The National Conference team  (Principlal Sponsors THE CHAPEL HOUSE (SANKEY) AND SQUIRREL PRODUCTIONS are at at home again this Saturday against Elland.  Kick off at 2.30.  Couple of points of particular interest in this game apart from the Rugby on the pitch is that Elland where involved in very low scoring 4-7 game last week against West Bowling  so it will be interesting to see if our boys can put some points past them and we have a female ref.  So any girls out there who think a woman can’t referee a Rugby League game come on Saturday and see how it’s done.

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On Saturday the 18th of September Crosfields ARLFC and the Military community are celebrating the life of a true hero, a soldier, a rugby league player, a son, brother and friend. Tom Sephton was 20 and a soldier in the 1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), he came from Great Sankey in Warrington and he lived for his rugby league. On Monday 5 July 2010, Private Thomas Sephton died in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, of wounds sustained during service in Afghanistan.

A Crosfields ARLFC Select team will host a Royal Engineer RL Select team in 80 minutes of Rugby League in memory of Private Tom Sephton. The Tom Sephton Memorial Trophy will be played for in aid of Help for Heroes, and will kick off at 3:00pm at Crosfields ARLFC’s Hood Lane ground in Great Sankey Warrington.

Along with the memorial match the event will also stage military displays, vehicles and stands including a 60 foot long inflatable assault course with 5 different sections to fight through, a paintball shooting range with real military targets, and archery for all the budding Robin Hoods out there, and much more.

An application for a fly past by the RAF’s Red Arrows display team has been made (They are taking part in the Southport Air Show – 20 miles away – on the same day and this is their only commitment ) – as this article is written their fly past is still subject to confirmation, but hopefully more details will follow.

The Hood Lane ground will be open at 12 noon and entrance is completely FREE! The Crosfields ARLFC clubhouse will be open with food and drink available to everyone.

Dignitaries from the Rugby Football League, Members of the House of Lords, The Members of parliament for Warrington, The Mayor of Warrington, Local Councillors and the Military have all given notice of their intention to attend.

The event will also supported in the media and attended and covered by the BBC , Granada Reports, Sky Sports TV and local radio and Newspapers and the Rugby League press.

Toms Parents, Angela Horn and Ian Sephton will present two awards on the day, firstly, the winning team will receive the Tom Sephton Memorial Cup, and secondly the team will be presented with the Tom Sephton Memorial Trophy – A figure of a Soldier and Mortar – Donated by the Mortar Platoon 1 MERCIAN. Which will remain in the Crosfields ARLFC Clubhouse.

It is envisaged that this trophy will be played for annually between an Armed Forces Rugby League Team and a Crosfields ARLFC Select.

Rugby Football League and Military dignitaries will also present medals to both teams and then make a special presentation to the match officials.

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Tom Sephton sadly passed away last monday after being caught in an explosion in Afgahnistan. Tom played Rugby for Crosfields working his way through the Junior Ranks, below John Griffin, team manager of Sephos team remembers him.

I first met Tom when he was a 13 year old lad trying to make his way on the rugby pitch. Tom was never going to be the biggest lad, so he made his game revolve around his natural pace. A county level sprinter, he could be seen burning down the wing with the ball tucked safely under his arm.

He was a key and influential part of the 2006 U 16’s squad that swept all before them winning the league championship and making the national cup semi-final, losing only 3 games that year. He was never one to shy away from a situation, and put his body on the line for the team. He tackled well above his weight, and had an ability that cannot be coached, in that he had “situational awareness”, usually making the right choice when the game got tough.

Tom would do anything asked of him by and for coaches and teammates, indeed was ready to do extras at any time.It was a privilege to be involved with such a man. Tom was a pleasure to be with on and off the pitch, a young man of honor with a rye sense of humor and a sharp wit, a man with a courage that belied his stature and loyalty beyond measure.  

Tom gave his life to save his friend in battle. No greater sacrifice can be given by any man. No words will soften the blow to his family and friends or indeed his extended family at Crosfields ARLFC, he will be missed by all who knew him.

 The following are tributes paid to Tom from members of his unit.

Pte Charles Emina, 1 MERCIAN, said:

“Sefo was my closest friend in the world; we were like brothers. He was always the life and soul wherever he went. He loved his friends and family more than anything. He was always first out of the gate on patrol and had pride doing his job for his Country. He saved the lives of his section on two occasions and on that tragic day he saved my life and gave his own.
“He is a true hero to his friends, family and his country and as a Nation we owe him a debt of gratitude. I love him with all my heart and I will be lost without him. All my love goes to him and his family while he rests in Peace.”

