Match Thread: Championship Round 6, Featherstone Rovers v Oldham Monday-10th-May-2021

[marklaspalmas]

Huge game next Monday night as fans, or 'lunatics' as they are now known, will be able to watch Fev Rovers playing rugby league at Post Office Road after a gap of 14 months.

It's a bit early for team news but let's assuming Harrison is a bit off and Fergie even longer.

We will be waiting on Blackmore, Welham, and Ferres to see who will come back into the 17.

Coops isn't getting much game time, and could make way. Blackmore looked so strong before his injury, and should come back, Welham has been less effective for mine.

ATEOTD, it would be harsh on any of the 17 victors over York to make way, but that's how competitive our squad is.

Has Chizz staked a claim for the FB shirt? Him or Hall must take over the kicking duties.

Ive seem lots of praise (and rightly so) for Parata's impact off the bench, but then folk follow that up with the (illogical) suggestion that he should start over Jones, forgetting all the graft Jones put in during the first 55 minutes.

[Robin Evans]

5 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Huge game next Monday night as fans, or 'lunatics' as they are now known, will be able to watch Fev Rovers playing rugby league at Post Office Road after a gap of 14 months.

It's a bit early for team news but let's assuming Harrison is a bit off and Fergie even longer.

We will be waiting on Blackmore, Welham, and Ferres to see who will come back into the 17.

Coops isn't getting much game time, and could make way. Blackmore looked so strong before his injury, and should come back, Welham has been less effective for mine.

ATEOTD, it would be harsh on any of the 17 victors over York to make way, but that's how competitive our squad is.

Has Chizz staked a claim for the FB shirt? Him or Hall must take over the kicking duties.

Ive seem lots of praise (and rightly so) for Parata's impact off the bench, but then folk follow that up with the (illogical) suggestion that he should start over Jones, forgetting all the graft Jones put in during the first 55 minutes.

Cracking observations there Mark.

Chiz had a blinder. It will be difficult to leave him out. If I'm honest I'm still buzzin from Sunday........ "Dixon's going to catch him"!

[The Phantom Horseman]

Agree with everything Mark says apart from maybe Welham who I thought was just starting to show his class in the last couple of games. Tough call at centre with Hardcastle playing really well but Minns also solid.

If Blackmore is still out, I'd think it will still be Chisholm at full back and Hall on the wing (even though he prefers full back). If Blackmore's back though, that would probably mean Hall back to full back and then if Chisholm is back in favour after Sunday's performance he might take over from Brown, who has played quite well but not really stood out much in the last couple of games (and his goal kicking has been mediocre).

Cooper was last of the middles to come on and first to come off on Sunday - he was on the field less than 20 minutes - so I agree with Mark that he's the likeliest to miss out if Ferres is back, or indeed if Hardcastle isn't in the 13 but is selected on the bench again.

As for Parata...I think most of us would say he's been our best 9 this season and he's not getting enough minutes (30 on Sunday). The problem is the eight-interchange rule...which is 7 really, because most coaches like to keep one up their sleeve until the game is just about over as if you get an injury once you've used all 8 you're in trouble.

Generally the three middles (usually Kopczak, Lockwood and Bussey) play for 25-30 minutes and then get replaced (on Sunday by Davies, Halton and Cooper).

Then those subs get reversed when the three starters come back on, usually between the 50 and 65 minute marks.

That's six interchanges used, which leaves only one for your hooker if you don't want to run the risk of finishing with 12 men if you get an injury in the last 20 minutes.

You don't make changes at half time because the players get a natural rest, so one hooker tends to play 50 minutes and the other 30. I think Webster's view is that Parata is the bigger impact player of the two and the one he wants coming on fresh when the opponents are tiring.

You could argue Jones would do a similar job because he's a similar type of player. It's another of those situations where I'm glad I'm not the coach.

Anyway, Monday's game...predictions are hard in this league because most teams seem so inconsistent, but it will be disappointing if we don't win it with plenty to spare.

