Wakefield Ram

The 6th tackle bit has puzzled me all season. Do they practice 6th tackle kicks in opposition 20 in training? If they do, why don't they do it in games? If they don't, why don't they? Crusaders forced some goal-line drop outs. We didn't.

"We have been reminded , frequently and powerfully,..." Reminded by whom exactly? Just pompous empty rhetoric. Rewarding the most successful clubs just re-enforces the status quo. Doing what the clubs want short-term is what has got us where we are.

Watched first half and we were lucky to be just 10 points down though we scored the best try of the game. Until Sykes came on our field kicking was poor, Coates kicking dead 7 tackle set, Hookem giving an easy catch in in-goal and 7 tackle set, Hookem with Sykes outside him, runs from acting half slips and fluffs his kick. Coates has one kick-off to exactly the same position every time. Couldn't make it any easier for the opposition if we tried. Hookems runs out of the line, misses and gifts Crusaders first try. He ran out of the line for their second try but didn't miss. He spilled the ball 3rd tackle trying to dive over from acting half. But he is certainly sharper on attack from acting half, runs and his passing is quicker than McShanes. It's the same old story as soon as we reach the opposition 20, we lack ideas or nous to even try for a drop out. But overall, Crusaders had much better line speed, ran strongly, forwards ran in pairs, their 6th tackle was either a good kick or turned the ball over on our line. They didn't give away easy penalties. And in Dallimore they had a half back who knew how to manage a game and take the right options. But if we can sort out some decent attacking kicks on 6th tackle, stop giving easy penalties, run onto the ball and have better line speed, we could win all our remaining games.

Sounds like Paul March at the Rams... But wouldn't worry about the L1 teams. We gave top of the table Crusaders a game yesterday. Last seasons team would have won comfortably and that team only won 2 league all season on the Championship. The game to worry about is 3 v 4 play-off, likely to be against Hunslet.

Well definitely not one on this Forum. The fact RL continues to pretend that you can't see blindingly obvious forward passes on TV is complete nonsense, but there was a decision made 30 odd years ago and we're sticking with it.

Dewsbury's playing surface doesn't meet minimum standards? Well it looks pretty good to me and it was good enough for Huddersfield v Wigan SL match. This statement is rubbish.

I spoke to a young ref and he's switched to only doing schools games as he'd had enough of spectators who just turned up to abuse the ref. RL needs to get over it's obsession with referees. Cas and Salford are at the bottom of SL because they are two of the poorest teams.

So "raising standards" means bringing in players who aren't good enough for the NRL? Genuinely see no long term benefit in this.

True, but Nigel Wood needs to lever some new clubs in to replace the two going into SL with no money...

Thanks to @horbury ram for letting us know

Think the Top 4 is pretty much sorted now. Hunslet aside Championship standard is far higher than L1, so any L1 side will struggle to win more than 1 game in the play-offs. Think the only chance is if Hunslet completely implode, a L1 team might get the away game in 3rd v 4th. Although if SL goes to 14, it might be irrelevant anyway.

0Watching the 2nd half, a good performance from the Rams. Defended well, gave the ball some air, some attacking kicks, Hookem added some spark at acting half... With Swinton and Workington winning though, think that effectively ends any chance of Top 4 unless we can win 4 out of the last 5. I think we have the players, maybe the desperation will force them to up their game.

Thanks live stream here https://www.youtube.com/live/1lhN2-z1gd0?si=b21AusIx_srE59wP

Worry not, you're on Nigel Woods list of clubs to be promoted to SL. Match results are meaningless.

Hope it's not as bad as that. We only lost 20-10 at home.