Dwain gets a pizza the action
No quiet night in for Dwain Chambers on the eve of his big Castleford reserves debut. Dwain abandoned his Glasshoughton hotel, where he has been living Alan Partridge style for the past month, for a Saturday night out at the Flying Pizza restaurant in Roundhay in Leeds. No pasta for Dwain, by all accounts. However, I'm not sure about the energy supplying proporties of his Pizza Carmelo, consisting of cheese, ham and mushrooms, sensibly washed down with a Diet Coke. It's chucking it down in Cas this lunchtime. I just hope that pizza's not sitting too heavy Dwain come three o'clock.
* Well, he came on four times, spent 39 minutes in total on the field, touched the ball seven times, made three tackles, assisted in two more and missed three. He also knocked on twice. But, hey, Cas A beat York A 30-16 and the 3,244 crowd were right behind Dwain, who hurt his shoulder late on trying to prevent the former Wakefield Wildcat Mark Applegarth scoring a try. Verdict: unbelievably raw but unbelievably willing. I suspect that's it for Dwain and rugby league. But its been fun.
F.A.O. Griffo. What makes you think that anyone outside Wigan is the least bit interested if that 'three time loser' Barrett is not going to be seeing out his contract? He performed in about half of your games last season, after being feted as the Second Coming, and has gone missing on numerous occasions this season already. No great loss to SL if he does go back to Aus.
Regarding Chambers debut. Appears to have done better than many expected.......but as publicity stunts go, it wasn't a patch on Leigh's signing of MacDonald Bailey in the Fifties.
Signed up in blaze of publicity, his debut was planned, against 'the old enemy', under Leigh's newly installed (and still to be paid for) floodlights. 20k crowd turned up, Leigh beat Wigan, Bailey scores - then immediately retires, and (I imagine) said floodlights are pretty much paid off in one go!!
Now that's how to do it!!
Posted by: Walt Mooney Fan Club | 28 Apr 2008 05:18:13
Hello Griffo,
Below is the link for the Bradford v Wigan match report that was covered on Sunday for The Times by my colleague Tony Hannan.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_league/article3828891.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=3170466
Posted by: Chris Irvine | 27 Apr 2008 23:33:28
hello chris
thankyou for your prompt response but i do actually believe that as an RL journalist on a serious daily newspaper- you and your colleagues should have been at Odsal - Bradford and Wigan will play each other again whether Trent Barratt plays again In superleague seems a more important RL topic than Chambers.
Im not advocating the story be ignored and
I Understand your editor would want something from the Cas Circus perhaps the North of England news correspondent would have been a better choice - as you say its of wider interest than just RL.
its a poor show from RL journos when a big game comes second to what can only be described as a farce - and please dont insult the surrealists, they were artistic geniuses - who painted and created things of beauty - i never had Dwain down as Dali-esque
Posted by: Griffo | 27 Apr 2008 21:32:27
Hello Griffo,
I was at The Jungle today along with just about every other rugby league correspondent. Do you honestly advocate just ignoring this story ? A lot more people would have just cause for complaint if we didn't report his debut (including my sports editor). Believe it or not, there is considerable interest in Dwain Chambers beyond simply rugby league. I would have been failing in my professional duty not to have been there.
Yes, there's a circus element to this - something I have already written about in the paper - but I'll give the guy this: he's guts and showed that today. I suspect that's it in terms of any RL career but ask anyone at Cas and they'll tell you - he gave his all in his month there. I thoroughly enjoyed my one day off from Super League duty to report on this surreal but nonetheless fascinating tale. There'll be other Bradford-Wigan games but not another, I suspect, featuring someone who has clocked 9.97 seconds for the 100 metres.
Posted by: Chris Irvine | 27 Apr 2008 20:51:43
Fair play to the gut he is giving his all.
Posted by: mike oxhard | 27 Apr 2008 20:34:24
i cant believe any journalist worth his salt would have bothered to cover this- let alone one who works for a proper newspaper like The Times.
Chris explain yourself- this reader doesnt pay his money every day to read about circuses- i expect serious sports journalism- this isnt under any circumstances and id suggest that deep down you know that
Posted by: Griffo | 27 Apr 2008 20:24:27
OK Lets give Duane the benefit of the doubt here, he is still here and has been training he will know what to expect, maybe he will do OK Yes he has the pace, it will be down to his positional play and ball skills, maybe he will surprise us all!
The only drawback to this is that he is taking publicity away from the other clubs, I should imagine the Worlds media will be descending on Wheldon Road this afternoon instead of covering the better matches. and yes my name really is Mike Hunt I know the old joke had to live with it all my life!
Posted by: mike Hunt | 27 Apr 2008 12:55:35
Aye lets hope he see a piz'za the action!
Posted by: Bob Martin | 27 Apr 2008 12:44:47