33 replies to this topic

[mark richardson]

We gave it to them and nearly so very nearly did it. Great entertainment. Loved the first 79 minutes.

[Leyther_Matt]

Top performance from Swinton. So, so unlucky not to get a draw or even snatch a win tonight. Some of the defensive efforts were absolutely first class. Watson the best half back on the pitch and all.

[duffymoon]

Yes a magnificent performance from our boys tonight! Deserved at least a draw.I feel we have the makings of a very good side that can compete well at this level,we have progressed so much since the start of the season.Just hope we can keep hold of these lads for next season and hopefully make one or two additions.

[Leyther_Matt]

Yes a magnificent performance from our boys tonight! Deserved at least a draw.I feel we have the makings of a very good side that can compete well at this level,we have progressed so much since the start of the season.Just hope we can keep hold of these lads for next season and hopefully make one or two additions.

The key will be to find able replacements for Watson and Smith as presumably they can't carry on forever. The foundations are certainly there though.

[duffymoon]

It's frightening how far we have progressed since the start of the season! the dual reg lads have been magnificent and have transformed our pack after we initially looked out of our depth in that first game at Sheffield.fFrom what I've seen in the games against Featherstone and Batley and tonight we needn't fear anyone.

[bigtony]

It's frightening how far we have progressed since the start of the season! the dual reg lads have been magnificent and have transformed our pack after we initially looked out of our depth in that first game at Sheffield.fFrom what I've seen in the games against Featherstone and Batley and tonight we needn't fear anyone.

Edited by bigtony, 26 May 2012 - 01:26 AM.

[marshy1]

Untill the dr are recalled, then wot ??

Doesn't that apply to a number of teams.?
I for one think that the secret of our sucess will be holding onto Steve Mc, if we do he seems able to bring the players in.
As already stated we have come on leaps and bounds since the Sheffield game and tonight proved that we can compete with the top of the table, I do agree that we need to look for a replacement for Watto and Smithy although in fairness both have had a pretty good season so far and Ashall given time and game time could easily become similar in influence to Smithy.
We really didn't deserve to loose that game tonight and our defense at time was nothing better than superb. I walked out of the stadium tonight proud of all the squad who played tonight.

[Bryce]

When the DR players are recalled? Well I'm assuming we'll carry on. Luckily we don't just have 25 DR players signed on, we don't just rely on them as much as you seem to enjoy believing.

The lads were awesome tonight against the top of the league and we could have easily won the game. Sadly some ill discipline has cost us field position and then the game.

Most of the Fax fans gave the Lions a bigger cheer at the end of the game which just shows how well we played, although Fax did seem to make a lot of handling errors.

A very well deserved bonus point and now we move onto the next game against a York team who have also improved of late.

On tonights game again, Richie Hawkyard as MOM for me, his defence was brilliant and he also scored a sublime try! Also a comment on another thread regarding Watto's inability to carry the ball through gaps...well he kind of proved that theory wrong with at least 4 line breaks (more than most), apart from the Head tackle with 90 seconds left he was also awesome.

I agree with you Alan, I walked out in my Lions shirt with my head held high!

[PhillH]

It felt very similar to the Featherstone game for me. In many ways an excellent performance against a side with plenty of quality about it and its great to see the team being competitive against the league's better sides, but also gutted not to have taken the opportunity that was there to at least have got a draw if not the win.

I felt sorry for Mike Morrison at the end - he was clearly devastated to have missed the tackle that led to the last minute try, but Ian Watson should also take some of the responsibility for giving away that penalty. I will add that other than that crucial error, this was Watson's best game of the season - him taking the ball to the line regularly makes a massive difference to the team. The problem is that he cannot do it every game nowadays and I do wish a younger version could be found to spell him a bit, as that would help extend Watson's career too.

The highlight had to be the first try, a peach, lovely execution from the intial drive and offload to the finish.

