January 2015 ~ InulPoker Learning

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Monaghan succeeds brother as captain

Australian winger Joel Monaghan has been named as elder brother Michael's successor as Warrington Wolves captain.

Monaghan, 32, was Super League's top try scorer last season and is about to start his fifth season with the Wire, having joined after leaving National Rugby League side Canberra in 2010.

He takes over from Michael, who shared the job with Ben Westwood last season.

Michael, 34, retired from playing at the end of last season and will work as an assistant coach at Catalan Dragons.

"Joel's leadership qualities and knowledge of the game made him the stand-out candidate," said Wolves boss Tony Smith.

Joel Monaghan is a former Australian international, winning five caps for the Kangaroos before his move to England

"He's developed as a leader and has become very influential within the group."

England forward Chris Hill, 27, who was linked with a move to the NRL last year before signing a new Wolves deal in July, has been elevated to vice-captain.

Smith hopes relieving Westwood of joint captaincy duties "will will allow him to focus on getting back to his best form we all know he's capable of".

He added: "Ben still remains an influential and integral part of the team's leadership, as do a number of other players who have missed out on the captaincy."

NRL says sorry for swear-word error

Australia's National Rugby League has apologised after publishing players' favourite swear words on its website.

New Zealand star Shaun Johnson, Newcastle Knights skipper Kurt Gidley and Brisbane Broncos forward Sam Thaiday were among those asked to reveal their chosen profanities.

The offending player profiles have been removed from the NRL website.

"This question was inappropriate and the responses should not have been published," read a statement.

"We accept responsibility and removed the articles yesterday."

The profiles had apparently been on the site for several months but were only removed when Australian TV channel Seven News questioned the appropriateness of the content.

The 2015 NRL season begins on 5 March, when the Broncos host defending champions the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Lynch signs Castleford extension

Castleford Tigers prop-forward Andy Lynch has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at the club until the end of the 2016 season.

The 35-year-old returned in 2013 having started his career at Wheldon Road.

It reunited him with assistant coach Danny Orr, with whom he progressed through the ranks in the late 1990s.

"It wasn't a hard decision - I snapped Castleford's hand off. I was just so grateful when Danny approached me last year," he told BBC Radio Leeds.

"Leaving the club all those years ago, I really never imagined I'd come back and finish at home. I feels just like being a little kid again."

Lynch left Cas for Bradford Bulls in 2005 and, on Sunday, they played each other in a pre-season friendly as part of his testimonial year.

In total he has scored 77 tries in 310 Super League appearances during his 16-year career.

Castleford prop Andy Lynch tries to offload the ball against Wakefield during his first spell with the club

Widnes sign Warriors prop Dudson

Super League side Widnes Vikings have signed Wigan Warriors prop Gil Dudson on a two-year deal.

The 24-year-old Wales international joined Wigan in 2012 from Welsh side Crusaders and won the 2013 Challenge Cup and Super League Grand Final.

However, he was restricted to just 15 appearances last season.

"We've been talking about Gil for a number of months and he's a player we have had to be a little bit patient with," said head coach Denis Betts.

"He is big, he's strong, he's got international pedigree, and I think he is young enough to really make a massive mark in the game over the next few years.

"As a club we are ambitious and we think Gil is the right fit to move forward with us as a team."

Cas respect swayed decision - Dixon

Castleford winger Kirk Dixon says his respect for coach Daryl Powell and his team-mates swayed his decision to retire after undergoing neck surgery.

The 30-year-old, who has been with Tigers since 2006, faced a seven-month absence following the operation.

In addition, he had concerns about his long-term welfare on return to fitness.

"I didn't want to sit there for seven months picking up a wage, taking up a spot and not contributing," Dixon told BBC Radio Leeds.

"I've got more respect for the club and the coach and players than that. It is the right decision all round.

"The surgeon's opinion was that I should look where I am in my career and at the risks that are there.

"It was the second neck procedure I'd had and the way the sport is going and the physicality of the sport it would have been tough to come back playing.

"I didn't know if I could give my best knowing what sort of performances I'd put in."

Hull-born Dixon scored 70 tries and 269 goals in 158 top-flight games across 10 years in professional rugby league, in addition to passing the 1,000-point mark for Cas in all competitions.

His input from wing or centre helped restore Castleford's place in Super League during his first campaign at Wheldon Road, while his last season brought a 2014 Challenge Cup final appearance - their first visit to Wembley in 22 years - and the Super League play-offs.

Since making the decision to retire public, fellow players such as Brett Ferres, Richie Mathers and Nick Youngquest have sent messages of support, as have fans and media.

"The support I've had has been overwhelming, on social media, texts and calls - it's been quite humbling," added Dixon.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, it'll hit me more when the boys run out against Wakefield and not being able to put that shirt on is quite sad, it's all I've known for the last nine years."

Kelly takes England Academy post

Kelly has been involved with young talent in his role as RFL performance coach in the north east.

Former Ireland boss Andy Kelly has been appointed England Academy team coach, after Richard Marshall stepped down to focus on his role at Halifax.

Kelly, 54, currently works as head of youth at Huddersfield Giants, having previously been Rugby Football League performance coach in the north east.

He took Ireland to the 2008 World Cup and has also coached Wakefield and Gateshead at professional level.

"It's an absolute honour to be appointed," Kelly said.

"It is a role that comes with a great deal of responsibility. Richard Marshall did a great job in last year's series against Australia so the bar is set and we need to push on again.

Kelly's Ireland side won Pool Three at the 2008 World Cup but were knocked out by Fiji.

"My tenure will begin with time spent looking at the performances against Australia and getting some good insight into the culture of the Academy players in their own club environment. We need to build a squad with the skills, resilience and toughness to consistently compete."

RFL Director of Performance and Coaching Jon Roberts said: "Andy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the professional game, both as an international player and coach.

"His coaching and management skills in developing our elite young players stood him apart from all other candidates."

It was a try 100% - pundits react

"It was one of the most important moments in England rugby league international history. It was a try - 100%."

Four Nations: England still believe in final despite Australia loss

That is the view of former England international Jon Wilkin after Ryan Hall's last-minute 'try' was ruled out as Australia defeated England 16-12 on Sunday.

It left England needing to beat New Zealand by 10 points to guarantee reaching the Four Nations final.

That it is not as simple as it sounds. New Zealand, who dramatically beat England in last year's World Cup semi-final, have a 100% record in the tournament after beating Australia and Samoa in their opening two games.

Wilkin and former England international Paul Sculthorpe, along with ex-New Zealand half-back Robbie Hunter-Paul, analyse England's performance against the Kangaroos and assess whether they can reach the final on 15 November.

Hall's try was not given by video referee Bernard Sutton. The England winger got on the end of Liam Farrell's kick and seemed to touch down but Sutton ruled the ball had bounced up on to his fingers, meaning Hall had not applied downward pressure.

Wilkin: "The referee said the ball was on the upward and that is what has forced the finger up but I disagree with him. At full speed it does not look like a try but when you slow it down it does.

Hall seemed to touch the ball down but the try was not given.

