‘Every minute matters’ was the slogan for rugby league heading into the 2015 season. And for the first 23 rounds of Super League, that was very much the case. Games went down to the hooter, producing stellar games of rugby, like Round 17’s Castleford-Saints fixture. But with the readjustment into the Super 8’s, it seems this slogan now only matches those playing in ‘The Qualifiers’.
7th and 8th placed Catalans and Hull FC are currently 8 points behind 4th placed Huddersfield, and whilst they still mathematically can still make the play-offs, their fate seems sealed for the rest of the season. With nothing to play for, the Super 8’s seems to have already bored supporters, with many supporters expected to stay away for the rest of the season. Crowds are already dwindling at Hull FC, and even more expected to reject Friday nights at the KC, stating that “the season is over” for the club.
Perhaps this stage should be rephrased to “Super 6 and the filler two” rather than the “Super 8”, as only the top 6 have anything to fight for, with the RFL seemingly forgetting that those in 7th and 8th were fighting off the prospect of fighting for survival mere weeks ago. Catalans seem to be putting up a bit of a fight following their victory against St Helens, but this still doesn’t give them any hope of reaching top 4 status. However, assuming Catalans continue their abysmal form away from their home in the South of France, the question is, what will they do for the rest of the season?
For Hull FC, it should hopefully bring around some exciting performances compared to those of late. Often criticised for playing ‘boring’ rugby, their small hopes of reaching the top 4 are forcing them into playing a more attacking style of play in an attempt to capture 2 points. This is best demonstrated by their 36-30 defeat to Castleford this weekend. Is 11 tries in a game boring? I think not.
Meanwhile, for Catalans, it could allow them to breed in more of the up and coming young talent from across the Channel. With a heavy Australian influence in their side, their all but sealed fate gives coach Laurent Frayssinous a chance to experiment with his side. Giving players like Lucas Albert and Fouad Yaha first team appearances would certainly benefit them in the long run, and hopefully trigger a more successful campaign compared to this season.
