Match Thread: Championship Round 2, Swinton v Featherstone Rovers Sunday-18th-April-2021

[marklaspalmas]

Not played an away game since London away on the 1st March at Ealing last year.

Cracking win that was.

Swinton at Sale on Sunday.

Two points vital.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Think that any complacency there could have been about this game has been well and truly eradicated by Swinton's effort against Warrington in the Cup, where by all accounts they caused Warrington all sorts of problems, more so than the score line suggests.

We know that any team with Ridyard in it can throw some good attacking shapes at you and we'll need to be on the ball defensively.

But most of all, we need to get a decent completion rate. The template for beating us by a lot of clubs is going to be five drives and a kick and try to force the mistake, and too often so far we've been obliging. If we don't respect possession on Sunday, or give away too many soft penalties, there's every chance we'll get beat.

We keep hinting at being a good team at the moment but the consistency has been missing.

Kopczak and Lockwood will be welcomed back. Some interesting selection decisions to be made elsewhere, with still no established pecking order at half back or hooker (though Parata surely has to be entrenched as one of our 9s now).

I think we have it in us to give some Championship teams a good pasting soon, but I'd settle for a win on Sunday.

 

 

 

[tms]

Championship

SWINTON LIONS V FEATHERSTONE ROVERS

Sunday 18th April
Heywood Road | KO : 12:45

Referee	A. Moore
Touch Judge 1	G. Jones
Touch Judge 2	P. Marklove
Reserve Referee	J. Stearne
M Com	R. Connolly
Time Keeper	A. Mills

[J Phil Loxton]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Think that any complacency there could have been about this game has been well and truly eradicated by Swinton's effort against Warrington in the Cup, where by all accounts they caused Warrington all sorts of problems, more so than the score line suggests.

We know that any team with Ridyard in it can throw some good attacking shapes at you and we'll need to be on the ball defensively.

But most of all, we need to get a decent completion rate. The template for beating us by a lot of clubs is going to be five drives and a kick and try to force the mistake, and too often so far we've been obliging. If we don't respect possession on Sunday, or give away too many soft penalties, there's every chance we'll get beat.

We keep hinting at being a good team at the moment but the consistency has been missing.

Kopczak and Lockwood will be welcomed back. Some interesting selection decisions to be made elsewhere, with still no established pecking order at half back or hooker (though Parata surely has to be entrenched as one of our 9s now).

I think we have it in us to give some Championship teams a good pasting soon, but I'd settle for a win on Sunday.

 

 

 

Good analysis PH. Swinton have always been noted for keeping the ball moving and that is key to the new quicker game for them. They were surprisingly beaten ( in my mind ) by Oldham recently but redeemed themselves by giving Warrington a bigger scare than the scoreline suggests. We need to be on our mettle with this one.

[sentoffagain2]

   Swinton have performed well so far this season easily beating Oldham in the Cup.In the League game they led 20-10 at half time but Oldham did what we did against Hull FC and turned it round in the second half for a comfortable win.Our old pal Riddy doing the playmaking at stand off still good with his kicking game and passing although he is not the quickest(he never was but he reads a game between his ears).For this game i would kick early in the tackle count,pin Swinton in their own half and  take the sting out of their pack.Open up in the last 10 min of the first half and after the first 15 min of the second  with Parata coming off the bench for that.

[Robin Evans]

Is there only me that thinks we'll be comfortable(ish) winners?

Most I've spoken to are getting a little twitchy about this game.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

13 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Is there only me that thinks we'll be comfortable(ish) winners?

Most I've spoken to are getting a little twitchy about this game.

 

Well I do think we'll win, maybe with a fair bit to spare if Swinton recoil after a big effort against Warrington, and I tend to be more downbeat than most before games (and more upbeat after them).

But Swinton always seem to be greater than the sum of their parts. Littler was up in the McNally class as "players I loved to hate" in his playing days but I have to admit he gets them playing some good football.

We should be too good for them really, but we do need to cut out the errors.

 

[J Phil Loxton]

28 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Is there only me that thinks we'll be comfortable(ish) winners?

Most I've spoken to are getting a little twitchy about this game.

 

The older you get Robin the more confident you are becoming. What you going to be like next season when Saints and Wigan are coming to P O Road Seriously though on paper you would think that we should win with something to spare. They tend to throw the ball around to good effect and only last season they gave us a scare at home in what eventually became a dead rubber match. Fev have yet to show in any match this season that they can produce over the eighty minutes. Having said that and because the game as speeded up games to tend to fluctuate more.

[tms]

8 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Well I do think we'll win, maybe with a fair bit to spare if Swinton recoil after a big effort against Warrington, and I tend to be more downbeat than most before games (and more upbeat after them).

But Swinton always seem to be greater than the sum of their parts. Littler was up in the McNally class as "players I loved to hate" in his playing days but I have to admit he gets them playing some good football.

We should be too good for them really, but we do need to cut out the errors.

 

agreed but even with the errors against championship sides we seem to be comfortably scoring tries   and when we do manage to keep ball in hand we play some good stuff so confident we will score more  tries than anybody else in all the games we play including TO

17 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

The older you get Robin the more confident you are becoming. What you going to be like next season when Saints and Wigan are coming to P O Road Seriously though on paper you would think that we should win with something to spare. They tend to throw the ball around to good effect and only last season they gave us a scare at home in what eventually became a dead rubber match. Fev have yet to show in any match this season that they can produce over the eighty minutes. Having said that and because the game as speeded up games to tend to fluctuate more.