"But as a player there's nothing you can do. In rugby what sets us apart is that we just get on with it. There will be no whinging to the referee. But the lads will think that it is a difficult decision to take."

Sculthorpe: "England have been hard done by. Ryan Hall's touching the ball on the way down - that's grounded. The ball is on the floor, you can see the finger go up - there is pressure on the ball. As a player you're watching the replay and you have to think you've scored. Some days those go for you, sometimes they don't. Today it didn't go for England."

Hunter-Paul: "I think Hall is intentionally trying to ground the ball, that's the only reason why he has thrown his arm forward. And by that rationale the ball is going down and the little finger is on it. That is a try. The fact Ryan Hall has reached forward is to try to get a hand on the ball."

Sculthorpe: "Yes. With the way they played in the first half, England were convincingly the best team and led 12-4 at the break. But fair credit to Australia they came back and changed the way they played after the break by taking off one of the big guys and bringing on Ben Hunt. Australia speeded the play-the-ball up and England stopped doing what they did best, playing quick and going in numbers. You could see the momentum change in the game.

"We have been here several times before - England playing well but Australia nicking a win. England were in front and shut up shop. It took until the last five minutes for England to get back playing again and get on the front foot.

"England will go back to their training camp, look back at the video and regret switching off. They knew the game was there for the taking."

25 October: England 32-26 Samoa

25 October: Australia 12-30 New Zealand

1 November: New Zealand 14-12 Samoa

2 November: Australia 16-12 England

8 November: New Zealand v England (Dunedin, New Zealand)

9 November: Australia v Samoa (Wollongong, Australia)

15 November: Final (Wellington, New Zealand)

Hunter-Paul: "In that opening 40 minutes England were moving the ball around and moving the Australia defence around. They were tiring out that Kangaroos defence, but in the second half they just tried to punch holes and play very safe. You can't do that against Australia."

Wilkin: "Australia had the majority of possession in the second half - that was the difference. Australia controlled the game, got on the front foot, chose the right kicks and slowed the game down at the right times.

"That allowed Australia to strangle England. I've played for England when Australia are strangling you and it's nearly impossible to change."

Sculthorpe: "Yes they can. They will take a lot of confidence from Sunday's performance because they know Australia were there for the taking. They've got to do what they did well against the Kangaroos - play quick on the Kiwis and pressure Shaun Johnson. He's their talisman and England must stop him playing.

"Australia have always been the number one team in the world and the way England shut up shop maybe showed there is a mental block playing against them. That's something they've never had against the Kiwis."

The 2014 tournament is the fourth edition of the Four Nations and sees Australia, New Zealand, England and Samoa taking part.

France, Papua New Guinea and Wales featured alongside the 'big three' in previous editions. Samoa secured their place by beating Fiji in a play-off.

The teams play each other once in the pool stage with the top two nations going through to the final on 15 November.

Australia beat England in the 2009 and 2011 finals, but lost to New Zealand in the 2010 showpiece.

Wilkin: "It's going to be difficult because I think New Zealand are the best team in the competition. But of course England can win. England need a complete performance, long gone are days when New Zealand are just a big, robust team with not much structure around them. With Johnson and Kieran Foran they've got best two half-backs in the competition. Stopping their effectiveness is crucial."

Hunter-Paul: "New Zealand are definitely beatable. I think the Samoans proved that in running them so close on Saturday before losing 14-12. New Zealand still have a long way to go before they are the finished article.

"It is more of a daunting task playing Australia on Australian soil than it is playing New Zealand on New Zealand soil. They have been able to scalp New Zealand recently and that will be a big bonus for them."

Wilkin: "The key players will have to be aware of it because should it come to it, they need to know where they stand. First and foremost, Steve McNamara will be talking about performance but they will have strategies in place should it be a tight game."

Sculthorpe: "Last year's 20-18 World Cup semi-final defeat by the Kiwis was heartbreaking. I wouldn't say revenge is on the players' minds, but it will have taught them that they are capable of beating the Kiwis. That can spur them on."

Hunter-Paul: "At international level you don't have revenge on your mind. The class of athlete that you are going up against, the dynamic of ability out there, puts a different swing on the match.

"The World Cup semi-final will play a part and England will be desperate to right the wrongs of the Australia match."

23 November 2013: New Zealand 20-18 England

12 November 2012: England 28-6 New Zealand

23 October 2010: New Zealand 24-10 England

7 November 2009: England 20-12 New Zealand

15 November 2008: England 22-36 New Zealand

Thunder confirm move to Newcastle

Gateshead Thunder have rebranded as Newcastle Thunder, returning professional rugby league to the city for the first time since 1938.

As part of the change, Thunder have applied to Newcastle City Council to make Kingston Park their home ground.

The switch comes after Newcastle Rugby Limited, owned by Falcons rugby union chairman Semor Kurdi took over the rugby league side in May.

"It was a commonsense step," managing director Keith Christie told BBC Sport.

"We're keen to make sure we don't forget our birthplace in Gateshead, but we have to ensure we move forward and unfortunately that means changing the name."

Thunder play in Championship League One - two steps below the top-flight. The side previously played in the Super League as Gateshead in 1999.

Christie said one of the club's priorities would now be to build up the fan base.

"We always want fans to come and it's a business decision we've taken to move here," he added.

The Rugby Football League has approved the name change.

Challenge Cup first-round draw made

National Conference Premier League champions West Hull have been drawn at home to Thatto Heath in the first round of the 2015 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.

Runners-up Wath Brow will face the Army away, while the Royal Navy welcome Saddleworth Rangers and the Royal Air Force host Siddal.

RFL Challenge Trophy runners-up East Leeds, who lost to West Hull, play Cumbrian side Kells.

Ties will be played on the weekend of 31 January-1 February 2015.

The bottom four Super League teams in 2014 enter the competition in round five with the top eight from last season joining in round six.

Loughborough University v Hunslet Warriors

Oulton Raiders v Scarborough Pirates

Normanton Knights v Myton Warriors

Royal Navy v Saddleworth Rangers

East Leeds v Kells

Great Britain Police v Rochdale Mayfield

The Army v Wath Brow

Egremont Rangers v Wigan St Judes

Nottingham Outlaws v Blackbrook

Widnes West Bank v South West London Chargers

Shaw Cross Sharks v York Acorn

Royal Air Force v Siddal

Valley Cougars v Leicester Storm

Hull Dockers v Leigh Miners Rangers

Elland v Leeds Beckett University

Featherstone Lions v Queens

Lock Lane v Sharlston Rovers

Walney Central v Hunslet Parkside

Skirlaugh v Aberdeen Warriors

West Hull v Thatto Heath

Warrington announce Crusaders link

Super League side Warrington Wolves have announced a dual-registration partnership with League One side North Wales Crusaders.

The deal will mean Warrington's players who are not in the matchday squad will get game time at the Welsh side.

In return, the Crusaders will get the use the Wolves' training and medical facilities throughout the season.

"We're teaming up with them this year," Wire head coach Tony Smith told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"All players will be registered with North Wales so anybody who is not able to make the first team for us will have an opportunity to play for them.

