Now for the final tests

[glemiln]

Today's 38 -6 loss seems a reasonable performance given the stakes for Halifax and some recent scores.  A very disappointing regular season, but in the toughest (uneven) Championship in years, not too unexpected, especially given the early season problems - which I hope are behind us?   At least now we can focus all on the relegation battle ahead.  The Shield semis, will be those teams finishing 4th & 3rd in the final  8-team Shield table against Featherstone & Leigh, who cannot be overtaken.  How they react to missing the 8's remains to be seen. 

We shall play (dates/order unknown):

Dewsbury, Leigh & Fev at home - which should guarantee good gates.

Swinton, Barrow, Sheffield & Batley away

A huge test just to make up 6 points to get above the relegation slots. It will be key to start the challenge well.

http://www.rugby-league.com/super-eights

[YOUNG UN]

No shield semis this year. It's pretty much nailed on Fev v Leigh. They can't be caught.

[excolt]

Hornets twitter has Barrow at home and Dewsbury away, don't know who's correct. 

 

[ChampagneCharlieReturns]

The 10th placed club as is barrow play both bottom two at home, so u play barrow away

[mickhornet]

Fixtures released on Wednesday at 12am.

[ipods4ever]

be Lucky  to win  one game never mind 3 

[RPH]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 6:41 PM, YOUNG UN said:

No shield semis this year. It's pretty much nailed on Fev v Leigh. They can't be caught.

correct the bottom eight Shield Final is between Fev and Leigh....there are no semi finals....its just between those two to decide who plays at home....

[DiddyDave]

On 7/31/2018 at 5:45 AM, ipods4ever said:

be Lucky  to win  one game never mind 3 

You reckon mate? Barrow and Swinton are definitely beatable,Dewsbury,Batley and Sheffield no world beaters either,so if Hornets stick to the game plan and don`t lose their heads,a Houdini escape act could be on the cards. Let`s face it,there`s nowt to lose,no pressure on the team,just go out there and give it their all.

[mickhornet]

Rain forecast, we have to get 2 points tomorrow that's for sure.

[glemiln]

Disappointing result makes the task ahead much harder ( despite big defeats on Eagles & Swinton) to make-up and overtake the 6 point safety deficit.  It remains to be seen how the cost cutting announcements by Featherstone affects their and other clubs' on-going performances. Rumours are that they've paid £30k to buy out Hock's contract for next season, players are leaving and that Duffy's coaching contract may not be renewed! 

Still, we need to regroup and find a win quickly.

https://www.featherstonerovers.co.uk/news/longo-addresses-supporter-concerns-WvbAS )

Including on Fev's future recruitment: "The huge divide in the Championship has revealed that some players are far beyond the level of the clubs they are currently attached to." !

[Heywood Tiger]

Were down, we have been clearly one of the worst 2 teams all season, we seem to have got no better as the weeks have gone by, worse if anything. 

Looking at league 1, with our current set up I fear we will struggle next year as well.

 

[Sainthamish]

The thing that killed us yesterday was our lack of possession.  We either gave away penalties, knocked on, or was just desperately unlucky.  All that effort in defence just burnt us out.  We're also lacking some forwards.  I guess George King wasn't available, Dave Allen is injured, Gaz Mid is injured, Gavin Bennion got called back to Salford, Matty Hadden going back to Ireland and Toby Adamson was injured. I'm sure that all these lads would have made a difference if they were either fit or still with the club. I'm sure just having one extra forward on the bench coming on with fresh legs would have helped (we only had 2 to rotate).

Having said that, our effort in defence was outstanding.  No one can say that the lads who played yesterday weren't trying.

[glemiln]

Quite ironic that the two clubs scheduled (currently) to contest the Shield final are in financial trouble.

Now Leigh is imploding, despite £1.25m handouts and owner Derek Beaumont's largesse.  A selection below of his parting shots - full statement on the TRL Forum.

It will be interesting to see how the situation affects the remaining play-offs, as well as any restructuring plans.

Quote

I would also like to thank the backroom staff who have collectively agreed to pool the resources and all stay on to the end of the fight before also walking away to enable the Club to have a chance of survival.

I was hoping to have conducted enough player movement before the transfer deadline to have ensured the short term future of the Club was safe without any additional funding from me as I wasn't comfortable putting money into something that had no future. Unfortunately I was unable to achieve that fully although I am committed to ensuring the Club can fulfil its last fixtures of the season; however, this will unfortunately accumulate more losses within that period that will now worsen the Club's position. It was important to me to maintain a squad that could compete to win the Shield but I am disappointed that a small number of players asked to move on didn't do so and take alternatives presented to them which would have ensured the short term future of the Club without increasing liabilities. What is vitally important is that we can get the remaining players who are contracted beyond this year to find alternative clubs and accept some responsibility for the failings on the field in order that the Club isn't left with liabilities it cannot fulfil which ultimately would be catastrophic.