 Warrant Officer Class 2 Paul Morley, Mortar Platoon Second in Command, on behalf of the Mortar Platoon, 1 MERCIAN, said:

“Tom Sephton joined the Mortar Platoon in January 2009. He immediately became part of the team and was very popular with everyone. He rose to the challenge of being a mortarman with glowing enthusiasm and a permanent smile. He was a true professional and dedicated to both his work and his friends.
“A keen sportsman, he represented his Company at rugby, subsequently playing a key role within Support Company’s trophy winning effort. At times he left a few Battalion rugby players a little red faced and more than surprised with his pace and skill.
“With his sparkling character he made socialising look easy and loved spending time with his friends ensuring a few ‘quiet’ drinks were never dull with Tom around.
“He was an excellent soldier and an even finer friend who met every challenge with vigour and a smile. He will be sadly missed but affectionately remembered by all that knew him. Rest in Peace.”

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Crosfields Cobras U11′s 22 Rochdale Mayfield U11′s 10

Crosfield faced their last challenge as under 11′s and they looked up for the battle as the sun shone down.  With a slightly late kick off the game got underway with both teams running the ball in hard.

First on the charge was Josh Little and Callum Southern both looking in good form to make plenty of yards for the team.  With the ball changing pocession Danny Robb was to be denied twice in the left corner with last ditch tackles after great centre play from the unselfish Ben Dixon.  The teams were deadlocked after ten minutes and looked in for a tough battle.

On the next set good running from Sam Martin and players player James Kenny pushed the team forward.  Quick play the ball allowed Callum Talbot to release Alex Tinsley out wide to scorch in for the first score.  With the ball Mayfield ran hard but Kyle brown and Thomas Davis were standing strong.

On the next good running from the impressive Lloyd Halpin and Daniel James couldn’t find the gap and even with Joe Hands pulling the strings at  dummy half the visitors were able to score and level the game.

HT6-6

The second half began with Ben Dixon and Alex Tinsley driving forward and causing problems.  On the next quick hands from Joe Hands released Thomas Davis to cross and score a well worked try.  The game now began to stretch with the heat.  More good defence from top tackler Josh Little and Sam Martin kept Mayfield at bay.

The game was tight and Callum Southern backed by Kyle Brown made yards and then James Kenny bustled onto a bay to score a fantastic barge try with three defenders on his back.  More great cover defence from Daniel James and Llloyd Haplin one on one kept the scores the same.

With the game still in the balance the next try would be vital.  George brailey and Danny Robb ran in hard and then man of the match Callum Talbot spotted a gap and placed a wonderful grubber to the right corner for Lloyd Halpin to score and seal the win.

Today was a great game against two good teams which will teach the TEAM how to handle the hot weather and play for the whole game time.

FT22-10

Popularity: 1% [?]

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MATCH REPORT

“He was crap“ Chris Coleman, talking about the referee

The Cobras were on the road again this week with a trip to the sunny climes of Swinton, following a rather uneventful journey; much different to the last time the team visited the area (driving around aimlessly trying to find Langworthy).

On arrival the players were ushered into a changing room to put on boots and a pre-game chat. This had to be quick as the home team had not informed the staff of the game taking place; hence Crosfields had not been allocated a changing room. As the team took to the field it was clear that the day was going to be an uphill battle. Although it could be said there was a good covering of grass on the pitch, the resident flock of sheep had long since departed, and along with a slope and a big Folly Lane team already warming up , it was going to be a long morning for the players and subsequently the parents too.

Following on from his heroics at Headingley, Alex was captain for the day and after losing the “which hand is the tape in” in the middle, Crosfields were given the ball to attack first.

Immediately Dean, on the first run of the day chose to see what the home team were made of, charging ,fairly I may add, into the defence sending one player to the ground like a sack of potatoes, the follow up from Sam even better, taking the defence one way then the other, before out pacing the defence to score, at this point it was commented on from the Cobras touchline that nobody could see the cones that marked the try line, accompanied by the referee coaching the home team players, mutterings began pitch side.

“What the hell the referee saw I don’t know – he ought to go to spec savers”

Ian Holloway

On their first attack despite great tackles by Joe Kohe-Love (2) and Dean, the No.2 scored. In attack Joe Kohe-Love, Ben and Elliott took the team forward before “flyer” produced a carbon copy of his try at Headingley, to score. Again questions seemed to be raised regarding the whereabouts of the missing try line, with the referee unsure of his decision, before awarding the try. In defence a huge hit from Alex and Rav was followed by a knock on, as the attacker took his eyes off the ball to see Rav bearing down on him again. From good field position Joe.P, Tom, Rav and Alex drove down field before Sam, again showed his repertoire of skills, stepping past four defenders to put the ball down.

