The Phantom Horseman

Indeed. When we beat them early in the season they had Kieran Dixon and Tom Nisbet on the wing. By the time we played them again, it was Blake Ferguson and Krisnan Inu! They'd also added Ipape and O'Donnell by then.

Think Turner might need a week or two once he arrives as he was recovering from an injury until fairly recently. Interesting that in his post-game interview on Sunday Fordy said "there's some new players coming in next week", we know about Turner but I wonder if he meant players returning from injury, DR additions or maybe someone else? We'll need to keep an eye on Batley's new prolific tryscoring sensation, with 4 tries already this season this L Cooper fella has been terrorising defences.

"I'm not putting up with losing at Fev, SIGN SOMEBODY." "Let's not panic, there's nobody any good available at the moment. I mean there's a winger who Leeds have been trying to move on for ages, but surely..." "I SAID SIGN SOMEBODY!!!!!" https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/derrell-olpherts-leaves-leeds-rhinos-28802069

On the General forum someone was spouting off about the pitch being "the usual mudbath" so I pointed out the only time in the last year or two where pitch conditions in the WF postcode had caused injuries... https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/wakefield-trinity-pitch-pictures-impact-26390411 https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/tom-johnstone-wakefield-pitch-injuries-26281719

Here's another quote I've stolen from Wakefield's social media..."who do we want in the sixth round?" For me...obviously Cas at home would be top of the list. But any SL team at home would be good, or a big SL team away. The ones we want to avoid...Catalans away would be the nightmare draw by a long way. London away would be not good either, though less expensive and at least a chance of winning. Probably wouldn't want Sheffield away either as that wouldn't be much of a gate.

Think that's the one draw nobody at the club would want, from a financial/expenses point of view it would negate what would have been a lucrative gate against Wakefield. Plus very little realistic chance of winning.

My favouite comment so far from the Wakefield RLFans forum... "Luck and a pigsty of a pitch won the game for rovers. Their ground is barely championship standard."

Addy Springer Hardcastle

I was thinking, when was the last time you saw such sheer delight on the players' faces at the end of a game? There's something about being the underdog that suits this club, honestly I would have felt pretty upbeat about that game even if we'd lost on golden point.

Well, there were plenty of Wakefield fans saying that over their social media yesterday

I thought it would still be 10-10 after the 20 minutes or however long they allow, I couldn't see anyone getting a drop goal off the ground in those conditions.

I've been pleasantly surprised by him too, and he seems to be able to play in the middle or back row.

Before my time that, but there's been at least one Cup game against Wakefield since then. February 1976, a game notable for the debut of Fev legend Steve Quinn. Fev won that one too!

Yep, the two might be connected of course as all the intended interchanges go out of the window when someone is ruled out so early. FWIW I thought we finished the stronger in the last 15 minutes of regulation time and again in golden point time, so fair play to Fordy. Did Addy do 80+ minutes? He was immense today but so were many others...Gadwin...Josh...Gaz...both halves played their socks off...Brad England gives it his all doesn't he...80+ minmutes for Jonesy too.

To answer your question...Manoa Wacokecoke came from Hull Ionians, having been released by Hull FC without making a first-grade appearance. He's in his first first-grade season, he's 19 and is still very raw. He's one of a number of players in the Fev squad who have arrived from pretty humble backgrounds. We've got a guy we signed from Hunslet amateurs (who played big minutes today), a guy we signed from Upton, a guy who was released by Doncaster, another who was released by Keighley, another we signed from Pontefract rugby union. Our makeshift half back today was Harry Bowes who was a hooker released by Wakefield. Still plenty of quality in the Fev squad but there are a lot of relatively unknown/inexperienced players in the squad, unlike previous years when we had almost an embarrasment of riches.

Is that right? Wow if so. I know we've lost a few.

Terrific contest, old-school cup tie in every way and hope it was as entertaining for neutrals watching as it was for fans of either team.

Wow, how good was that?!?! Proper old-school cuptie. I said beforehand I just hoped we had a dig, and did we ever! We'll be watching that game again on RoversTV Gold in years to come like so many of the classics. Backs to the wall, lost Bussey after 2 minutes, yet saw it out and in my very biased opinion were deserving winners. Great to have the feelgood factor back, and it's while since we've been able to relish being underdogs.

I get that it won't be everyone's cup of tea but for me this has been a cracking old school cup tie so far.

Bussey going off injured after 5 minutes a big blow for Fev.

Oh dear, entitled much? Nothing wrong with the pitch at Fev which, by the way, has been full size for a number of years...do try and keep up. Don't remember having many complaints about it causing injures like this from last year, anyway... https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/wakefield-trinity-pitch-pictures-impact-26390411 https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/tom-johnstone-wakefield-pitch-injuries-26281719

It will be a mud bath, precisely because it's rained heavily and persistently. But "the usual" is garbage. Last real mudbath I can remember at POR is the Leigh home game in February 2022. Thousands of games of rugby league have been played in muddy conditions over the course of well over 100 years and I'm not sure why it should become an issue now.

Even if it were for just one day

To be fair Leyland gave as good as he got!

Indeed, he's a character.