Set of Six: Super League So Far (Friday 31st March 2023)

 I know, I know, a blog from me is rarer than winning the lottery. However, like winning the lottery, it's something worth waiting for... I hope. Today, I'm going to talk about Super League so far. We are already approaching the historic Easter period this season and the first 7 rounds have gone very quickly. It's been a close, exciting season so far with upsets and lots of unpredictable things have gone on. Equally, lots of interesting talking points have come out of it such as...

Saints' downfall beginning?

It had to happen at some point, and potentially now is that time. The start of Paul Wellens' tenure has been about as smooth as sandpaper. A Saints side that we've seen be so formidable and strong for the past 4 years is seemingly struggling to find their rhythm. Losses to Leeds and Leigh sum that up. They've also gone close to Hull and Huddersfield. Them becoming World Champions feels lifetimes ago. We must take into account that the start of Kristian Woolf's reign faced similar issues, but something feels different this time. Are Saints starting to crumble?

Castleford's catastrophe

Catastrophe is probably the only word to describe Castleford's start to the season. Sacking the head coach, having a sex scandal attract attention to the club and 3 losses on the bounce is not how Castleford planned to start the season. Although what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, this has clearly been taken to heart by the Tigers whose only win this season was a shocking one in Cas Vegas against Leeds. Andy Last is clearly liked by the players but it seems a gamble to keep him on. Castleford are clearly in a rut, but how do they get out of it?

Deep rooted issues at Hull

It's fair to say confidence was high as the Black and Whites started their season and the Faithful were rewarded with 2 wins from 2. However, since then, the diseased culture of the club epitomised by a soft underbelly once again reared its ugly head. These issues are clearly rooted deeply and tensions are rising around the club. Just like their flood defences, Hull's defence is weak and they have conceded the most points in the league. Tony Smith is a world class coach, so it's interesting to see how he will fix these issues and how clearly? 

Pitch imperfect

The sequel no one wanted, but the one was got. Wakefield's pitch has come under fire at the start of this season. With Catalans players coming away with scabs and infections, Trinity's game with Hull KR was in jeopardy. The pitch inspection however, allowed Wakefield v Hull KR to go ahead. The game was supposed to be televised by Sky and it was taken off for Wigan v Salford. In what seemed to be a positive period for Wakefield's stadium, there are still problems with it that are having bigger affects than ever before. We haven't even mentioned the Benidorm flats yet either. How much will this cost Wakefield across the course of the season?

The Wolves ahead of the pack

The Wolves are a different beast to that of last year. They have gone from one of their worst ever seasons to one of their best ever starts to one. They're six and not out so far, picking up two points in every game they've played. Powell has got this team playing which was against the odds and they are starting to set themselves apart from the rest now. It's a well known fact Wolves hunt as a pack, and in terms of togetherness, they are sticking to that perfectly, but they are not sticking with the other 11 teams in the league. Could this actually be their year, or can someone stop them?

Leigh-ping away from the championship?

Leigh have started the season brilliantly, and like Leopards do, they are running rapidly away from danger. Leigh have a 50% win rate so far, picking up wins against Saints, Hull FC and Hull KR. They've also beaten their club record attendance against Wigan, a televised Thursday night game. Derek Beaumont has revolutionised the fan experience on a matchday and is setting down the marker for other teams to follow. Sitting in 8th place, but joint 4th, they are exceeding expectations. It's a very tight league this year, and with Josh Charnley on electric form this year, they could very well find themselves in the playoffs come the end of the year if they can keep this form up. Can they beat the competition to make the playoffs and are they the best promoted side Super League has ever seen?

They are the six biggest talking points this season so far. Six again is a hated rule for sure, but I will do another Set of Six later in the season discussing the biggest talking points then. Hopefully, people don't call for that to be permanently removed from our game. Please like, comment and follow my Twitter (@RLbl0gger). Thanks for reading and I hope to see you back for another blog soon
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