Australia, France, Fiji, Lebanon
New Zealand, Samoa, Ireland, Scotland
England, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Wales

And what of the other nations, have we missed something. What happened to the emerging nation’s competition we held back in 2000?
According to Wikipedia (Yes I know not always entirely accurate) and even the international RL governing body and Rugby League Planet website, there are 12 Test Nations (albeit one being GB so remove them), 27 Affiliate Nations and 9 Unaffiliated nations.
And the 2007 World rankings show these nations.

1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Tonga
5. France
6. Fiji
7. PNG
8. Lebanon
9. Ireland
10. Wales
11. Scotland
12. Samoa
13. Russia
14. USA
15. Georgia
16. Italy
17. Cook Islands
18. Netherlands
19. Malta
20. Serbia
21. Greece
22. Germany
23. American Samoa
24. Tokelau
25. Austria
26. Niue
27. Morocco
28. Japan
29. Estonia
30. South Africa

Missing from the rankings are;

Argentina
Canada
Czech Republic
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Moldova
New Caledonia
Norfolk Island
Norway
Pakistan
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu
United Arab Emirates
Ukraine
West Indies

Now of course many of the nations on the second list are very much fledgling or maybe started and now stopped but the game has been there, but what of the other 20 ranked nations, what do they aim for?

I understand that even in this World Cup there are far too many teams with questionable national players, including the big 3, but we need to get the game in these countries some expose for it to grow, Wales and Lebanon are the two obvious ones and should have been in this world cup with maybe an emerging nations running along side it. We’re trying hard to help the game in Russia with their clubs entering the Challenge Cup, the USA, which has a league for many years and with trial games taking place on a yearly basis now, West Indies with our own Alan Hunte involved etc etc.

So have we let the International game down again? We’ll see.

With *Lady In Red* , Parklanered 397 & ser just outside with 397.

As for the NRC Table:
1 Danny Salford 4eva 433
2 TJ!Salford!Mad 428
3 King of the Shed 411
4 OrdsallRed 399
5 RedDave 390
6 Yorkshire_Red 382

Full results:
59 – Salteye 2009. – Tipster of the week, well done!
57 – RedDave.
53 – Parklanered.
48 – TJ!Salford!Mad.
46 – cleggy_jc.
45 – Michigan red.
44 – Solly.
43 – Danny Salford 4eva & King of the Shed (Missed 1 Game).
41 – mikecleggy, Salford red all over (Missed 2 games) & ser.
37 – shed head & u45d.
36 – Ave It!
33 – Jack The Red, Redshedrob & Sheddy (Missed 4 games!)
30 – OrdsallRed.
20 – *Lady In Red* (Missed 1 game)

Topping the table is *Lady In Red* (I know I can’t believe it either) with 377 closely followed by Redshedrob with 374, TJ!Salford!Mad, TOMMO2, u45d & make up the top six.

Full Results:
73 – u45d - Well done again.
66 – Jack The Red.
62 – TJ!Salford!Mad.
60 – Ave It! & Salteye 2009.
58 – Cleggy_jc & Michigan red.
57 – ser.
56 – King of the Shed,mike cleggy, RedDave & Shed head.
52 – Danny Salford 4eva & Redshedrob.
49 – *Lady In Red* & OrdsallRed.
47 – Sheddy.
46 – Solly.
45 – TOMMO2
36 – Parklanered.

In Salford, however, the signs are easier to spot. Someone always has a soft top Ford Escort, and you only ever see it at the start of summer. Even though Ford stopped making them years ago. And at the mere hint of a prolonged stint of sun, that top comes down no matter what. There could be a black cloud on the horizon, a guaranteed monsoon up ahead, a motorway needing to be traversed—forget it, that top is coming down. Another sign used to be corned beef legs. More of a rarity in the era of the tanning salon but if you look hard enough, they’re still seen amongst proud male septuagenarians: usually with a white sock and sandle combo. Extra marks earned for safari suit jackets, knotted hankies and a pipe (smoking shag rather than regular tobacco).