"It's logical. They're not far down the road and it's an area of the country that we're very closely associated with.

Richard Agar was in charge of the France team that reached the 2013 World Cup quarter final

"We're really pleased to have that partnership going and looking forward to developing that partnership over the coming years."

As well as signing Ashton Sims, Daryl Clark and Gary Wheeler for the 2015 season, Smith has added former Wakefield boss Richard Agar as his first-team coach.

Agar, who also had a stint as head coach at Hull FC, replaced Richard Marshall and Willie Poching, who left the Wolves at the end of last term.

"For a quality coach like Richard to join our staff is a great coup for the club," added Smith, 47.

"He's very experienced at head coaching, to be able to come here and be able to support me and the team in the way that he's settled in has been fantastic.

"We've been mates for a number of years and we respect each other. We knew that working together wouldn't be an issue and its been fantastic for both of us."

Wigan's Burgess to play in Australia

Wigan Warriors winger Joe Burgess will join Australian National Rugby League side Sydney Roosters at the end of the 2015 Super League season.

General manager Kris Radlinski confirmed Burgess' exit at a fan forum.

"We did everything we could but he wants to experience the Sydney lifestyle," said Radlinski.

Burgess, 20, scored a try in Wigan's Grand Final defeat by St Helens and was selected in England's squad for the end-of-season Four Nations tournament.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old prop Ryan Sutton and 22-year-old half-back Sam Powell have agreed four-year contracts with the Warriors, who begin the new campaign with an away fixture at Widnes on 5 February.

Wolves prop Wood joins Featherstone

Championship side Featherstone Rovers have signed Warrington Wolves prop Paul Wood on a two-year deal.

Wood made 339 Super League appearances for the Wire and helped them to three Challenge Cup final wins.

He made international headlines in 2012 after playing on in the Grand Final after suffering a ruptured testicle which later had to be removed.

"I wanted a new challenge after being at Warrington for a long time," Wood told BBC Radio Leeds.

"After I spoke to the guys here it was an easy decision to make because I could see the passion that they have and the ambition they have to get to Super League.

"My desire is still there and that was part of why I wanted to leave. I've trained with the lads here and hopefully we can have a good year."

Saints return feels like home - Long

St Helens coach Sean Long says his return to the Super League champions has felt like coming "home."

The 38-year-old, who spent 13 seasons as a player with Saints, rejoined the club in November on a two-year deal.

The former Great Britain scrum-half had two spells at Salford before returning to Langtree Park, as well as coaching roles at London Broncos and Samoa.

"I'm loving here back here at Saints and great to be back home really," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"I've spent a while at different clubs and different places and it's been difficult, I'll level with you.

"It's great to be back and it just feels like a seamless transaction to just come back here to the team.

St Helens head coach Keiron Cunningham played alongside Sean Long for 13 years

"For me the standard at this club, no disrespect, is a lot better than other places I've been to."

Long enjoyed a successful playing career in Super League with Wigan, Widnes, St Helens and Hull FC, and also had a spell in rugby union at Preston Grasshoppers.

With no specific role set out when he returned to Saints, Long explained that part of his role was to help identify potential first-teamers of the future.

"I'll work with the kids on a Monday night, the under-19s, just trying to bring talent through," he added.

"But also I'll work with the half-backs individually, I'll take them for 15 minutes of a session and work with them - and then I'll do the kicking as well.

Workington sign Wolves prop Walker

Workington Town have signed prop Tom Walker from Warrington Wolves for the 2015 Championship season, although the Super League side have first option on his transfer once the deal ends.

Walker, 20, was with the Town academy before his switch to the Halliwell Jones Stadium in 2011.

He failed to make a Super League appearance for the Wolves, but did win the Under-20s Championship.

The front-rower was named in the England academy squad for 2013.

Town, coached by former St Helens full-back Phil Veivers - a former Salford head coach - have already signed Latu Fifita and Wigan's Jack Murphy.

Wilkin takes on Saints captaincy

Super League champions St Helens have announced Jon Wilkin will replace Paul Wellens as captain.

The 31-year-old joined Saints from Hull KR in 2002, but missed last season's Grand Final with a shoulder injury.

The second-rower takes over from 34-year-old full-back Wellens who led the club to the League Leaders' Shield and Grand Final double last season.

"Paul will support Jon and will still be part of our leadership group," said head coach Keiron Cunningham.

Wilkin has previous captaincy experience, having led England in the 2012 series against the Exiles, and is looking forward to doing the job at Langtree Park.

"To follow on from Paul Wellens and Keiron Cunningham - iconic players - comes with a lot of responsibility and pride," he told the club website.

Wilkin lead the England team in 2012 when they faced an Exiles team in Huddersfield

"The exciting thing for me was that the pages of history for this club going forward are blank. They are yet to be populated with wins, trophies and images.

"So as captain, sitting alongside Keiron, moving forward I am looking forward to filling those up.

Cunningham confirmed that Wellens, who signed a new one-year deal at the end of last season, still had an important role to play.

"When I was playing we always had four or five captains on and off the field and that is no different here," he added.

"Paul is still around the playing squad and will play. He is heavily involved with the club and will around for a long time. It is good to have a player of his stature here."

Workington sign Australian Horton

Workington Town have signed Australian second-row forward Kurt Horton from New South Wales Cup side Mounties for the 2015 Championship season.

Horton, 23, played at Under-20 level for National Rugby League side Penrith Panthers before joining Mounties.

He helped the Mount Pritchard club to the Ron Massey Cup final in October, but earned a three-match ban for his role in a first-half brawl.

In addition, he played 12 games in the NSW Cup, winning seven.

Town have already signed former Northern Pride forward Latu Fifita, Tom Walker and Jack Murphy.

Wales RL international dies, aged 40

Paul Morgan, left, in action for Wales Dragonhearts. As well as both codes of rugby, he played cricket for Pencoed CC

Wales rugby league international Paul Morgan has died at the age of 40 after a short illness.

Wing Morgan won two caps for Wales against Ireland and France in 2005.

He played rugby union for London Welsh and made 91 appearances for Aberavon before switching codes and playing 30 times for Celtic Crusaders.

"Paul always saw that the glass was half full and never half empty," said former Aberavon and Celtic Crusaders chief executive Chris O'Callaghan.

"He was an excellent servant of Aberavon RFC and a key player during a highly successful period in the club's history.

"His time in rugby league saw him win two full caps for his country and help the Celtic Crusaders achieve an unprecedented rise to Super League status.

"He will be missed by his family, his colleagues, former team-mates, and many friends."

Ashes defeat still hurts - Peacock

Leeds Rhinos prop Jamie Peacock says he still thinks about Great Britain's 3-0 series loss to Australia in 2003.

Peacock is one of the most decorated players in rugby league having won eight Super Leagues, four World Club Challenges and three Challenge Cups.

At the end of the 2015 season, the 37-year-old will retire with few regrets.

Peacock 'can't believe' his longevity

"That 2003 Ashes. To be winning every game with five minutes left, it really sticks with me what an opportunity lost that was," he told BBC Radio Leeds.

