Monday 21 March 2016 16:05, UK
Huddersfield's loss to Catalans, injury worries for Sam Burgess and St Helens responding to Lance Hohaia all feature in this week's set of six...
Jodie Broughton made a sensational return to his former home as his hat-trick helped Catalans to a 46-26 win over Huddersfield Giants.
Giants head coach Paul Anderson refused to hide behind the sending off of Joe Wardle for a high tackle and didn't hold back as he laid into the attitude and commitment of his team.
"We could use the sending off as an excuse to paper over the cracks but when our attitude at the beginning of the game - giving them the scores that we did - was like it was, I felt overall we got what we deserved," said Anderson.
"Going 12-0 down and then 20-12 up stinks because it suggests we made a decision to crack on with what our job is, then suddenly decide not to again in the second half.
"Our start was poor, the second part of the first half was quite good but the second half was abysmal. We gave in and if people want to be part of this club that is not the character that we want.
"It's embarrassing and if people want to play for the Giants, they won't if they play like that."
Phil the Viking
Widnes beat Wigan 18-12 on Thursday in a fantastic comeback that handed the Warriors their first home Super League defeat for 21 months.
The victory made it a best-ever start to a Super League season for the Vikings and our very own Phil Clarke may need to head down to Select Security Stadium Halton to get fitted out for his mascot uniform.
"I am scared of making any predictions about where Widnes will finish in 2016," said Phil in his weekly column for Sky Sports.
"I have seen what Gary Lineker said about Leicester City and don't want to strip down to my underwear! I still think that if they finish in the top eight after 23 rounds they will have done remarkably well but I am still not convinced that they will be able to do that.
"Go on then: If Widnes finish in the top four I will be their mascot for a match!"
The cost of winning
Hull KR ended their nine-month losing streak with a 44-30 win over Salford, however they face a serious injury crisis ahead of Friday's derby against Hull FC.
"We only had 18 fit players; Kieran Dixon was the only one in our squad who didn't play that was fit," Webster said.
"Shaun Lunt hasn't trained with us yet, but we're hoping he will during the week.
"It's a short turnaround; we're two days behind Hull because they played Friday and we'll need to make a call on everyone come Wednesday.
"It gives us three days to prepare. Albert Kelly has done some training but not with us, and he's another one that we'll have to wait on until Wednesday. James Greenwood and Graeme Horne both came off so they're inevitably doubts for the game too."
St Helens respond to Lance Hohaia
Saints reacted angrily to allegations made by Lance Hohaia, who claimed the Super League club pressured him to play while he was still experiencing concussion symptoms.
Hohaia was punched twice by Wigan's Ben Flower in the Super League Grand Final in 2014. Hohaia retired in April 2015 but in a recent interview with New Zealand's Sunday Herald newspaper, claimed that he asked for time to rest to recover but was offered prescription medicines and told to play on.
"Hohaia's version of events at St Helens between the Grand Final in 2014 and his voluntary resignation without notice six months later is utterly inaccurate and malicious," the Super League club said in statement.
"Throughout that time he received the highest level of professional support and empathy, both rugby and medical. His subsequent version of ongoing 'concussive symptoms' were entirely retrospective and only raised by him at the end of that period.
"At no time was he put under any pressure or duress by the club to play and he was provided with highest level of professional advice and support by the club. St Helens set the very highest standards in that regard."
Sam Burgess injury
It was good to see South Sydney Rabbitohs' Sam Burgess has been cleared of any serious neck and spinal injuries.
Burgess was rushed to hospital after being involved in an accidental clash of heads with another Englishman, former Warrington prop Mike Cooper, in an NRL match against St George Illawarra.
However, the Rabbitohs say MRI and CT scans have shown there is no damage to the vertebrae or spinal cord.
"We're all very happy to know that Sam hasn't suffered any serious injuries from yesterday's game," said South Sydney head coach Michael Maguire.
"I spoke to Sam and he feels very lucky and he wants to thank the medical staff from both the Rabbitohs and Dragons for their professionalism, the doctors and hospital staff who cared for him last night and this morning, as well as the members and fans for their support and kind words.
"We will continue to monitor Sam's welfare and he knows he is in the best of hands with our medical staff as we move forward."
Sinfield: My greatest week
We are looking forward to getting our hands on Kevin Sinfield's book - Kevin Sinf13ld My League Years in Words and Pictures.
The pictorial history of his career will be launched this Saturday at Leeds Rhinos' Headingley Carnegie store and in it Sinfield reveals why he almost quit the game in 2008 and shares the greatest week of his rugby league career.
"In 2012 we won the Grand Final and I won the Harry Sunderland award," says Sinfield in an extract in the Yorkshire Evening Post.
"Two days later Steve [McNamara, the England coach] gave me the captain's job and that was probably the best week of my career."
The book charts Sinfield's rugby league journey from the day he first joined Oldham amateur club Waterhead through to last year's all-conquering campaign.