I haven’t seen either of these two dead giveaways yet, therefore I’m not giving this claim a full-blown endorsement. That said, some radio stations are playing ‘Summertime’, even the too cool for school channels who’d usually give Will Smith a wider birth than a proud male septuagenarian. So without being typically (and cynically) British in saying ‘enjoy it while it lasts’, let’s hope the jumpers stay in the drawers for a good few months yet.

Being the first Friday of the summer, it’s only right we start it off with some typically summery tunes. I can smell the cut grass already. And you can’t start summer without a bit of Roy Ayers, or indeed, a Fresh Prince or two. Nope, it can’t be done. Gentlemen, start your BBQs…

Roy Ayers ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’

Kool and the Gang ‘Summer Madness’

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince ‘Summertime’

Freeez ‘Southern Freeze’

The Sugarhill Gang ‘Hot, Hot Summer Day’

George Duke ‘Brazilian Love Affair’

Earth, Wind and Fire ‘Brazilian Rhyme’

59 – *Lady In Red*.
56 – Jack The Red & TOMMO2.
54 – Salford red all over.
53 – Ave It!, Mikecleggy & Parklanered.
52 – Ser & U45d.
51 – Solly.
50 – Salteye 2009 & TJ!Salford!Mad.
49 – Cleggy_jc & OrdsallRed.
47 – Danny Salford 4eva & Redshedrob.
46 – RedDave.
43 – Sheddy.
41 – King of the Shed.
36 – Michigan red.

In trying to pinpoint exactly why we’re a bunch of unhappy campers, let’s look at some statistics. Salford have played six league games so far and are currently a third-way through the NL1 regular season. In comparing the 2008 Reds with recently prominent National League clubs, at the same stage of their respective seasons, perhaps we can find some reasoning, some solace and some optimism. Let the shit fly, as we stir a pot full of pointless figures and tailor-made conclusions!

The Table

First, let’s compare how we measure up against the Salford team of 2003, Hull KR of 2006, and last year’s standouts—Castleford and Widnes—six matches into the NL1 campaign:

Reds’ standing after 6 NL1 matches
	Pld	W	D	L
Widnes ‘07	6	6	0	0
Hull KR ‘06	6	6	0	0
Castleford ‘07	6	5	0	1
Salford ‘08	6	4	2	0
Salford ‘03	6	4	1	1

The most obvious stat here is that this year’s team is lagging, only slightly, behind the other dominant National League forces of the past two years at this stage of the season. However, this early on, the table is deft at creating a smokescreen. Widnes top the table on this occasion with an awesome points difference. Yet, they are the only team in the list that did not achieve promotion. It was Castleford who defeated them in the grand final, finishing the 2007 season stronger than the Vikings. Widnes must, therefore, have peaked too early; indeed, it was they who inflicted Castleford’s sole loss in the table above—a thumping home defeat to the biohazard boys. The other interesting stat is that the 2008 Reds are outscoring the 2003 team on competition points. This, remember, is the only team in the list above that completed the league and league cup double.

What then, does this table tell us. Well, that in comparison, competition-wise, Salford are doing fine. It doesn’t tell us who these teams played in their first six games, nor does it relay the relative quality of the league’s participants in a given year. It does confirm that the season doesn;t end after the May Day bank holiday, thankfully. Although if it did, Salford would still be heading into the playoffs as top dogs. Time to look at something else to find the roots of discontent.

The Points Difference

We all knew Salford would be tested more this year than they were in 2003, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. Yet we also felt Salford would still be the dominant force. And why not? Given a full-time squad with an impressive pack (on paper) and some exciting youngsters, not many teams could match us, or so we thought. Simply put: Salford haven’t yet imposed a points difference large enough to give us an air of dominance. Well, certainly not in comparison with the aforementioned clubs of yesteryear:

As you can see in the chart above, Salford’s points difference is way down on the likes of Widnes—who by this time last year had a points difference of more than double. Has the quality of NL1 improved that much in the space of the year? It’s doubtful. Without looking at any stats, one feature of Salford’s season so far, you’d say with some conviction, is how certain teams have been able to rack up a lead aganist Salford by half-time, leaving the Reds with it all to do in the second half. The stats really hammer this point home, however.