The trio of defeats by Australia proved to be the last Ashes series played between the two nations, and extended the Lions' winless run to 33 years.

Since then, Peacock has been on the winning side against Australia in Test matches, winning in the 2004 Tri-series in Wigan and, most notably, helping Brian Noble's touring side to a 23-12 victory in the 2006 Tri-Series in Sydney - the first win against the Kangaroos down under since 1992.

1996: Signs professional forms with Bradford

2000: Wins Challenge Cup and first of 21 England caps

2001: Wins first of 26 Great Britain caps

2003: Wins Super League Man of Steel award

2005: Joins Leeds having won three Super Leagues, two Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges

2012: Is awarded an MBE, and retires from international rugby

2014: Announces he will retire at the end of 2015

Domestically, Leeds-born Peacock was part of the Bradford Bulls side that dominated Super League in the early 2000s, and his boyhood team have enjoyed similar supremacy since he switched camps.

His testimonial match is being held between the two sides on 25 January, for whom he has made a combined 278 league appearances.

"I was fortunate to be part of a brilliant Bulls team and remember doing my book in 2008 thinking I'd do another couple of seasons," he explained.

"I wouldn't have believed when I signed at Bradford in 1996, I'd still be playing 20 seasons later."

Left to right is Jamie Peacock for Bradford in 1999, England in 2010 and Leeds in 2014

England can 'flower into something special'

If you walked into the England dressing room moments after their 16-14 defeat by New Zealand, you would immediately be swamped by a feeling of frustration lingering in the air.

That's the view of former England skipper Jamie Peacock as Steve McNamara's side stare Four Nations elimination in the face.

Steve McNamara 'frustrated' by defeat

England dominated the Kiwis for large periods without having the killer instinct to translate that into points. And it was the same story against Australia just six days earlier.

Those narrow defeats mean England will not meet the Kiwis again in next Saturday's final - unless Samoa beat Australia by eight points or less on Sunday.

Leeds Rhinos forward Peacock, former England international Jon Wilkin and ex-New Zealand half-back Robbie Hunter-Paul analyse England's performance in the Four Nations and assess what the future holds between now until the 2017 World Cup.

Dan Sarginson was not selected for the first game against Samoa, but has done wonderfully well against Australia and New Zealand

Peacock: "England created numerous opportunities to score but they weren't clinical enough. It's been a long time since they have played down under and not looked out of place. England have been competitive and not just hanging on in games, they have been dominating games without winning."

Hunter-Paul: "England played for the full 80 minutes against the Kiwis - moving the ball, moving in numbers and using those numbers to create space and opportunities. They could have been more clinical with their final passes but I'm extremely optimistic about where this young team is going.

"There's something special about this England squad that we may see flower over the next few years."

Peacock: "If England don't get to the final then they will feel it is a missed opportunity.

"There will be a feeling of frustration inside that England changing room. Frustration because they have not managed to win one of games against Australia or New Zealand when they should have done.

"And, if they don't get there, it will be a final that they will not want to watch because as a player you think 'we should be there, I should be playing in this'. I don't think the players will be sat watching the game in their team hotel - it hurts too much."

"Steve has made a lot of right decisions and the team is growing," says Jamie Peacock

Hunter-Paul: "In the short-term he is the right man. I've garnered a lot of confidence from what Steve has done in this tournament. After last week's defeat by Australia he has responded well. He shook the team up and I liked his game plan. New Zealand and Australia took their opportunities and turned them into points - they were the only differences."

Peacock: "No. I think Steve has done well because England have been in transition. Over the past few years he's lost senior players like myself, Adrian Morley, Gareth Ellis, Keith Senior and Jon Wilkin. And they were still 30 seconds from making a World Cup final last year.

"Since then they've lost the world's best player in Sam Burgess and their captain Kevin Sinfield. But they were a hair's breadth away from beating Australia and New Zealand. They've still looked highly competitive and like they deserve to be in the same arena as Australia and New Zealand. They don't have to go back to the drawing board and reinvent the wheel.

"Steve's made a lot of right decisions and the team is growing. Now the 2015 Autumn home series against New Zealand is a must win for Steve."

Wilkin: "As a group you learn to win together. When you're with a group of people for a long time you understand what it takes to win games in pressure situations. Leeds Rhinos have been masters of that for a number of years. They can sense when a game is on a knife edge and tip it in their favour.

"England have not tipped the crucial games in their favour for a long time. It is almost like performance anxiety. England think too much towards the back end of games and try to do things differently."

25 October: England 32-26 Samoa

25 October: Australia 12-30 New Zealand

1 November: New Zealand 14-12 Samoa

2 November: Australia 16-12 England

8 November: New Zealand 16-14 England

9 November: Australia v Samoa (Wollongong, Australia)

15 November: Final (Wellington, New Zealand)

Peacock: "The more times you're involved in close games, the more on-field battle experience you have, you tend to work out as a player what you need to do to win games. If you're winning by six points with five minutes to play, or if you're six points behind with five to go, you think 'how do we have to play to see this out?'

"It is a learned experience and one which we developed over the years at Leeds. But the older players also have to use their experience to tell the younger players. There's no 'Eureka' moment - you develop a feeling for what needs doing over time."

Hunter-Paul: "Developing that winning experience is about bedding in with the players around you. That comes with a mixture of training, playing and bonding together - you've got to get the balance right. Steve McNamara has done a good job of getting the players to buy into that unified family of England - 'we are Team England'.

"Keeping the crux of the group together allows the players to develop appreciation of one another and things start to become natural and they read each other better. That was the good thing when my brother Henry and I played together for New Zealand - I knew innately when he was going to make a break or put himself in position for an offload. His body language used to change - he used to get a little more excited. So I just headed north because most of time he got a break, put me in and I got all the glory!"

Peacock: "There is definite progression. I look back to when I was playing at the 2008 World Cup and we were a million miles away from beating Australia and New Zealand. This side isn't. They have progressed to a point where I think they will be winning these close games in the next couple of years. It's the smallest margins separating them and they can get them right."

The 2014 tournament is the fourth edition of the Four Nations and sees Australia, New Zealand, England and Samoa taking part.

France, Papua New Guinea and Wales featured alongside the 'big three' in previous editions. Samoa secured their place by beating Fiji in a play-off.

The teams play each other once in the pool stage with the top two nations going through to the final on 15 November.

Australia beat England in the 2009 and 2011 finals, but lost to New Zealand in the 2010 showpiece.

Hunter-Paul: "If this tournament has not been proof then I don't know what is. England have done that with a young side, not a team of old heads on their last hurrah. You can't buy a forward pack like England have got. You can have the best full-back and halves in the world but without forwards they can't do a thing. It is a golden era of forwards for England."

Wilkin: "It is but I believe the Australia and New Zealand players are silkier and more skilful in the crucial moments of games. That's what sets the teams apart at the moment."

Man of Steel Daryl Clark has made an impressive contribution to England on his first tour

Peacock: "They will be huge contenders if they learn from this experience down under. The majority of the squad are going to be at that World Cup in Australia and New Zealand - most are under 30 now and they will have three years more experience then.

