Barrow 22-16 Sheffield 16
Halifax 18-26 Featherstone
Toronto 24-34 Leigh

Toulouse 30-20 London
Rochdale 24-18 Swinton
Batley 30-16 Dewsbury


SIX different "Leigh" try scorers, those being Brierley, Kay, Crooks, Hall, Owens, Reynolds.

Ever hopeful:
2: Leigh
3: Toulouse
4: London

Well! Bongser is now clued in as to why this Blackpudlian event is known as The Summer Bash rather than Magic Weekend. Tragic weekend for most. Bongser has been holed up at work for the whole of it, in heat like today’s with no air-con on his floor and is even working tomorrow. ‘Fax are now ahead of Leigh and have a game in hand. Bongser only called 3/6 in the SL Predland of WA2 and all his Saturday predicted winners, across the divisions, went mammaries up!

It didn’t go too well for most of The Nine either, though.

Only Atomic & Pubbers called the upset for the Barrovians. Then, alongside just Van the Man, correctly called the ‘Fax win. Was he to again steal Charlie Caroli’s laurels amidst the heart of the latter’s adopted manor?

Along came the last quarter of the third Saturday tie (the one that must not be named). Only Wanderer called the winners verily (though many of them prefer to be called Valerie at the weekend). Furthermore, he nailed the bonus question with five p&p Leythers crossing the line successfully and nominated two of them. Bravo!

So Day One of the Bash ended with a mere five correctly guessed prevailing sides from TWENTY-SEVEN PUNTS – and with no less than five of the faithful having merely the one attendance point to cover their modesty!!

Sunday afternoon came along and things improved for most, temporarily at least. Only Cokey & Pubbers miscalled the Tou-Lon game (not another set of Crapauds in the ENGLISH league but merely the column headers on Bongser’s spreadsheet).

A Swinton win against the knights of the ‘Dale was seen by no one hereupon but should be applauded by all as, unless a serious grudge is held against another team, nobody wants to see a club go through a season winless. Hemel & West Wales still are winless, but are still to face each other twice. Those’ll be, errm, ding-dong dooos! Your correspondent is surprised that the RFL didn’t invite them as another expansionist curtain raiser at Magic Weekend. Curious!

Nor does anyone wish to see any of our band of brothers go through a week in attendance winless, but that is what Cokey was staring in the face as the last of this week’s matches kicked off. He had boldly predicted a 24 all draw in the Batley versus Dewsbury curtain downer, with the majority of the rest going for a Batley win.

With ten minutes to go and with the score at 18 apiece, Cokey looked to be pulling it out of the fire by being the inaugural correct predder of a draw (5 point bonus on top of his correct “winner” & margin five points). What was more, were the combatants to swap converted tries in those dying minutes, he would see a further 20 points for an exact scoreline and a WWB of a further 25. From 0 to 55 in 10 minutes, sounds like the Cairoli mobile!

Alack & alas, Paul “Eric” Sykes had the last laugh with a converted penalty and our only scorer was Zools. Well done to him.

One point only then for Cokey who knows that there’s some serious ribbing coming from one man & his dog this week. He is however not the inaugural scratch-out and so that feat will forever be known as “doing a jack”.

This week’s scores are worth posting as they are so pitiful (in reverse order (and ignoring non-attenders)):

Cokey – 1
Bongser & Pubbers -3
Zulu, Charlie, VL & WLJ – 5
Atomic – 7
Wanderer (with 16 in BBQ points) – 21. Adding a 25 point WWB (huzzay!), here are the standings:

Despite a pappekak weekend at Blackpuddle, it’s still

1. The Clown on 414
2. Atomic on 401 (raise your bat, Sirrah)
3. Wanderer on 373
4. Pubbers on 344
5. Zools on 322
6. WLJ on 302 (get it up, man)
7. Bongser on 291
8. Cokey on 271
9. Van Helsing on 210
10. Jack Diggle on 112
11. LeytherX111 on 98 (seemingly VERY nervous nineties – though we also shouldn’t speak of cricket this wretched weekend)
12. SaBadSel on 20

Readers should note that, whilst backing the Trannies this round, the resultant weekly winner still reckons that Leigh will finish 3rd – a convert then from the “Sorry guys” of the earlier long term prediction.

It’s a CCup spesh next weekend (Go Leythe). But there is also another Swinton vs Rochdale fixture, one rearranged from Round Two. Here’s a reminder of the preds posted in yesterround:

Atomic: Swinton 22-18 Rochdale
Charlie: Swinton 22-18 Rochdale
WLJ: Swinton 12-22 Rochdale
Zools: Swinton 24-22 Rochdale
Bongser: Swinton 18-12 Rochdale

Pubbers & Wanderer were yet to join us at that point and Van the Man wagged it that week to be replaced by –

Jack Diggle: Swinton 22-20 Rochdale

It was, for auld lang syne, the week that Mr Diggle “did a Jack” and that Bongser sympathetically, introduced the attendance point. JD has a chance to lose the commemorative monicker though by picking up historic points should Swinton do the double. Those points will count to the coming week’s scores as will anybody else’s.

