THE Tetley's Super League Grand Final is the current focus of Rugby League attention but it's not th (From Warrington Guardian)

THE Tetley's Super League Grand Final is the current focus of Rugby League attention but it's not th

With Mike Parsons

This year's Euro final will take place at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium on November 7 but the focus on Saturday and Sunday is in Russia and Wales for the opening group matches.

Amazingly, 20,000 supporters are expected to turn out at Moscow Olympic Stadium to see Russia entertain France while on Sunday Wales open up against Ireland at Aberavon Rugby Union ground.

Wales could be rolling out a 'golden oldie' for their big clash.

Popular and former Warrington player Kevin Ellis has been asked to pull on the red jersey again despite being closer to 40-years-old than he would care to admit. He has certainly been named in the squad of 23, although rumours of Allan Bateman also appearing have not come true.

Ellis has been a great servant to both codes of rugby at domestic and international level and who would deprive him of this opportunity if he still feels he is up to the job.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Wales reach the final and Ellis plays at Wolves' new ground, after featuring in Bridgend Blue Bulls' Conference final win in one of the final matches to take place at Wilderspool last

year?

Incidentally, Ellis, with assistance from Bateman, led Bridgend to Welsh Conference Championship success this year too and so 'There's life in the old dog yet' is a phrase that comes to mind.

A little birdy has told me that half back Ellis has turned out for Warrington Rugby Union Club in the past few weeks, no doubt to keep up his match fitness. Apparently, he played for the third team in a game at Shell Carrington. You can imagine the other lads in the team were delighted to be in such high profile company.

And they probably were until he was sin-binned late on, during which time Shell fought back from 7-0 down to draw the match!

Warrington RUFC have a history of attracting big names to their lower division teams. One year they had three ex-New Zealand RL Test captains in their veterans side - Kevin Tamati, Graeme West and Kurt Sorensen - but the funny thing was the team still lost in a match at Wigan!

Anyway, I digress, so back to Ellis and Wales. There's a tale I always remember about Ellis from his days with Wire at Wilderspool and it has crossed my mind over the past few weeks while watching nipple pants Simon Cowell's new Saturday night television show The X Factor.

As you know, Wales isn't only famous for great rugby players. Of course, it is the land of song and it seems every man and his sheepdog can turn out a good tune in that country.

So it was with great audience anticipation that one Sunday night Ellis took to the karaoke microphone

in a post-match celebration at the old Touchdown Club bar. Ellis, who was given the 'You're all in for a special treat' introduction, then milked the occasion for all it was worth and loosened up his vocal chords like a professional before opening his mouth to sing 'Here we go, here we go, here we go....here we go, here we go, here we go-oh'.

After the room recovered from its laughter everyone realised that even those few words were not in tune. I wonder what Simon Cowell would have said to him.