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Peter Smith: Rise of new order can only be a good thing
THERE was talk in the build-up to last weekend's game at the Galpharm Stadium of Leeds Rhinos being Huddersfield Giants' bogey club.
And afterwards, some commentators reckoned that Giants' 26-20 win had ended their Rhinos hoodoo.
Before last Sunday Giants had lost 22 of their 23 meetings with Leeds in Super League, but that had nothing to do with a hoodoo, bogey, or anything else along those lines.
The fact is, Rhinos have such a good record against Huddersfield – even after last weekend's loss – because throughout their time as Super League rivals they have had a much better team.
That's different to the rivalry between Wakefield and Huddersfield, for example. During the summer era Huddersfield have consistently beaten the Wildcats, even when Wakefield had a far superior side.
Now Giants are, arguably, the better of the two teams they aren't just beating Wakefield, they are humiliating them – as they did a fortnight ago when they won 52-0 at Belle Vue. That's a hoodoo. Luck, etc, has played no part – or at least very little – in Leeds' recent stranglehold over the Giants.
Huddersfield were a shade unfortunate at Headingley Carnegie last year, when a late Kallum Watkins interception try sealed a 20-12 win for the hosts.
But before the game four days ago, the 2009 Headingley showdown and last season's clash at the Galpharm, which Leeds won 34-6, are the only Super League meetings between the clubs that Giants could feel they had a realistic chance of winning.
On every other occasion Leeds have been hot favourites and, other than a blip in 2003 when Tony Smith masterminded a shock victory for Giants – and probably convinced Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington that he was the right man for the Headingley helm – they have lived up to that billing.
The situation has changed now, though. Last weekend's round six clash looked a 50-50 game and, given Leeds' injury situation and the respective form of the sides, a case could have been made for Giants starting as favourites.
The days of Huddersfield being easy-beats are long gone. Their Aussie coach, Nathan Brown, has instilled steel to their defence, they have clever halves, a world-class full-back, good hookers, a big, strong pack and outstanding pace in the three-quarters.
And there's some exciting home-grown talent coming through. Their last two wins have been achieved with star man Brett Hodgson on the sidelines and youngster Leroy Cudjoe operating at full-back.
Cudjoe is a real prospect and his booming penalty kicks to touch – as demonstrated against Leeds – are a lethal weapon, the rugby league equivalent of Rory Delap's long throws.
Though it's still a little early, Giants look like genuine title contenders and having defeated Leeds, Bradford, Hull KR and Wakefield so far this year, they will feel that they are now Yorkshire's top team.
Giants have already been upset twice this year and they will lose more as the season progresses, but whoever beats them will have to play well.
With Kevin Brown and Luke Robinson in such good form, it's a bit of a mystery why Huddersfield feel they need Wakefield half-back Danny Brough.
But coaches can usually find a place for good players. Robinson is expected to shift into the No 9 role, with Brough operating at scrum-half – and his input may well take the Giants to a new level.
Given his pace, play-making ability and supreme kicking game, the ex-Dewsbury, York, Hull and Castleford man could prove the missing ingredient in a successful Grand Final challenge.
With Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors also looking very strong – and currently playing at a level that champions Leeds aren't matching – it looks as though a new order may be taking over in Super League.
The RFL are desperate for someone to break the Leeds-St Helens Grand Final stranglehold which has developed over the last few years and the increased competitiveness in the top flight can only be a good thing for the game.
There's no doubt that the emergence of new powerhouses like Huddersfield and Warrington and Wigan's resurgence under Michael Maguire has added excitement to a competition which was going a bit stale.
After just six rounds, all 14 teams have each suffered at least one defeat and have recorded one or more wins.
Sky could have made out a case for televising any of this weekend's seven fixtures and in fact the two they are showing, Crusaders v Catalans and Harlequins v Huddersfield, are probably the least enticing.
It is shaping up to be the most open Super League campaign in years and, unlike 12 months ago, it already looks like there'll be at least one new set of fans at Old Trafford this year.
As for Leeds, it's possible this may prove to be a season too far, which would be a good thing for the competition and could even freshen up the three-time champions, who must be finding it hard maintaining their motivation after such a dominant run.
Other than fleetingly, Rhinos haven't hit their straps yet and injuries are mounting. But they have a habit of coming good when it really matters and they will have some big-game players fit, refreshed and raring to go when the campaign reaches its business end.
It still takes a massive effort to beat the Rhinos; Castleford lost four straight after they did it and Wakefield went down to successive defeats.
Huddersfield, playing well, won by just six points against an out-of-sorts Leeds, who had enough chances to put the game away.
From a neutral point of view, it is good to see different names at the top of the table and so many teams in with a genuine chance of winning silverware this year.
But there's a difference between playing well in March and doing it when it really matters, come the latter end of the season.
Rhinos are experts at that. Things may look bleak at the moment, but there's still a long way to go and they aren't out of it yet.
It's all adding up to an intriguing few months to come.
*******
WAKEFIELD winger Damien Blanch must be the unluckiest player in Super League at the moment.
The Aussie ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in a game against Wigan last April, necessitating a knee reconstruction which kept him out of action until the Boxing Day game against Leeds.
He suffered a broken hand in that match and was sidelined for another three months, eventually making his Super League comeback against Huddersfield two weeks ago – a game Wildcats lost 52-0.
Pencilled in to start at Hull KR last Friday, Blanch was taken ill during the warm-up and had to be withdrawn.
It's said that things happen in threes. For Blanch's sake, let's hope his ill-fortunate is finally out of the way and he can get back to doing the business on the field for Wildcats.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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