A points difference of 98 after six games is fairly impressive when you consider Salford’s first half points difference is comparitively unimpressive. In the first half of their league matches this term, Salford have scored just 68 points, barely more than 11 per stanza; however, they also let in a whopping 58 points in return. This gives a first half points difference of just 10.  Compare that against Salford’s 2003 figure, or Hull KRs’ of 2006: both had a positive difference of more than eight times at this stage of the season. Whereas, the Reds second half difference of 88 is more in tune with a team in the mood to dominate.

This says that Salford are more than a match for most their rivals, it’s just that they have to be under the thumb (or the pump— as is the buzz word of the times) to deliver the goods. Salford’s conservative approach in the first half of games is surely then, the crux of some fans’ discontent. It’s plainly obvious that when Salford start to offload the ball and play a more expansive brand of rugby, it causes other teams major problems, just as Widnes’ similar approach troubled Salford at The Willows. So why don’t the Reds play this way more often? Could doing such be of detriment to their defence? Evidently not.

The 2nd Half Defence

Of all the teams compared in this post, the current Salford team have the tightest 2nd half defence, so far: letting in just 34 points in 240 minutes of rugby. That is an average of less than 6 points per second half.

Now you can argue that by putting themselves in adverse situations, letting in, perhaps, too many points in the first half, Salford have needed to buck their ideas up in the second. But it’s one thing saying it needs to be done, and another thing actually delivering the goods. Salford are obviously capable of doing the latter. But how many times can they give teams, such as Batley and Sheffield, sizeable leads and rely on their superior stamina and class to pull them out of the mire? Especially when it is clear that Salford can as easily convert their second half form into the first half of games. This is certainly an area which Salford can improve on, and it’s a sign, perhaps, than Salford can (hopefully) only get better, as oppose to peaking too early like Widnes did in 2007.

In his column for Rugby Leaguer & League Express, ‘Stevo’ had wrote earlier about how the game only gets decent media coverage when it reports on adverse or bad news. This was in direct response to the Jared Hayne ‘shooting’, and to a lesser extent Tim Smith’s battle with alcohol dependancy and bipolar disorder, and Andrew Johns’s 12-year battle with depression—exposed after he was caught in possession of ecstacy. In comparison with these, ‘Stevo’ felt that the Dwain Chambers story, despite previous controversies linked with the shamed athlete, could have a positive effect on the game’s publicity, or rather, could be spun by the powers-that-be to have a positive effect.

It’s true: rugby league on its own merits doesn’t have the commercial gravitas nor nationwide public appeal of certain other sports. The case concerning Damien Reid, and delving deeper into the past, Chev Walker et al, probably earned more space in the national dailies for one day than the game could in a whole week. However, there’s no doubt that in the past month, the main topic of national debate—make that non-RL-followers-actually-taking-about-RL-for-once debate—has been about Dwain Chambers. The most obvious mainstream coverage I’ve seen anywhere has been on BBC One’s Gabby Logan-fronted sports magazine show, Inside Sport. For the past four or five weeks, Dwain’s affair with Castleford has been a main feature. I’m quite sure, bar, perhaps, a duty bound feature to do something before the Challenge Cup final, rugby league has never has this kind of exposure on terrestrial TV for a very long time. Actually, scratch that. More like exposure not seen since the Wigan salary cap fiasco a couple of years back. Fiasco being the operative word, and with it, we come back to Stevo’s original point.

