1:42pm Thursday 5th February 2009
By Simon Fitzjohn
With the festive period comfortably in the rear view mirror, and the British weather doing its level best to ruin any recent sporting spectacles, that can only really mean one thing – Super League is almost upon us again.
A beefed-up competition for 2009, SLXIV now boasts 14 teams, having drafted in Salford and the Celtic Crusaders.
And there certainly appears to be an increased media interest this time around. In fact, I caught an article by none other than Claire Balding a few days back in the national press professing her love for the ‘London Harlequins’ – who would have ever thought that?
So Quins fans (and trusty journos like me) can strap themselves in and prepare for a full-on six months or so of snide remarks, casual dismissal and disinterest from those up north, which will probably be the worst since, oh, last year?
Travelling to the likes of Leeds, St Helens and the like on a miserable Friday night can be a true test of character – and I’m referring to matters off the field as well as on it.
The ‘who are you again?’ attitude of the local writers, and the lack of interest and awareness about the make-up of the London club is something that irks head coach Brian McDermott just as much as it does me.
But how do Quins start correcting this?
Well, on the field of course.
It is all very well delivering the usual pre-season bluster about ‘the best squad ever’ and ‘this is our year’ but, until the Stoop side start backing it up on the pitch, they will always be seen as the novelty from down south.
An inspiration should be the Catalan Dragons, who everyone assumed would simply fade away last season but have now earned the respect of all simply due to the fact that they didn’t.
But can Harlequins RL upset the apple cart? Those in the know obviously don’t think so, with William Hill quoting Quins as 14-1 to finish bottom, yet a hefty 100-1 to win it all.
Even Luke Dorn, who finished as the third top try-scorer in the competition last year while with the desperate Castleford Tigers, is priced an eyebrow-raising 25-1 to be top dog this campaign.
But take a look at the canny moves McDermott has made in his off-season signings and perhaps the loss of Scott Hill and Henry Paul won’t be the catastrophe the Rugby League press are claiming.
But now it is out of our hands, and up to the men in pastel quarters to deliver.
I for one think they can.
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