The home team scored again on their next set despite efforts from Sam, Rav, Alex, and Joe.P, although whether the ball was past the line of cones was very doubtful. In attack, runs by Joe Kohe-Love, Ben, Marshall, Ryan and Joe.P. were followed by Luke who was held up just short. Once more in defence Crosfields held strong Sam (2), Marshall and Ben all made tackles before Joe Kohe-Love forced the home team into touch. From the handover the first drive by Rav was met with a very high tackle that went unpunished, Alex and Sam set up play with Joe Kohe-Love eventually  being tackled into touch. More great tackles kept the Cobras line intact, and after soaking up the pressure Crosfields hit back, Dean and Joe Kohe-Love made ground,  as Ben received the ball he ran cross field side stepping through the defence past four defenders to score. From the restart the referee allowed the home team to take a quick play the ball catching the Cobras off guard to score, much to the dismay of coaches and supporters alike.

Half-Time

Folly Lane 3- 4 Cobras

From the restart the Cobras held strong preventing the home team from adding to their tally, whilst in attack Luke scored out wide, the action missed by the television crew due to technical problems. Folly Lane drove forward in the next set and after tough tackles by the blue and gold, an offload out wide provided a try. After Dean was held just short a knock on gave away possession, although Folly Lane replied in kind on their next set, and Cobras took advantage. Tom and Sam piled forward before Dean charged along the touchline pushing three would be tacklers out of the way to score. In reply Folly wouldn’t lie down with another off load providing space for a try to be scored.

“There’s nothing better than a good, blind referee” Bobby Heenan

Once again Cobras drove forward Joe Kohe-Love on a great run along with Ben and Elliott, before Tom powered his way over, although the referee did seem to be in two minds as to whether to award the try or not. More controversy was to follow, the referee ready to give a try to the home team when the player was clearly in touch, and then handing the ball over to Folly Lane, as Marshall was carried into touch even though he had been tackled. Folly Lane benefited from this as The No. 2 scooted over. Again Cobras marched forward Alex and Luke making yards, with Dean charging through to score, the referee again looked unsure and after some prompting from the on field coach, he asked Dean to play the ball, only delaying the inevitable as Sam charged over to score. There was once again controversy in the next set as the No.2 was tackled well short of the line only for the referee to immediately award a try without hesitation.

The Cobras came up with a mistake on the next set handing possession over, although Luke made amends for the error by tackling the ball carrier into touch. In their next set the Cobras failed to score, from the handover again more controversy… the No. 16 was tackled, the referee twice calling held before he offloaded for the No 2 to race in from distance, again the referee awarding the try without hesitation.  Not to be outdone, the Cobras went forward again. Alex and Dean setting up position for Sam again to score making it four tries for the day.  With time now up the referee continued to play allowing one more set and as the Cobras were still retreating from the celebration of Sam’s try the referee allowed Folly Lane to restart the game giving the No 1 all the space he needed to score.  This play immediately being followed by the call of full time.

“You don’t notice the referee during the game unless he makes a bad call”

Drew Curtis

Well done Cobra’s a great effort from you all after already playing two games in the space of one week.  Your efforts fully deserved a victory!!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Crosfields Cobras U9′s 40 v Waterhead U9′s 16

On an overcast Sunday morning, young Cobras welcomed a large Waterhead squad to Hood Lane, and both sides served up a fantastic game of mini rugby, played in excellent spirit. Cobras continued their form of late, and were buoyant following a half time appearance at the Warrington v Leeds match at Headingly on Friday. All 15 who made the trip to Leeds, turned out in a chaotic 10 minute run out against a strong Stanningley side, who had 13 to match us. Not much rugby was able to be played on the minute pitch, but the smiles on all the faces told the story, in front of over 16,000 spectators. What a fantastic experience for all the players. Highlight of the 0-0 draw was Boomer Stephensons hit on a Stanningley forward-rapturous applause from the avid watchers-well done Boomer, and all the boys. The result as ever was irrelevant, and rugby the winner again. You represented yourselves, your club and Warrington with pride and conducted yourselves accordingly.

Back to Sundays game, and I asked all 12 players to carry the enthusiasm and the memory of the Leeds night into this match, which they all did. Captain for the day Spence won the toss, and we attacked first.  AJ, Timps, Boomer and Hally took us into an attacking position, and Harry threw his trademark dummy to open the scoring. 1-0. Defending now, and Hally, carrying on from last week, was first into the tackle, and went on to win top tackler with a phenomenal 22 tackles, proving beyond doubt he had his MOJO back, which had been missing recently. Well done you. Harry, Monty James and Timps carried on the good work, and we had the ball back.

