Match Thread: pre-season friendly, Featherstone Rovers v Batley, Saturday 13th March 2020

[marklaspalmas]

Very good to get a look at so many players last Saturday.

We've seen 26 and were only missing Fergie, Ferres, Minns, Moors and Summer.

More of the same this Saturday v Batley?

Or will Webbo changes things around?

[tms]

43 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Very good to get a look at so many players last Saturday.

We've seen 26 and were only missing Fergie, Ferres, Minns, Moors and Summer.

More of the same this Saturday v Batley?

Or will Webbo changes things around?

doubt it wholesale changes throughout again but hopefully in  last quarter we'll see starting  thirteen for bradford

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

24 minutes ago, POR said:

doubt it wholesale changes throughout again but hopefully in  last quarter we'll see starting  thirteen for bradford

 

Much more likely to be the first quarter.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 hour ago, marklaspalmas said:

Very good to get a look at so many players last Saturday.

We've seen 26 and were only missing Fergie, Ferres, Minns, Moors and Summer.

More of the same this Saturday v Batley?

Or will Webbo changes things around?

I think the biggest question mark at the moment is how does he see Nu Brown's role? For me he's got a stiff task trying to unseat Holmes or Chisholm from their starting berths, but he played half back not hooker against Oldham, we have already seen that he's a dangerous solo runner but running a top Championship's attack from half back is quite demanding as the Boas brothers found out. I'd like to see him get some extended time at hooker against Batley, to me that's his only route to being in the 17 v Bradford.

You'd think Minns will need to play, and play very well, to have a chance of unseating Hardcastle, who was very good against Oldham. The rest of 1-7 for the Bradford game looks set to me. Then Kopczak and Harrison at prop, Day and either Ferres or Halton at edge back row and Locky at 13.

That leaves 2 of Jones, Brown and Parata to fill the two hooking spots (I think the new rules mean you really need two hookers in the 17). Then on the bench Moors if his visa comes through (and he's fit), and that leaves the likes of Coops, Davies, Fergie, Halton, and Bussey fighting for the remaining bench spots.

Batley are likely to pose a stiffer test than Oldham on Saturday especially having already had one solid outing under their belts.

 

[tms]

It makes me laugh when people go on about nu playing halfback not hooker yes he did but chizzy went off don't forget parata came and played with jones

saturday and batley is all about giving everyone game time rather than  team selection

[The Phantom Horseman]

On 09/03/2021 at 07:34, POR said:

It makes me laugh when people go on about nu playing halfback not hooker yes he did but chizzy went off don't forget parata came and played with jones

saturday and batley is all about giving everyone game time rather than  team selection

Yes pre-season is about giving players game time but from a fan's point of view the interest is more in getting clues about who plays where, possible pecking order etc, as well as checking out new players.

We got quite a few clues from the Oldham game, but Brown is the most interesting to weigh up because it seems likely he'll be covering both hooker and half back this season. He's been given the 9 jersey and Webster has talked of him as a hooker, and that's where his pathway to making the 17 looks to be, so it will be surprising if he doesn't play some time at 9 on Saturday, maybe even start at hooker.

[marklaspalmas]

These debates are going to rumble on.

One (not very good) website put out what they think the Rovers XVII will be. It's a strong line up but it had No Connor Jones NO John Davies NO Jack Bussey No Thomas Minns NO Frankie Halton and NO Callum Field.

Now for mine, at least three or four of them must be in my 17, but we are going to leave out some quality players.

FWIW, the website's XVII was..........

Full-back: Craig Hall

Wingers: Ben Blackmore & Gareth Gale

Centres: Kris Welham & Josh Hardcastle

Stand-off: Tom Holmes

Scrum-half: Dane Chisholm

Props: Craig Kopczak & James Harrison

Hooker: Nu Brown

Second-row: Brett Ferres & Brad Day

Loose-forward: James Lockwood

Bench

Dean Parata Dale Ferguson Junior Moors Luke Cooper

 

[jamescolin]

39 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

These debates are going to rumble on.

One (not very good) website put out what they think the Rovers XVII will be. It's a strong line up but it had No Connor Jones NO John Davies NO Jack Bussey No Thomas Minns NO Frankie Halton and NO Callum Field.

Now for mine, at least three or four of them must be in my 17, but we are going to leave out some quality players.

FWIW, the website's XVII was..........

Full-back: Craig Hall

Wingers: Ben Blackmore & Gareth Gale

Centres: Kris Welham & Josh Hardcastle

Stand-off: Tom Holmes

Scrum-half: Dane Chisholm

Props: Craig Kopczak & James Harrison

Hooker: Nu Brown

Second-row: Brett Ferres & Brad Day

Loose-forward: James Lockwood

Bench

Dean Parata Dale Ferguson Junior Moors Luke Cooper

 

Where is yours?

[marklaspalmas]

1 hour ago, jamescolin said:

Where is yours?

It changes regularly.

I think we'll see some rotation this year based on the size and depth of the squad.

[marklaspalmas]

So Saturday's squad is

[The Phantom Horseman]

So, a 24-man squad has been named and it looks like Webster has to decided to play it safe with some of our key players, as Hall, Welham, Holmes and Harrison have all been omitted.

Good chance for some of the fringe players to have a decent runout

 

[marklaspalmas]

Which means Hall, Welham, Holmes, Harrison are all being rested.

Still no Ferres, Moors or Summer.

But maybe a first look in 2021 at Minns and Ferguson.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

The more i think about it the more it makes sense to leave a few of the guaranteed starters out or to play them only briefly.

