I would like to start off by paying homage to one of British rugby league's finest ever players.

Eric Ashton sadly passed away last week after a battle with cancer.

I first met Eric when we were on the bus to Cardiff for a Challenge Cup final.

I had made a CD of some of my favourite music and it was playing out over the loud speakers.

After a few songs, I was summoned to the front of the bus, where I was faced by several of the club's directors looking both confused and indignant.

They clearly weren't happy with my choice of modern indie music.

Eric was one of those people who seemed particularly disgusted and I was instructed to put the CD in a place that doesn't see much sunshine.

Not only that, I was told that if I was to make a new CD, I should focus on artists such as Glenn Miller and The Shadows.

In other words, bands who were popular decades ago!

Eric played 497 games in his career, scoring 231 tries and kicking 448 goals.

He will be remembered most for his famous partnership with Billy Boston and the destructive attacking displays they produced as a duo.

Eric also coached St Helens and had been on the board of directors for 15 years.

He was a gentleman, with a wonderful smile and super-dry sense of humour.

I'm sure everyone in the game will miss him.

My thoughts are with his family.

There was a minute's silence for Eric before our Good Friday clash with Wigan at Knowsley Road.

Then came an almighty roar that you only hear on a derby day, when games mean more than just two league points.

Everyone knows how important it is to come out on top against your fiercest rivals.

We were lucky enough to claim victory this time around and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Saints fans for the role they played.

They made themselves heard in the early stages of the game and gave the players a lot of confidence. Their support cannot be underestimated.

We were naturally very happy when the final hooter sounded at the end of the game, which we ended up winning 46-10.

Our performance was an improvement on recent weeks, but we would be kidding ourselves if we thought one good game meant we had cracked it.

With matches coming thick and fast, we need to ensure we are mentally ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

There has been much talk in the media recently about the Ashley Cole incident, with the Chelsea left-back appearing to show dissent toward the referee after getting booked for a bad tackle.

Many people have asked me what the difference in attitude is between football and rugby league when it comes to the man in the middle.

In rugby league, like most sports, players get frustrated with some decisions that are made. That's just human nature.

The difference is that rugby league players cannot afford to lose their cool and spend time arguing about them.

Firstly, referees are quick to penalise players for any backchat.

Secondly, if players come from all over the field to remonstrate with the official, they would soon find themselves out of position when the game restarted.

In football, it appears that questioning the ref has become part and parcel of the game. It's almost expected, with fans demanding that their players object to decisions and show plenty of passion.

It's not a bad thing to care about your profession, but I'm sure football could cut down on the repeat offenders by sending them to the sin-bin.

The threat of spending 10 minutes in the stands certainly makes rugby league players think twice before opening their mouth.