BARROW RAIDERS coach Paul Crarey wants his side to absorb the lessons of their heavy league defeat at Featherstone by the time they face them in the semi-finals of the 1895 Cup.
The repeat of the Good Friday fixture, which hosts Rovers won 58-6, is on Sunday week, May 8, this time at Barrow’s Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium.
Last year’s League One champions, who despite their setback at Featherstone, have made a good start to their first second tier campaign since 2019, winning five and drawing one of their first eight matches going into their game at Halifax.
A busy schedule continues with their Premier Sports-televised home clash with York next Monday, May 2, and Crarey, who has taken Wakefield prop Sam Eseh on loan, is wary of another shorter-than-normal gap before facing Featherstone again.
“The five-day turnaround for the league game was always going to be pretty short when they’d had a twelve-day gap,” explained the long-serving team chief, whose side had won 23-22 at Bradford in a rearranged game.
“Having said that, Featherstone did a number on us. They were clinical, with really good discipline.
“I think we had 17 sets to their 22 in the first half, and in the second, 14 sets to 20.
“They had a mountain of possession, and it’s very difficult to stop them with the quality that they have in their side.
“You’re going to get that sort of result a little bit in this league, especially when you’re undercooked and playing the top teams away from home on that short turnaround.”
Barrow captain Jarrad Stack made his 100th appearance for the club – the Australian secondrow made his Barrow debut in the 46-18 League One Cup win at Rochdale Mayfield in February 2017.
The Featherstone clash also marked the start of an eight-match ban for France international centre Hakim Miloudi.
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BRADFORD BULLS coach John Kear says he understands the frustration of fans, but has been focused on rectifying the issues which led to a hugely disappointing home derby defeat by Halifax.
The Odsal side host unbeaten Featherstone in a Premier Sports-televised meeting tonight (Monday, April 25) aiming to upset the odds by clinching a fifth league win of the season in the last of the ninth round of Championship matches.
And experienced Kear believes that while his team fell “well below” the standard necessary against Halifax, who had loose-forward Jacob Fairbank sent off in the first minute but still won 20-17, their overall record should also be taken into account.
“I’ve been in worse holes than this as a head coach,” said the former Bramley, Paris SG, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Hull, Wakefield, Batley, France and England chief, who is also in charge of Wales.
“It’s a 50 percent record we’ve got this season, not a ten percent one. I don’t feel under pressure, but I felt annoyed, angry, frustrated and disappointed by the Halifax defeat. We fell well below the standards we set as a group.”
Bradford were 17-8 ahead after 53 minutes, but Halifax clinched victory with a 76th-minute score in a game watched by 5,821.
“You sensed that everyone thought the game was won as soon as Jacob Fairbank went off,” added Kear, who is in his fifth season as Bulls coach.
“It wasn’t, because you’ve got to play against twelve men and still come up with a good performance.
“That comes from what your players have got within them, that desire and commitment to each other. I don’t think we’re showing that at the moment.
“It was a missed opportunity. We could have distanced ourselves from one of our rivals in Halifax. Winning would have put us in and among the play-off spots, but we’re mid-table with a 50 percent record.”
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HALIFAX PANTHERS back Louis Jouffret has his sights set on getting back into the play-offs – and this time he wants to get beyond the first stage.
The versatile Frenchman was on the receiving end at The Shay with Whitehaven last year, when Simon Grix’s side edged the Cumbrians 24-20 in an eliminator.
Along with teammate Lachlan Walmsley, former Toulouse, Batley and Featherstone man Jouffret swapped Haven for Halifax during the close-season.
Both are making their mark, and helped the Panthers, who have come to life after a sluggish start to the campaign, pull off a sweet 20-17 derby win at Bradford over Easter.
Halifax had Jacob Fairbank sent off for punching in the first minute – the forward will now face a disciplinary tribunal – but claimed a third straight win with the help of Jouffret’s late try.
“We know what we’re capable of and I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine at the end of the year,” said the 26-year-old.
“We’ve got a really hardworking team, so even down to twelve against Bradford, we never lost faith and kept grinding away.”
Former Halifax and Warrington player Grix, who succeeded Richard Marshall, to whom he had been assistant, in 2019, said beating Bradford was his best victory as a coach to date.
And he hailed the input of his brother Scott, the club’s strength and conditioning specialist.
“Our fitness levels really told. We knew it would be tough playing with twelve men for so long, but we were confident that we had what it took physically,” he explained.
