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As a Fev fan of over 50 years, I have never bought in to the "cheating Refs" theory. Sure, refs make mistakes, but many times when I think the refs have got it wrong live, when I've watched the game back invariably I have to concede they got the decision right. I think part of the problem is that as supporters live at a game, we are so desperate for our teams to win that common sense goes out of the window for 80 minutes.

For excitement and competitivity, the Championship consistently delivers. Great games today and a fantastic set of permutations for next week's final round of games.

Mick Gledhill headline incoming. "Brutal Featherstone maim star man Shorrocks in hunt for promotion"

A convincing win over England’s community lions to win the U16s 4 Nations. Jake Nottingham, Karen Johnson & Junior Westwood (half-brother of Dec Patton) all signing Warrington academy deals this week. Sam Grice at Castleford too. A huge well done to Paul Berry, head coach, who’s worked wonders with this group. An excellent culture and excellent outcomes.

Should be a fantastic final set of matches in the Championship. Relegation and playoff places up for grabs. Alas it’s a dead rubber for my team. Overall it’s been a great season, and like has been said, it’s not all about Super League. Good luck to all.

And all SL is bothered about is SL!

I enjoy discussions about the laws of the game and I think most of us have learnt something about potential 3 point drop goals that we didn’t know.

For a change of direction I thought it'd be good for fans of both Dons and Cru to speak of how they found their clubs, neither of us being particularly traditional. For me in all honesty this is my 30th year properly supporting the Dons. The promotion season sucked me in when I was 17. My family had always supported the club but as a kid I spent most of my time in the sandpit at Tattersfield! Players like Vila Matautia, Jamie Bloem, Sonny Whakarou, Rocky Turner etc drew me in. I've seen some great players since then.

My dad grew up a short distance from Tattersfield. By the time he started watching them, The Dons had been in existence for around twenty (mostly lean) years. I began going to games around the time the club were changing from perpetual also-rans to something more competitive. My family had moved to West Yorkshire by this point, so we went to away games almost as regularly as home fixtures. I now live in Finland and rarely get to games, but I'll be cheering us on from my sofa next weekend.

As it stands: 8 teams have a mathematical chance of being promoted. 3 teams still have a chance of the final playoff position. 4 teams are fighting for their lives and can still go down. Could literally go down to the very last second. It always surprises me when fans say they’d prefer to go back to whoever finishes top goes up. The season would’ve been pretty much over a few months ago for all but those 4 teams battling relegation.

Knowing the way we've done out of transfers in the past......... it'll be about 2 pound fifty in cash, and a pre season friendly with their under 12's

Given your keen interest, I’m surprised you didn’t go and support the lads / club. I’m sure there will be a post shortly. It was a fantastic night at a packed White Hart. From memory the winners were Wilkinson (players player), Ridyard (coaches player), Paga (supporters player), Sam Bardsley (clubman) and Sam Doyle (unsung hero). There were quite a few other thanks to volunteers, sponsors etc.

That would be great and I feel something like this is what the World Club Challenge needs to take it to the next level.

Bradford. The combined Wakefield/Castleford/Featherstone team would only attract the fans of one of those clubs in significant numbers (based on location, etc). The only real connection between them (and the reason merger is suggested) is that they are administered by the same Council. It's not as if all three are actually in Wakefield - they are three different places.

Cracking atmos in the clubhouse for this game. I dislike MOM nomination. We win or lose as a team. However.... Best performance in a fev shirt from lacans.... though I suspect playing along side fordy helped that along. Some sublime handling from Ford. Locky, Day, we're excellent and Smithy had his best spell yet in that second half. Hally had his best game this year imo. A great Effort from Hanks and though Gaz had a nightmare first half he regained his composure for the second half. I could work my way through every player. They did their jobs well. The first game this season I've been wholly happy with the performance. Cut out the first half mistakes and totally controlled that second half. Fordy now has some selection headaches

Not true at all. But then I suppose it wouldn’t fit the agenda. Let me provide what I believe to be facts. Since entering SL trinity have. Built the hospitality 4 tier south stand. Roof placed on North stand. Roof placed on West stand (part of). An area for wheelchair users to watch the game was built. A few additional refreshment stands added. Believe some foundation works on north were done at a cost to club. At one point a club shop was introduced. I’m sure there has been ongoing maintenance (I recall paint works at parts of stadium etc). That’s prior to this new east stand, new roof on south east stand and refurbishment if north stand terrace and barriers. Also the new car park, floodlights, new pitch, big screen and I think there’ll be south east getting refurbished inside after east stand is built. All of this and so I read previously that Trinity actually had money deducted for the stadium all while being asked to improve it. It’s not been good enough but there has been a fair efforts made through the years and the club have tried.