One of the regular commentators on Inside Sport is Tony Livesey. He was quite vocal in playing down Dwain Chambers’s attempts in rugby league; in fact, Livesey virtually denounced them, hinting that the move was nigh on a disgrace to rugby league’s ardent followers. Now, I know this is a long-winded way to get to the nub of this post, but Tony Livesey is, I guess, responsible for the most prominent rugby league related story I’ve seen in a British newspaper for at least twenty years. As a previous long time editor-in-chief for the Daily Sport, Livesey presided over a raft ‘unapologetically trashy’ stories for ‘the newspaper adults read’—not least for their main headline on Wednesday 1 February 1995:

The story surrounded Andrew Ettinghausen—best known in Britain for his stint at Leeds in the late 80s and mano et mano on-pitch battles with Martin Offiah—and Basquali, a notorious Australian photographer. ‘E.T’ was in the process of suing the photographer, then known as Brett Cochrane, and Australia’s HQ magazine because of a nude photo that he found particularly explicit was published without his permission in 1991. The photo in question was taken by Cochrane whilst Ettinghausen was in the shower during the 1990 Kangaroo tour. (’E.T’ eventually won the case and was awarded AUS$350,000, later reduced to AUS$100,000 after appeal.) The Daily Sport, it seems, couldn’t pass the opportunity to tart up the story a bit.

Under the sub-headline: ‘Fans saw my todger in mag’, Ettinghausen claimed, as part of his case against HQ magzine, that ever since the photo was published, a photo he felt was ‘pornographic’, rugby league fans were giving him stick:

Now 28-year-old Andy runs the gauntlet every time he walks down the street. Tormentors even follow him when he goes fishing. And they drive past his house shouting obsenities… Andy claimed he now had to score ‘heaps of tries or do something spectacular’ to divert the attention of fans from the size of his plonker.

I can honestly say: I’ve never felt a player had to do something spectacular to divert my attention from the size of his ‘plonker’, regardless of how long he his in the shower. I’m sure the majority you, especially the fellas, are with me on this. As unpleasant and harrowing this experience must have been for Ettinghausen, the story is typically Sportesque, i.e. funny. But the story wasn’t damaging to rugby league’s image either. In this regard, it has to go alongside the Dwain Chambers episode as quite a refreshing change i.e. the story didn’t inlove an assault, a boozy night on the tiles or a shooting. A great moment in rugby league history it may not be, but alternative it most certainly is.

The embryonic tours

The first ever meeting between the two took place during Australia’s first ever tour to blighty. On 17 October 1908, the Kangaroos arrived at The Willows for the fifth game of their mammoth 46-match tour schedule. 6100 intrigued punters paid one shilling for the privilege, if only to catch aglimpse of seeing a real live kangaroo in the flesh. No really, the Australian mascot was a living, breathing, kangaroo. No men in plastic suits or furry costumes back then! Another rare delight for the local crowd was, of course. the opportunity to clap their eyes on a man whose story was already the stuff of legend. A man who is credited as being ‘the foundation rock upon which rugby league built itself in Australia’. Lining up for the Australians on that historic day was ‘The Master’—Dally Messenger.

Herbert Henry Messenger—to give his full title—was the first true superstar of Australian rugby league. His reputation forged by an attacking, creative style of play and an unerring ability to kick goals (placed and droped) from incredibly long distances. Although, one of his most crowd pleasing plays was his ability to hurdle over oncoming defenders. A convert from rugby union, Dally made his name in the centres after the switch. In 1907, as the sole Australian playing for New Zealand during the ‘All Golds’ tour, he thrilled the British crowds, encouraging five English football clubs—including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—to offer contract terms. These, he declined, due to a belief that association football was ‘decadent’. Messenger’s standing in the game has never waivered—this is evident by the fact of being an Australian rugby league Hall of Famer. The Dally M medal—the prestigious award given to the premier player of each NRL season—is also named in honour of ‘The Master’. If this wasn’t enough homage, a stand at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) now bears his name in recognition of his achievements in both rugby codes.

‘Salford’s punters willfully paid for the privilege, if only to catch a glimpse of seeing a real live kangaroo in the flesh. Another rare delight, of course, was the opportunity to clap their eyes on ‘The Master’—Dally Messenger.’

The Australian visitors on October 17th wore a blue and maroon hooped jersey, representing the two rugby league playing states—New South Wales and Queensland—that sanctioned the tour. (In fact, it wouldn’t be until 1930 that the local Salfordians would get a chance to see the Kangaroos in their now traditional jersey of green and gold.) Salford had there own goal kicking superstar—James Lomas, a future Northern Union touring captain who would one day take Dally Messenger on in goal kicking competition...and win—missing due to injury. This was undoubtedly a big blow for Salford, hampering their chances of victory.