“I think pre-season was probably the wettest and coldest we’ve had in my time on the coaching staff, but Scott did a great job, and the players really bought into what he was doing.
“We saw the results of that against Bradford, and the application and effort of the lads across the board was excellent.”
Halifax visit Newcastle on Saturday.
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LEIGH CENTURIONS coach Adrian Lam says the supporters have a big role to play as the club prepare for successive home meetings with Sheffield.
Friday’s Championship round-ten clash is followed by the second 1895 Cup semi-final showdown on Sunday week, May 8.
The winners will play Barrow or Featherstone in a curtain-raiser for the Challenge Cup final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, May 28.
Lam would love to take Leigh to the final of the competition for clubs outside the top flight.
But the former Wigan coach, tasked with leading the Centurions back to Super League at the first attempt, says it’s one game at a time.
And after seeing Leigh clinch a seventh league win in eight this season, 36-6 at Widnes on Good Friday, he is focused on further improvement.
“It was a pleasing performance,” said Lam, whose side went into their home round-nine game against London Broncos, having scored 274 points and conceded only 80, both the best tallies in the division.
“Given the (artificial) pitch, we knew it was going to be quick, and we went 100 percent in the first 20 minutes in terms of completion.
“We needed to set a platform, and we kept chipping away and produced a really professional performance.
“Defensively, we were outstanding again, and the boys are really buying into the processes.
“But having set the standard, we need to keep working and developing and get better still.
“Offensively, I think we maybe left three or four tries out on the field and we need to get better in terms of execution.”
Lam, who was pleased with the debut display of ex-NRL forward Kai O’Donnell, the Australian signed from Queensland Cup side Burleigh Bears, says he and his players value the backing of their fans.
“It was a highlight at Widnes, and it’s great to have these home games, because they really do play their part,” he added.
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WHITEHAVEN skipper Karl Dixon says the hard-fought derby win over Workington can be a springboard for another play-off push.
The versatile former England Community Lions back, who joined the LEL Arena club ahead of the 2020 campaign after impressing for Wath Brow Hornets in the National Conference League, helped his side make the top six last year, and featured at centre in the 24-20 eliminator defeat at Halifax.
He played alongside Kiwi Nikau Williams in the halves as Workington were seen off 22-14 on Easter Sunday.
The injury-hit Cumbrians have been in and out this season, and went into their game at York having lost five out of eight in the Championship.
But Dixon believes the form Jonty Gorley’s side have produced in patches has provided a platform for the remainder of the season.
“For a West Cumbrian like myself, it doesn’t get much better than winning a derby, and it gave us a boost, because our previous results hadn’t been what we wanted,” explained the 28-year-old.
“We’ve produced a lot of what I’d term 50-minute performances, and now we need to extend those spells.”
Whitehaven fielded three on-loan Hull players – fullback Davy Litten, centre Marcus Walker and hooker Jacob Hookem – against Workington.
And coach Gorley, whose side host Bradford on Sunday, said: “They did well and played their part in a determined team performance.
“The boys dug in, and while we weren’t at our best, we kept working hard and got the win. After four defeats on the spin, that was important.
“Workington made us work for it, which we knew they would, because they’ve pushed a lot of sides quite close.
“Derbies are usually about discipline and doing the basics properly, and that’s how it worked out.
“We made a few errors, but defended well on the back of them, and Nikau produced a smart kicking game, particularly in the second half.”
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WIDNES VIKINGS coach Simon Finnigan has signed Leigh back Kieran Dixon on loan – and is hoping his selection options further improve ahead of the big trip to Featherstone on Sunday.
Finnigan is set to be without skipper Jack Owens until June.
The fullback has been struggling with a knee problem, which doctors have decided needs surgery.
And halfback Danny Craven faces at least another four weeks on the sidelines because of a calf tear.
But it’s hoped both highly-rated prop Tyler Dupree and winger Ollie Brookes will be back in contention for the Millennium Stadium meeting.
Widnes, chasing a play-off spot after last year’s eighth-placed finish, made a strong start to the season, winning their first four Championship games.
But they have stalled amid a string of injury issues, and after being beaten at Leigh in the Challenge Cup fourth round, suffered successive defeats by Barrow, York, Newcastle and Leigh.