"Players like Sam Tomkins, who now have World Cup and Four Nations experience, need to realise they are now leaders. I remember coming to that point in my career - you realise you're not a junior player any more, you're a senior player. That realisation comes from within yourself and that your role in the team has changed. If you've got the ability to analyse yourself you have the ability to step up and change your behaviour.

"England will also learn from this experience of going on tour down under. It's difficult as an England player there - it's a completely different feel to everything. The pitch, the food, the hotels, the environment, smells - everything is different. And your body and brain has to get used to that."

Hunter-Paul: "I think England are on the right track - and it is exciting. Those, like Daryl Clark and Dan Sarginson, who have made their debuts on this tour have not looked out of place. In fact it is quite the opposite - they have brought the X Factor.

"What they will bring back from the Four Nations is immeasurable. Those will come back knowing they can mix it with the world's best - your mentality as a player changes after that.

"At first you go out there and think 'ooh I'm playing against the big scary Australians'. But, for example, I went down there in my first Test, took a left foot step and split them. Then I thought 'this is the best Australia have got and I've split them'.

"Those things play on your mind and that's the psychology of great players at that level of competition. Once you have set that platform in an international arena it is hard to come back down."

Head coach Betts commits to Widnes

Head coach Denis Betts has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him with Widnes Vikings until 2017.

The ex-Great Britain forward took over in 2010 and has helped the club progress year-on-year since they returned to Super League in 2012.

Betts, 45, led Widnes to their first-ever Super League play-offs last season, where they lost to Warrington.

"I am committed to the club and my belief is that we are growing something that's really special," said Betts.

"Although we've done a great deal of work I feel that we've got so much more to do.

"We have sown the seeds to make things work really well. We've got a really good foundation and we've got lots of good people here."

Chief executive James Rule believes the former Wigan forward has laid plans that will continue to help the club grow.

"His work ethic, philosophies and leadership have shaped an exceptional performance department across playing personal, coaching and medical staff," he said.

"As a board of directors we are delighted to reward Denis with his contract extension and are hugely excited to work with him as we continue to grow, evolve and improve in all aspects of our operation."

Hull KR captaincy excites Campese

Hull KR half-back Terry Campese says he "loves" the added pressure that comes from being captain.

The 30-year-old, who joined Rovers from Canberra Raiders in the off-season, has been chosen to captain the team after filling the same role at the NRL side.

"I'm very excited about the role I've been given and I'm very excited for 2015," he told the club website.

"I love leading the boys out and I can't wait to get out there and play for the home crowd."

He added: "Being captain does come with added pressure because people expect you to lead the team every week, so it will be a big challenge."

The Robins finished ninth in Super League last season, four points outside the play-off places.

Campese is looking forward to making his debut for the club in Sunday's friendly against cross-city rivals Hull FC.

"I can't wait for the derby. It's only a friendly but I'm sure there'll be some fireworks," he said.

"The majority of the squad will play in that game so I'm counting down for it."

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2014: Five talking points for F1's season-ending race

And then, stood in front of his slightly vulgar, red private jet, he wrote of being “just a kid from the UK that had a dream”.

Six seasons on from his first championship, Hamilton finally has a chance to add the second title many thought would follow years ago. He has driven brilliantly all year and there should be little to stop him finishing second.

For a reminder of the permutations, here is what he needs to do:

Scenario one: If Rosberg wins in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton needs second to clinch the title. With single points he would have required just sixth.

Scenario two: If Rosberg comes second, Hamilton needs fifth to win the championship. Ordinarily, he would need tenth.

Scenario three: If Rosberg finishes third, Hamilton requires sixth. In any other year, he would not have needed to finish in the points.

Scenario four: If Rosberg comes fourth, Hamilton needs eighth place.

Scenario five: If Rosberg finishes fifth, Hamilton has to finish ninth.

Abu Dhabi the perfect setting for F1’s double point debut

The glamour of Abu Dhabi seems to suit double points perfectly. The madness of the venue – it’s enormous, and almost absurdly glitzy – matches F1’s decision to go down such a fabricated path.

But as noted in some excellent analysis by Autosport magazine noted that the chances are it will not play too big a part.

Only once this year has there been a result that if replicated in Abu Dhabi would give Rosberg the title on account of double points. That was Germany, where Rosberg won, and Hamilton fought his way up to third from the very back.

Does this mean it won’t dominate the narrative? No, because while there’s a danger of double points playing a decisive role, it is something to worry about.

Bianchi makes heart-warming progress but Marussia fall at the final hurdle

The sign over the entrance to the Abu Dhabi paddock, offering a message of support for Jules Bianchi, seemed fitting given the positive news surrounding his condition.

In parallel, Bianchi’s Marussia team were hopeful of making a remarkable comeback. When the administrators announced the team was no longer trading, with all 200 staff made redundant (not to mention that they would not be in Abu Dhabi), few, including myself, gave them any chance of making it to the final race.

An investor must have been interested enough to provide the three million or so pounds required to make it to the race, but late on Wednesday night it emerged that their bid had failed. The entry for next year is still valid but the £500,000 fee needs to be paid by the end of the month.

Marussia now cannot defend their ninth-place in the constructors’ championship in Abu Dhabi. They are there because of Bianchi’s memorable points in Monaco.

N.B. Caterham put out a press release on Thursday morning thanking the fans. It amusingly described Finbarr O’Connell, the team’s administrator, as team principal.

More rancour on the cards

The decision of Bob Fernley, Force India’s deputy team principal, to use the word “cartel” in a letter to Bernie Ecclestone this week had a clear motivation: alert the European Union to try and persuade them to independently dip their cumbersome tentacles into Formula One.

In his letter, seen by Telegraph Sport, Fernley writes: “Furthermore, the impact of providing various share options to key people and entities [this is a clear reference to the FIA, motorsport’s governing body] may well have clouded their judgement in respect of creating what is effectively a questionable Cartel comprising, the Commercial Rights Holder, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Williams, controlling both the governance of Formula One and apparently, the distribution of FOM [Formula One Management] funds.

Unsurprisingly, Ecclestone said the use of the word “cartel” was absurd, but it sets up what will be another tense series of meetings this weekend.

Button’s non-farewell farewell

Unless there is a dramatic change of heart at McLaren, this Sunday Jenson Button will start a Formula One race for the final time. That Button, the team, and his fans, will not be able to enjoy a proper valedictory farewell is a stain on the McLaren name.

Of course, as David Coulthard pointed out to me in McLaren’s case, drivers are like “light bulbs”. However, Button deserves better. He has been with the team for five seasons and stuck with them despite offers elsewhere, toiling away over the last two years in poor machinery.

A world champion, with more experience than any of his contemporaries – who is also a massive team player – should be given a proper send-off. As it is, Ron Dennis’s dithering means he won’t. It is symptomatic of the kind of indecision over recent years which has seen them slide away from the front of the grid.