We continued to run strong, Boomer. Timps and AJ, who took a massive hit (he doesn’t half attract them), but moving the ball wide the kiler pass went down, from Harry-unlucky guys. Another big hit by Hally and Harry spilled the ball, and we had it again. A strong run and offload by Hally was carried on by Timps, and then Harry took over again and created space for Spence, whose finishing power did the rest, despite the excellent covering attempt by the Waterhead player. 2-0.  Waterheads response was swift, as they came down field and scored a deserved try, after strong defence again by Monty, AJ and James. 2-1.

End to end continued, and Timps, Spence and Monty, assisted by Boomer  gave the platform, and Harry again was the provider for Winger Timps to crash over in the corner. 3-1. Webby, G-Man and Olly came on, and were straight into the speed of the game, and a cruncher from Hally, Webby and Harry saw the ball spilled. We then saw a 3 pronged turnover follow when great hits knocked the ball loose. Following a turnover, what I have always asked for happened, when Cam made up for the error, by chasing the Waterhead runner down and forcing the error back-absolutely brilliant, well done Cam. Timps cashed in again, when after strong surges by G-Man, and Olly, Boomer turned creater when he dropped off the runner-Timps. 4-1.

Back came the Oldham side again when they scored another excellent try, 4-2.  The Oldham n0.18 was scything everything down, and despite the best efforts of Webby and G-Man, the ball was squeezed out again.  A Boomer special saw the ball back with us, and Timps again was unlucky when he double moved.  The match was being played at a fantastic pace, and both sides were running and tackling strong. G-Man, Boomer and Hally were racking the tackles up, and a great cover by Hally saw the ball offloaded to the supporting Waterhead player, brilliant team try. 4-3.

Waterhead were playing with a lot more confidence now, and another break, was again covered by both Hally and Spence, who saved a certain try, followed up by a copybook cruncher from Hally again. Love it.  Boomer, Harry and G-Man had the smell today, and were hitting everything in the middle. This was a great game to watch. Half Time 4-3. I asked us to remain patient, keep the strong running and increase the defensive effort even more. The boys responded to my request, and a cracking second half followed.

The opening set of the half saw strong defence on the line, particularly from Spence, Hally, G-Man and Boomer again, and we then responded with a fantastic Hary Wilcock break, but went into touch. More sturdy defence saw the Oldham lads kept at bay, and then a great run by Cam, saw Spence go over in the corner. 5-3.  Substitutions were made, Harry, Boomer and Timps taking well deserved rests and AJ, James and Monty returning. A stalemate followed, James and Monty getting through some work, and Hally and AJ forcing a turnover.

One of the moments of the match followed, when on a rabbit set, Olly took the 3rd hit up, and got absolutely “Mullered” by a peach of a tackle, and unfortunately had to leave the field, to return later-Well Done Olly. Another Harry special followed, after he came back on for Olly, when he again showed the ball and went-superb. 6-3.  Turnover followed again, due to excellent defence, and a Webby burst, continued on by Cam, who took a gem of a pass from Hally, saw Spence cross in the corner-great try. 7-3.

More defensive pressure from G-Man saw the ball with us again, and Spence made the ground for Boomer, with his first touch, back on for Harry, scored a well deserved individual effort. 8-3. Tight defence again saw the ball spilled, Boomer, Monty snd James  looking strong, and James took the ball back in hard, for AJ to break the line, lose his boot, but still manage to run 30 yards for an excellent try. 9-3. Waterhead never gave it up showing excellent commitment and resilience, and the little n0.12 scored a great try, beating 2 defenders on the way. 9-4.

Timps completed the scoring with a great individual burst, and fend to crash over. 10-4. Hat trick for Timperley!! Some outstanding copy book defence followed, from Hally, then Cam, who stopped runners dead, to keep the line secure. This was the key to the second half-strong, committed defence. Full Time 10-4

A very good performance, particularly second half again, where committed solid defence and the willingness to run hard and support the ball carrier paid massive dividends. An excellent match, in which Waterhead more than played their part. Well done to both squads for a superbly entertaining game of rugby.

HT 16 v 12

FT 40 v 16

Man of the Match – Harry WILCOCK

Top Tackler – Lewis HALL

Players Player – Brechan STEPHENSON

Most Improved – Louis BEAUMONT

Coach’s Award – Marcus GRADY

Scorers – Lewis TIMPERLEY 3 tries, Spencer RUDD 3 tries, Harry WILCOCK 2 tries, Brechan STEHENSON try and Andrew JOBLING try.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Langworthy Reds U9′s 16 v Crosfields cobras U9′s 24

Cobras returned to winning ways, following a hard earned victory at Swinton, against a massive Reds outfit. Following 3 consecutive defeats, despite playing well, young Cobras were looking to get back to doing the basics, and a performance was needed. Captain for the day was Rocky Rosslyn, who was in charge of a smaller squad of 11, due to unavailability. Winning the toss, we attacked first.