As well as Owens, Craven, Dupree and Brookes, winger Brad Holroyd, centre Jake Spedding and props Shane Grady and Levy Nzoungou missed the Good Friday home league game against Leigh, who won 36-6.
And winger Ryan Ince (ribs), who was making his 100th career appearance, secondrow Olly Davies (ankle) and loose-forward Liam Bent (head gash) were all forced off during it.
“We’re doing it tough,” reflected Finnigan, who included on-loan Wigan prop Ramon Silva in his 17.
“Given the injuries, I was pleased with the effort levels. I thought our first-half performance was really good – you wouldn’t have said we had key players missing – and it was a big blow when they got a try just before the hooter.
“Losing bodies at half-time meant we had to reshuffle, and with that and the energy we had put in starting to take its toll, we lost a bit of fluency.
“But there were positives. I thought (centre) Steve Tyrer was back to his best, and my middles were good.”
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YORK CITY KNIGHTS coach James Ford led the praise for Will Jubb as he marked his 100th appearance for the club by helping them beat Newcastle 38-6 – and paid tribute to another hooker, Kriss Brining, following his retirement through injury.
Ford signed 25-year-old Jubb from Hull KR ahead of the 2018 season after he made 16 appearances on loan the year before.
“He’s central to the team, with his defence, game management and skill,” said Ford. “He’s a determined character.”
Hull Wyke product Jubb said he was “humbled” by the crowd’s reaction as he left the pitch.
“It was amazing and meant a lot to me,” he explained. “It was even better that we won the game, and I thought that over the 80 minutes, we were really good.
“We had to defend our line early on, but we worked our way into the game and got a foothold.”
York, chasing a play-off place after finishing ninth last year went into their home round-nine clash with Whitehaven having won six out of eight league matches.
Next up is the Premier Sports-televised game at Barrow next Monday, May 2, and Jubb continued: “We’re just going week to week.
“Every match, we try to put in a good performance, and doing that breeds energy and confidence.
“There’s more to come from us, we won’t rest on our laurels. We’ve identified areas we need to improve on and we’ll keep working on them.”
Brining, 28, has called time on his second spell at York after a series of injuries.
He made his club debut at 17 in 2011 and after a two-year spell at Salford during which he was hampered by a neck issue, returned in 2019, clocking up 150 career appearances earlier this year.
“He’s brought an awful lot to this club and should be proud of what he’s achieved in the game,” said Ford.
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BATLEY BULLDOGS pack star James Brown is reflecting on 150 appearances for the club after reaching the milestone in the 36-20 home Easter derby victory over Dewsbury.
The 33-year-old former Swinton player made his trans-Pennine switch in 2015, his debut coming in that year’s 30-6 home opening-day Championship win over Workington.
Brown was part of the team who finished third in the second tier in 2016 to make the Super League Qualifiers and last year helped the Bulldogs reach the play-off semi-finals, featuring at loose-forward in the 51-12 defeat by Toulouse in France.
Craig Lingard’s side collected their fourth win in seven Championship games this year against Dewsbury.
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DEWSBURY RAMS coach Lee Greenwood says the search for squad reinforcements is ongoing as he plots a climb away from the danger zone.
The West Yorkshire side faced Workington, who were bottom of the table going into the match, with just one win from eight league games and without a string of players.
While prop Ross Peltier has been able to step up his training schedule as he returns from injury, fullback Calum Turner, who has had an ankle operation, does not yet have a target comeback date.
The same goes for sidelined trio Chris Annakin, Dale Ferguson and Jason Walton.
“We’re missing some experience,” reflected Greenwood, whose side head to fellow strugglers London Broncos on Sunday.
“We’re looking for players, but it’s difficult at the moment because every other team seems to be looking as well.
“We don’t have anything immediately in the pipeline, but these things can change very quickly.
“But we’ve got to make sure that whenever we bring someone in, we’re going to keep the right balance within the squad.”
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FEATHERSTONE ROVERS recruit Mark Kheirallah scored his 100th try while in the British game to help his team beat Barrow 58-6 at the Millennium Stadium.
The former Sydney Roosters player, signed late last month, was making his second appearance for the West Yorkshire side.
Fullback Kheirallah clocked up 98 tries in six seasons in League One, then the Championship, with Toulouse, including six last year, when he featured in the Million Pound Game win over Featherstone.
The 32-year-old had been expected to play for Toulouse in Super League, but his contract was terminated following a fall-out with the club.