Signed players. 1.Jordan Burns 2.Jake Bradley 3.Ciaran Walker 4.Dave Eccleston 5.Jack Stephenson 6.JJ Key 7. Ellis Archer 8. Chris Taylor 9. Grant Reid 10. Blain Marwood 11. Jordan Thomson 12. Matty Henson 13. Connor Saunders 14. Malik Steele 15. Jake Lightowler 16. Kian Mcpherson 17. Tyler Walton 18. Jonny Hutton 19. Ethan Bickerdike 20. Liam Mcnicholas 21. Sean Croston 22. Luke Charlton 23. Carl Forber 24. Stevie Scholey 25. Jarrod Sammut Keep eyes on our social media for announcements. UTT

Disappointed.Hunslet's form has really dipped the last few weeks. Well played and well deserved Crusaders. Great set of fans,credit to the club,especially having been messed around plenty this season. Good luck to both clubs in the final.

Really happy to see either Dons or Crusaders go up. Both great clubs with good people working behind the scenes. They've worked hard for it and don't believe they have a god given right to be promoted.

The squad has to be taken as a whole imo, although I would accept that through the season it has gotten worse (often through self inflicted measures). I don't see it as that "inherited" tbh, I think this is an overstated point. 9 players left last season, 9 were brought in, nearly all going into the top 25. More players have gone since.

Even if we lose next week, after all our problems with injuries and venues I'll be a happy camper - never thought we'd make the play-off finals. If someone had said to me a few months back that we'd be one game away from the Championship I'd have tried to have them sectioned!

Yes promotion and relegation is rubbish isn't it. The closed shop merchants are killing the game.

And don't forget tomorrow's game York v Batley. A Bulldogs win leapfrogs them over Fax into the playoff places, whilst a York win puts them ahead of Batley into 7th, and just a point behind Fax !

Swinton WON by 1 point! Whitehaven, Swinton and Keighley (who LOST by 1 point) all have 16 points. Barrow have 17 points. Next weekend to overtake the Raiders, the 3 teams below us ALL have to WIN. Whitehaven (H) need to beat Toulouse. Swinton (A) need to beat Halifax. Keighley (A) need to beat London. ALL very unlikely in my opinion. If any of the 3 teams draw and secure 17 points, the Raiders will stay up on points difference. Whitehaven have 5 points better than Swinton and Keighley who are equal on points difference. So if all 3 teams lose, as is possible, who drops to League 1 will depend on points difference. Talk about a cliff-hanger! You can't make this stuff up. Regardless of the above, if Raiders beat York on Sunday, we will stay up. But if Whitehaven lose to Toulouse on Saturday, we're safe and no pressure to beat York. Is that all clear now?!! Disclaimer: All the above is subject to errors and omissions!

WooHoo!!! What a win....now on to our Nemesis in Donny next week!!!

Not quite. He wasn't sacked due to not having the vaccine, that was a personal choice. He was caught doing something criminal, and lied to the club and his team mates. It wouldn't have mattered that a few weeks later the rules changed in France to have allowed him to play, the damage was done. The clubs principles overrode his own. No SL club were interested, hence the move to Fév who were willing to pick up his salary requirements.

We've all blamed the ref at times and after watching again you think differently most times.

It states for both the try and the drop kick. Drop Goal Foul Play on Kicker 10. (a) If a player fouls an opponent who is attempting a drop goal, a penalty kick shall be awarded in front of the goal posts. Laws of the Game (rugby-league.com)

Thanks for the genuine responses. Sorry if a Featherstone fan or two felt upset by my question but I’m genuinely interested. All teams seem to have fans (Bradford included!) that feel the refs played a part in any loss so when you see a game where you lose the first half but win the second I’m always instead in whether they think the team just played better in the second or whether that ‘cheating’ ref stopped being ‘a joke’. I didn’t see the game so asked those that did. FWIW I’ve said Featherstone to go up from the start and I have no doubt I will be proven correct in a few weeks.