[lingaro]

Definitely a game to try chissy at full back again.  I see him being used in the same way Jake Conner is he's perfect for it, Hall on the wing and dropping back to help out in defence.  Why change the hookers it's not broken so don't fix it. 

[RobLambert]

3 hours ago, lingaro said:

Definitely a game to try chissy at full back again.  I see him being used in the same way Jake Conner is he's perfect for it, Hall on the wing and dropping back to help out in defence.  Why change the hookers it's not broken so don't fix it. 

You can argue that its not broken i.e. we haven't lost yet or you could argue that there's always room for improvement.  I don't see any harm in trying Parata for 55 mins and see if he's as effective or alternate as starting hooker with Jones.  For me Parata has been sensational and it can't be that complicated to get him on the pitch for more than 25 minutes ??

Put it this way - we were very lucky to win on Sunday (Not that we didn't deserve to win - we should have won more comfortably imo but the fact is it could easily have gone the other way at the death) and if we had lost I reckon a few more would be questioning the approach (and probably questioning Chizzy at FB but thats another matter......)

[J Phil Loxton]

22 minutes ago, RobLambert said:

You can argue that its not broken i.e. we haven't lost yet or you could argue that there's always room for improvement.  I don't see any harm in trying Parata for 55 mins and see if he's as effective or alternate as starting hooker with Jones.  For me Parata has been sensational and it can't be that complicated to get him on the pitch for more than 25 minutes ??

Put it this way - we were very lucky to win on Sunday (Not that we didn't deserve to win - we should have won more comfortably imo but the fact is it could easily have gone the other way at the death) and if we had lost I reckon a few more would be questioning the approach (and probably questioning Chizzy at FB but thats another matter......)

Good points Rob. I think the problem Webster has is that he has got talent right through the squad and he feels the need to re-jig the side to keep some star men happy. Sometimes that can interfere with the style of play from one week to another. At the moment Fev haven't performed for a full match but having seen other games it seems that because of the lack of scrums and the game being quicker games have been fluctuating and most teams find it hard to maintain superiority for the full eighty. Quite rightly as you point out Fev were the better side at York but had it not been for a quirk of the moment they would most probably have lost had the drop goal attempt been successful. Having said all that luck is part of the game and that's what makes it interesting and more enjoyable if you get the bigger slice of it.

[RobLambert]

21 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

Good points Rob. I think the problem Webster has is that he has got talent right through the squad and he feels the need to re-jig the side to keep some star men happy. Sometimes that can interfere with the style of play from one week to another. At the moment Fev haven't performed for a full match but having seen other games it seems that because of the lack of scrums and the game being quicker games have been fluctuating and most teams find it hard to maintain superiority for the full eighty. Quite rightly as you point out Fev were the better side at York but had it not been for a quirk of the moment they would most probably have lost had the drop goal attempt been successful. Having said all that luck is part of the game and that's what makes it interesting and more enjoyable if you get the bigger slice of it.

Well after winning 4 out of 4 it can't be a bad thing still debating what our best 17 is and who we have to leave out which is where we started the season before certain off field matters took the gloss off things....

[tms]

with his extra pace dean's better coming off the bench and get tired players chasing him remember what he did to us in the 2019 semi two tries and don't forget he didn't start many games for toulouse  he was used more as their super sub

5 minutes ago, RobLambert said:

Well after winning 4 out of 4 it can't be a bad thing still debating what our best 17 is and who we have to leave out which is where we started the season before certain off field matters took the gloss off things....

I think we are in the envious position of having more than one best seventeen and I don't see a significant drop off in ability whoever webbo picks

[sentoffagain2]

  I think Moors and Kopczak are turning out to be good signings for us.Pity about Fergusons injury problems as he looked good off the bench but with his past injury record he was always going to be a risk.Brad Day for me has not shown anything near what he is capable of so far but i hope for better.Ferres when not injured has not made much of an impression for me.With his experience i would have hoped he would step forward as pack leader and get stuck into the other pack a bit like Gareth Hock did when he had settled in.Looking forward to Mondays game there is nothing to compare with seeing it live rather than on screen.

