Match Thread. Featherstone Rovers v Batley Sunday 2nd July 2017

[marklaspalmas]

They are all "must win" games from now on. I think London have 2nd, but 3rd, 4th and 5th is for Fev, Fax and Toulouse, and we all have to play each other in the last four weeks. FWIW I think we'll get third. IF we can beat Batley.

The 17 at London rightly got credit for a gutsy show, but we should have won, and obviously ran out of energy towards the end. Not surprising, given our fixture list, but we played exactly the same 17 on Sunday as on Wednesday night with no fresh legs. Is that our first choice XIII? Will it be 'same again' on Sunday?

Perhaps not as Baldy and Jack O are in the Leeds 19 for tonight, alongside five other props. At least one of them should play for us.

The follwoing players were not called on at Ealing. Will we see any of them back on Sunday?

Luke Briscoe

James Duckworth

Scott Turner

Kyle Briggs

Cory Aston

Luke Cooper

Brad Tagg

Michael Knowles

James Lockwood

[The Phantom Horseman]

Scott Turner was amongst those involved in the warm-up at London and looked to be moving (albeit I only saw him walking) quite freely, though I note in today's P & C Express it says that he, Briscoe and Duckworth will all still be out on Sunday but could be back for the Oldham game.

There are a lot of permutations in the Leeds squad (and at least one in the 19, Golding, apparently doubtful) but we'll know in a few hours. Handley is not in the squad so unless there is a reshuffle with Golding out he might be drafted in for us, as well as Johnson has done lately JS has always prefered Handley to him and indeed Turner.

Hard to predict who else will come in, will be interesting to see if Walters keeps his place without wishing to reignite that controversy!

[The Phantom Horseman]

BTW as it's Batley we're playing, can put in a recommendation for the book "Underdogs" by Tony Hannan which is a fly-on-the-wall type book following their progress last year. Think anyone who follows Championship RL would find it interesting, of course it's written from a Batley point of view so other clubs are obviously portrayed as the enemy occasionally (eg nobody will be surprised that Keegan Hirst isn't Fev's biggest fan) but overall it's a very good read.

It does cover the town in general as well as RL so the likes of Batley Variety Club and the terrible Jo Cox incident which happened whilst the book was being written get signifcant discussion too, but it's mostly based at the club.

[The Phantom Horseman]

No Baldwinson for Leeds tonight (Ormondroyd and Handley on bench).

[marklaspalmas]

Perhaps just Baldy & Walters on DR this weekend then.

Plus Igbinedion.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Ormondroyd didn't get on the field tonight. Can't do much for the confidence of the likes of him and Bsldy when McDermott does that.

[marklaspalmas]

7 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Ormondroyd didn't get on the field tonight. Can't do much for the confidence of the likes of him and Bsldy when McDermott does that.

Especially with Handley & Hall limping along at the end. Also Galloway is just c rap. Must be frustrating for the lad.

However, I think that means he can play for us on Sunday.

[haskey]

I think Ormondroyd did get on the field

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

11 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Ormondroyd didn't get on the field tonight. Can't do much for the confidence of the likes of him and Bsldy when McDermott does that.

He wouldn't be the only coach not to use all of his 17 players during a match though

[cretanhornet]

I would like to wish Feb all the very best on Sunday against those very nice supporters from Batley,

[distantdog]

Just now, cretanhornet said:

I would like to wish Feb all the very best on Sunday against those very nice supporters from Batley,

None of the supporters will be playing, only the team will be l suspect!

[Phil Loxton]

4 minutes ago, distantdog said:

None of the supporters will be playing, only the team will be l suspect!

At least we would stand a better chance against your supporters as long as I could pick your team DD

[cretanhornet]

.I really do not have a problem with the team.just the foul mouthed supporters who think it's ok to use language like that in front of women and children 

[distantdog]

4 minutes ago, cretanhornet said:

.I really do not have a problem with the team.just the foul mouthed supporters who think it's ok to use language like that in front of women and children 

All of them? Did you report them to a steward? Is this appropriate for this thread?

[The Phantom Horseman]

 

Scott Turner is indeed back in the squad on Sunday. Briggs omitted and no Aston again, so with Wildie at 6 looks like another lengthy stint for Keal Carlile, to be fair he has been playing very well.

Bit of a surprise to see Mariano omitted unless he's injured, he hasn't exactly set the world on fire but I thought he has done ok the last couple of games. Luke Cooper back in the squad, that makes 6 props in the 19, including Baldwinson & Ormondroyd, so perhaps one of those 6 will make way with either Johnson or Turner the other to miss out.

https://www.featherstonerovers.co.uk/news/turner-set-to-face-bulldogs-pMd04

[Steve Slater]

It's another potential banana skin on Sunday, especially with Batley. In the words of Forest Gump they're like a box of chocolates "You don't know what you're gonna get." They are definitely the most inconsistent team of the season but on their day they can be irrepressible. Twice they've put more than 50 past Sheffield, who are also having an up and down season. I watched Bulldogs trounce them at Wakefield earlier in the season and was most impressed with back rower Joel Farrell, and Brambani was very good too. I think nothing's more certain that Hardman and the wingers will get another aerial bombardment, though I don't know whether their chase will be as good as we've seen in recent weeks, and whether their defence will be able to handle the threat posed by the Fev backs and second rowers out wide.

[The Phantom Horseman]

They seem to have turned the corner a bit on the face of it. At the Summer Bash I thought they looked terrible and lots of the fans seemed to be calling for Diskin's head, but then they gave Tolouse a good game before winning their last three including twice away.

On paper they still have a very strong team - Manning, Brown, Rowe, Brambani, Walker etc, we'll need to be on our game on Sunday.

[elppaxr2i]

Mariano took a knock last week, think eddie battye landed on his ankle making a tackle - he didnt play in the second half 

[Adam B]

Really good to see Turner back, hopefully he can pick up where he left off, and Batley can reap the whirlwind.

Agree that we'll need to be on top of our game on Sunday, Batley have got some good players and when they 'click' they can give anyone a game at this level. They'll be well up for it too, as they always are against us.

[Phil Loxton]

They are always a dangerous team. They seem to be getting their act together now.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

45 minutes ago, elppaxr2i said:

Mariano took a knock last week, think eddie battye landed on his ankle making a tackle - he didnt play in the second half 

Mariano played for most of the second half if not all of it. The one I don't remember noticing in the second half was Baldwinson, I'm not sure that he returned after the break.

[elppaxr2i]

Always seem to struggle at home vs Batley for some reason, something we dont seem to have any trouble with at the Mount

Always a close run thing - not much more than a score in it

Fev 24 Batley 16

1st try Hardcastle

MoM Thacks

Att 2087

[Blue Pike]

Thank god for Rovers tv.Listened to match whilst still on holiday at Perranporth and sounded a very niggly game.Three games to go and we are in a great position .Well done to the lads maybe a win at Oldham could seal us that top four birth.

[elppaxr2i]

No maybe about it - win at oldham and we are in the top 4

Thought we played very well in that second half - in the first half we got drawn into the niggly stuff and fell for their tactics and played into their hands

When we knuckled down and played rugby we played it very well

The less said about the ref the better - think he blew approx 35 pens today - both sets of fans wont be happy with his contribution to the match, although it is years since ive seen fev get a penalty try

Onwards to Oldham - it could be party time there

 

[lingard]

Thought we got on top when they tired early in the second.  They are not far off a good side need to work on their fitness.  Lillycrop could do a job for us some good strong carries in the first half.