Expectations are artificially high at Leeds due to last year, in my view. Leeds are going to finish 8th this year. Looking at the quality of their squad, I'd say it's between the 6th and 8th best in Super League. They made the Grand Final last year but let's not forget, had Greg Eden not sliced a 78th minute drop goal attempt, they wouldn't have even made the play offs. They also won in the last minute against Huddersfield and pulled off a once in a generation level comeback at Catalans. Any of those three events do not happen and Leeds don't make the play offs let alone a Grand Final. I'm not suggesting it was a fluke, Leeds did well towards the end of last season. But you can't rely on a late season surge every year. The truth is the Leeds squad is of mid table ability at best and they are performing accordingly.

Think the OP is emphasising 2 games in a row guys.

Blimey, I wouldn’t. I liked Bentley when he was with us, but he’d clearly be behind Batchelor, Sironen, Matautia and Knowles as a back row option. So a waste of salary cap. I’ve never rated Handley.

Neither are any good/worthy

Tommo captain next year for me

I hadn’t realised that the Broncos squad has no Northerners at all. Remarkable. Permit me to post this link again: FREE Broncos Game Ticket! Use code: afcbradford We have a special offer for you from the London Broncos as they look to secure a play-off place in their match against the Bradford Bulls this Sunday 17th. Click below to apply the code above and secure your seat. https://londonbroncos.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/london_broncos_v_bradford_bulls_2023

I do wish people would read/understand the IMG scoring system, though unlikely on so many levels, even if Fev win promotion to SL this year and finish top of SL in 2024 we can still be demoted out of SL in 2025 under the IMG grading system. Under the IMG criteria of “performance” over the three years 2022, 2023 and 2024 we have managed 14th (2022) or 15th (depending on if the playoffs count), 13th (2023) assuming we win the GF and if we finish 11th in SL in 2024 11th an average placing of 13th/14th still probably scoring less points than Wakey & Toulouse. And that is before you look at the other criteria. Certainly no guarantee of a SL place in 2025.

Viva Fev Rovers

He was superb before the injury.

You said it , it’s over the crossbar the one pointer is completed . That’s the end of the section

I am not sure how you could think people putting money into the game outside of the heartlands is bad.. I don't think Hughes thought to himself - It is either London or Oldham. Creating new and viable clubs outside of the heartlands is incredibly important in creating new pathways for people to get into the sport. London has produced numerous players that have gone onto play at various SL teams as well as a few that have played for England, including one that is being talked about as one of the talents of his generation as he heads to the NRL. The RFL should be looking at re-instating their development officers in places like London to get back to the participation levels RL had 10 + years ago in the Capital.

Not next season.Do you think the teams in The Championship will be bothered if they win or lose with nothing to play for at the end of the season only a tin plate Tha's Wtf i am on about.League 1 will be competitive right to the last games because theyt are striving to get into The Championship;I bet you support one of the SL clubs with an A licence.

Brilliant victory for Crusaders, i don’t know who the fullback is but he had a cracking match. Those Cru fans are a loyal bunch.

Harry Newman's just read this thread and tells you all to sssssssssh.

Probably, but not an overwhelming amount, and the transformation was pretty instant clearly. In no part of him coming in envisaged finishing outside the playoffs in his first full season in charge. He's failed big time this year, GH has had to come out to defend him in the press. These past two games have been especially dreadful.

RL at this level is a farce. With dual reg, loan players etc. Gone are the days of knowing who all your players are. This along with short term contracts, does not allow youngsters to tag someone as their favourite player, as they are usually gone the season after.

Thank you for the comprehensive answer!

Just like when a ball's touched down and let go. A defender could then bat it out of play, or run the length of the field and touch down, but once the points have been scored, that's it. I did once know a very mad Scotsman who saw a goal scored in Football, where the ball came out again and was slammed back into the net by a celebrating player, and he asked me if that counted as another goal. But, as I said, he was seriously nuts.

the RFL have been very passive in this. no help or anything other than sympathetic words. no urgency and no Taskforce or support to fix things. broncos have a huge amount of blame to take for this. their relationship with Skolars has been one way traffic over the 28 years and poaching the clubs coach and half the squad just after covid was shocking and disgusting and impossible to recover from.

Thats because toulouse really only had a 10 min period at the end of the first half where they were on par with us for me - aside from that I thought we outplayed them and its a richly deserved victory To nil them in the second half and go over there and win, the only team to go over there & win all season is a big statement considering the play offs are round the corner, massive psychological boost for us

Cornwall is a success so far