Kheirallah also scored a try for France, for whom he has played five times, in their 2017 World Cup clash with Australia, who won 52-6 in Canberra.
Featherstone have also signed Kheirallah’s former Toulouse teammate Johnathon Ford, the 32-year-old Cook Islands halfback, as they target promotion to Super League.
Brian McDermott’s men, who have dropped just one point so far this season, in the 20-20 draw at Batley, visit Bradford for a Premier Sports-televised round-nine clash on Monday, (April 25).
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LONDON BRONCOS coach Jermaine Coleman was left to rue a costly second-half slump as his side lost 30-10 to Sheffield in a game played at Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium.
The capital team, who were targeting a first win of the campaign after drawing 18-18 at Barrow, then pushing Bradford close before an 8-6 home defeat, were just 6-4 adrift at half-time, then levelled with a Dane Chisholm penalty.
But Sheffield took control with the help of hat-trick of tries by veteran halfback Anthony Thackeray, and Coleman reflected: “Having started the second half with some real intent and put some pressure on, a poor outcome ended in Sheffield running the full length of the field and scoring a try (through Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e), and they scored another (Thackeray’s first) off the back of that.
“We had been building in recent weeks and had a massive week in training. We entered the game feeling positive and looking for a massive performance. But we were clunky with the ball and made poor decisions. We let ourselves down.”
Secondrow Will Lovell made his 150th career appearance (98 for the Broncos, 52 for London Skolars).
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NEWCASTLE THUNDER coach Eamon O’Carroll will go into Saturday’s home clash with Halifax calling for a reaction from his players following back-to-back defeats.
His side ended March and started April with successive victories, at home to Widnes and at Dewsbury, making it three out of four in the league and four for the season.
But after a disappointing 38-6 setback at York, Thunder went down 34-20 to Sheffield on Friday in a game which, with the Olympic Legacy Park still to open, took place at Featherstone.
O’Carroll said: “We must learn some lessons and learn them quickly, but we can’t feel sorry four ourselves, we have to move on.
“There was a big contrast in how we performed against Widnes and against York, and we have to address that.”
Isaac Nokes, Gideon Boafo, Lewis Peachey and on-loan Wigan centre Alex Sutton scored tries against Sheffield, while Jake Shorrocks landed two goals.
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SHEFFIELD EAGLES coach Simon Brown says it’s great to be back on board with the South Yorkshire club.
The former halfback who started out at Leeds had three spells at Sheffield as a player – he also represented York, Halifax, Hunslet and Dewsbury – is now on the coaching staff alongside Mark Aston, Keith Senior and Ged Corcoran.
The in-form Eagles made it five wins from nine league games this season by being Newcastle 34-20 at Featherstone on Friday, when Ben Jones-Bishop claimed a hat-trick of tries and Kadeem Williams, a close-season signing from Coventry (now Midlands Hurricanes) made his debut.
“The other coaches have welcomed me into the environment,” said Brown, 32.
“As a staff, we look at different aspects and have plenty of debates with lots of ideas.
“Tubbs (Aston) has let me run with things and hopefully that has been showing in our attack on the field.”
Brown is particularly enjoying his work with current halfbacks Izaac Farrell and Anthony Thackeray.
“They’re both good players already, but hopefully I’ve been able to teach them something extra,” he added.
Sheffield now have back-to-back games at Leigh, in the league on Friday and 1895 Cup semi-finals on Sunday, May 8.
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WORKINGTON TOWN coach Chris Thorman hopes to strengthen his squad before Sunday’s home clash with Batley.
The promoted Cumbrians went into their game at Dewsbury having suffered eight defeats in eight league games, their only victory of the year coming at home to the West Yorkshire side in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup.
Thorman has had to deal with a glut of injury problems, and has long been trying to bolster his selection options.
“Hopefully we will get in a couple of experienced additions in time for the Batley game,” he said.
Thorman was able to pick positives from his side’s performance in the Easter derby at Whitehaven, despite the 22-14 scoreline.
“I thought we were the better team for the first half and there was a lot to be encouraged about,” he added.
“At 14-14, I was fairly happy at half-time, but we then made the mistake of trying to around them rather than through them.
“We weren’t able to get any good territory or field position, and it’s disappointing because a win would have kick-started our season.”
Town fielded on-loan duo Will Tate, the Hull KR centre, and Dan Brewin, the Warrington centre or secondrow, against their neighbours.
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