boss Peter Doust declined to speak to The Sun-Herald yesterday. Read more League HQ 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

RLCM Yearbook 2007 Extract

Scott Dickinson Performance Manager Newcastle Knights

Written by Hanna McCarthy

"........enormous amount of money - to play a professional game, but the support around them was certainly not what you would expect of a professional sporting team."

For instance, with a senior squad comprised of approximately thirty to forty people, there was one person assigned to the physical dedication of the players.

This equates to one person in charge of the teams rehab, all of the team's strength work and all of their cardio. Admittedly, this is impossible; the work of an entire team of specialists - support personnel, assistant coaches, IT and video analysts and coaches of underpinning programs such as premier league - cannot be done, or done properly, by one person.

"There is no way that anyone can work with that type of numbers and have success. This is our national flagship; it's the game, the highest level these guys are going to perform at in this country.

"We're expecting them to perform; if they've got one person helping them along the way ... Trying to get the job done [would be] an insurmountable type of obstacle."

As Dickinson explains, there is an extraordinary difference between the two arenas. Empathising with struggling clubs, he recognises the divide where there is an enormous amount of support and very little funding going on towards the athletes as opposed to an arena where there was an enormous amount of financial support going toward the players and very little support.

Comparatively, the government sector can be likened to any club, at any level. Every club requires the same facilities and staff; however they all operate under different circumstances.

Every club needs the following - money, administrative assistance, personnel and resources, including training venues and equipment. While money could be poured into these things, it instead often goes toward player's salary.

Evidently, the money issue is probably the limiting factor in many situations. It controls the amount of support personnel you have available to your team. For example if your head coach is the person who is running the show and trying to link the physical preparation with the skill, then by definition your support staff is there to provide back up.

If the funding isn't there, then the support is also lacking. The important thing is to compensate what you may not have, for you already have at your disposal.

Within the club there may be not always be people there with one specific purpose, such as strength and conditioning. Therefore, the possibility of staff having to multi-task becomes a reality. In an ideal situation, each club would have a........

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