Predictably, Messenger dominated proceedings; the Manchester Guardian describing him as ‘certainly the finest player on the field who got through the work of three men’. Despite this and Australia opening the scoring—with two brilliant goals kicked by Messenger from close to the half way line—Salford secured a 9–9 draw, thanks to reds’ winger Jimmy Cook squaring up the match late on.

Australia met Salford met for a second time in 1911, this time housing the lowest ever crowd for such an occassion. A paltry 4000 showed up for a December clash, which the Aussies edged 6–3. At the tour’s end, the Kangaroos boarded their boat for home with The Ashes, which they won the first time, remaining unbeaten in the tests. A decade and ‘The Great War’ passed before Salford played the Aussies again.

This time travelling under the name ‘Australasia’, Salford were designated to meet the tourists in September 1921—the curtain raiser of the tour—in front of 9000 people at The Willows. A highlight of this particular encounter was the pre-match display from the Australasian team—an unusual and dramatic sight which was described in the following Monday’s newspapers: ‘The colonials walked out on the ground in single file and immediately gave their war cry which very few understood.’ While it is now thought that this type of war cry is only the preserve of the Kiwis—who famously perform the ‘haka’—the Kangaroos, from 1908–67, also performed an Aboriginal war chant before every encounter. This was mainly to lend their touring matches an extraordinary pull, or rather, to coax as many paying speccies through the turnstiles as possible. Although the match report considered the attendance a poor turnout, claiming it ‘was rather disappointing but it must not be forgotten that Manchester with its many counter attractions is not the best Northern Union centre’. We’re still using that excuse to explain away poor crowds today!

From the 1921 tour’s first whistle, the Reds’ antipodean opponents sent out a clear message that they meant business, by thoroughly routing Salford 48–3. It remains, by far, the Reds’ largest defeat against Australia. The Monday morning match report stated: ‘There really should have been twice as many Salford players against them for it invariably took two to stop one and sometimes three were required’. Despite this disappointing yet expected defeat, there was at least one moment for the game’s spectators to savour: in the dying minutes, with Salford 48–0 down, Reds’ captain Willie Thomas— in what was billed as his final match after 18 years of service to the club, 12 seasons of which were as captain—went over a for a try. A fitting end to the career of a man who had played over 500 games for Salford and had lifted the club’s first ever trophy in rugby league—the Championship title in 1914. For the Australians, their win against Salford was the start of a successful trip, albeit one that didn’t involve the retention of the Ashes; however, for the Reds, it was the sign of the miserable decade to come. 10 years of which The Willows faithful were notoriously labeled as the ‘3000 mugs’.

‘A match report considered the attendance a poor turnout, claiming it “was rather disappointing but it must not be forgotten that Manchester with its many counter attractions is not the best Northern Union centre”. We’re still using that excuse today...’

In a fitting climax to the 1921 tour, with the Ashes delicately balanced at one-a-piece, The Willows played host to the third and decisive test. On a snow covered Saturday in January, the Weaste locals converged for a classic encounter that saw the Northern Union win by six points to nil, thus reclaiming the Ashes lost on the previous tour down under. Just as Willie Thomas ended a great career against the Aussies during an earlier tour, this game also saw the career end of a bonafide RL legend—the ‘Prince of Centres’, Harold Wagstaff. Captain of the great Huddersfield side that won ‘All Four Cups’ in 1914–15, and captain of two Northern Union tours to Australia, Wagstaff brought the curtain down on his glittering international career at The Willows, chaired from the field at the end of the match to cheers of delight from the crowd.