I think Robins thoughts  will be dependent on who we sign for SL squad 

[Piggy's mate]

Whilst you haven't clicked into gear yet, you have far too much quality for the likes of Swinton (& Batley), you just need to get it right when you play York and Toulouse I reckon. Can't see anyone else troubling you tbh.

[MADREDNIGE]

2 hours ago, Piggy's mate said:

Whilst you haven't clicked into gear yet, you have far too much quality for the likes of Swinton (& Batley), you just need to get it right when you play York and Toulouse I reckon. Can't see anyone else troubling you tbh.

We shall find out. 

[lingaro]

I'm with you Robin we have to be confident going into these games, no disrespect intended but if we a few to reach our goal then we need to win these games well. (just settle for 2 points to be honest but you know what I mean).  

[Robin Evans]

17 minutes ago, lingaro said:

I'm with you Robin we have to be confident going into these games, no disrespect intended but if we a few to reach our goal then we need to win these games well. (just settle for 2 points to be honest but you know what I mean).  

Aye.... an ugly win is better than a beautiful loss.....

But agree with your comments. I think we will do this fairly comfortably.

[Steve Slater]

Too much quality in the side to even contemplate defeat, although it might be get out of jail again?

[Fevrover]

48 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Aye.... an ugly win is better than a beautiful loss.....

But agree with your comments. I think we will do this fairly comfortably.

Had more then enough of them with Barnsley  Robin.

[Robin Evans]

10 hours ago, Fevrover said:

Had more then enough of them with Barnsley  Robin.

Barnsley eh? What a season..... considering where and how the reds ended up last season. Not even the most hardened bias reds fan going could have predicted this seasons effort. Its nuts!

[sentoffagain2]

1 hour ago, Robin Evans said:

Barnsley eh? What a season..... considering where and how the reds ended up last season. Not even the most hardened bias reds fan going could have predicted this seasons effort. Its nuts!

Barnsley was the first Football match i went to, still only been to about 8.My mate we would be about 13 had just moved over from Keighley when his dad took over our estate local pub.The had supported Burnley when they won the old first division.He asked me if i fancied going to an exibition match to use their new floodlights.I remember that Danny Blanchflower and Jimmy Hagan turned out for the Select side.Barnsley had a cracking winger called Malcolm Graham about that time but he singed for Leyton Orient who believe it or not were top of the ist division.After he retired Malcolm came back home and he was often seen at the dog or race tracks smashing bloke we would speak to anyone.Sunday Rovers by 14+.

[tms]

RFL once again only name 19 man squad  so that's one extra and two missing from Batley squad  but look out  for surprise omission 

FEATHERSTONE ROVERS

Ben Blackmore   Fa'amanu Brown   Jack Bussey  Dane Chisholm  Luke Cooper

Bradley Day  Brett Ferres  Callum Field  Gareth Gale  Craig Hall  Frankie Halton

Josh Hardcastle  Tom Holmes  Connor Jones  Craig Kopczak  James Lockwood

Junior Moors  Dean Parata  Kris Welham

[marklaspalmas]

Rovers themselves have announced a 20 man squad with Harrison out, as well as Davies and Fergie.

Minns is included. 

News on Harrison?

[tms]

13 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Rovers themselves have announced a 20 man squad with Harrison out, as well as Davies and Fergie.

Minns is included. 

News on Harrison?

Decisions  decisions decisions  well not really for me only two minns in but who out Welham  Hardcastle  or Gale  and which one misses  out  from Chisolm  Brown  or Jones as for the rest Field replaces Harrison on bench along side the other three regulars  Parata  Ferres Moors and the rest starting pack stay the same  Kopczak Lockwood Halton Day Bussey  

[The Phantom Horseman]

Naming a 20-man squad suggests they are still awaiting news on one player, whether that's Harrison or someone else remains to be seen.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

10 minutes ago, POR said:

 as for the rest Field replaces Harrison on bench along side the other three regulars  Parata  Ferres Moors and the rest starting pack stay the same  Kopczak Lockwood Halton Day Bussey  

Halton started in the middle though last week with Ferres starting on the left edge. To me Halton has done enough to keep a starting placeon the left edge but Webster stated that the reason he switched Day to the right was to accomodate Ferres who has played left edge all his career.

That said, he might continue starting Halton in the middle especially if Harrison isn't playing. Now that we've seen that Halton can play middle as well as edge he's solified his place in the 17 though whether that's in the starting 13 or off the bench who knows.

[haskey]

Webster is  certainly playing his cards close to his chest.Second guessing will not pick the team but it is still interesting to hear views.

[marklaspalmas]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Naming a 20-man squad suggests they are still awaiting news on one player, whether that's Harrison or someone else remains to be seen.

 

Yes.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Naming a 20-man squad suggests they are still awaiting news on one player, whether that's Harrison or someone else remains to be seen.

 

(beacause if they knew whoever they are waiting on was definitely out, they would have named someone such as McConnell, Spence or Whitton).