Rugby League Coaching Manuals

WIGAN RIVERSIDERS still have hopes of a top three finish after a 32-12 home win over RUNCORN, who they leapfrog over into fourth spot.

There was nothing between the sides in the first half, Riversiders holding a tenuous 4-0 lead. Two touchdowns at the start of the second period then saw them dominate in a match played in excellent spirit.

Liam Gannon posted a hat trick for Wigan, their other touchdowns coming from Simon Atherton, John Baybutt and Craig Hogan while Greg Brown kicked four goals. Runcorn's scores through Mike Barr and Dave Patterson - who also kicked two goals - were consolation efforts for their hard work, especially in the opening period.

Southern Premier
SOUTH LONDON STORM claimed the minor Premiership and with it a home semi final in the up coming play offs with a hard fought 40-30 win over their nearest rivals WEST LONDON SHARKS.

In a terrific derby, expertly controlled by John Connolly, the visitors knew if they came away with the spoils the race to finish first would go down to the wire.

The game sprung to life in the seventh minute as Terrence Puma was on the end of a sharp Sharks move to cross for the first score. Momentum shifted straight from the kick off as Micky Walker cleverly re-gathered his own kick. He quickly found the supporting Owain Rhodda who raced over to the left of the posts, the conversion from Steve Guan putting Storm 6-4 ahead.

The next ten minutes saw Storm absorb a great deal of pressure from a Sharks team superbly prompted by the dangerous Jamie Boston.

They managed to hold out and in their first foray into the visitors half for some time, stretched the lead to 12-4 as Guan converted his own try. On the half hour mark they extended the advantage as Braydon Dwyer continued his great try scoring run having been set up by David Supperstone, Guan again converting. Five minutes from the break Walker stretched the lead to 24-4 when he crossed from close range.

Any thoughts the contest was over were quickly ended as on the whistle Puna's second try and Boston's conversion left the half time score at 24-10. The Sharks sensed a comeback and within a minute of the restart Josh Aomarare stunned the home team with a great solo effort, the gap narrowing to eight.

Walker again stamped his authority on proceedings when, after 52 minutes, his long pass found Andy Pryor on the right wing whose smart finish from 10 metres stretched South's lead to 28-16.

On the hour mark, a barnstorming run and finish from new prop Odera Chukwu which was converted by Guan allowed Storm to breathe a little easier but Wests never gave up and Donny Lam's try with ten minutes to go meant that at 34-22 the visitors still had a toe-hold in the game.

A minute later those feint hopes were extinguished as replacement Adam Tran made a powerful break from halfway. He cleverly drew the fullback before releasing the ball to the supporting Dwyer who galloped over by the posts. Guans fifth conversion of the day stretched the lead to an unassailable 40-22.

West London managed to grab two further scores as Aomarare and Nathan Humphries both crossed in the dying seconds but the final whistle saw Storm claim a hard earned double over their fierce old rivals.

BEDFORD TIGERS succumbed at home once again against a young and enthusiastic HAINAULT BULLDOGS, who once ahead were never reeled in, going down 42-24.

Bulldogs opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute, loose forward Graham Bailey scoring to the left of the posts and Danny Lewis kicking the first of his seven goals.

Winger Darren Pickard responded on nine minutes after a good passing move from left to right, but that was as close as the Tigers got. An error strewn 20 minute period for the Tigers was punctuated by scores from the Bulldogs, Joe Jones posting a brace of touchdowns and Stuart Beattie also crossing, from a fine individual jinking run, all converted by Lewis.

Tigers found reserves to hit back impressively, posting three unanswered tries of their own either side of half time. Euan Irwin, full back Richard Sinclair with a fine solo effort and Paul Leggott finding the line, Chris Potts converting two which brought the score back to 20-24 and it looked game on. Hainault's David North scored between the posts, Lewis converting but Bedford youngster Jordan Yeates replied with a controversial unconverted try on the hour to keep Tigers in touch.

But it was the Bulldogs who came home with a wet sail aided by Tigers lack of discipline. Second rower Jones claimed his hat trick try and Bailey completed the try scoring with his second, Lewis adding a penalty and a conversion.