Lance Todd’s hex

In 1930, Salford’s revival under the inspirational Lance Todd had just begun when the Kangaroos rolled into town once again. Unlike our previous meetings this clash happened at the back end of the tour and was Austrailia’s final match of their club-playing itinerary. The match took on added significance as it was just days after their drawn third test at Station Road (0–0) and just days before the hastily arranged forth test at Rochdale (the product of a quick realisation that an outcome for the series was needed). What many thought would be a run-of-the-mill end of tour match was now a game providing vital preparation for the tourists—who fielded 12 of the 13 players that played in the Station Road encounter. Thanks to this and a Todd selection hampered by injuries to key players, the visitors eased home by 21–5. A hat trick by Australian loose forward Jack Kingsto enthralled the 8000 spectators who paid towards a total of £805 in gate receipts. (For the record Great Britain won the unprecedented series decider 3–0.)

‘’‘The colonials walked out on the ground in single file and immediately gave their war cry which very few understood’’—an Australian ‘haka’’

When Australia’s tour captain Frank McMillan brought his team to The Willows in October 1933, almost double the crowd of the aforementioned 1930 match turned up. Over 15000 spectators awaited a Kangaroo team of talents: including now legendary names such as Dave Brown, Vic Hey and Wally Prigg, versus Salford—as league champions—the finest club the British game had to offer. The swelled crowd must have sensed something: as Salford captain Billy Williams lead his red charges to their first ever victory over the Australians. Salford edged ahead just before the interval and a second half Jack Feetham try managed to stretch this lead to 16-9 by the final whistle. The great Australian tour manager and journalist Harry Sunderland describing the match as ‘a beautiful game’. The victory was credited to the ‘international form’ displayed by Great Britain test centre Gus Risman—who kicked 4 goals and expertly nullified the threat of the famous Aussie centre partnership of Hey and Brown. The skull cap wearing Brown was known as the ‘Bradman of League’, due in the large part to his extraordinary point scoring prowess for Eastern Suburbs and of course, Australia; but as the Manchester Guardian’s headline proclaimed: Risman’s ‘Superiority at Centre Turns the Scale’.

Almost four years to the day later, in October 1937, Lance Todd maintained his impressive record against the touring side. Despite terrible weather and dangerous conditions a healthy crowd of 12,000 people saw Salford triumph once again against the Aussies, this time by a score of 11–8, Salford‘s star performers being hooker Bert Day and, just as last time out, Gus Risman. Day got the measure of Australia’s no.9 Jimmy Gibbs in the scrums secured much needed ball for Salford in ‘vile conditions’.That said, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock after 22 minutes with lock forward Wally Prigg, playing in his second defeat at the Willows, dummying his way over from 25 yards out. This seemed to shock Salford into action, scoring three unanswered tries on either side of half time. The first was created by scrum-half Billy Watkins, who dribbled diagonally through the Australian line before kicking to the corner, whereupon Jack Feetham swooped on the loose ball to collect the three-pointer. Boosted by this try, Salford added a second shortly after when Barney Hudson—who’d kicked ahead and was certain to score—was awarded a penalty try after being on the receving end of body check by Australia’s full back Ward. This left Salford with a 6–3 lead at the break.

The game looked like being a romp for the home team after 52 minutes with Salford scoring a brilliant try. A thrilling passing move involving Osbaldestin, Gear and Risman created a 2-on-1 overlap with the man over being wingman Alan Edwards. Despite being tackled by winger Beaton, Risman got the ball away to Edwards—who managed to catch the ball with one hand behind his back to go over for a magnificent try. Risman added the extras from a tight angle leaving the Manchester Guardian to comment: ‘This try was rugby at its best, a glorious attack beating a good defence.’ The game was far from over though: the ‘green and golds’ managed to claw themselves to within three points with just 10 minutes to go. One scribe wrote ‘how Salford held out in those last ten minutes heaven alone knows’. A kick from Williams bouncing of the post to safety and a last ditch tackle by the impenetrable Risman on Prigg—who had burst through the middle and seemed certain to steal the match—were just two of the late scares for the Reds; but, eventually, the final whistle went,‘and the excellent crowd cheered itself hoarse for the last time’. The completion of this 1930s double over Australia was to be the last Salford victory against Australia, to date…

‘The great Australian tour manager and journalist Harry Sunderland described the 1933 match as “a beautiful game”’

A re-incarnation of ‘The Master’

After the Second World War, the first tour to British shores saw a record turnout by a sporting and rugby league starved public. The Willows clash of 1948 saw a record 16,627 gate watch the Aussies emerge as 13–2 winners. Looking back, in retrospect, this game has an added significance: as almost 40 years to the day that Dally Messenger played against Salford in Weaste, a man who would later be dubbed ‘The Little Master’ lined up against the famous red men.

