marklaspalmas

The unfortunate Will Gardiner has left the club and returned to Hull according to Xitter. At nine minutes, this will be one of the shortest Featherstone careers ever. Unless he comes back at some point

Well, here we are. Three successive league defeats and a lowly league position for us, when after pre-season we would probably have been hoping to come into this match with Bradford unbeaten. Lots of disappointment negativity around, which is natural given how things have gone so far. But it does look like a topsy turvy league that no-one is going to dominate. The new coach needs time, our injured players will come back, and things may look better in a few weeks. Or not. We got a very good update last week on our squad. Based on that info, we have a 26 man squad. Sixteen are currently available. Not available are Reynolds, Springer, Hampshire, Boothroyd and Tuimavave. Also Hatton (illness) and Gardiner (concussion). General fitness issues for Arnold and Akauola. Jeffery just doesn't seem to be considered. That leaves sixteen players, which includes two fullbacks, three wingers, one centre, no halfbacks. So, we'll need to do some out-of-position juggling with players again, and probably also have to rely on DR too. It'd be grand to see some grit and defensive commitment of the highest level after seeing Halifax score seven tries pretty comfortably. But we can win this one. Up The Rovers!

A decent report, but there are a number of errors with shirt numbers in the Featherstone line up. The journalist has used the notoriously inaccurate BBC lists, rather than the official team lists, or simply looking at the backs of the players.

Not Challenge Cup fevnut

Righto. Yes, we used something like 47 players last year which was ridiculous. We started this year with 27, which is a good number. But in the modern world with no A teams, players quickly start to move around once the season is underway. In an ideal world, we'd keep the same core of players through the year, and season by season, but the reality is that it's much more fluid than that. Fev's fringe becomes Keighley s run on team, so players come and go. I'd've thought it'd affect team spirit, but it doesn't seem to, too much. It's bewildering at times for old uns like me.

No, not yet Colin. We have the 21 man squad and the line up will be tomorrow at 2pm

He's played in four of seven matches and we are going to need him quite a lot for the rest of this season. I can't think of any others bar Openshaw who never got a chance

Who are these fringe players you're talking about? We'll have four loan signings in our 17. Seven absentees from a 25 man squad is a huge chunk.

Yes, a very good, and much needed update. Answered all my questions and more.

That should be illuminating. Overdue

Not bad. Forgot about Gormski's possibilities of covering FB

So of our vaunted 27 man squad that started last month, only 17 are available this weekend. Lacans, Herring and Openshaw have left. Jeffery can't get in this 21. The injury list stands at six by my count: Springer (n/a) Boothroyd (n/a) Reynolds (ankle) Tuimavave (wrist) Hatton (ill last week apparently but surely not still) Akauola (n/a) With both Gorman and Barley we have one centre too many. Will O'Connor miss out for the 2 DR's? Surely not? We now have seven middles for five positions with Tennison and Gardiner. Perhaps more than one of our 21 are not in fact available to play?

Walt did come to the UK. He came back to trl? Aliases?

Dodd, Sutton and Pryce all on the outer. Only six British NRL regulars.