James O’Brien discusses the prospect of a Yorkshire derby in Las Vegas in 2026, while also looking ahead to the White Rose clashes in Super League Round 11 between Hull KR and Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC
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00:00Hello and welcome to the latest York's Post Rugby League podcast, still as yet on the
00:05name, but we will come up with something before the end of the season, I'm sure. I'm joined
00:09as usual by Rugby League writer James O'Brien. I'm going to run through a few things this
00:15week, talk of Vegas and his dreams of getting out there to watch the game between Hull KR
00:21versus Leeds Rhinos. We'll continue in the Hull KR vein, talk about them obviously getting
00:28to Wembley in the Champions Cup final, where they'll face Warrington, and we'll also preview
00:34some of the games coming up involving Yorkshire teams in Super League round 11 this weekend.
00:39But as I say, we'll start in Vegas, James, as I'm sure you hope to, next February. Whether
00:44we'll see you again if you do make it out there is another matter altogether. But great news
00:49and great news for two of Yorkshire's teams. Hull KR taking on Leeds Rhinos, yeah?
00:53Great news, yeah. The news we've all been waiting for, myself included. Although, when
01:00I get out there, that's the big talking point at the moment. Hopefully, fingers crossed,
01:05we can find some room in the budget. That'd be lovely. But yeah, it's great for the two
01:11clubs. A real sign of how far Hull KR have come, that they're going to share the stage
01:16with Leeds, the eight-time Super League champions. As Paul Lakin said himself a few years ago,
01:22that would have been a pipe dream. But now they're in a situation where they can go out
01:25there, not only to play, but as the home team as well, they've given up a home game at
01:31Craven Park to take this match on the road. It's really exciting for Hull KR. And as I say,
01:36the real sign of their progress and Leeds are in on it as well. So we've got a double interest
01:42there. After the North West stole the show this year, it'll be great to get over there
01:47and see two Yorkshire clubs in action. And as Paul Lakin mentioned, again, he spoke
01:53about the benefits and the online reach. I think he said 3.1 billion or something like
01:59that. So they're getting as many eyes on them as they would over multiple seasons,
02:06I guess. And that's part of the benefit, the exposure and obviously just being part of it
02:11as players as well. And you mentioned, if you're trying to attract players for next year,
02:15I know, OK, I've got most of the business done, but if they are looking, they are looking
02:19for a half-black at the moment. And if you could sell Vegas in there as well, as well
02:22as playing in these other big games in this country, at Wembley, Old Trafford, then they're
02:27on to a good thing at the moment.
02:30And I know, obviously, just on the subject of the US and how much of a potentially lucrative
02:36market it is. Obviously, in the past, we've had the likes of Toronto Wolfpack that came
02:43close to going into the top tier over here and what have you. And then that sort of fell
02:48by the wayside. But how likely are we to sort of see a North American-based team become part
02:54of Super League in the future? Or like OKR's Paul Lakin said about Robbins' chances of going
03:01over to the States? Is it just a party dream?
03:05Yeah, I think so. I've been there and done that. We've been burnt in recent years. So
03:10I don't think we'll be hurrying back to that market. It's more about just getting more eyeballs
03:14on the sport over here. And in terms of the TV deal as well, if Vegas is a big success as
03:21it was this year, that TV deal has just been diminishing every time the contract renewal
03:27comes around. So if they can get, they're in a good position now to get what all the
03:32clubs want, a bigger pot of money to share around. I think that's the main thing at the
03:36moment. Yeah.
03:38Yeah, it'd be lovely if we could introduce more clubs from North America and have a proper
03:42go at it this time. But like you say, I think that's a bit of a pipe dream at this moment
03:47in time.
03:48Yeah, yeah. And sticking with OKR, we'll talk about Challenge Cup. A bit of a wobble against
03:55Catalan, but ultimately they came through and they came through comfortably to beat,
03:59I think it was 36-12 on Saturday over at York. You were present for that one. And then
04:05obviously they're going to be facing Warrington in the final at Wembley later this year.
04:11Just firstly on the Catalan's game, again, was it a sort of like another tricky hurdle that
04:17they were able to overcome, whereas perhaps two or three years ago they might have fallen?
04:22Yeah. They did steady themselves because they had that wobble, a 10-minute period, I think
04:27it was. Catalan scored twice and they went ahead. It was a big test of OKR because they
04:33were big favourites. They had virtually the whole crowd behind them at York. It's not a
04:37big crowd, but it was very vocal. So there was a lot of pressure on the shoulders. I'm sure
04:43they weren't thinking about it, but there's the 40-year storyline as well. So there was a lot
04:49going on, but the second half was very impressive, their performance in that second half. They
04:55didn't give Catalan a sniff. They completely suffocated them and they ran out comfortable
04:59winners, as you say. So they're still the favourites for the competition. Nothing's changed
05:04there. Warrington have got good cut pedigree of late in the modern era and they've got a
05:10lot of match winners that OKR will have to be wary of because just look at Mike Snead, what
05:15he did for all I see in the two Challenge Cup finals. And OKR fans won't need reminding
05:21of that. So yeah, it seems set up for someone like that. And they've obviously got George
05:26Williams, who will probably be back by then, even if he's half-fitter. Imagine they're playing.