Marussia ceases trading and makes all 200 staff redundant

Formula One’s financial crisis turned from the sorrowful to the surreal last night, as Marussia went bust, making 200 staff redundant, while Caterham launched an extraordinary bid to raise £2.35 million by next Friday through fan donations.

It just so happened that the company appointed to help ‘crowd source’ the funds – Crowdcube – use Caterham’s administrators – Smith & Williamson – as their accountants. F1 has a bizarre way of bringing things full circle. Seasoned observers and cynics sensed something was amiss.

In their history Crowdcube have raised £42.3 million for 158 business; a hit rate of just £265,000, almost 10 times less than they need and in a phenomenally short space of time. The chances of Caterham and Marussia making it to Abu Dhabi and beyond seem to be nil.

The latter confirmed on Friday they would not be making it to the final race, missing out on a possible £27 million of prize money. There were teary farewells at their factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire, particularly as the management had been optimistic of a rescue deal in recent days. The freight was packed for Abu Dhabi and everything was ready to go. The 200 highly-skilled workers will now have to look for jobs elsewhere.

Sources indicated it was a case of “never say never”, but Marussia are an even less attractive proposition now than they were before Friday’s announcement. The entry for 2015 is lodged, under the name Manor, yet it would take a miracle for the team to survive.

The team owe Ferrari £18 million for engines, and have debts totalling £31 million. There were at least two serious potential investors in play but the money owed was enough to scare them off.

It is a particularly sorry time for the team founded by Richard Branson in 2010 to fold. Their driver Jules Bianchi – who scored their only points in Monaco this year – remains in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital. Grame Lowdon and John Booth, the team’s sporting director and team principal, will visit Bianchi in Yokkaichi, Japan, in the coming weeks.

Marussia rubbish claims they ordered Jules Bianchi to ignore safety measures before crash

The Marussia Formula One team have rubbished media reports that Jules Bianchi and team officials ignored safety measures before the horrific crash that left the Frenchman fighting for his life in Japan.

The 25-year-old collided with a recovery vehicle during the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this month.

Marussia issued a statement on Wednesday vehemently denying that he had failed to slow down when marshals waved double yellow flags after Adrian Sutil's Sauber had skidded off at the same spot in heavy rain.

The team also angrily rejected claims made by Germany's Sport Bild magazine citing "new information" that team officials had ordered Bianchi to speed up in order to stay ahead of Caterham's Marcus Ericsson at Suzuka.

"The Marussia F1 Team is shocked and angered by these allegations," a statement read.

"At a time when its driver is critically ill in hospital, and the team has made clear that its highest priority is consideration for Jules and his family, it is distressed to have to respond to deeply upsetting rumours and inaccuracies in respect of the circumstances of Jules' accident."

Bianchi was rushed to a local hospital after his sickening accident and underwent emergency brain surgery. He remains in a stable but critical condition, with his family continuing to hold a vigil by his bedside.

"These allegations are entirely false," added Marussia.

"Regarding point 1, Jules did slow down under the double waved yellow flags. That is an irrefutable fact, as proven by the telemetry data, which the team has provided to the FIA.

"Regarding point 2, an audio copy of the full radio transmission between Jules and the team, and a written transcript, were provided to the FIA.

"It is quite clear from the transmission and the transcript that at no point during the period leading up to Jules' accident did the team urge Jules to drive faster or make any comments suggesting that he should do so."

Race director Charlie Whiting has said Bianchi did slow down as required, without specifying by how much. Waved yellow flags mean drivers must slow and be prepared to stop if necessary.

Formula One is considering imposing automatic speed limits as part of future safety measures to avoid a repeat of Bianchi's accident.

Caterham ready to stage dramatic comeback at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - and Marussia could be back soon too

Caterham are on the verge of making a remarkable comeback, with hopes high that they will race in the final round of the year in Abu Dhabi on Nov 23. There is also renewed optimism surrounding the fate of Marussia, who are desperately working on a rescue deal with their freight packed for the season finale.

Many in Formula One had thought that neither team – particularly Caterham – would return after they went into administration with mounting debts. Caterham, whose staff have been locked out of their factory in Leafield, Oxfordshire, owe about £15?million. Marussia are behind on payments to Ferrari for their engines.

Finbarr O’Connell, the administrator for Caterham, struck an upbeat tone yesterday. “We are now extremely hopeful that we will be going to Abu Dhabi,” he said. “I think I’ve got enough confidence now to say I’d be very surprised if we were not racing in Abu Dhabi. We are making arrangements to go to Abu Dhabi as we speak.”

The administrators for Marussia have not made any public comment since they took over the team, but the 200 staff in Banbury, Oxfordshire, are no longer being paid. Graeme Lowdon, the sporting director, was at the last race in Austin for a series of meetings and has been frantically trying to gather investors.

Both teams went into administration within the space of a few days at the end of last month, prompting an enormous row over costs in Formula One. The three smallest remaining teams – Force India, Lotus, Sauber – claimed to be considering a boycott of last Sunday’s US Grand Prix.

They are now awaiting an offer from CVC Capital Partners, the sport’s majority shareholders, which could see them given a substantial windfall. The prospect of greater prize money will have done Marussia and Caterham’s bargaining position no harm.

The prospect of a financial settlement that will appease the smaller teams has grown in recent days, with Donald Mackenzie, co-chairman of CVC, negotiating directly with Gérard Lopez, the Lotus team principal.

Monisha Kaltenborn, team principal of Sauber, has been one of the current settlement’s biggest critics but is optimistic something will be done by the end of the season. “We want to enter into a dialogue, but a quick one and have a quick resolution to the matter. CVC is keen to have a healthy product, one that retains its market value.”

The FIA, motorsport’s governing body, accidentally published the entry list for the 2015 season on Wednesday a day early. It confirmed that both Caterham and Marussia – now under the name Manor racing – have submitted entries. However, this is a box-ticking procedure for now, with the entry fee of just over £300,000 due by the end of the month.

Although Bernie Ecclestone, F1’s chief executive, has suffered a bruising week amid the row over costs, he has recorded yet another victory in court. In February, a High Court judge dismissed a claim for about £80?million in damages by Constantin Medien, the German media company, which claimed it lost out on when the sport was sold to CVC in 2005. Yesterday, a Court of Appeal judge refused to allow Constantin to challenge that ruling.

Among all the political tumult, there is a race to run on Sunday and a championship to be settled. Lewis Hamilton has a 24-point lead over Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, and is chasing yet another record – he could become the first Briton to win six races in a row, and 11 in a season.

No matter the result at Interlagos, however, the championship will go down to the wire thanks to the double points on offer in the last race, in Abu Dhabi.

Marussia sink in to administration as Formula One faced with smallest grid for first time in almost a decade

Formula One is in crisis with nearly a fifth of the grid in administration. Marussia followed Caterham on Monday to become the second team on the brink in just four days, prompting a fresh round of soul-searching.

In a sport which exudes money, a shortage of funds has left two teams and possibly more with bleak futures. Plenty of cash will be on show in Austin next weekend, at the United States Grand Prix, but Caterham and Marussia will not.

