Best of the round - Super League draws galore, Bill Tupou magic, Leeds Rhinos' struggles
Monday 16 July 2018 12:33, UK
A stunning game at Warrington, a stonking Bill Tupou try, a huge Josh Jones hit, Leeds' continued struggles and the Championship's top-four race are among our big moments in the latest week of rugby league action...
Game of the round
Amid a string of entertaining games last week, Warrington's 22-22 draw with Catalans at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Thursday takes our top spot.
Both sides fought it out in a thrilling Super League encounter which saw six tries between the two sides in the first half, before torrential rain came in for the second half and it became a game to decide off the tee.
A host of dramatic drop goal attempts ended a quite stunning night of rugby league on Sky Sports.
Try of the round
As is customary, we were treated to more than a few superb tries but Tupou's sensational individual effort at Leeds just edges things for us.
Bureta Faraimo's second effort for Hull against St Helens could have taken it, as could Owen Buckley's second for Widnes over Hull KR. But Tupou's try was magnificent.
Picking up the ball some 70 metres from the Leeds tryline, the Trinity man saw off five defenders en route to his score, displaying tremendous pace, power and poise as he never panicked, constantly looked both ways, kept the ball in two hands and saw off anything in front of him.
Hit of the round
In terms of the biggest hit this week, we've dug out this peach from Salford's Josh Jones on Castleford's Junior Moors on Friday.
The Tigers man ran into a brick wall to the delight of fans at the AJ Bell. It was so good, both players even shared a high five after...
Rhinos' struggles continue
They may have thought for a time at home to Wakefield on Friday that they had the game won, but Leeds ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils and may now have to settle for a place in the Qualifiers.
There's a three-point gap in the table between Kevin Sinfield's charges and the top eight with just two rounds to go.
Should the top eight remain unchanged, it would mean the Rhinos join Hull KR, Salford and Widnes in the Qualifiers, alongside Toronto and three more clubs from the Championship.
Will things change between now and Sunday, July 29 when the regular season comes to a close?
Championship top-four race heats up
Speaking of the Qualifiers, Toronto Wolfpack may have confirmed a place but there's still three places from the Championship up for grabs and it could not really be any tighter.
In fact, just three points separate five teams following the latest round of action.
After table-toppers Toronto, Toulouse Olympique sit second on 30 points, followed by Featherstone Rovers on 29 points in third, London Broncos and Halifax each on 29 points (after the former's victory over the latter last week) but separated into fourth and fifth respectively courtesy of points difference and Leigh Centurions in sixth on 28 points.
With Featherstone hosting London Broncos and Halifax welcoming Toulouse this week, things are heating up nicely...
At the touchscreen...
Following Friday's Sky Sports live game of Leeds 20-20 Wakefield, it was the turn of Richie Myler to join Jon Wells at the Sky Sports Super League touchscreen.
Catch the thoughts of the Rhinos man below, as he says new Director of Rugby Sinfield has set new standards amid their worrying run of form...
Golden Point Ep 14
On the latest episode of Super League Golden Point, Brian Carney, Barrie McDermott and Terry O'Connor discuss all of the latest news, talking points and freshest signings from the world of rugby league!
The trio talk at length about Warrington's marquee signing for 2019, Blake Austin, the pressure on marquee players within Super League and also hear from Toronto's Paul Rowley.
A record on Sky?
For the first time in what seems like living memory, back-to-back Super League games live on Sky on Thursday and Friday produced two draws in Warrington 22-22 Catalans Dragons and Leeds 20-20 Wakefield.
There had only been six draws all season before this latest round, so to have been treated to two compelling Super League draws live on our Sky screens concurrently really was quite unique!
