Jamie Peacock is back for Hull KR, but will it be a fairy-tale return?
Wednesday 7 September 2016 15:36, UK
"I'm back". That's what Michael Jordan said when he announced his return to basketball in March 1995. He had been out of the game for about 18 months while pursuing another challenge in baseball.
He returned to the Chicago Bulls with his former team struggling to win games and instantly made an impressive impact. His team soon found the winning formula and even made the play-offs. But not every comeback has a fairy-tale ending.
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The announcement this week that Jamie Peacock will return to play for Hull KR was one of the biggest shocks of the season. Earlier in the year, I had been expecting to see a similar story coming out of Leeds when the Rhinos were in that losing streak and Kevin Sinfield was about to retire from rugby union. I don't know if it was ever a likely outcome at Headingly but it appears as though the defeat by Leigh last Saturday has been a 'tipping point' at Hull KR.
The sporting scene is littered with 'comeback' stories. They tend to be more common in boxing, but it's not that long ago that Lee Radford did something similar across the city at Hull.
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Ten years ago, Kris Radlinski came out of retirement to help Wigan avoid relegation. He had been out of action for about four months and brought some confidence and experience at a time when it looked as though Wigan would drop down a division.
It is impossible as an outsider to say how important an 'experienced' player is to a team. How do you quantify it? Are their words and presence more important than their actions? Could you get more from a young and enthusiastic lad who has a point to prove? Hull KR think not. In some ways, it is a very sad indictment on the sport when a city like Hull, which has rugby played in it, cannot find a younger player for their first team.
Admittedly, Jamie Peacock was one of the very few players whose performances didn't seem to decline as he grew older. His intelligence helped him to understand how to use his abilities to maximum effect. But time catches everyone in the end. When my colleagues Barrie McDermott and Terry O'Conner played against Hull KR for Widnes in the promotion match of 2006, their performances were in comparable to them at their best.
Back in the old days, teams used to have a captain/coach. He would be their most experienced player and make most of the decisions on and off the pitch. In the absence of a full-time appointed coach, it looks to me as though Jamie Peacock will do some of that for the Robins. It worked for Eric Ashton in the 60s, but will it work for Hull KR right now?
I am unaware of what's gone on in the boardroom at Hull KR, but it has seemed strange for a professional sport not to appoint a replacement coach after sacking their coach at the start of the season.
You could say that it happens at places like Chelsea while they wait to appoint a longer-term successor, but I don't think it has worked at Hull KR. It must be a strange situation for James Webster to find himself in and I have a great deal of sympathy for him. Players need to know who is the boss.
The last time the Romans conquered the Hull area was in 71 AD. The Centurions who claimed a victory there last Saturday must surely feel as though success is now in sight. This weekend could be their triumphal march into the Super League and Huddersfield are under pressure. Whether Leigh win or lose this weekend, by my predictions they'll play in Super League in 2017.
I thought that they played better or more instinctive rugby than the Rovers last week. That might be an advantage of being the underdog with less pressure on the team, or just their style of play, but they deserved the win and I can't wait to see them again this Saturday.
It is noticeable that they also have an excellent goal kicker in Martyn Ridyard. His success rate of 88% with 22 conversions from 25 attempts makes him one of the best in the country and has clearly helped Leigh this year.
For what it's worth, I think that Leeds and Leigh are going up. I would guess that Huddersfield stand the better chance of joining them in the top three, which by my reckoning will give us Hull HR v Salford in the £1million match. I don't think that London will beat Hull KR this week or Salford next, but who knows?
The race to re-join the best teams in Super League was already a fascinating one, which just got even better.