Playing on a very small pitch, against a huge physical side ground was going to have to be made the old fashioned way, and an opening set saw Big B, Tom Tom Neary, Jacob and Rocky hit the ball up, with a modicum of success. The last tackle was moved wide, but Boomer ended up on the end of it, and the attack petered out.  Quickly out of the line, were Jamie and Tom Tom, and following 2 good hits, the ball was spilled, and turned over, so back onto the attack in the Reds half.

Strong runs by Zak Attack, Stallion, who gets better with every match, and seems to glide over the ground and Jamie took us close, and Captain Rocky skirted round the defence as only he can for the first score. 0-1.  The Reds response was to move the ball wide, and only a great cover tackle into touch stopped a certain try. Cobras seemd to be getting stronger, and strong drives by Hally, Tom Tom, Olly then Rocky made excellent ground, but the momentum was stopped when Rocky again, ran into the 2 biggest players on the pitch on the last and got crunched- OUCH!!

Reds again on the attack, and Hally, who appeared to have his MOJO back, made two superb tackles stopping Big Big Max dead in his tracks-nice one son. This carried on and another cracker stopping the even bigger N0.9, by Stallion, and a gang tacjle meant we had kept the line in tact. Taking the ball away from the line strongly were Tom Tom twice, Zak Attack and Stallion, and the ball was stripped, and the tackle count started again. A very good tackle on Jamie saw the ball spill though, and the opportunity for further points was wasted.

Two rapid drives were kept out by excellent covering from Tom Tom and the momentum was just what the Reds required, as they crashed over in the corner for a well worked try. 1-1. This seemed to give the Reds a massive confidence boost, and folloing more turn over ball, they came straight back onto the attack and the No.9, who due to his size, was the main attacking weapon near the line crashed over, as we fell away from the tackle. 2-1.  It was becoming more and more apparent that our tacklers apart from a few, didn’t fancy taking their big units, and heads dropped.

Zak, Olly and Tom Tom took breathers and Spence, Dutchy and Cam came on to bolster the team. All 3 were immediately into their stride, with excellent runs and offloads, but the Reds defence held strong, and the ball went to ground. Reds were running strong now, and only a forward pass kept them out. Further turn over by the Cobras saw the Reds score again, when a one on one was missed, and Reds scored a fantastic try. 3-1. The awful form continued when Rocky took the first ball and was tackled into touch. Half Time.

I told a few home truths at half time, and stated that a lot of the players were letting themselves down, and were not performing anywhere near how they can, and I asked Jamie to take control of this game in the middle. Apart from his defence he had been very quiet! What a turn around followed, harsh words, for the first time this season worked.

Reds hit it up fast, but the defence was up for it now, and absolute cruncher from Rocky and Boomer on Big Max, set the pattern. Jamie followed it up with another one and then Stallion did 3 on the trot to snuff out the attack. Excellent committed running by Jamie, Spence, Boomer then Cam, saw the ball pass through lots of hands, only to be halted with a strip. Back to 0, and start again!! A second strip followed, but the momentum was with us. Boomer was held up short, and Jamie too held up, but Cam took the ball at pace, stepped and scored. Brilliant. 3-2.

Reds hit it up again but the defence was different in this half, Jamie, assisted by Hally and stallion hiitting everything, and Reds were forced into touch. A perfect set of 6 followed, with Spence, Cam, Rocky, Spence again and Stallion all taking the ball down field, for Jamie to duck, weave ad dive over for the equalising score. 3-3. Different team this half to say the least! Hally, Boomer and rocky took a rest for Zak, Olly and Tom Tom to return.  A strong recovery by the Reds saw them score a well deserved try  when for the first time in the half we fell away on the line. Well done Reds, one for the neutral this one !! 4-3.

Spence, Cam then Tom Tom laid the foundatios, and stallion glided in as only he can, taking time out from defending. Great score 4-4. Reds were straight back into it again, and a miss in the middle put them on opur line, but bodies on the line b y Tom Tom, Jamie, Stallion and Zak, assisted by Olly and Dutchy kept them out. A brilliant relieving run by Stallion saw a knock on follow, and old habits appeared to be creeping back in. Back onto defence, and Zak and Tom tom again hit them, for Stallion to halt a certain try by taking the N0.9 into touch-worth the admission money alone.

attack again, the match was end to end now, and Tom Tom, Olly and Spence took us forward, for Spence again to straighten the attack up, and pop the ball into the supporting hands of Jamie. 4-5. Great team score. Last set of 6 each, and first tackle saw Cam smash the runner, who spilled the ball. With the match looking secure, Olly took us back onto the attack, with a great run, then Jamie, Spence and Cam combined again for the try of the match, which Cam scored in the corner.. Full time 4-6.