[hrtbps]

Ticket bought. Can't bl00dy wait!

[tms]

FEATHERSTONE ROVERS V OLDHAM RLFC

Monday 17th May
Millennium Stadium, Featherstone | KO : 20:00

Referee	J. Vella
Touch Judge 1	D. Ward
Touch Judge 2	D. Martin
Reserve Referee	A. Marsh
Time Keeper	S. Williams

[Steve Slater]

On 11/05/2021 at 17:31, lingaro said:

Definitely a game to try chissy at full back again.  I see him being used in the same way Jake Conner is he's perfect for it, Hall on the wing and dropping back to help out in defence.  Why change the hookers it's not broken so don't fix it. 

I think it's time to move Chizzy back into the halves and rest Holmes in readiness for the away trip to Sheffield. Chizzy is still, at least for the time being, a better creative and goalkicking option than Brown, even if his defence is suspect. But we still don't know what our best combination is, and until we do squad rotation is the best policy, especially in light of Holmes's past injury record.

[mightyship]

I’m a bit confused- I’ve got a season ticket so was expecting some sort of email this week advising of how we get to attend the game. Had anyone had anything yet or is it just a matter of turning up with my season ticket on the night?

[roversspud]

14 minutes ago, mightyship said:

I’m a bit confused- I’ve got a season ticket so was expecting some sort of email this week advising of how we get to attend the game. Had anyone had anything yet or is it just a matter of turning up with my season ticket on the night?

The Club has said it will be contacting STH's later in the week by e-mail to advise them of their seat numbers for Monday's game or by letter if no e-mail is held. So sit tight for the time being.

[tms]

 

[sentoffagain2]

  Monday night why not open the big gates near the club house for supporters sitting in the railway end stand and that end section of the family stand.Open the bottom gates for people using the main stand terracing and lower half of family stand.Three or four people at each gate just scanning membership cards and checking tickets rather than having to go through the turnstiles which will slow things down.We don't need to record how many get in because it will be 1600 ish.

[jamescolin]

It will be great to actually watch a match.  Really looking forward to it.

[Squidward]

7 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  I think Moors and Kopczak are turning out to be good signings for us.Pity about Fergusons injury problems as he looked good off the bench but with his past injury record he was always going to be a risk.Brad Day for me has not shown anything near what he is capable of so far but i hope for better.Ferres when not injured has not made much of an impression for me.With his experience i would have hoped he would step forward as pack leader and get stuck into the other pack a bit like Gareth Hock did when he had settled in.Looking forward to Mondays game there is nothing to compare with seeing it live rather than on screen.

Spot on with those player observations.

[sentoffagain2]

  Happy with the seat allocated the small side stand at the railway end.I suppose i will have to walk round the ground up the path near the new houses for gate 5.I have sat there in the past although i do prefer to stand behind the sticks.Roll on Monday.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

22 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  Happy with the seat allocated the small side stand at the railway end.I suppose i will have to walk round the ground up the path near the new houses for gate 5.I have sat there in the past although i do prefer to stand behind the sticks.Roll on Monday.

Mrs S and I have been allocated places in different stands - at least I'll get some peace during the game 

[elppaxr2i]

Been allocated a seat and im not a season ticket holder

[haskey]

Well done I haven't & I am 

[jamescolin]

Allocated gate 4, stand round corner. Very clear instructions

[RobLambert]

3 hours ago, haskey said:

Well done I haven't & I am 

Seems odd.  Is it that random ? Not being critical as the club have done a great job in sorting it so quickly and allocating places etc - but I'll swap a seat and a pair of rollerskates for your standing ticket......

[Andrew Vause]

Can anyone tell me if there are any tickets remaining? if so how to purchase, what's the cost and are there any concessions? 

Thank you in advance.