91Èȱ¬

A year ago rang me and asked if I could get him and his mates in to watch the at Wembley. Now, the 24-year-old Warrington centre is back on the phone bursting with adrenalin, as he finally anticipates his first taste of the famous venue as a player, against his hometown club .

"I've never been to a final before, even as a fan," Atkins tells me after a Wolves training session he describes as "intense" just days before the 2010 final. "I wanted to come down and watch when I was with last year but couldn't make it. This now is the biggest week of my career, it's nerve-wracking and it won't hit home that I'm playing until I walk around the stadium for the first time."

It has been some year for Atkins, leaving Wakefield with a heavy heart to sign for Warrington, the team he was seeking tickets to watch as a fan at Wembley last August, cementing his place in the Wolves side and playing a huge part in winger running in 25 Super League tries - both of them now in the England picture as a result.

This weekend the Leeds lad bids to deny the Rhinos a first Challenge Cup success since 1999 but admits keeping his emotions in check will not be easy. "It's hugely daunting but pressure makes diamonds," says Atkins, who admits his Wembley debut will render him like the proverbial kid in a sweetshop.

Read the rest of this entry

Brian McDermott's decision to and return to Leeds ends the passionate Yorkshireman's four-year bid to spread the rugby league gospel in London.

Since I myself quit Leeds for London, I have found it tough enough persuading pubs to show Friday night Super League on their TV screens, so McDermott's job has clearly been the most challenging of his career.

I spoke to the former Great Britain international a couple of hours after his decision to return to the Rhinos as assistant coach at the end of the season was made public.

Read the rest of this entry

The has taken a huge gamble in moving the Magic Weekend to the opening week of the Super League season.

The move away from Edinburgh is no surprise following a 10% dip in crowds at Murrayfield this year on the same weekend in May 2009. The first two years in Cardiff were well supported and Wales will no doubt offer its traditional warm welcome to the rugby league family once more.

But the decision to is risky, especially a stadium located outside the traditional rugby league heartlands. The RFL is no stranger to making bold decisions, with the governing body often applauded for its trailblazing moves. But is this a step too far?

Read the rest of this entry

The looks set to grant a licence to at least one club next spring, with a current Super League side losing out.

With confirmation that Super League will remain at 14 clubs, this means at least one top-flight side will lose their licence for the period 2012-14. The lucky Championship side will be handed a licence in March, with the remaining licences awarded in July 2011.

This news will do little to allay current concerns of fans of , and , who have as yet failed to build on the ambitious new stadium plans that helped secure their current licence. These clubs earned licences thanks largely to promises of a new stadium, which at present remain unfulfilled.

Read the rest of this entry