Good return to form from Tom Armstrong after a nightmare at Keighley.

Ashall looked a lot more composed during his spell, although its arguable if he got the better of his brother who also played well.

Positive mention too for David Mills, who has come in for a lot of stick on here - on this occasion I felt he played very well (....."start the car".....LOL). Why Makali Aizue isn't in Super League is a mystery.

And a note to Mr Cunniffe in the week it has been confirmed men of the calibre of Lee Wingfield and Andy Gorski have moved on from the club - if you put your own side under pressure by giving away a stupid penalty in midfield, compound that error by palming the ball down and conceding another set of six, you owe it to your colleagues to give absolutely everything to defend the line rather than switching off and letting your man dive in for the six pointer. As upset as Mike Morrison was at the end - please reflect that you let your team mates down in that passage of play.

Onwards and upwards. Convincing wins against York and Hunslet again are now needed to keep up a challenge for the play offs. There has to be hope that this side might be able to spring a surprise or two in one-off games, provided they can finish high enough up the league to get the chance.

[duffymoon]

A mention for Kevin Penny who despite so far having had limited opportunities to show the pace we know he possesses has been excellent! Particularly at taking the barrage of high balls that seem to come his way.

[marshy1]

Phil you persist in refering to Lee Wingfield as having moved on. The man has retired and if you took the time to research the reason you would have found it was his decision in order to spend quality time with his family. Lee hasn't stated anywhere that it is due to a lack of oportunity at Swinton as you seem to infer. Indeed i have it on good authority that he is welcome to return and would be welcomed back.

[PhillH]

Phil you persist in refering to Lee Wingfield as having moved on. The man has retired and if you took the time to research the reason you would have found it was his decision in order to spend quality time with his family. Lee hasn't stated anywhere that it is due to a lack of oportunity at Swinton as you seem to infer. Indeed i have it on good authority that he is welcome to return and would be welcomed back.

To believe Lee Wingfield's decision to retire had nothing to do with his lack of opportunities to play recently is naive in the extreme. You wouldn't see Lee, nor Andy Gorski for that matter, do the things Cuniffe did which led to that try being let in. For me the wrong man from the three of them has been retained, but there you go.

[PhillH]

A mention for Kevin Penny who despite so far having had limited opportunities to show the pace we know he possesses has been excellent! Particularly at taking the barrage of high balls that seem to come his way.

Agreed, and a lovely tackle from him again to close out the first half.Admitedly he didn't take the ball in, but we again saw with Ainscough's kick to Kevin Penny that this is a tactic that can be very effective at opening sides up and we should see more of it.

[marshy1]

Phil i suggest you actually speak to Lee as i did. Instead of making unfounded assumptions and trying to cause controversy. You have a knack of doing this after most games. I suspect almost every Lion fan who attended last night will have been more than happy with the team, you wl never ever get players to play @ 100% together week in week out they are human. Your comments against one player are unfair, where is your barrage against some suspect penalty decisions which hauled Halifax back or indeed the lack of them for Switon particularly from lying on. That was a sterling effort last night and not one that needs criticism of anyone on show.

[mark richardson]

I cant believe you have stooped to the depths of re igniting the Cunniffe discussion Phil. You really should get out more. This isnt about that. If you want to start it again then return to our sad thread of previous...but while we are here;
We lost in the last second of a game which if Dale hadnt palmed that ball down we would without doubt have conceded a try and maybe the game would have a different complexion. Dale gave away two pens in total not 7 or 8 . He made the first 8 of 12 tackles in the game and on the 12th made a try saving tackle , on the next set took a high bomb to save another try. Now I dont know that for a fact that Fax would have scored on on any of those occasions but facts dont seem seem to matter. We can make stuff up all we like to prove our point.
Unless you are mates with Wingfield you dont know that he was forced out. Calling someone naive because you disagree is just plain rude.
Finally BigTony,every team has DR/loan players....arent Walker and Riley on season long loan? They will hardly play for Huddersfield and
Warrington. Forster and Hale are DR so could go back anytime. Hale isnt featuring so just Forster. Well Saints may recall him for when they play Cas or Widnes but otherwise we should be ok. Other teams face this risk and its a new phenomenon of rugby league, good or bad. Time you revealed your hidden agenda.