The failure of two teams will not just leave the paddock feeling sparse; it is set to force the stewards into changing the format for qualifying, so depleted is the field. Formula One also risks another bout of criticism and condemnation in America, nearly a decade on from its darkest hour in the US when just six cars lined up in Indianapolis.

The 200 Marussia staff at the factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire, were given the news they had been fearing all season in a half-hour meeting on Monday morning.

FRP Advisory, appointed as administrators, said that there would be no redundancies and staff had been paid to the end of October. They also confirmed that the team would miss this Sunday’s race.

It leaves F1 reflecting on a business model which seems unsustainable for the non-manufacturer teams who lack a billionaire owner.

In Marussia’s case, the Russian billionaire Andrey Cheglakov, the money behind their venture, lost interest. It is thought he gave just enough to get the team through his home race in Sochi, before turning off the taps. As Graeme Lowdon, Marussia’s sporting director, put it in recent weeks: “The current recipe, in terms of sporting and technical regulations, has produced a sport that nobody can afford.”

Bob Fernley, deputy team principal at Force India, another independent team under threat, said: “The writing was on the wall from the beginning. Only five teams have a say in the running of Formula One – we’ll lose more teams if we carry on like this. If there had been cost control and more equitable distribution of the prize money maybe Caterham and Marussia wouldn’t have failed.”

In 2010, under promises of a £40?million cost cap from then FIA president Max Mosley, later abandoned, three teams eagerly joined what they saw as a land of opportunity. HRT, Marussia and Caterham struggled from the outset.

HRT went bust at the end of 2012 never having troubled the competitive end of the grid. Caterham have gone through an acrimonious row of ownership in recent weeks and have been a basket case all season.

Mosley, the original architect of the ill-fated cost cap, fears more teams will follow Marussia and Caterham if nothing is done. “It’s not a fair competition anymore,” Mosley told BBC Radio 5 live. “The big problem is that the big teams have so much more money than teams like Caterham and Marussia. In the end, they were bound to drop off – and they may not be the last.

“From a sporting point of view, the sport should split the money equally and then let the teams get as much sponsorship as they can. A team like Ferrari will always get more sponsorship than Marussia, but if they all get the same basic money, then they all start on a level-playing field, particularly if you have a cost cap where you limit the amount of money each team is allowed to spend.”

The misfortune of the news on Monday is that Marussia are a well-run outfit. Operating on between £60?million and £70?million a year, easily the lowest budget on the grid, they have clawed themselves into a respectable position, scoring their first points at the Monaco Grand Prix in May. They have outperformed Sauber, a veteran team of more than 20 years, and have steadily made progress each season.

The prospect of a £40?million windfall if they hold on to ninth in the constructors’ championship makes them a far more attractive proposition than Caterham, which is why they have more chance of finding a buyer. As revealed by Telegraph Sport, the British-Indian pair Baljinder Sohi and Sonny Kaushal were in talks with Marussia over the weekend, but their offer was not enough to stop the administrators being called in. They will now negotiate with FRP Advisory directly, still some distance off the administrators’ valuation.

Given the situation, Marussia’s leadership have gone to ground, simply hoping for a positive outcome. Lowdon spent the weekend with John Booth, the team principal, but neither they or the team have commented on the saga. Both have visited their stricken driver, Jules Bianchi, in hospital in Japan, which makes the timing of Marussia’s demise all the unhappier.

Their absence in Austin leaves the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, with a serious headache for Saturday qualifying. They will be down five cars in the first segment: four from the beleaguered teams and Sebastian Vettel, of Red Bull, who has confirmed that he will sit it out because of an engine penalty. It would mean just one car is eliminated in the first shootout. The most likely solution is four cars will go out in Q1 and Q2.

Marussia sink into administration as Formula One faced with smallest grid for first time in almost a decade

The 200 Marussia staff at the factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire, were given the news they had been fearing all season in a half-hour meeting on Monday morning.

FRP Advisory, appointed as administrators, said that there would be no redundancies and staff had been paid to the end of October. They also confirmed that the team would miss this Sunday’s race.

It leaves F1 reflecting on a business model which seems unsustainable for the non-manufacturer teams who lack a billionaire owner.

United States Grand Prix 2014: Lewis Hamilton speaks out against double-points GP finale in Abu Dhabi

The gold Andy Warhol pendant hung round Lewis Hamilton’s neck like a medal, but he finally expressed his fear that the trophy he really craves could be denied by Formula One’s farcical double- points rule.

Hamilton has been coy on the subject all season, even though it has been obvious it could spoil a thrilling duel with team-mate Nico Rosberg and scupper his chances of a second world championship.

On Thursday night in Austin, wearing a curious necklace, with a print of a Warhol cars painting attached, the 29-year-old at last added his voice to the chorus of disapproval which has greeted the rule for next month’s finale in Abu Dhabi.

“The question is what is fair,” Hamilton said. “This is a rule they have brought in for the first time, it is the way it is and we have to deal with it and hope for the best but it would suck if that was the case. I am not going to let any negative energy into this and what will be will be.

“Everyone will be in the same boat. People say you get to the last race, all the work you have done through the season, and then you don’t get off the line or your car goes on fire in qualifying.

“You never know what is going to happen but I have been there before and I know what it is like to go to the last race and lose the championship and that is not an energy I want. I wouldn’t perhaps advise it for the following years.”

Hamilton has a 17-point lead in the drivers’ championship over Rosberg, with 100 still available, starting this weekend at the US Grand Prix.

The Briton came straight from New York, and a 91-second appearance on the Today show, to try to light up Formula One after a month of few smiles. First, there was Jules Bianchi’s accident – his family said on Thursday that the Frenchman was still in a “critical but stable” condition, ahead of the trialling of a “speed limit” system in today’s practice session on safety grounds. Then there was the demise of Marussia and Caterham. Manfredi Ravetto, the recently-departed Caterham boss, expressed his fear that staff at the factory in Leafield, Oxfordshire, are not being paid.

Both teams have been given dispensation to miss the next two races, but the FIA felt the need to issue an unusual statement on Thursday which made clear it was motorsport’s governing body, not Bernie Ecclestone, who had the authority to allow such exemptions. It added that the crisis “acutely raised” the subject of F1’s spiralling costs.

One solution offered to bolster the dwindling grid would be three-car teams. While most of the drivers – with an eye on a more competitive seat – expressed their support, the most experienced head in the paddock poured scorn on the idea.

Jenson Button, who will be forced to take a five-place grid penalty this weekend as a result of a gearbox change, said: “I’m not in favour of it. F1 has been two cars for a very long time. I think it would be a shame if we went to three cars.

“The problem is you can say there are more competitive drives available, but there’s the issue of having one team like Mercedes have been this year, where they are so much better than everyone else and they have the podium to themselves. You’ll never see another car on the podium.”

United States Grand Prix 2014: Five talking points for Austin

Several off the wall people have expressed an interest, including British-Indian pair Baljinder Sohi and Sonny Kaushal, yet their respective valuations do not match. It says something about the state of Formula One that a team who has scored points in a season can be so desperate for a buyer that they frantically offer it up for sale over a weekend to a somewhat questionable pair.

