Denis Betts wants Easter double to be scrapped after Huddersfield thrash Widnes

[josie andrews]

Widnes coach Denis Betts insisted the traditional Easter double header should be scrapped after his side were thrashed 62-6 by Huddersfield.

Betts made six changes to the side that beat Warrington 38-22 on Good Friday and although his inexperienced line-up was ruthlessly overpowered, he insisted he had no regrets over his team selection.

"If you'd have offered me two points a month ago from Catalan away, Wigan away, Warrington at home and Huddersfield, I would have taken them," he said.

"Easter has been a part of my life since I can remember but I think you've got to look at this and say, 'it doesn't work'. You cannot play the game the way it's played now and expect two games on a weekend.

"If you've got two big squads, you can do it but today I had four or five lads out there who had played one or two Super League games.

"I didn't put them in because I wanted to see them play, I put them in because I didn't have anybody else.

"I've got to look at the bigger picture as well, The war's not won this weekend, it's just another battle. I've got to keep my soldiers on their feet.

"When you see these lads the day after they've played, to turn them around two days later is close to cruelty. Sometimes you have to let go a little bit of the tradition and move the game forward."

But Betts' views were not shared by Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson, who said: "You get one day extra from turning around from Sunday to Friday.

"We've know all along that we'd be playing Friday and Monday at Easter. I've got no complaints about it. You should get on with it. It's an opportunity to rack some points up.

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... /8612182/?

[DaveO]

But Betts' views were not shared by Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson: "We've know all along that we'd be playing Friday and Monday at Easter. I've got no complaints about it. You should get on with it. It's an opportunity to rack some points up."

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... /8612182/?

That guy gets it. Stop whinging Betts. He's become a right rent-a-quote recently. Just shut up and get on with it. Everyone else has to, it's part of the calendar.

It might be part of the calendar but its a short step to take from what Betts says to coaches not even bothering with one of the two fixtures.

The HKR coach more or less wrote his own sides chances off against us and IMO this could be the thin end of the wedge where the league fixtures really are devalued because the play offs are what matter. HKR are in 8th so embarrassed they may be but that loss hasn't cost them a great deal.

[jobo]

But Betts' views were not shared by Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson: "We've know all along that we'd be playing Friday and Monday at Easter. I've got no complaints about it. You should get on with it. It's an opportunity to rack some points up."

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... /8612182/?

That guy gets it. Stop whinging Betts. He's become a right rent-a-quote recently. Just shut up and get on with it. Everyone else has to, it's part of the calendar.

It might be part of the calendar but its a short step to take from what Betts says to coaches not even bothering with one of the two fixtures.

The HKR coach more or less wrote his own sides chances off against us and IMO this could be the thin end of the wedge where the league fixtures really are devalued because the play offs are what matter. HKR are in 8th so embarrassed they may be but that loss hasn't cost them a great deal.

You could argue that the league fixtures are already devalued by the play off system, so why not keep the income stream flowing by playing two games in 3/4 days, over a holiday period. It might have more meaning if the top eight played each other, rather than pitting us against KR and Widnes against Hudds.

Having said that, I think it's only us who have full points from the Easter schedule, so maybe our Denis is getting his excuses in first.

[josie andrews]

Leeds Rhinos: Easter double header is test of character – Hetherington

Super League should stick with two rounds over the Easter holiday period, Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington says.

Playing two games in four or five days tests squads to the limit, but Hetherington reckons the controversial policy separates the top teams from also-rans - and he says only “whingeing” coaches are against it.

Wigan Warriors were the only team to win both their Easter fixtures, while Rhinos and Bradford Bulls had a draw and a win.

Castleford Tigers and London Broncos lost both their matches and the other nine teams won one and lost one.

“I think we get a real festival of rugby league over the Easter weekend, with each team getting a home game,” Hetherington said.

“It is tough for the teams, but it is a great test of character and resilience and those teams who’ve got it get their reward and come out on top.

“They have got to do it twice. Some teams can do it once and then they fall apart and other teams have got the character and resilience and their true colours shine through.

“That’s a feature of rugby league – you get rewarded for having resilience and character and being able to do it tough. That’s what makes our competition what it is.

“For those teams who don’t have it, it’s a real wake up call for them and they realise it’s not good enough to have one good performance, they’ve got to back it up.

“That’s a true test of teams in our competition. You rarely get the players complaining, it’s normally the coaches – who by nature want to whinge and whine and make excuses.”

The game after the holiday period is usually when teams begin to feel the strain.

Hetherington said: “It is an even tougher test backing up from Easter.

“Our game against Warrington on Sunday is a huge challenge for both teams and the respective backroom staff, who’ll be working overtime to have the players in the very best possible condition.

“I know our boys are ready for it and I think the fans will be too.It’s a huge game.

“Whenever we play Warrington it always is, but especially backing up from Easter.

“All the characteristics you look for in rugby league players and teams will be on show on Sunday.

“I think it’ll be one of the real highlights of the season and it’s a real four-pointer, because I’m sure both Leeds and Warrington are going to be competing for play-off spots at the end.

“We’ve got a great surface to play on and all the ingredients are there for a classic contest.

“We’ve got a tremendous amount of confidence out of the trip to Catalans, we’ve got players on the fringe who are busting a gut to get into the team and we are hungry and ready for the contest.”

Meanwhile, Rhinos Under-16s were beaten 30-24 at St Helens. Tommy Brierley, Colby Wilson, Nathan Barker and Ryan Jones scored the tries and Joe Sanderson kicked four goals.

Bradford’s England Knights scrum-half Luke Gale is ready to return to action this weekend against his former club London Broncos.

Gale hasn’t played since damaging his ankle playing for the Knights last autumn.

The 24-year-old former London Broncos half-back, who was in the form of his life for the Bulls last season, has yet to play this year after damaging his ankle playing for the Knights in the autumn but is now back in full training and is poised to make his comeback against his old club in Saturday’s clash at Adams Park.

With Jarrod Sammut combining effectively with makeshift stand-off Danny Addy during Bradford’s impressive start to the season under Cummins, Gale is not guaranteed a spot and is likely to have to settle for a place on the bench.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-5544163

[markill]

Andy Wilson in his Guardian column gave the best defence of still playing twice over Easter that I've seen so far - he pointed out that younger squad players get a chance to play that they might not have had otherwise and they can do so in a game that is generally down on intensity from a normal SL game, but still up from U19s (or no games for some in the Dual reg trap).

He cites the lad Jamie Shaul at Hull FC as an example. Spencer for us would be an example. Swift came in and got a try for Saints. Thats of the top of my head without looking at all the teams that were picked.

[southernpie]

I've just watched the Super League show and Robbie Paul came up with a good reason for the disparity in results. He said something along the lines of the "lesser" clubs put so much emotionally into the derbies that they don't have a lot left on Easter Monday. John Wilkin also said he is up for both games although he was not speaking for other players, Robbie Paul said he loved it when he was in his early twenties, but hated it as he got near and into his thirties.

All this about squad sizes IMO is a lot of b**ls**t, especially when you take into consideration IIRC the only change to the side made by Wigan was resting Lockers and bringing in Dudson and the fact that we are playing such a young pack anyway due to injuries. Never mind all the negativity the press and commentators should be celebrating what Wigan (and to a lesser degree Whinos)did by getting the results they did. When you look at the teams (other than KR) that were blown away on Monday and look at who they were playing and their Friday results, I would bet the results would have been prety much the same even if the game wasn't played until the following weekend, ie Dire would still have stuffed London, likewise Stains would stuff Cas and Giants stuff Wignes, all being "top" teams having come off defeats on Good Friday.