This was definitely a game of 2 halves, and all credit to the Reds, and Bobbi, who has done a fantastic job with his small squad, some fantastic players there.  The half time “talking to ” obviously did the trick, but we should be playing like we did in the second half, in both halves. Credit to the boys though, who listended, rolled their sleeves up, and put in the right performance in that half to recover the match. Well done all of you.

HT 12 v 4

FT 16 v 24

Man of the Match – Jacob “Stallion” GALLOP

Top Tackler – Jamie BARBER

Players Player – Spencer RUDD

Most Improved – Oliver HILL

Coach’s Award – Jamie BARBER

Scorers – Cameron HENDERSON 2 tries, Jamie BARBER 2 tries, Louis ROSSLYN try and Jacob GALLOP try.

Popularity: 1% [?]

BRIDGE CRUMBLE UNDER COBRA PRESSURE

The Cobras were on the road again this weekend, following their weekend off for the Super League Millennium Magic in Edinburgh. The team travelled the short distance to Ince Rose Bridge. With the team defending a six game winning run that stretches back to the beginning of March the players were full of confidence, despite late withdrawals from Sam, Ben and Louis. The sun was out as the players took to the field at Pinfold Street, knowing that the task ahead would be a tough one with only one of the previous four encounters between the two teams finishing with more than one try between them.

As in their last time out Cobras were forced to make late changes to the advertised line up, as Bridge were only able to field eight players. Captain for the day Elliott won the toss and chose to attack first, and what a wise decision it proved to be. Joe K.L. passing the first play the ball to Dean and within the blink of an eye he raced from halfway for the first try of the game, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he was met by his team mates on his way back. On their first possession the home team drove forward, despite tackles by Rav, Dean, Tom, Joe.P, Luke, and Joe .K.L. Bridge found space out wide to score. It was to prove to be a little more difficult next time Cobras had the ball, drives by Rav, Elliott, Ryan and Joe .P. were all halted before Luke took the ball to spin over and score. From the restart Luke brought down the No.1 after a weaving run and with Dean, Joe.P, Tom and Joe.K.L. all making tackles, a knock on by Bridge handed the ball over. Joe.K.L. then made good yards forward before Tom relieved the pressure with a great drive up to half way, backed up by Dean, Elliott and Rav, the last tackle saw Ryan drive forward as he was tackled he off loaded superbly to Luke who then ran cross field evading the last defender to dive over the whitewash. From the restart Cobras found their tackles Joe.P, Rav, Luke and tom all making great tackles to stop the home team. Joe.K.L. showed the way forward on the next set supported by Rav, Tom and Dean who with another off load was unlucky not to set up Joe.K.L. for a try. Immediately Bridge turned defence into attack, some poor tackling allowing a score in the corner.

The Cobras reply was decisive runs by Marshall, Alex and Dean put Bridge on the back foot allowing Joe.K.L. to show his skills, dancing and powering his way over the line. The next attack by the home team was scrappy, with missed tackles and off loads ending in a try, but not before the ball had gone forward, not to be seen by the referee. With the ball in hand the Cobras pressed forward. Dean charging in like a steam train before Josh was caught with a high tackle that went unpunished. A Rav drive set up play for Joe.K.L. to try to force his way over, before Luke did, weaving a path through the defence to touch down. In defence this time the Cobras held strong, tackles by Luke and a certain try saver by Kian, keeping the home team out. On the next drive Alex found the opposition in hostile mood, the No.13 seeming to punch Alex in the face causing a nose bleed. Josh, Kian, Ryan, Rav, and Joe.P. all drove forward but were unable to pierce the defence. The home team then handed the ball straight to the primrose and blue through a knock on, but the Cobras were unable to take advantage handing the ball straight back again on the first tackle. Better defence in the next set resulted in the Cobras holding out, Luke, Alex, Joe.K.L. and Kian all made tackles before Luke, Ritchie Mathers like , forced the attacker into touch just as it seemed he was about to score. Although good yards were made going forward Cobras failed to add to their tally before half time, but they were caught napping on the last play of the half as a quick play the ball by Bridge saw their player race in to score.

