WC3 Chess » runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers

Before I look forward to this weeks First Utility Grand Final, I want to look back to two big moments of last week. The announcement of the Man of Steel award confirmed Danny Houghton to be the best Rugby League player in this country. Congratulations to him and the Hull club for a wonderful year of progress.As I drove home after the event I wondered what must have been going through Dannys mind. He seems to have done things this year like he did them last year, and the year before that. In fact, hes probably one of the most consistent players in the game, so what changed the players perception of him? Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ?￡6.99. No contract. Did one tackle out of a thousand make such a difference? I realise theres the tries hes scored and created in 2016, and he is a more dangerous attacking player - but he was almost the same player in 2015, hes just playing in a better team. Hull FC hooker Danny Houghton was named as 2016 Steve Prescott Man of Steel Finally, aged 27, hes starting to receive some recognition. His journey from his East Hull amateur club to the Man of Steel nomination is one about dedication, perseverance and self-discipline. Well done, young man.Voting through the seasonIt was also very interesting to see who each player in the game had voted for as their first, second and third-choice nominee. We now live in an age of online voting and Im surprised that we dont use this more regularly during the season. Im not certain when all the votes were collected but it would make it more interesting if we collected the votes two or three times during the season, and let the public know who the leading contenders were throughout the year. My colleague, Brian Carney, has been suggesting something similar for several years. Perhaps its time for an update.I thought it was interesting to see who the players from the Grand Final teams nominated as their best opponents. I could only see one Wigan player among the 81 votes suggested from the Wolves. In contrast, the Wigan players cast a total of 21 votes spread across six different Warrington players. His longevity in the sport, both on and off the field, has been remarkable and Id like to thank him for his efforts to promote and support the sport for so long. Phil Clarke on Stevo Unsurprisingly, Chris Hill received the most, and is obviously the man Wigan need to stop on Saturday. Sam Tomkins and George Williams also cast votes for Chris Sandlow as their second choice, will that influence Tony Smiths thinking? If your opponents fear him it usually means hes dangerous.Million pound dropThe last four games on Sky Sports have possibly been the most exciting, intense and dramatic of the year. The two semi-finals were great but so too were the other two matches with when Hull KR hosted Huddersfield and then Salford. Somebody once said everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Well its a bit the same with promotion and relegation in Rugby League. Everyone thinks its a good idea but no one wants to go down a division. This is the moment Gareth OBriens golden-point drop-goal capped off Salfords incredible comeback to stay in Super League Congratulations to Salford for the skill that they demonstrated to score their two late tries. I never imagined that wed see a £1 million drop goal but that was what Gareth OBrien delivered when the pressure was on.At the start of the season, Sky Sports showed a programme called Jamie Peacock: Legend of League. Its amazing what can happen in a rugby league year. I doubt that he could have imagined what the season would end up like. Good luck to JP, Neil Hudgell and everyone at Hull KR as they compete for a return to Super League next season. Phil Clarke previews Saturdays Super League Grand Final Grand Final timeSo we end the domestic season with the top two teams. Will Warringtons speed and skill beat Wigans aggression and dominate defence? Will Tony Smith select Chris Sandow? I watched the Round 1 game the other day when Warrington won at Leeds, and in my opinion, without Chris Sandow they wouldnt have stood a chance.Admittedly, the Wolves defence was awesome, but their half-back scored one try and set up the other with a brilliant kick. A first-time viewer of the sport would recognise that he has game-changing qualities, but is he fit to play? Coaches have to make difficult decisions which very often define a season. This is one of those. Tony Smith has stressed the importance of composure in the Grand Final Wigan spent most of the year as the most boring team to watch. Their attacking play was predictable up until their loss to the Vikings at the start of September. In the last month theyve started to throw more passes and score some spontaneous tries. They too have a dilemma over a key player. Their captain, Sean OLoughlin hasnt played for nine weeks, but if he is fit, or close to it, hell play.When two great teams meet Ive often said that it comes down to the bounce of the ball. Its a rugby cliché that was applicable when the two teams last met at Old Trafford in 2013. A Matthew Smith kick was charged down early in the second half, if it bounced in one direction it would most probably have led to a Warrington try, and possibly a win. Shaun Wane is hoping for a more enjoyable outcome after losing his last two Grand Finals Instead it bounced back to Smith and Wigan went the length of the field very quickly to score. It was the turning point in my mind, and Warrington now know they can never relax against Wigan.Theyve lost out when theyve had a 14 point lead in a Grand Final, and they lost with a 14-point lead three weeks ago playing against 12 men. I think that there is very little between the teams and it would not surprise me if, like the Million Pound Game, it went into extra time. This allows me to get a link going with my final point…Farewell Stevo Catch Stevo in his final broadcast at the Grand Final, Saturday on SS1 from 5pm Its B-Y-E time for Mike! Stevo has been the voice of Super League since its inception and has provided the commentary and controversy that all great sports need. His longevity in the sport, both on and off the field, has been remarkable and Id like to thank him for his efforts to promote and support the sport for so long. Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield pays tribute to Stevos achievements in rugby league Professional rugby league is in the entertainment business and theres no doubt that Mike Stephenson has been entertaining. I would like to wish him well in his retirement, hopefully after hes seen his favourite one-pointer win the Grand Final.You can watch the First Utility Grand Final, Englands tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the Japan Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price! Also See: Houghton crowned Man of Steel VOTE: Stevos top Super League player Grand Final: Key battles Follow us @SkySportsRL NMD Clearance . -- Josh MacDonalds second goal of the game kept his team alive as the Peterborough Petes edged the host Kingston Frontencas 6-5 in overtime on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action. Adidas Alphabounce NZ . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Canadiens at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The game can also be heard on TSN Radio Montreal 690. The Calgary Flames will see if they can take their recent hot streak on the road when they shoot for a sixth consecutive win Monday night in Montreal. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/adidas-superstar-cheap-nz.html . He just didnt expect them to be this good. Darrun Hilliard scored 19 points to lead No. 6 Villanova to a dominating 77-59 victory over Georgetown on Saturday, preserving the Wildcats hopes of a No. Superstar Womens NZ . -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Saturday. Adidas NMD R2 NZ . Darren Collison and Blake Griffin scored 23 points apiece and the Clippers beat the Suns 112-108 Wednesday night, their fourth win in a row and 17th in the last 19 games.The CFL Players Association has voted to ratify the proposed new collective bargaining agreement. The PA confirmed the ratification via press release on Thursday night. It was unclear which way the players were leaning prior to the vote. After the league and CFLPA struck a tentative deal on Saturday, many players publicly voiced their displeasure over the terms. The five-year deal calls for a $5 million sallary cap which was below the PAs opening proposal of more than $6 million per year.dddddddddddd. The Players Association also wanted the agreement to be renegotiable after the third year if league revenues increased by more than $18 million, but settled for the leagues figure of $27 million. The next step is for the Board of Governors to vote on the deal, which is expected to happen Friday. ' ' '