Rugby League: The in-flight reading habits of the Catalan Dragons

I thought Steve Menzies had a stormer against Bradford

Those of you who follow this thread – don’t laugh, there are such people – will be glad to hear that I have learned a good deal more about the in-flight reading habits of the Catalan Dragons.

I’ve confirmed with Trent Robinson that he was the mystery man my spies spotted reading Machiavelli’s “The Prince”. He tells me that he has now moved on to de Montaigne.

“You’ve got to give it a go with the French philosophers, haven’t you?” he told me.

The reason I mention this is that I want to query one aspect of the coach’s own philosophy.

I thought Steve Menzies had an absolute stormer at Bradford, but I couldn’t believe how luke-warm about it Robinson was. He’d been okay, he reckoned, but a bit quiet in the first half.

Hang on, during that first half he set up two tries and made the tackle of the season. I’m sorry, but if I’d just outplayed a bunch of blokes 15 years my junior I’d want a bit more of a pat on the back than that.

A lot of players at the other end of the spectrum from Menzies were on duty at Headingley on Tuesday night.

The RL Nines – note lack of sponsor – has been a bit of a damp squib this year in my book.

If it is to earn its place on the calendar, it needs to be concentrated into one big night and clubs need to field more first-team players.

Mind you, there are compensations. The story of the night was the success of Cumbria, who reached the Grand Final before losing to Warrington.

Player of the tournament was the Whitehaven winger Loz Hamzat, who scored some absolutely stunning tries.

I don’t know a lot about him apart from him being a student at Lancaster University, but he can really shift.

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