HALF-TIME

Ince Rose Bridge 4 – 5 Cobras

Straight from the restart Bridge were strong, but even after the referee seemingly allowed an extra tackle, Cobras still held out keeping their line intact. In possession the team also looked strong drives by Dean, Rav, Joe.P. and Kian all preceded Joe.K.L. on a great run,followed by Luke who was held up short as was Tom on the last tackle. Defensively again the Cobras were strong Marshall, Tom, Luke and Kian all making good tackles preventing Bridge from increasing their halftime score. In the next set Dean repeated his feat of the first seconds of the game charging on to a pass from Luke to gallop three quarters of the length of the field to score. From the middle Bridge went forward,  Alex making two tackles to force a knock on that was not spotted by the official, with four tackles remaining Cobras had to work overtime  to prevent a score, and they did, Luke, Joe.P, Kian and Joe.K.L. all making great tackles. From the turnover drives by Alex and Kian relieved the pressure along with Joe.P. and Joe.K.L. and Tom was again unlucky not to register a try on the last tackle. Bridge now seemed to have the red mist infront of their eyes, in the next set the No.6 first threw a punch then kicked out at Kian in a tackle, and was very lucky not to cause an injury to the Cobras No.15. From the turnover Dean produced another try out of nothing, Stepping past a would be tackler before racing fully the length of the field untouched for his hat trick. Once more the Hood Lane outfit held strong in defence, Alex making consecutive tackles and Ryan forcing the runner into touch on the last tackle.

Again the Cobras had to deal with some extreme tackling, firstly Ryan followed by Kian and then Tom all having to get on and play rugby when the referee could and maybe should have penalized the home team. In the same set Joe.K.L. was unlucky not to score, stepping inside,  when a straight run to the line would have surely seen him touchdown. Once more in defence the primrose and blue held strong Dean and Tom tackling the Bridge player into touch forcing the handover. But the pressure told with the home team forcing their way over in their next set of six tackles. Back on the attack Tom, Dean and Kian made big yards forward, before Ryan was held just short, from the play the ball Tom fed Joe.K.L. who stepped past four defenders before grounding the ball. From the restart Cobras were short of numbers, only having seven players on the pitch, not taking anything away from Ince as they scored after a fine runaround move. With the clock ticking down Cobras again made yards up field through Rav,Josh, Marshall and Alex before Kian was unlucky to be tackled into touch. On their last set Bridge scored again, with the big No.10 charging his way over from close range. With the referee calling last set of the game, the Cobras made one last effort forward, drives by Ryan,Tom and Kian made yards before Ryan again took the ball, showing how he got the nick name “flyer” racing round the Ince defence to score in the corner.

FINAL SCORE

Ince Rose Bridge 7 – 9 Cobras

Well done to both sets of players a great advert for junior rugby league.

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COBRAS VENOM BRINGS DOWN THE BEARS

As both teams arrived at Hood lane the early morning sunshine had disappeared replaced by clouds overhead. But with the grass looking in great condition for rugby league and the posts set up on the pitch, the Cobras were in no mood to relinquish their recent home record.

Captain for the day Joe K.L. won the toss and elected to attack first, and with Toa on the pitch with the players it would go on to be a great day for the Kohe Love family, although without a proper warm up, the spectators seemed unsure as to whether Toa would be able to last the first half. The Bears arrived with only eight players forcing Crosfields into a late change to the advertised line up.

Crosfields started with Luke in at standoff and from the word go it was clear that this tactic was to prove fruitful. Firstly Dean benefitting from the extra space provided, followed by Sam, who seemed to swat the opposition away like flies as he raced in from halfway to register the first Cobras try of the day.

“This coaching lark is easy” Toa Kohe Love, Cobras v Bears after 30 seconds.

With the home team now having to defend against a big West bank team, Dean and tom showed the way forward with great tackles, followed by Sam and Luke and an awesome team tackle prevented the big No.10 from forcing his way over on the last tackle. With the ball close to the Cobras own line Luke took the ball forward sprinting almost the entire length of the field before the Bears No.1 brought him down with a magnificent tackle. With the Cobras now on the attack Ben drove forward and with Joe K.L. held just short, the ball was passed to Marshall, who stepped his way through the defence for a try that his recent performances have warranted.

Again in defence the primrose and blue held solid Dean, Tom, Sam, Kian and Elliott all making tackles, and with Tom, Kian, Elliott and Dean taking the team forward Luke was held just short, from the play the ball Joe K.L. spotted a gap in the defence and darted over from dummy half. Again Cobras tackled well in defence. Although the pressure told eventually as the big No.10 found a way over from close range. From the middle drives by Ben and Louis followed by Marshall, whose try really seemed to fill him with confidence, went forward and with the introduction of Alex and Rav adding to the power going forward, Tom came up just short on the last tackle. In defence both Alex and Rav showed how valuable they are to the team, and with the Bears losing their way the ball was handed over again.

