By LEAGUE WEEKLY
WELL done to Castleford winger Denny Solomona, a young man who has lit up the Super League this year with his terrific try-scoring exploits.
I’m not sure where the lobby for his elevation to England status started, except in that he hasn’t represented New Zealand at senior level and, if he had an English parent or grandparent, would be able to walk through the side door.
But a Kiwi he is, unreservedIy, and a proud one at that. He could feasibly qualify to play for England under the ridiculous residency qualifications – in my terminology through the back door – except that he can’t, because he hasn’t been here long enough.
That aside, Solomona put the lid on the bin last week saying that sure he’d love to play in the forthcoming Four Nations – but against England, for his unadulterated homeland. This is meaningful not just in his patriotism, but in that he says it knowing he’s long odds indeed to get a call up while playing his trade in Super League.
He’s been the form winger of the year in my estimation, and showed real commitment on Thursday night too, playing despite being clearly injured and finishing the game virtually on one leg.
The Kiwis could do far worse than give him a call.
Ridyard has the right stuff
RYAN Brierley is a talented young player with plenty of potential. However when Huddersfield outbid Leeds for his services, I remember thinking very clearly, ‘they’ve got the wrong hall back’.
As impressive as Brierley was in a Leigh shirt while the were dominating the Championship, I thought the pre-eminent midfield force for the Centurions was Martyn Ridyard. He certainly showed ex-Man of Steel Danny Brough a thing or two on Saturday.
Chris Hill provided ample proof that there is an abundance of ability below Super League when he starred for Laugh before convincing Warrington of his merits.
Ridyard, who I was a fan of as an amateur at Leigh Miners, proves that the talent pool runs deeper still, it only some of the elite clubs would bother looking…
