00:00Hello and welcome to the latest York's Post Rugby League podcast, still as yet on the
00:05name, but we will come up with something before the end of the season, I'm sure. I'm joined
00:09as usual by Rugby League writer James O'Brien. I'm going to run through a few things this
00:15week, talk of Vegas and his dreams of getting out there to watch the game between Hull KR
00:21versus Leeds Rhinos. We'll continue in the Hull KR vein, talk about them obviously getting
00:28to Wembley in the Champions Cup final, where they'll face Warrington, and we'll also preview
00:34some of the games coming up involving Yorkshire teams in Super League round 11 this weekend.
00:39But as I say, we'll start in Vegas, James, as I'm sure you hope to, next February. Whether
00:44we'll see you again if you do make it out there is another matter altogether. But great news
00:49and great news for two of Yorkshire's teams. Hull KR taking on Leeds Rhinos, yeah?
00:53Great news, yeah. The news we've all been waiting for, myself included. Although, when
01:00I get out there, that's the big talking point at the moment. Hopefully, fingers crossed,
01:05we can find some room in the budget. That'd be lovely. But yeah, it's great for the two
01:11clubs. A real sign of how far Hull KR have come, that they're going to share the stage
01:16with Leeds, the eight-time Super League champions. As Paul Lakin said himself a few years ago,
01:22that would have been a pipe dream. But now they're in a situation where they can go out
01:25there, not only to play, but as the home team as well, they've given up a home game at
01:31Craven Park to take this match on the road. It's really exciting for Hull KR. And as I say,
01:36the real sign of their progress and Leeds are in on it as well. So we've got a double interest
01:42there. After the North West stole the show this year, it'll be great to get over there
01:47and see two Yorkshire clubs in action. And as Paul Lakin mentioned, again, he spoke
01:53about the benefits and the online reach. I think he said 3.1 billion or something like
01:59that. So they're getting as many eyes on them as they would over multiple seasons,
02:06I guess. And that's part of the benefit, the exposure and obviously just being part of it
02:11as players as well. And you mentioned, if you're trying to attract players for next year,
02:15I know, OK, I've got most of the business done, but if they are looking, they are looking
02:19for a half-black at the moment. And if you could sell Vegas in there as well, as well
02:22as playing in these other big games in this country, at Wembley, Old Trafford, then they're
02:27on to a good thing at the moment.
02:30And I know, obviously, just on the subject of the US and how much of a potentially lucrative
02:36market it is. Obviously, in the past, we've had the likes of Toronto Wolfpack that came
02:43close to going into the top tier over here and what have you. And then that sort of fell
02:48by the wayside. But how likely are we to sort of see a North American-based team become part
02:54of Super League in the future? Or like OKR's Paul Lakin said about Robbins' chances of going
03:01over to the States? Is it just a party dream?
03:05Yeah, I think so. I've been there and done that. We've been burnt in recent years. So
03:10I don't think we'll be hurrying back to that market. It's more about just getting more eyeballs
03:14on the sport over here. And in terms of the TV deal as well, if Vegas is a big success as
03:21it was this year, that TV deal has just been diminishing every time the contract renewal
03:27comes around. So if they can get, they're in a good position now to get what all the
03:32clubs want, a bigger pot of money to share around. I think that's the main thing at the
03:36moment. Yeah.
03:38Yeah, it'd be lovely if we could introduce more clubs from North America and have a proper
03:42go at it this time. But like you say, I think that's a bit of a pipe dream at this moment
03:47in time.
03:48Yeah, yeah. And sticking with OKR, we'll talk about Challenge Cup. A bit of a wobble against
03:55Catalan, but ultimately they came through and they came through comfortably to beat,
03:59I think it was 36-12 on Saturday over at York. You were present for that one. And then
04:05obviously they're going to be facing Warrington in the final at Wembley later this year.
04:11Just firstly on the Catalan's game, again, was it a sort of like another tricky hurdle that
04:17they were able to overcome, whereas perhaps two or three years ago they might have fallen?
04:22Yeah. They did steady themselves because they had that wobble, a 10-minute period, I think
04:27it was. Catalan scored twice and they went ahead. It was a big test of OKR because they
04:33were big favourites. They had virtually the whole crowd behind them at York. It's not a
04:37big crowd, but it was very vocal. So there was a lot of pressure on the shoulders. I'm sure
04:43they weren't thinking about it, but there's the 40-year storyline as well. So there was a lot
04:49going on, but the second half was very impressive, their performance in that second half. They
04:55didn't give Catalan a sniff. They completely suffocated them and they ran out comfortable
04:59winners, as you say. So they're still the favourites for the competition. Nothing's changed
05:04there. Warrington have got good cut pedigree of late in the modern era and they've got a
05:10lot of match winners that OKR will have to be wary of because just look at Mike Snead, what
05:15he did for all I see in the two Challenge Cup finals. And OKR fans won't need reminding
05:21of that. So yeah, it seems set up for someone like that. And they've obviously got George
05:26Williams, who will probably be back by then, even if he's half-fitter. Imagine they're playing.