After a loose ball from Luke , Joe K.L. picked up and raced forward, following a drive by Rav, Ben thought he had scored in the corner , however the video ref said “NO TRY” as he had a foot in touch. On the next set the home team again tackled strong, Alex, Rav and Louis all combining to halt the No.10 who was proving a real handful in the Cobras side. The handover saw the introduction of Joe Payne, who had returned to the club after a while spent in the rugby league wilderness, although his time spent away had no adverse affects on his talents as he fitted straight back into the team as if he had not been away. It wasn’t long before he showed this in the best possible way, weaving his way to the line to touch down beneath the posts. On their next possession the Bears crossed the line following quick play the balls the very impressive No.1 raced in at the corner. Not to be outdone after a great run by Dean, Louis and Tom followed, giving poacher supreme Joe K.L. the chance of a carbon copy of his first try darting over from dummy half. As the first half came to a close the Bears No.3 showed great pace to go through the Cobras defence to score.

Anyone who doesn’t watch rugby league is not a real person. He’s a cow’s hoof,  or comes from Melbourne.
John Singleton Australian (1981)

Half-time

Cobras 5 – 3 Bears

The restart saw a change of personnel for the Cobras as Steve replaced Toa , although there was no change in the Cobras tackling, as the first set of tackles saw the home team prevent the Bears  from making it past halfway. In reply the Cobras came up just short, Sam taking four defenders over the line, before losing control of the ball. Once again strong defence kept the opposition out and after some fine attacking play between Ben, Marshall and Joe P., Joe K.L. danced his way over in the corner to complete his hat trick and sending the Bears No.2 into a ballet style spin. In the next set the Bears got just rewards for their hard work with the No.6 scoring out wide.

Immediately the Cobras hit back, Kian making good yards forward, before Elliott handed on to Dean to drive to the posts, from the resulting play the ball Joe P. produced a fine piece of play , using both strength and fleet of foot to power and dance past defenders to touch down next to the posts. With the Cobras day dreaming from the restart West Bank scored the try of the game, the impressive No.1 scorching over from halfway. But the Cobras were not to be outdone, a drive by Rav was followed by a barn storming run from Sam and with Alex continuing the pressure forward Kian set up field position under the posts, catching the defenders unaware and on the back foot Luke saw the opportunity and darted over.  After a set each which saw both teams cancel each other out, the Bears took advantage of a lack of discipline in the home teams defence that saw the No.9 score. The home team regrouped  from the restart and both Rav and Dean marched the team forward before Louis and Marshall were denied just short of the line, from the latter’s play the ball, Luke showed great strength powering over from close range.

Once more the Bears came forward and after a high shot by Sam, The No.10 got his just rewards for a great game scoring in the corner. With Their last possession of the game the home team were forced into touch, leaving West Bank to close out the game, driving forward again paving way for the No.3 to race down the touch line to score.

League is much, much more physical than Union, and that’s before anyone    starts breaking the rules.
Adrian Hadley (1988)

Final Score

Cobras 9 – 8 Bears

A great game played in a great spirit showing many many talents not forgetting that the players are still only under 8’s. Well done to both teams, and thanks to both sets of supporters.

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Warrington Wolves have secured the signing of Oliver Giles, a prop forward who played for the under 18s last season. Below is a copy of the report on the Warrington Wolves website.

Warrington Wolves are proud to announce the academy signing of Oliver Giles.

The club is constantly building the youth squad to provide a foundation for the future. Oliver, 17, has signed for the Wolves u18s on a two-year part-time contract from Crosfields Amateur Club.

The front-row forward was recommended to the coaches by the club’s Sales and Marketing Manager Dave Hutchinson whose son played for the same Crosfields side.

Oliver has now played six games for the Wolves Academy and remembers how fast his debut game was. “I am really enjoying the training programme and I’m learning lots of new skills that will help me develop as a player and person. I have fitted in really well with my new team-mates both on and off the field. My ultimate aim is to make first team rugby.”

Crosfield coaches Dave Reid, Russ Malley and Tony Green met Oliver 12 months ago and have since enjoyed watching him develop as a player.

Dave Reid said: “When we first met Oliver he was a raw player from Rugby Union and we were excited about watching him play. He is ideal for a Rugby League prop and we knew he was always going to be good. He listened to everything we said and took everything on board. We are very proud that he has got to this stage. John Bastian and the staff at the Wolves have got high hopes for him as a player. We wish him well in progressing further.”

John Bastian, Wolves Director of Youth Development reiterated this. “At 17 years old Oliver has lots of raw talent and has the potential to advance in the Warrington Wolves system. One of his biggest attributes is his honesty and ability to want to improve and listening to the education by his coaches and conditioners. At the moment he’s a little bit mechanical in his movement patterns but we can improve that and we need to work on his basic core skills. The other key attribute he possesses is that he plays hard and is brave in his commitment when playing the game. At 17 years old, 6ft 3in in height and 16 stone Oliver has some very good athletic attributes that will improve through the strength and conditioning programme at the Wolves.”

He added: “On behalf of Warrington Wolves I’d like to thank Crosfields RL club for their co- operation in progressing the development of Oliver on his pathway to hopefully future success.”

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