26 Jul 2007 - McRae - working wonders
Sporting Life
The battle to avoid engage Super League relegation looks likely to once more go down to the wire after Salford's remarkable victory over Bradford. The Reds were three points adrift of their nearest rivals before the weekend but will head for Hull on Sunday knowing victory in their match in hand will lift them off the foot of the table for the first time since Easter. Once again, it has taken the unfortunate sacking of a coach to provide the catalyst for an upturn in a club's fortunes. On this day 12 months ago, Wakefield turned to John Kear to rescue their ailing season after parting company with Tony Smith and he duly delivered the goods with four wins from their last six matches. Salford were in a similar perilous position when they showed the door to Karl Harrison in May but they have given themselves renewed hope with three wins from their last six matches and, with the wily Shaun McRae in charge, have a genuine chance of winning what has become a two-horse race. Hull KR, five points in front of the Reds six weeks ago, are now the ones sweating on the run-in but they would be foolish to sack their coach. In guiding the Robins to seven wins in their inaugural Super League campaign so far, Justin Morgan has already exceeded many people's expectations. Indeed, they are two points ahead of Wakefield's tally from this stage of the season a year ago, which must give Rovers followers reason for optimism. It is a fact that, for the second successive year, one club will be desperately unfortunate to be relegated. Castleford were a major loss to Super League at the end of 2006 and, while Salford cannot command the scale of support enjoyed by the Tigers, their team is too good for the National League. What must be particularly galling for both clubs is that from next season automatic promotion and relegation will almost certainly be suspended, if not scrapped altogether, to make way for the system of Super League licences to be introduced in 2009. Catalans Dragons, who could yet collect the wooden spoon for the second successive season, already enjoy immunity from relegation, which will be of considerable benefit when they take on Wigan for a place in the Carnegie Challenge Cup final. The Dragons will be clear underdogs, especially after a run of three successive Super League defeats, but they will be free from outside pressures when they run out at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday. Indeed, perhaps the twin prospect of becoming the first French club to reach the cup final and the chance to play in the first match back at Wembley has been on their minds since their quarter-final win at Hull. Wigan will write the Perpignan club off at their peril. With classy half-backs Stacey Jones and Casey McGuire pulling the strings behind an extremely workmanlike pack led by veteran Kiwi Alex Chan and fast-improving Frenchmen Cyril Gossard and Mathieu Griffi, the Dragons have proved themselves capable of beating any team on their day. The first semi-final between holders St Helens and Bradford is even closer to call and it would be dangerous to read anything into Saints' recent League defeat to the Bulls. Bradford have an unenviable record in knockout football against St Helens and, even if the Galpharm Stadium has been a kind second home to them in recent years, it is hard to look beyond the holders. |