ST ALBANS CENTURIONS assured themselves of third spot with a fine 54-18 success at PORTSMOUTH NAVY SEAHAWKS.

In the Sunday game, in the curtain raiser to their Championship One clash, LONDON SKOLARS defeated ELMBRIDGE EAGLES 25-18.

Yorkshire Premier
MOORENDS-THORNE MOOR MARAUDERS' dream of a home tie in the play-off's is still alive after a 30-22 home win against a well drilled and plucky LEEDS AKKIES.

For the second week running the Marauders found themselves behind early in the game after a slow start, James Morley going over in the corner on seven minutes and danny Whitelaw converting from the touchline to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.

Akkies extended their lead on 10 minutes when they moved the ball sharply down the line with James Hardson and Morley linking before sending Chris Reynolds over unopposed for a unconverted try. Moorends pulled themselves back into the game with the introduction of Chris Allen and Cliffton Richardson, Allen's strong direct running drew the cover and Shane Southgate found Richardson who danced through the first line of defence before rounding Reynolds for a try converted by Ryan Rafferty.

Leeds responded and a neat grubber kick came up for Rich Johnson to pounce on the loose ball on 24 minutes. Mark Roach came off the bench to give the Marauders a little more direction and penetration, slicing through the Akkies defence just before half-time before turning the ball back inside for Richardson to go over between the posts, Rafferty converting to make it 14-12 to the visitors at the break.

Moorends continued to gift their visitors the ball in very dangerous areas Johnson scoring a long range try that included him going over the top of his opposite number.

On 55 minutes, the complexion of the game changed, a neat run around between Ernie Lake and Chris Allen sent Danny Hornsby crashing onto a short ball, his quick hands linking with Matty Bingley sending Richardson over for his third to narrow the gap to two points. More quick and crisp passing saw Chris Allen break the defence and he sent Greg Mills racing over in the corner giving the Marauders the lead for the first time.

They extended it ten minutes from time when Shaun Carver crashed over in a blind side attack. Five minutes later, Akkies came back into the game when Ed Ainscough crossed but Marauders had the final say when Steve Allen crashed through the visitor's defence sending Mills racing 30 metres who put Jason Blanchard in the clear for a try converted by Ryan Rafferty.

COTTINGHAM PHOENIX virtually assured a top three spot with a hard fought 29-16 win over SCARBOROUGH PIRATES. Winger Luke Seavers gave the visitors the lead in the 15th minute, Nathan Shepherd levelling soon after. Scrum half Michael Picken and a Jack Makins goal edged the Pirates 10-4 in front but just before half time, Tom Walker's try and a Dave Green goal levelled.

Connor Thresh put Phoenix ahead for the first time ten minutes into the second half but the visitors were level almost immediately through Kane Seavers' touchdown. The scores were tied until eight minutes from time when Cottingham stand off Karl Pickering took charge with a try, goal and drop goal. A minute from time Shepherd claimed his second try, Green gaoling.

KIPPAX KNIGHTS stayed top on point's difference after a 52-10 win at EAST RIDING. The visitors led 32-4 at the break, East's points coming from Laim Spriggs and Dean Knaggs tries and a Tom McCarthy conversion.

Wales
Injuries cost the NEATH PORT TALBOT STEELERS dear as the loss of key players late on helped VALLEY COUGARS to a 54-30 victory at Aberavon Quins RFC. The Cougars got off to a great start with a try for Paul Emanuelli which the stand-off also converted but two tries for John Fulton, the second after great play from Dai Fenton and David James put the home team 8-6 up.

Cougars wing Dafydd Hillard replied with two touchdowns in response, with Emanuelli converting one to put the Nelson-based team 16-8 up. A tit for tat game then saw Gareth Lewis score after a barging run from Rhys Hawkins which Lewis also converted but the Cougars hit back again thanks to James Allen with Emanuelli adding the extras.

The final say of a breathless first half went to former Steelers captain Dean Scully and his try was goaled by Gareth Lewis to make it 22-20 to the visitors at half-time.