Clive Churchill, a diminutive New South Welshman, would be remembered as the player who revolutionised the full back’s role. A role where attacking flair was just important as defence courage, both traits of which he possessed in abundance throughout a glittering career that included captaining the Kangaroos first Ashes success in 30 years and winning 8 domestic Premierships at South Sydney—both as a player and coach. Even after retirement and subsequent premature death, the accolades for this great man continued. Churchill was named as one of the original ‘Immortals’ of Australian rugby league; he was also awarded the Order of Australia for services to the rugby league. In a striking similarity to Dally Messenger, Churchill also has a stand named in his honour at the SCG; and where as the NRL’s player of the year is awarded the Dally M medal, the man of the match in the Australian Grand Final is awarded with the prestigious Clive Churchill medal.

In the 1948 encounter, a 21 year old Churchill had a solid if unspectacular game; indeed, it would have taken someone with a great RL eye to spot the greatness he would later achieve. The 80 minutes itself was considered a rather forgettable affair, mainly due to the dirty tactics employed by both sides. The Manchester Guardian match report saying: ‘The rugby league match between Salford and the Australians at Weaste on Saturday was marred by many disgraceful incidents in which players struck or swung at each other with clenched fist or booted foot. Several of the Australians particularly the forwards often are rough and clumsy and make unpleasant use of head tackles and swinging hand offs but this was no justification for the methods of retaliation adopted by some of the Salford players… A great game is in danger of coming into disrepute.’ During this tour, the visitors completed a trio of wins against of Belle Vue Rangers, Swinton & Salford but failed to recapture the Ashes taken by Gus Risman’s ‘Indomitables’ in 1946.

As Salford missed out on tour matches for two consecutive tours due to lowly league finishes, it wasn’t until 1959 that Salford could have another crack at the Australians. The ’59 tour saw the Green and Golds arrive in Britain as the world champions—a trophy they won on home soil in 1957. Despite the 1950s being an underwhelming period to be a Salford fan, The Red Devils came mighty close to toppling the world’s very best. In one of The Willows’ games of the decade, Salford were in the process of scoring their highest-ever points total against Australia. With 10 minutes left on the clock, the score stood at 17–12 in Salford’s favour when a misplaced pass was intercepted by North Sydney Bears’ centre Brian Carlson, who raced under the posts to touchdown. Carlson added a further try and penalty to leave the visitors with a 22–17 lead. With a minute remaining and the match looking all but over, Salford’s scrum-half Jackie Brennan topped off a superb individual display with a try that left the Reds’ Syd Lowdon with the last kick of the match to level things up. His attempt sailed agonisingly wide and the Aussies—fielding just three players from full Test side—held on for a 22–20 victory. The Salford public once again maintained their comendable record of turning out to see the men from Oz, as over 11,000 came to watch and left having seen a classic. After a considerable gap between Salford vs. Australia matches, it would be another 14 years before the rivalry was re-earthed; but it was well worth the wait.

Enter Snape’s Quality Street Gang

By the time the 1973 Kangaroos hit our shores, Salford had emerged as the most exciting side in northern hemisphere rugby league; and the match up against the ‘green and golds’ was unofficially dubbed as the ‘4th test’. In the intervening years since the last meeting between the two teams: Salford chairman Brian Snape assembled an array of talent—the clubs finest team for 35 years—containing the zenith of international stars such as David Watkins, Chris Hesketh, Ken Gill, Paul Charlton and Colin Dixon. Such was the anticipation of this match over 11,000 packed into The Willows—the second highest attendance of the Australians’ 19 game tour of Britain & France (only the 2nd Ashes test at Headingley got more people through the turnstiles).