In some previous years the Challenge Cup has started a bit later in the season and with DR/a small squad the Challenge Cup and the 1895 Cup were ideal games to give fringe players like Sweeting, Beckett etc some game time, this year we're straight into it with a high-profile televised game where we are likely to play our strongest team, and if we make the 1895 Cup we will immediately be into a semi final.

It's a long season so this is a good game to give extended game time to the fringe players.

 

[marklaspalmas]

Well, if Minns, Brown (at stand-off) and say Ferguson/Cooper/Bussey start It's still very strong-looking.

FB will be more interesting. I imagine Liam Whitton starts?

[The Phantom Horseman]

28 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Well, if Minns, Brown (at stand-off) and say Ferguson/Cooper/Bussey start It's still very strong-looking.

FB will be more interesting. I imagine Liam Whitton starts?

I think we'll see a lot of Spence and Sweeting at half back in this game.

[marklaspalmas]

2 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I think we'll see a lot of Spence and Sweeting at half back in this game.

Why not? We know what Chizz and Sherlock can do. Let's have a look at the kids

[tms]

another good squad but with  Craig Hall  Kris Welham Tom Holmes Brett Ferres and  Junior Moors who will most likely all  be in  the starting 17 more times than not are missing saturday  can only make the rest of the championship stand up and take notice       

[The Phantom Horseman]

On 10/03/2021 at 19:37, marklaspalmas said:

I think we'll see some rotation this year based on the size and depth of the squad.

Yes and I think Webster has hinted at this too.

When you consider our main forwards (excluding hookers), who at this stage I'd see as Kopczak, Harrison, Day, Ferres, Lockwood, Davies, Halton, Cooper, Moors, Bussey, and Ferguson... we probably only need to play 8 of those 11 each week (five starting and three on the bench alongside the 2 hookers) but there's so little between those 11 that if we all named our best eight we'd come up with lots of different combinations.

With Field (who I haven't seen much of yet), Beckett, McConnell and Summers also in the squad there's plenty of scope for resting players even when the inevitable rash of injuries arrive.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Minns and Fergie both starting today. Nu starts at half back.

[The Phantom Horseman]

18-4 at half time. Fev totally dominant for the first 20-25 minutes and went 18-0 up plus had a try disallowed, making big chunks of yardage and looking physically much stronger. Webster then took the entire starting pack off bar Halton, we also knocked on a few times in our own half, and Batley came into the game more and scored a good try.

Brown started at half back but went to 9 when Jones went off. Fergie made a big statement for his inclusion with a barnstroming try brushing off 5 Batley tacklers (some very weak attempts admittedly).

Our first set was as good as you'll see, marching down the field on 5 direct carries and then Halton, who has again been impressive, carrying men over the line to score.

Would expect the second half will be a typically scrappy pre-season 2nd half with us already having taken eight of our starters off and Batley also ringing the changes.

Hardcastle has started the season off well and impressive again in the first half, which he'll need to be with Minns also playing well on his comeback.

[The Phantom Horseman]

2 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

18-4 at half time. Fev totally dominant for the first 20-25 minutes and went 18-0 up plus had a try disallowed, making big chunks of yardage and looking physically much stronger. Webster then took the entire starting pack off bar Halton, we also knocked on a few times in our own half, and Batley came into the game more and scored a good try.

Brown started at half back but went to 9 when Jones went off. Fergie made a big statement for his inclusion with a barnstorming try brushing off 5 Batley tacklers (some very weak attempts admittedly).

Our first set was as good as you'll see, marching down the field on 5 direct carries and then Halton, who has again been impressive, carrying men over the line to score.

Would expect the second half will be a typically scrappy pre-season 2nd half with us already having taken eight of our starters off and Batley also ringing the changes.

Hardcastle has started the season off well and impressive again in the first half, which he'll need to be with Minns also playing well on his comeback.

 

[gazza77]

2 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

18-4 at half time. Fev totally dominant for the first 20-25 minutes and went 18-0 up plus had a try disallowed, making big chunks of yardage and looking physically much stronger. Webster then took the entire starting pack off bar Halton, we also knocked on a few times in our own half, and Batley came into the game more and scored a good try.

Brown started at half back but went to 9 when Jones went off. Fergie made a big statement for his inclusion with a barnstroming try brushing off 5 Batley tacklers (some very weak attempts admittedly).

Our first set was as good as you'll see, marching down the field on 5 direct carries and then Halton, who has again been impressive, carrying men over the line to score.

Would expect the second half will be a typically scrappy pre-season 2nd half with us already having taken eight of our starters off and Batley also ringing the changes.

Hardcastle has started the season off well and impressive again in the first half, which he'll need to be with Minns also playing well on his comeback.

Good half from Hardy, Minns and Halton. Blackmore and Day getting through a lot of work as well. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

As expected a fairly scrappy and typical pre-season 2nd half following all the substitutions on both sides. Couple of nice touches from Harvey Spence especially with one very well-worked try. But it was just a bit of a hit-out in the 2nd half. First 20-25 minutes with the starters was most encouraging, but the real stuff starts next week.

 

[Dog forever]

Good win for your lads today. Look a force to be reckoned with. Fergie looked good and broke tackles at will.  Scored a few good tries ourselves.  All in all a good game of rugby. 

[haskey]

Ferguson certainly made a statement from his 2 spells,  I thought Gale had a good game under the high balls and then good yards until the last ball he dropped. Websters got a job on for the 2 hookers, with Jones and Parata playing well. Not sure about Brown as yet. I like Spence , but a typical scrappy second half, as Phantom said the work really starts next week.