Match Thread: Rochdale v Featherstone Rovers v Sunday 5th May 2019

[marklaspalmas]

Bit of a halfway point this game, because we will have played every side once. 6 wins and 6 losses reflect what an up-and-down season it's been so far.

Can't think of anything less than a solid win against Rochdale, one of the favourites for relegation.

Our squad finally looks like it's settling down.

Ouside backs: Render, Carey, and Hardcastle of our own, with Teteh a long-term injury. Plus two from from Golding, Sutcliffe, Broadbent and hopefully Briscoe when fit on DR.

Halves: Lets hope the Holmes/Chisholm HB partnership is the one to take us through from now on. Bussey on stand-by for that role.

Middles are solid: Wheeldon, Ormy, Coops, Maka, Locky, and Bussey

2nd rows good: Davies, Day, Walters, Harrison

Hookers: Cam & Masky

Week off following this game and then the annual misery and torture session that other clubs call 'Summer Bash'

If that squad stays fit and in form we'll not be far off the Top5 come September.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

A good summary. Think we have done ok so far and probably have more potential to improve in the second half of the season than some of the teams around us in the table, but  those big four-pointers against the likes of Leigh, Bradford, Halifax, Sheffield and York (twice) are likely to be what decides our season.

I did some back-of-a-fag-pack calculations and reckon 10 defeats should see a team make the top 5 this year, maybe 11. We've lost 6, with a visit to Toronto still to come, so we can't afford too many more slip-ups, but if we play to our potential top 5 remains very possible.

Despite some injuries on their part Leeds don't need Golding or Sutcliffe this week - neither really seem in their short-term plans to be fair - and that means that even without Bussey we should field another strong team on paper.

The luck of the draw plays a part in terms of playing teams at the right or wrong time - there's little doubt that we played Widnes at the worst possible time, for instance, when they were on a massive emotional high - so let's hope that the rumoured coaching upheavals at Rochdale don't suddenly inspire them. They supposedly outplayed Bradford last week for 50 minutes until falling apart, but it will still be disappointing if we can't put them away comfortably on Sunday, and looking at this weekend's fixtures, we could claw back some ground on at least a couple of our top 5 rivals with a win.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

3 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

 let's hope that the rumoured coaching upheavals at Rochdale don't suddenly inspire them.

Coaching change at Rochdale confirmed on their website today:
ROCHDALE Hornets can confirm they have mutually agreed to part ways with Carl Forster with immediate effect.

The club wish to place on record its thanks to Carl and his team for their hard work during their time with Rochdale Hornets.

Miles Greenwood and Lee Mitchell have been placed in temporary charge of the first team and will be assisted by team manager, Lee Durrant. A decision regarding future coaching arrangements will be made in due course.

Carl Forster said: “I would like to wish Rochdale Hornets the very best for this season, the fans and the boys in particular who have been fantastic for me during some tough times but I have every confidence in them that they will deliver the results this season."

[The Phantom Horseman]

A very familiar name to Fev fans unveiled as Rochdale's new coach today
https://www.hornetsrugbyleague.co.uk/article/52759/matt-calland-named-head-coach

Most of us will have good memories of Calland as a player for us in the early 90s, but less happy memories of him as Fax's coach in 2010

Let's hope there's no "honeymoon effect" for Rochdale on Sunday.

[Gooleboy]

44 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

A very familiar name to Fev fans unveiled as Rochdale's new coach today
https://www.hornetsrugbyleague.co.uk/article/52759/matt-calland-named-head-coach

Most of us will have good memories of Calland as a player for us in the early 90s, but less happy memories of him as Fax's coach in 2010

Let's hope there's no "honeymoon effect" for Rochdale on Sunday.

Whatever the situation at Rochdale, if we can't win there we won't have a chance to make the top five. It's a must win game.

[Private Baldrick]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

A very familiar name to Fev fans unveiled as Rochdale's new coach today
https://www.hornetsrugbyleague.co.uk/article/52759/matt-calland-named-head-coach

Most of us will have good memories of Calland as a player for us in the early 90s, but less happy memories of him as Fax's coach in 2010

Let's hope there's no "honeymoon effect" for Rochdale on Sunday.

Looking at our squad I would say we are a country mile better than them 

[The Phantom Horseman]

35 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

Whatever the situation at Rochdale, if we can't win there we won't have a chance to make the top five. It's a must win game.