Puntables out from Bongser’s little corner of hell post meridian tomorrow.

That was the Week end that was, a rubbish set of predictions and although a game I really enjoyed the result wasn't good.However as usual when in the Promised Land (Blackpool)it is always great, weather very good, spent with a few Carolis,in fact we are STILL here,at Ribby Hall,along with Barney D Dog.

At the game Phil Johnson the owd Leigh player was sat in front of me, then 2 fairly convincing Trannies sat next to him in full make up ,wigs and dresses,it was hilarious to see his face.

Great description as usual of the prediction Comp from Bongser, you Sir are a Star

wouldn't be out of place in the Tower Circus,well hopefully a better preds week this week,remember,Charlie knows,DO YOU?

Not last weekend, Bongser became Manuel!!

CCup Special Puntables (THURSDAY START):

Huddersfield XX-YY Catalans
Leeds XX-YY Leigh
Warrington XX-YY Wigan
Saints XX-YY Hull FC

BBQ: TOTAL number of kicks over the sticks (penalties, conversions and drops all count the same for the purposes of this question. Bang on = 10, within two = 5, within five = 3points.

As it’s a Special, let’s make a few more time capsules:

a) Who will lift this year’s Challenge Cup (team not skipper)?
b) Who will win this year’s SL Grand Final?
c) Who will top the Middle 8’s/Qualifiers at their completion?
d) Who will lose in the MPG?

10 points a pop.

Good Luck!

Huddersfield 22 -12 Catalans
Leeds 16 -22 Leigh
Warrington 14 -24 Wigan
Saints 26 -12 Hull FC

BBQ: TOTAL number of kicks over the sticks 25


a) Who will lift this year’s Challenge Cup St Helens
b) Who will win this year’s SL Grand final Wigan
c) Who will top the Middle 8’s/ Catalans
d) Who will lose in the MPG Toronto

Huddersfield 26 -10 Catalans
Leeds 16 -26 Leigh
Warrington 20 -22 Wigan
Saints 26 -16 Hull FC

=#FF0000barabicu: TOTAL number of kicks over the sticks 28


a) Who will lift this year’s Challenge Cup St Helens
b) Who will win this year’s SL Grand final Wigan
c) Who will top the Middle 8’s/ Hull Kr
d) Who will lose in the MPG Toronto

Huddersfield 16 Catalans 22
Leeds 26 Leigh 22
Wire 18 Wigan 26
Saints 36 Hull 18

Kicks - 30

A - Saints
B - Saints
C - Leigh
D - Toronto

Huddersfield 30 v Cats 16.
Leeds 34 v Leigh 14.
Warrington 26 v Wigan 22.
Saints 32 v Hull 18.


Kicks 32.

Saints
Saints.

Catalans.

Salford.

Canoe man has all the answers.

Huddersfield 26 v Cats 18
Leeds 20 v Leigh 26
Warrington 24 v Wigan 16
Saints 28 v Hull 20


Kicks 29

Saints
Saints.
HKR
Catalan

Huddersfield 26 v Cats 18
Leeds 22 v Leigh 28
Warrington 26 v Wigan 14
Saints 36 v Hull 12


Kicks 30

a) Saints
b) Saints
c) Leigh
d) Salford

Huddersfield 30 -18 Catalans
Leeds 14 -32 Leigh
Warrington 18 -28 Wigan
Saints 42 -12 Hull FC

BBQ: TOTAL number of kicks over the sticks 35


a) Who will lift this year’s Challenge Cup St Helens
b) Who will win this year’s SL Grand final St Helens
c) Who will top the Middle 8’s/ Hull KR
d) Who will lose in the MPG Toronto

Huddersfield 24 Catalans 16
Leeds 32 Leigh 16
Warrington 28 Wigan 18
Saints 32 Hull FC 12

BBQ: TOTAL number of kicks over the sticks - 25

As it’s a Special, let’s make a few more time capsules:

a) Who will lift this year’s Challenge Cup (team not skipper) - Warrington
b) Who will win this year’s SL Grand Final - St Helens
c) Who will top the Middle 8’s/Qualifiers at their completion - Hull KR
d) Who will lose in the MPG - Toronto

Huddersfield 18 Catalans 20
Leeds 20 Leigh 26
Warrington 24 Wigan 20
Saints 30 Hull FC 18

BBQ: TOTAL number of kicks over the sticks - 32

As it’s a Special, let’s make a few more time capsules:

a) Who will lift this year’s Challenge Cup (team not skipper) - Saints
b) Who will win this year’s SL Grand Final - Saints
c) Who will top the Middle 8’s/Qualifiers at their completion - HKR
d) Who will lose in the MPG - Widnes

Oh! It would seem that Batley are playing 'Fax as Bongser types (and it doesn't look good for Batley or Leigh at the mo'.