F1 shooting itself in the foot in the US, again…

Of all places to turn up with fewer cars than normal, the US is not the place to do it. The six-car race here in 2005, in Indianapolis, left a long and bitter taste in the mouth. 17 cars in qualifying (Sebastian Vettel is unlikely to run because of an engine penalty) will only serve as a reminder.

Vettel was also haring around downtown Austin in his 2011 Red Bull – with a roaring V8 engine – on Wednesday. Just how much Americans like the new turbo sound remains to be seen.

…But all set for Hamilton’s hoedown

Even though it only lasted 91 seconds, Lewis Hamilton’s appearance on the Today programme on Wednesday morning in New York was big for F1.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Hamilton is the only star the sport has got, so it’s important for him to be promoted in the US and try and capture some of the market here which, for most of the year, is fairly apathetic about Formula One.

As far as the racing goes, Hamilton is a clear favourite in Austin. He won the first race here in in 2012 and is on a roll of late.

A little more clarity in the driver market

Asked if we might learn more about his future this weekend, Vettel replied: “Maybe, maybe not”. You can generally take this as a yes. The German is off to Ferrari at the end of the year, so why the wait from the Italian team to announce?

The main jigsaw to fall into place is Fernando Alonso. Some of those who have worked with him in the past are even suggesting Williams might be a possible destination. No news is anticipated regarding the Spaniard in Austin.

What is going on at Silverstone?

Turmoil barely does justice to what has been going on at Silverstone, the home of British motor racing, in recent weeks. Three senior executives – including managing editor Richard Phillips – have been suspended, and the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), who own the circuit, have seized day-to-day control in a boardroom coup.

The BRDC insists these two things have been conflated. “Whilst we cannot comment on the suspension of senior executives…it should be noted that this is only coincidental to the restructure,” a spokesman said.

But an internal note sent by John Grant, the chairman of the BRDC, seen by Telegraph Sport, suggests otherwise. “… Given the changing needs of the business, we expect to restructure to provide a more operational and customer-oriented organisation. To this end, we have today initiated a process of consultation on a number of potential changes within senior management positions. Coincident with this, Managing Director Richard Phillips, Finance Director Ed Brookes and Legal and Estates Director David Thomson have been suspended on full pay.”

Events prior unfolded like this. In August, Lawrence Tomlinson, a former ‘entrepreneur in residence’ to the government, was elected to the BRDC’s board of directors. Early in September, Tomlinson and Grant both assumed the role of acting chief executive of Silverstone, assuming hands on control. The rationale is to make the home of the British Grand Prix leaner, more profitable, and more geared towards racing.

Then, on Friday 17 October, Phillips, financial and legal directors Ed Brookes and David Thompson were suspended in what Telegraph Sport understands is an unrelated HR issue. They remain on full pay until the investigation has been concluded. The BRDC would not comment on the suspensions and insisted they were “coincidental” to their assuming a more hands on role.

Clear as mud? It got worse. HPS Jardine, Tony Jardine’s PR agency who have worked for Silverstone for more than a decade, saw their contract finish at the end of September, and put on hold while the reorganisation was fleshed out. Therefore, they forwarded all queries to the BRDC. And a spokesman who works in house for the circuit (who was incidentally on annual leave), also directed enquiries to the BRDC.

Their review of Silverstone is clearly in full flow.

Lewis Hamilton poised to be sole British driver on Formula One grid in 2015

Lewis Hamilton was presented with a Brazilian football shirt and an oversized passport by a local television comedy duo at an event in Sao Paulo on Wednesday. If the locals in this bustling part of the world are trying to claim Hamilton as their own – a kind of adopted successor to his great hero Ayrton Senna – then hands off.

We need that passport to be a fake: Great Britain cannot afford to lose another driver. Sadly, with Jenson Button’s expected departure, as well as the demise of Marussia and therefore Max Chilton, Britain is not so great in motor racing anymore. Next year Formula One is set to boast just one British driver for the first time since 1980.

All the eggs are firmly in the Hamilton basket. At least the 29-year-old is happy and on song, perhaps more so than at any point in his career. Five wins on the trot have given him a 24-point lead in the drivers’ championship, and only the double points rule in Abu Dhabi can prevent him clinching a second championship here in Interlagos. Nico Rosberg, his team-mate and rival, has been outgunned and overwhelmed of late and no longer has the championship in his hands.

Yet when F1 arrived here on Thursday the talk was not of title tussles, but of the demise of Button and the sport’s two smallest teams. According to British Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert – who entered Formula One in 1989 with six of his countrymen on the grid – the two are interlinked.

“We need the small teams as a proving ground for the younger drivers,” he told The Telegraph. “Of course it is not good for motorsport in Britain. You look at the money people are bringing in to drive for the small teams – we have never had that much money.”

Button, heading for the exit, saliently added: “Obviously the manufacturers hire on merit, but after that it is a case of money talks rather than skill.”

You only need to ask some of the young guns in the lower categories who cannot get a drive. Jolyon Palmer, winner of the GP2 championship this year, the principal feeder series for F1, was struggling to clinch a seat even when Marussia were on the grid. Alex Lynn, a promising talent in GP3, is backed by Red Bull but seems to have been overlooked for Toro Rosso, their junior team.

The fall to 18 cars – which seems to be permanent for next year – has made the cost of drives at the rear of the grid even more extortionate. With two drivers already under contract, a desperate Sauber signed two more for a combined income thought to be around £16?million.

If there is a great weight on Hamilton’s shoulders, he is not showing it. This rugged but remarkable amphitheatre brings back fond memories of his dramatic title triumph in 2008, and he has always had a particular affinity with Senna.

“I remember watching Ayrton win here in 1991 when I was a kid, so it would be a very special place to win,” Hamilton said last night. “When I was younger I used to put on this one particular video Racing is in My Blood. I watched that God knows how many times. He really inspired me as a kid and he still does today.

“The fact every now and then someone may mention my name in the same sentence as his, I feel really honoured by that. I come here and I still feel his presence. It’s amazing he still lives on through his fans and the country. It’s one of the most special things I’ve ever seen anywhere.”

Hamilton was particularly honoured to meet Senna’s niece. She passed on that he will be cheered on on Sunday by none other than Ayrton’s mother, Neide, who is a fan. Since he beat local boy Felipe Massa for the title six years ago, Brazilian fans – among the most passionate anywhere – have warmed to him. The feeling is mutual.

The Briton is comfortable here, although not so comfortable that he does not feel the need to travel around this city without a bodyguard. Making the 45-minute journey from the swanky hotels in Morumbi to the circuit, through poverty-stricken favelas, he is driven by a security guard he has employed since 2007. After all, this is where Button was held up at gunpoint in 2010.

Maybe we should start funding bodyguards to protect British drivers’ seats in F1. Unlike Caterham, that would be a worthwhile investment of fans’ money. As far as the championship goes, the good money is on Hamilton.

Instruction

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Monday, January 26, 2015

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