If this happens then the Club will not be in danger and will be able to re-structure a part-time squad based on the new level of central funding and income it can generate with no further involvement from me. I hope when the season is over this is achieved so that the Club is in a better position than when I had to write personal cheques to all the players part way through the season when the Club couldn't pay them and was facing a winding up petition from HMRC. Ultimately that will be decided by the players who have contracts as to what they choose to do but the harsh reality is that if they attempt to stay then the Club won't be able to survive and then they would have to go anyway so I am confident common sense will prevail and the Club's history and place in the community will be respected. Should the worse happen and the contractual liabilities force the Club into liquidation then I give my word I will ensure that a community Club is formed and give it a cash injection to ensure it can operate and establish itself going forward with no liabilities and no involvement from me whatsoever.

The LSV (stadium)being a fantastic facility, something I have always championed, but it's no good living in a house in which you can't afford to pay the bills and that unfortunately is the case and will become even more so as the Club returns to a part time status.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

On 12 August 2018 at 10:43 PM, Heywood Tiger said:

Were down, we have been clearly one of the worst 2 teams all season, we seem to have got no better as the weeks have gone by, worse if anything. 

Looking at league 1, with our current set up I fear we will struggle next year as well.

 

Mm, I hope you didn't have any money on that prediction.

[Heywood Tiger]

38 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Mm, I hope you didn't have any money on that prediction.

I can only imagine how sad and unfulfilling your life must be to think to look back for this comment when everyone else is full of beans after staying up. 

The fact this comment was made before the RFL changed the rules is something I could point out but I won’t because I got plenty going on in my life, what a creature ha

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 minutes ago, Heywood Tiger said:

I can only imagine how sad and unfulfilling your life must be to think to look back for this comment when everyone else is full of beans after staying up. 

The fact this comment was made before the RFL changed the rules is something I could point out but I won’t because I got plenty going on in my life, what a creature ha

I was just browsing the site after getting back from the celebrations down at The Flyer. One thing I learnt a long while ago - It's not over until it's over.

[Big Doug]

Lets not start bitching. I for one said we would be going down. If the truth was known everyone else thought that was going to happen. But hey the lads have turned two fabulous performances in that have justified staying up.

Today we competed for 80 minutes unlike previous games where we were in the match for 65 minutes but just run out of steam with 15 to go. I put that down to sheer will power today. We had lost two players to injury during the game. Joe was running on one leg but the spirit was we will not be beaten. 

To get that win against a team that has continually beaten us was a fitting end to the season.

just one final comment. How on earth are Sheffield allowed to play in such ###### facilities. 4 port a loos and a stand that was liable to blow away in a strong breeze. It made White Bank look like Wembley.

The only down point on the whole day is that next season we will not be playing our nearest and dearest. And before the Owdum supporters come on here I really mean that. A season not playing them has something missing.   

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 hours ago, Big Doug said:

Lets not start bitching. I for one said we would be going down. If the truth was known everyone else thought that was going to happen. But hey the lads have turned two fabulous performances in that have justified staying up.

Today we competed for 80 minutes unlike previous games where we were in the match for 65 minutes but just run out of steam with 15 to go. I put that down to sheer will power today. We had lost two players to injury during the game. Joe was running on one leg but the spirit was we will not be beaten. 

To get that win against a team that has continually beaten us was a fitting end to the season.

just one final comment. How on earth are Sheffield allowed to play in such ###### facilities. 4 port a loos and a stand that was liable to blow away in a strong breeze. It made White Bank look like Wembley.

The only down point on the whole day is that next season we will not be playing our nearest and dearest. And before the Owdum supporters come on here I really mean that. A season not playing them has something missing.   

 

I agree with all of that Doug. At the end of the day we wanted it more and that's what got us over the line. Joe ran out to kick off limping last week and this week the limp was even more pronounced but he never took a backward step. We were still going strong at the end when Sheffield looked spent. I wouldn't like to pick a man of the match. Every player contributed at some point.

You're dead right about the facilities at Sheffield. No way should a championship team be allowed to play there. The toilets are a disgrace for a start. I also think no Rugby League team should be playing on a synthetic pitch.

Not having our usual battles with Oldham is a big loss, no other game has that blood and guts rivalry. We'll have to make do with the Law Cup.  I just hope our good friends at Swinton can regathering themselves and stay in this division.

On the subject of the so called " lifeline " game now  we're out of the fixture can I just say of all the stupid ideas the Rugby League has come up with in my time this is up there with the stupidest. Maybe they just wanted to be sure Bradford got promoted.

We would have probably been in the position of not being able to field 17 players what with the lads that are leaving the Club and the lads that have already booked holidays. I suppose Swinton will be in the same boat. Having to toss up for venue is also a stupid idea, surely the championship team should have had home advantage.

[The Baron Mk11]

If Swinton win the toss I might just go down and cheer them on.

[mickhornet]

15 minutes ago, The Baron Mk11 said:

If Swinton win the toss I might just go down and cheer them on.

I'm going Baron,if they win the toss.

[Anita Bath]

definitely we should be willing swinton to victory.