05:30We've got players like Matt Dufty at full-back and Ashton on the wing as well, who needs to
05:37prove his fitness. But yeah, they've got talent across the park. But OKR should win, but it's
05:44not as simple as that in the big stage, is it? But if they carry on as they are doing,
05:47I don't see no reason why they won't end the fourth year. Wait for a mage trophy as long
05:52as they stay healthy. They've got a few injuries themselves that are going under the radar at
05:58the minute. They're missing some key men out the starting side. So if they can limit the
06:03damage between now and then, June the 7th, then they'll be in a good place to finally get
06:10the other line-up in something. Yeah. More immediately, again, sticking with
06:14OKR, I'm kind of sure people will get off the subject of OKR in a minute. But they are
06:19involved in a couple of Yorkshire derbies this weekend in Super League, round 11, taking
06:26on Huddersfield Giants. But they're coming up against the Huddersfield Giants team who
06:29obviously are feeling positive about themselves on the back of their first ever win against
06:35Full FC, which came two weeks ago. And also, I understand that Luke Robinson should be buoyed
06:43by potentially being close to perhaps what would be his full-strength line-up, something
06:48which he's been denied all season so far because of injuries, etc.
06:52Yeah. I mean, we're speaking before his press conference, but he has basically just said
06:58that around this time, he will start to get his troops back and get towards full strength.
07:03There's been no end here so far this season. So they might be the strongest they've been
07:07this weekend, depending on how they've come through the two-week break.
07:12But yeah, they beat the whole FC last time out of 12-man, the whole FC. So that's a big
07:17confidence boost for them. They desperately needed it. But going to the whole KR is a different
07:23prospect altogether. I guess the one who up for us feel that OKR's minds are distracted.
07:29There's a lot going on at OKR at the moment. It's not just Wembley, it's Vegas and obviously
07:35the form as well. It's been incredible at the moment. And maintaining that all the way
07:40through to Wembley is going to be difficult. I think Willoughby is going to have to manage
07:44his squad, like I mentioned before. They've got a few injuries in key positions. They're
07:48going to have to play some players out of position. So the last thing they need is another
07:51injury in those positions. So there's a lot for OKR to think about.
07:54But they may be distracted even unconsciously. So Huddersfield could go there and take advantage.
08:03But it's highly unlikely, I'd say, having said all that.
08:07Just elsewhere, Wakefield and Cass are both in action on Sunday, both at home.
08:11Wakefield taking on Warrington, Cass taking on Salford.
08:14But before we go, we'll just have a quick look at the other Yorkshire derby that I alluded
08:18to earlier. Leeds playing Hull on Friday, actually.
08:24All care of us take on Huddersfield on Saturday. But on Friday before that, I've got Leeds at
08:30home against WLFC. WLFC obviously smarting from being the first team to lose to Huddersfield.
08:35And also going to Headingley, knowing that a win would take them above Leeds and into fourth
08:40place.
08:41Yeah, it's an interesting match-up. Hull, obviously, start of the season, results-wise,
08:47a really positive start to the season. But the performances weren't quite there. They're
08:52grinding out wins, whereas now they're not doing that. And I guess, not that your luck
08:58runs out, but if you're playing a certain way and you are just getting over the line,
09:02they can't last forever. You need performances to go with that. So they've lost three in a row
09:07now. So here's the big task going to Headingley. Hull's away record has been very good this
09:13season. But there might be a bit of a party atmosphere at Headingley. On the back of the
09:18Vegas announcement, they've got a lot of players coming back. Well, they've got a few more players
09:23coming back this week. So they've pretty much a full-strength lead. So it's not the best of
09:29away days at Hull, but they've been to a lot of good clubs this season already and come away
09:35with the win. So you wouldn't rule them out, but it just seems like Leeds are getting a bit
09:40of momentum at the moment. And I would back them to win this game.
09:44And Leeds, and in Leeds, obviously, Hull FC are coming up against the team who've got the
09:48second-best defensive record in Super League. Something which Brad Arthur has prided himself
09:53or prided he has made a sort of a priority this season, hasn't he? And obviously, the players
09:59have responded to his methods.
10:01Yeah, that's it. Compare them to how they were under Roman Smith and they're a far tougher
10:07nut to crack this season. And that's the foundation of any good side, if you can defend and keep
10:14sides out. And then as the season goes on, if you can improve with the ball, then you're
10:20going to be in great shape at the end of the season. Like you say, they're in the top four
10:23at the moment. They're in a good spot. They've got a great chance to kick on now before the
10:30next break for the Challenge Cup. It's a bit punctuated by breaks the first half of the
10:36season. But once you get past the Challenge Cup final, then it's effectively half the
10:41season running. And then you can really, really get going and pull away from the rest of the
10:45sides. The Leeds haven't finished in the top four since 2017, which is a crazy start if you
10:50consider between 2004 and 2017 they won eight titles and they've not finished in the top four
10:56since. So, if they could clear that hurdle and get in the top four, then you wouldn't
11:01want to play Leeds with Giordano, I think, in the playoff semi-finals. So, yeah, a lot
11:06to look forward to Leeds and Hull as well. If they can go to Adelaide and get a win, it'll
11:11kick us out there soon.