Yep. I just remember 2014 at their place (when Ryan Millard ran rings round us so much we tried to sign him) and 2017 at our place in the mud. But if we play anywhere near our best we should be winning this.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Just 1 change from last week's 19-man squad with Jorge Richardson taking the place of the injured/suspended Jack Bussey.

https://www.featherstonerovers.co.uk/news/19-man-squad-announced-for-hornets-clash-aHXsw

Richardson played for the reserves last night so perhaps he and Maskill will be the ones to miss out.

[Cardypaul]

May depend on how match fit Holmes is, if the coaching staff are confident he will be able to do 80 minutes then I can see Richardson missing out if not he may be on the bench. How did the reserves go last night?

[jamescolin]

If there is any doubt about Holmes I would play Hardcastle at Stand Off and bring Harrison into the three quarters. I don't think the coach would have picked him if he had any doubts about him.

[gazza77]

37 minutes ago, jamescolin said:

If there is any doubt about Holmes I would play Hardcastle at Stand Off and bring Harrison into the three quarters. I don't think the coach would have picked him if he had any doubts about him.

Why on earth would you play Hardcastle at Stand Off? Regardless of it putting him into a position he's never played before, there's 3 half backs in the 19, and only two places for them anyway. 

[elppaxr2i]

3 hours ago, Cardypaul said:

May depend on how match fit Holmes is, if the coaching staff are confident he will be able to do 80 minutes then I can see Richardson missing out if not he may be on the bench. How did the reserves go last night?

Reserves lost 30-26

[sentoffagain2]

1 hour ago, gazza77 said:

Why on earth would you play Hardcastle at Stand Off? Regardless of it putting him into a position he's never played before, there's 3 half backs in the 19, and only two places for them anyway. 

  Exactly he his not the quickest at centre so at half back he would slow play down.We are short of centres at the moment but i see Hardcastle as a second rower in the future.

[jamescolin]

So a prop was at stand off ok? Not fast enough? Scored well as a winger. Just my thought. 

[elppaxr2i]

4 hours ago, jamescolin said:

So a prop was at stand off ok? Not fast enough? Scored well as a winger. Just my thought. 

What posistion Bussey plays doesnt come into it

Bussey has previous experience at SO played there a few times for us in his first spell

Hardcastle has no professional experience at SO

[Gareth hock]

Hardy has got no experience in the half back position at all ever . He’s not even the ball handling type of centre so that has got to be the weirdest suggestion for stand off ever .

[lingard]

if you were going to throw someone in at standoff i would put Render or Davis there way before Hardcastle.

[tms]

33 minutes ago, lingard said:

if you were going to throw someone in at standoff i would put Render or Davis there way before Hardcastle.

if your going to throw someone in then surely it's got to be richardson or punchard  from reserves at scrumhalf 

[lingard]

2 hours ago, POR said:

if your going to throw someone in then surely it's got to be richardson or punchard  from reserves at scrumhalf 

i was meaning if we didn't have anyone else available obviously hence the word ‘throw’.   

[jamescolin]

Holmes is on the team sheet so we can expect him to play. Possibly a good game for him to get team time against bottom of the League.  That's of course assuming he is on the ball.

[haskey]

As you say JC he is on the team sheet and I assume he will play. He had minutes last week , and came through OK, he is class in the Championship and should be on the ball.

[Fev1983]

Calland will have them fired up tomorrow, he no’s the place inside out and will be out to show his experience.  I can’t make it because of work can someone update the score for me on here, I can’t get on Twitter on my work internet 

[Adam B]

17 hours ago, jamescolin said:

Possibly a good game for him to get team time against bottom of the League.

Agreed JC, he obviously needs proper game time now to regain that match speed and sharpness which we know is such a hallmark of his game and that has to come against someone - might as well be a side that's struggling a bit at the wrong end of the league.

That said, I'm not expecting it to be an easy game by any stretch, they'll be in a different place thanks to the change of coach and looking to get stuck into us, but that should also benefit him in the long run. We should be aiming to give him the full 80 minutes today.

[The Phantom Horseman]

17 hours ago, Fev1983 said:

  I can’t make it because of work can someone update the score for me on here, I can’t get on Twitter on my work internet 

Rochdale 0 Fev 6 after 5 mins. King try.

[HAVERCROFT10]

Harrison in, playing well .