Salford took a break from their league campaign—one that would bring the Championship trophy back to Weaste for the first time since 1939—after starting the season with a sequence of 9 consecutive victories. The Reds took on an Australian side that was brimming with stella names. Names whom have gone down in the annals of ‘the greatest game’.  Lining up alongside Aussie legends Tim Pickup, Bob McCarthy and Tom Raudonikis were the historic trio of Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands and Arthur Beetson. The latter three attained places in the Australian Hall of Fame are also each one of seven ‘Immortals’. That said, I bet neither Bobby, Changa or Artie moaned about the Willows away dressing rooms! 

In a match befitting its status, the Kangaroos snuck home thanks to a hat-trick of scores from Fulton, all converted by Langlands, proving enough to beat a determined Salford. The home side had lead 12–10 in the second half via tries from Fielding and Holland plus three goals by Watkins, but fatigue took its toll on the Reds—who were playing their 4th game in 8 days—and in the final quarter Fulton’s last try took the game for the tourists by 15–12.

‘When the 1973 Kangaroos hit British shores, Salford had emerged as the most exciting side in rugby league. The match up against Australia was therefore dubbed as the “4th test"’

As apart of a World Cup warm up programme Salford met Australia in October 1975. Minus test stars: Watkins, Gill, Nash and Fielding, the men from Weaste were always bound to struggle. According to the Salford Reporter: ‘Australia produced a spectacle not to be missed’. Ian Schubert produced an outstanding attacking display from full back with future Hall of Famer Mick Cronin causing havoc in the centres. The result of 44–6 was hardly surprising, and despite a young Graham Major jinking through three players for a nice Salford try and Jim Fiddler forcing himself over for another one: ‘Salford were well and truly hammered into the ground’. Salford last match against Australia took place in 1978. A disappointing crowd of 6155 turned up to watch the world champions win by 14–2 (the solitary Salford points goaled by David Watkins). The Australian’s duly went on to clinch the Ashes series by 2–1.

Since 1978, Salford have alas missed out on matches against Australian touring side, due to a combination of adverse league positions and the almost near extinction of full Kangaroo tours. With a new ground on the horizon, we may get a future Ashes test match but certainly for the foreseeable future it seems that Salford’s current record against the Australians will remain:

Salford’s record vs. Australia: Played 11, Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 8
14.10.1908	Salford	9–9	Australia	6100
9.12.1911	Salford	3–6	Australia	4000
17.9.1921	Salford	3–48	Australia	9900
11.1.1930	Salford	5–21	Australia	8000
21.10.1933	Salford	16–9	Australia	15,761
30.10.1937	Salford	11–8	Australia	12,000
2.10.1948	Salford	2–13	Australia	16,627
26.9.1959	Salford	20–22	Australia	11,088
30.9.1973	Salford	12–15	Australia	11,064
10.10.1975	Salford	6–44	Australia	5357
1.11.1978	Salford	2–14	Australia	6155

Willie by name, Willie by nature; Alternative Rugby League gets it spot on:

Dwain Chambers’s Rugby League Debut

3000+ people including every major RL journalist, it seems, attended Chambers’s RL debut for Castleford’s reserves. Whether it be to see the man’s raw speed in action, or see the sprinter fall flat on his face. Chortle if you must, but at least he had a crack at it:

Bullman Gets Smashed

Boom! Self-explanitory and not before time:

Full Results:
68 – Sheddy. – Tipster of the week, nice one fella!
67 – TOMMO2.
65 – Redshedrob.
63 – RedDave.
61 – *Lady In Red*.
59 – TJ!Salford!Mad.
55 – Parklanered & shed head.
54 – Salford red all over.
53 – King of the Shed.
49 – Salteye 2009.
46 – Jack The Red.
44 – u45d.
42 – Yorkshire_Red.
40 – Michigan red.
38 – Solly.
37 – mikecleggy & OrdsallRed.
35 – Danny Salford 4eva.
33 – Cleggy_jc.
24 – ser.

Cheers all.