Dave Craven: Time for game to applaud sterling job of Aston and his Eagles

What Leeds Rhinos hope to do tonight, against all odds and a feat which, if successful, will be heralded for years to come, “unfashionable” Sheffield Eagles have already achieved.

It is no fault of the principled South Yorkshire club that the way the game currently works means all things rugby league, in this country at least, seems to be central to Super League.

Sometimes, the era of Rupert Murdoch and his millions seems to have blanked out everything that came before 1995, as if the Australian media mogul almost invented the game himself.

The British media is as guilty as anyone for aiding and abetting this smokescreen but there is no denying that one of the biggest stories of 2011 should be the continued renaissance of the aforementioned Eagles.

They will play their first Championship Grand Final on Sunday having ignored the hype surrounding the rest, forcing their way to Warrington from fourth spot on the back of their own veritable skill, courage and discipline.

To defeat Super League-bound Widnes Vikings, reigning champions Halifax and Northern Rail Cup-winners Leigh Centurions in successive elimination weekends says plenty about their substance.

Indeed, while everyone expects Featherstone Rovers to bring an end to that momentous run at Warrington on Sunday – and rid their own memories of last year’s heart-breaking golden-point final defeat to Halifax – it would, in reality, be unsurprising if gallant Sheffield were to triumph yet still receive little acclaim.

While it is understandable, to a degree, how much of the focus is currently on the race for Old Trafford rather than Halliwell Jones Stadium, until more emphasis is placed on the merits of British rugby league’s second-tier, it will continue to be lost amid the hyperbole about its more illustrious companion.

However, there is no excuse for being ignored by its own which is why it is easy to see why Mark Aston, the coach and chief executive of Sheffield who has dedicated so much of his life to that club, was incandescent about their treatment at Tuesday night’s Championship awards.

Rather than repeat verbatim his views on the whole episode, let’s just say he was not best pleased that the Eagles received such little recognition on an evening when all things good about the Championship and Championship 1 were supposed to be celebrated.

There was little he could do about only one of his players making the Championship Team of the Year given that is voted for by rival coaches.

But he was incensed that Sheffield, who run an Under 16s scholarship – they drew with Huddersfield Giants recently – Academy sides and play such an active role in the local community let alone their first-team achievements, missed out to the less rounded Batley Bulldogs.

He has no gripe towards Batley. Indeed, Bulldogs chairman Kevin Nicholas made special note in his acceptance speech of Sheffield’s prowess and that Aston should have at least been in the running for Coach of the Year.

But the always gregarious Aston was suitably “filthy” and confused as to what his club needs to do to earn more recognition from the powers-that-be. There is a danger the sterling work he is doing in an area which could yet produce so much talent could all be wasted.

Aston has been as selfless as he has been forthright throughout his long career and it would be a shame if his boundless energy was drained by such setbacks.

It is more likely that he will simply use it as another incentive to his players to complete their remarkable odyssey on Sunday.

While no team has ever won the Super League Grand Final from outside the top three, no one has even qualified for the Championship version from beyond the top two,

So it comes to pass that Aston’s side are just 80 minutes away from true greatness, regardless of who is taking note.