It took the Steelers less than a minute to score in the second half when a great cross field kick from Dai Fenton was caught by Rob Fulton who touched down in the corner to give his team the lead, however on Sonigon immediately replied for the Valleymen with the excellent Emanuelli again converting.

NPT hit back when a good run from wing Michael Daly saw Simon Bailey race over and Dai Fenton added the extras to make it 30-28. But injuries then cost the home side dear and the loss of three key forwards saw the Cougars run riot in the final quarter. Dafydd Hillard claimed his hat-trick and further tries followed from Mark Powell, Sonigon and Neil Sloan. Emanuelli converted all four and added a late penalty goal to guarantee the Cougars a top four finish

CARDIFF DEMONS put on a dominant forward performance that powered them past a resilient DINEFWR SHARKS as they won 42-22 at Tycroes RFC to secure fourth place heading into the playoffs. The Demons opened the scoring on five minutes as the Sharks conceded a penalty on their own ten metre line.

From the tap, the Demons swung the ball out left and Neil Thomas, in his first game for the club in four years, dived over for the first score. A great defensive effort by the Demons set the position for Andrew Lee increase the score, Jon Trickey adding the extras to make it 10-0. Cardiff extended the lead as Thomas collected a high bomb near his own line and ran sixty metres before he was tackled by Sharks David Norman.

A quick play of the ball by debutante Pun Wong put Trickey into space and he did the rest. Minutes later the Sharks conceded another penalty near their own line and straight from the play the ball Graham Hughes powered between the posts carrying four defenders with him, Trickey's conversion making it 20-0 to the visitors. As the game settled, Sharks found their feet and their top try scorer, Alan Pope, fended off several tackles and made a break down the wing to cross in the corner.

Just before the break Pope did the same again but this time he touched down by the uprights. Andrew Rees-Spowart added the extras making the score 20-10 in the Demons favour at half time.

Early in the second half the teams traded tries as firstly Malaki Forrester picked up a Dinefwr knock on near their own line and barged his way over from short range. The hosts responded immediately from the kick off forcing a turnover which Pope pounced on to pick up his hat trick try, Norman adding the goal to make the score 16-24.

Cardiff again extended their lead when Tricky picked up the ball twenty metres out and some great individual skill saw him claim a second touch down. Sharks showed the spirit that has been evident all season and again took advantage of a Demons penalty with Pope picking up his fourth try and the goal from Rees-Spowart closed the gap to eight again.

With ten minutes to go, Cardiff's power prevailed as firstly Tricky picked up his hat trick try with a short range dive over the line and minutes later Andrew Bradshaw broke from halfway to touch down in the corner. Idris Evans added one conversion and a great kick from Trickey from the touch line finished off the scoring.

Midlands Premier
COVENTRY BEARS' late run for the play-offs continued with a 44-22 win over BRISTOL SONICS at Tile Hill. The win was the Bears' fourth in a row and lifts them above Birmingham into fourth place on point's difference.

DERBY CITY maintained their position at the top of the Midlands Premier after beating LEICESTER PHOENIX in a thriller, 26-24 at Phoenix Park. The result takes City two points clear with three rounds remaining.

FIXTURES
RLC Midlands Premier 25 July
Bristol Sonics v Gloucestershire Warr
Derby City v Coventry Bears
Leicester Phoenix v Birmingham Bulldogs

RLC North West Premier
Rhyl Coasters v Wigan Riversiders
Runcorn v New Broughton Rang
Widnes Saints v Lymm RL

RLC Southern Premier
South London Storm v Ipswich Rhinos
West London Sharks v Elmbridge Eagles
London Skolars v Portsmouth Navy SH
St Albans Centurions v Hainault Bulldogs

RLC Yorkshire Premier
York Lokomotive v Cottingham Phoenix
Scarborough Pirates v East Riding
Kippax Knights v Moorends Thorne Ma

RLC Wales
Bridgend Blue Bulls v Blackwood Bulldogs
Cardiff Demons v Torfaen Tigers
Valley Cougars v Dinefwr Sharks
West W Wildboars v Neath Port T Steelers