I came away from last nights game thinking we have lost against the two best teams in our league in the last seconds,literally. Theres obviously not much wrong with our team,our tactics or our coaching.

[PhillH]

Phil i suggest you actually speak to Lee as i did. Instead of making unfounded assumptions and trying to cause controversy. You have a knack of doing this after most games. I suspect almost every Lion fan who attended last night will have been more than happy with the team, you wl never ever get players to play @ 100% together week in week out they are human. Your comments against one player are unfair, where is your barrage against some suspect penalty decisions which hauled Halifax back or indeed the lack of them for Switon particularly from lying on. That was a sterling effort last night and not one that needs criticism of anyone on show.

Its called retiring with grace, but if he had been getting in the side I've no doubt whatsoever it wouldn't have happened just yet.

The old blue tinted spectacles view of the referee's performance. Not all the referee's calls went Halifax's way, far from it. Ritchie Hawkyard spilling the ball behind his own line was a particularly marginal one and to be honest I was surprised a Fax try wasn't awarded, even the Lions players looked a bit surprised at that one.

Another one at a critical moment came when Gavin Dodd was quite cute and in my opinion (plus that of the Fax fans) managed to con the referee that he hadn't played at the ball when he blatantly had done so and knocked it on, but when he then dived on it on the ground after a bit of a scramble the decision was play on.

Another few times Lions players played at the ball when it was in Halifax's possession in a similar manner to what happened several times and proved costly at Keighley, but this time the referee was more lenient about that type of thing and tended to rule Halifax knock ons.

The way I view it the sterling effort that you are 100% right about would have been converted into a WIN, if it weren't for a couple of pieces of costly indiscipline that shot all those efforts in the foot. One being the Ian Watson high tackle, the other being Dale Cunniffe's contribution to the earlier try. Without those two incidents it would've been three points in the bag against the odds, great headlines in the papers today, moving up the league table, other sides knowing they are being hunted down, Swinton Lions on the way up, bigger gates at future games, etc. These are the things that make the difference in close games. We have lost too many of them in similar circumstances this season already.

Edited by PhillH, 26 May 2012 - 09:35 AM.

[mark richardson]

Dales Leigh stats
2008 p 1+2 1try
2009 dnp
2010 p 0 +1
2011 at swinton

gorski leigh stats
2011 1+3 2 tries

"As for having amnesia on the relative merits of Dale Cunniffe and Andy Gorski, that's a strange one as I can remember back to both players time at Leigh."



Are you the memory man?

Edited by mark richardson, 26 May 2012 - 10:30 AM.

[marshy1]

Ahh you now accept Lee retired and hasn't "moved on" well that's a start, now all you need to do is get it from the horses mouth that his decision was made for family and work committments and nothing else and then perhaps an apology for trying to create a situation that plainly wasn't the case in this instance. I'll hand it to you Phil, you always seem to add spice to you excellent minute by minute match analysis which I hasten to add i do enjoy reading,on par with Riggy's.

[MALCOLM WHO ?]

The game lastnight would put most Superleague games this weekend to shame. It was one of the best games I have seen for a while. Shame about the result. Agree about Watto he looked 21 again , them half breaks were Confusing Fax everytime, some good backing up aswell. Well played 1-17 .

[greengrass]

I also think that a potenital turning moment in the match was the missed penalty kick to touch, this was right on half time and maybe if we went in at 18-6 it could have been a different story.

I to walked away from the match last night with my head held high and thinking we have pushed two of the top sides and beat Batley not bad for our first season, I woke up this morning very proud lions fan. Keep up the good work lads