"Down the Line" blog by Robbie Paul
Down the line by Robbie Paul
3rd February 2010
This is my second spell in the world of Rugby League outside the Super League in three years.
Last time I was playing with Salford City Reds and we were a full-time professional team so in a way that isolated me from what was really happening in Championship Rugby League.
Now it’s totally different. I’m at Leigh Centurions both training and working as a part time professional and I can see things from a different perspective
And do you know I’m full of admiration for those players who have normal jobs during the day and then go to their clubs in the evening for some really intense training. It’s tough and a big ask for most of the guys.
Also I’ve remembered what I thought last time I was playing at this level. There are so many good young players in the Championship clubs and I reckon that anything between 30 to 50 per cent of those guys could make it in Super League – if they were given a chance.
I mean it; there are loads of good quality players who if Super League clubs gave them an even break would become good professionals at that level.
I’d even go so far as to say that some of them could become Super League stars. No kidding.
If that were to happen it would be so good for the game in this country and many more players would have the incentive to reach for the stars as well as take their first steps in the professional game at their local clubs again.
Leigh were lucky last weekend because our Northern Rail Cup game against Oldham was played in spite of the bad weather that took so many other games out.
The funny thing was that I was watching the Crusaders v Leeds Rhinos match from Wrexham on television on Friday night that was played in a white out! I just thought: thank goodness I don’t have to play in the snow!
And then it happened to me at the Leigh Sporting Village on Sunday! The snow that lay on the pitch spoiled the game but we ground out a win against a very solid Oldham team, although it was obvious that there were quite a few new faces on their side.
Mind you I don’t suppose there’s a club the country that’s properly prepared for this season, no matter at what level they play, because their pre-season training has been hit from having to cope with the snow and ice.
It’s the same for everybody I know and I reckon every club in the game must be three weeks behind where they expected to be at this stage in the year.
Still that’s part of the fun of being a professional sportsman in this country especially if your sport is played outside like Rugby League.
As part of my duties as Northern Rail Cup ambassador, I travelled to York for a photo shoot with Chris Thorman. He’s taken over as player-coach with the City Knights and we had our pictures taken outside the famous Minster.
We’re old mates from playing together at Huddersfield. Both our families are good friends so it was great to have a coffee with Chris and chat about the game this Sunday when we face one another in different circumstances - on the pitch at Huntington stadium.