05:30We've got players like Matt Dufty at full-back and Ashton on the wing as well, who needs to
05:37prove his fitness. But yeah, they've got talent across the park. But OKR should win, but it's
05:44not as simple as that in the big stage, is it? But if they carry on as they are doing,
05:47I don't see no reason why they won't end the fourth year. Wait for a mage trophy as long
05:52as they stay healthy. They've got a few injuries themselves that are going under the radar at
05:58the minute. They're missing some key men out the starting side. So if they can limit the
06:03damage between now and then, June the 7th, then they'll be in a good place to finally get
06:10the other line-up in something. Yeah. More immediately, again, sticking with
06:14OKR, I'm kind of sure people will get off the subject of OKR in a minute. But they are
06:19involved in a couple of Yorkshire derbies this weekend in Super League, round 11, taking
06:26on Huddersfield Giants. But they're coming up against the Huddersfield Giants team who
06:29obviously are feeling positive about themselves on the back of their first ever win against
06:35Full FC, which came two weeks ago. And also, I understand that Luke Robinson should be buoyed
06:43by potentially being close to perhaps what would be his full-strength line-up, something
06:48which he's been denied all season so far because of injuries, etc.
06:52Yeah. I mean, we're speaking before his press conference, but he has basically just said
06:58that around this time, he will start to get his troops back and get towards full strength.
07:03There's been no end here so far this season. So they might be the strongest they've been
07:07this weekend, depending on how they've come through the two-week break.
07:12But yeah, they beat the whole FC last time out of 12-man, the whole FC. So that's a big
07:17confidence boost for them. They desperately needed it. But going to the whole KR is a different
07:23prospect altogether. I guess the one who up for us feel that OKR's minds are distracted.
07:29There's a lot going on at OKR at the moment. It's not just Wembley, it's Vegas and obviously
07:35the form as well. It's been incredible at the moment. And maintaining that all the way
07:40through to Wembley is going to be difficult. I think Willoughby is going to have to manage
07:44his squad, like I mentioned before. They've got a few injuries in key positions. They're
07:48going to have to play some players out of position. So the last thing they need is another
07:51injury in those positions. So there's a lot for OKR to think about.
07:54But they may be distracted even unconsciously. So Huddersfield could go there and take advantage.
08:03But it's highly unlikely, I'd say, having said all that.
08:07Just elsewhere, Wakefield and Cass are both in action on Sunday, both at home.
08:11Wakefield taking on Warrington, Cass taking on Salford.
08:14But before we go, we'll just have a quick look at the other Yorkshire derby that I alluded
08:18to earlier. Leeds playing Hull on Friday, actually.
08:24All care of us take on Huddersfield on Saturday. But on Friday before that, I've got Leeds at
08:30home against WLFC. WLFC obviously smarting from being the first team to lose to Huddersfield.
08:35And also going to Headingley, knowing that a win would take them above Leeds and into fourth
08:40place.
08:41Yeah, it's an interesting match-up. Hull, obviously, start of the season, results-wise,
08:47a really positive start to the season. But the performances weren't quite there. They're
08:52grinding out wins, whereas now they're not doing that. And I guess, not that your luck
08:58runs out, but if you're playing a certain way and you are just getting over the line,
09:02they can't last forever. You need performances to go with that. So they've lost three in a row
09:07now. So here's the big task going to Headingley. Hull's away record has been very good this
09:13season. But there might be a bit of a party atmosphere at Headingley. On the back of the
09:18Vegas announcement, they've got a lot of players coming back. Well, they've got a few more players
09:23coming back this week. So they've pretty much a full-strength lead. So it's not the best of
09:29away days at Hull, but they've been to a lot of good clubs this season already and come away
09:35with the win. So you wouldn't rule them out, but it just seems like Leeds are getting a bit
09:40of momentum at the moment. And I would back them to win this game.
09:44And Leeds, and in Leeds, obviously, Hull FC are coming up against the team who've got the
09:48second-best defensive record in Super League. Something which Brad Arthur has prided himself
09:53or prided he has made a sort of a priority this season, hasn't he? And obviously, the players
09:59have responded to his methods.
10:01Yeah, that's it. Compare them to how they were under Roman Smith and they're a far tougher
10:07nut to crack this season. And that's the foundation of any good side, if you can defend and keep
10:14sides out. And then as the season goes on, if you can improve with the ball, then you're
10:20going to be in great shape at the end of the season. Like you say, they're in the top four
10:23at the moment. They're in a good spot. They've got a great chance to kick on now before the
10:30next break for the Challenge Cup. It's a bit punctuated by breaks the first half of the
10:36season. But once you get past the Challenge Cup final, then it's effectively half the
10:41season running. And then you can really, really get going and pull away from the rest of the
10:45sides. The Leeds haven't finished in the top four since 2017, which is a crazy start if you
10:50consider between 2004 and 2017 they won eight titles and they've not finished in the top four
10:56since. So, if they could clear that hurdle and get in the top four, then you wouldn't
11:01want to play Leeds with Giordano, I think, in the playoff semi-finals. So, yeah, a lot
11:06to look forward to Leeds and Hull as well. If they can go to Adelaide and get a win, it'll
11:11kick us out there soon.
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