Historic predictions for this fixture originally scheduled for March 4th:

Pubbers 12-18
LeytherX111 18-18
Cokey 26-18
Charlie 24-18
Zools 16-20
Atomic 32-18
WLJ 12-28
Bongser 16-20
Diggers 14-16
SaBadSel 16-22
Wanderer 16-20

Another staggered weekend, punters.

Thursday saw The Dragons incinerate The Giants. Thursday (whoever he/she is (Heritage Nº13)) apart, the only others to see that coming were Pubbers & Bongser. Pokemon already off for all other participants. Seven kicks o’er t’ sticks in that game (that game, strangely, doesn’t exist in the Beeb’s results section!)

Friday (ahem) saw Wanderer (as Bongser would have predicted) correctly call a Leeds victory. Pubbers kept himself in with a chance of a Poke by going apostate. Charlie also abjured the realm. Any more transgressions will see Bongser impose a fatwap on you!!



Matty was the pot, but other souls were the kettles!


Eleven successful kicks in that one. Despite the efforts of Mr “FitzKendall” (seemingly not of The House of Fraser), the BBQ was still attainable for all.

Saturday saw Wire give the Pies a good filling. Five from nine called it but Pubbers bought a pig in a pokemon. That was the end of that. Four over the crossbar (running total = 22)

We also had Batley beaten by ‘Fax (the latter now up to third in the table – damn their eyes). There were two historic points for Diggers & Sabbers and points for five others. Jack’s prediction was made in the week he scratched but as, technically, the points only count to this week there will be no revision of nomenclature. Jack, unmet mate, it isn’t personal.

Another rearranged fixture on Sunday with a rematch of The Bash meeting of Swinny & ‘Dale.
Reverse of last week. Seems Swinton prefer playing at the seaside. Only WLJ (back in the day) saw that coming.

Finally, the last of the quarter-finals with Saints edging past the holders. All attenders called it, but generally by a wider margin. WLJ again spake it closest, applause but no more points. Kicks o’er t’ sticks = 8.

Total successful kicks = 30. Bonus bang on for Tommers & Pubbers. Ten points each to those venerable gentlemen. Five points apiece for Cokey, Chuckles, Van Warmer & Bongser and three for Zools, WLJ & Wanderer. Ev’ryone a winner. Rum below!!

Pubbers with 19 gets this WWB of 25. Huzzay!!

Standings:

Charlie – 426 (as ever the clap you so richly deserve

)
Atomic – 416
Wanderer – 382
Pubbers – 363
Zools – 330
WLJ – 309
Bongser – 305 (flourishing osier)
Cokey – 279
Vanners – 220
Diggers – 114
LX111 – 98
SBS – 22

Next week’s out maybe tonight, maybe in t’morning (let’s see what Tesco holds in store - sic).

Lots helped lots more!

SATURDAY 2pm start yawl.

Toulouse XX-YY Batley
Trannies XX-YY London

Barrow XX-YY Rochdale
Dewsbury XX-YY Featherstone
Leigh XX-YY Halifax
Sheffield XX-YY Swinton

BBQ: Let's run with an old favourite. State the total of the shirt numbers of the DIFFERENT Leigh scorers vs Fax.

Bonne chance.

Does that include conversions?

You're getting much better at the minutiae, Hocus Cokus.

To answer your question, yup, tries, conversions, penalties & drop goals.

Bongs chance!

... and the points available for the bonus question?
More minutiae

Toulouse 60 - 10 Batley
Trannies 44 - 14 London

Barrow 12 -12 Rochdale
Dewsbury 14 -36 Featherstone
Leigh 36 -10 Halifax
Sheffield 28 -6 Swinton

BBQ: 56

Good point well made, Wanderer (congrats btw for topping the field in the Wire prediction league, lot of predders in that one).

Going with two points for within 10, five points for within five....and..... your stated total if it proves to be bang-on!!! Let's hope for a big pro-Leigh margin.

Toulouse 52 - 10 Batley
Trannies 40 - 24 London

Barrow 26 -12 Rochdale
Dewsbury 14 -36 Featherstone
Leigh 42 -16 Halifax
Sheffield 44 -10 Swinton


BBQ - 54