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Match Thread: Championship Round 13, Widnes v Featherstone Rovers Sunday-11th-July-2021


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Three consecutive huge wins, and now the last match before Wembley.

Some unenviable decisions for Webster to make.

With regards to "Comeback Saturday" things seemed to go well for Chisholm, ok for Ferres, but unfortunately disastrous for Minns and also Bussey. Ferguson never got a chance.

With Minns & Bussey now joining Day and Welham as medium/long term injured, and Blackmore still suspended, that leaves us with 18 first teamers and Will Dagger. Provided the attitude and concentration is good, that should be too much for Widnes. It'd be disappointing to see any Wembleyitis. For the final though, things could be a bit tight. Assuming Dagger won't be available for the final, we will rely on the fitness of Chisholm for fullback and find an extra three-quarter from somewhere. Any injury at Widnes would put a spanner in that plan.

A potential banana skin this, on that plastic pitch too.

No away fans allowed but it's on Our League so that'll be good.

My Wembley 17 now I know dagger can play:

1 Dane Chisholm
2 Gareth Gale
3 Frankie Halton
4 Josh Hardcastle
5 Craig Hall
6 Fa'amanu  Brown
7 Tom Holmes
8 Craig  Kopczak
9 Connor Jones
10 James  Lockwood
11 Junior Moors
12 Brett Ferres
13 James Harrison
     
14 Dean Parata
15 John Davies
16 Callum Field 
17 Luke Cooper
     
18 Dale Ferguson
19 Loui McConnell
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As you say Mark - potential banana skin this one but the way we are playing then the fast pitch could suit us. 
 

Widnes seem to have picked up some form since the 1895 cup semi final against us when I thought they looked good in the second half. Good away win at Bradford the other week and just pipped by Fax at the Shay yesterday. 
 

hopefully we can keep the winning run going and come through unscathed - and then enjoy the Wembley experience.

I agree with your 17 - Halton at centre for Minnsie makes sense 

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A post from TPH on the Will Dagger thread confirms we won't be able to play at Wembley, and fair enough on those rules.

The question now is, should he play at Widnes?

Do we put our Wembley backline togther (which I assume includes Chizz at FB, Hall on the wing and a SR at centre)

Or do we leave Dagger, who's playing very well, at FB and then change the team for Wembley?

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23 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

A post from TPH on the Will Dagger thread confirms we won't be able to play at Wembley, and fair enough on those rules.

The question now is, should he play at Widnes?

Do we put our Wembley backline togther (which I assume includes Chizz at FB, Hall on the wing and a SR at centre)

Or do we leave Dagger, who's playing very well, at FB and then change the team for Wembley?

Play your best available team each game. 

We have enough to beat York regardless.

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18 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

A post from TPH on the Will Dagger thread confirms we won't be able to play at Wembley, and fair enough on those rules.

The question now is, should he play at Widnes?

Do we put our Wembley backline togther (which I assume includes Chizz at FB, Hall on the wing and a SR at centre)

Or do we leave Dagger, who's playing very well, at FB and then change the team for Wembley?

Play Dagger at full back Sunday.If Holmes plays we can play 2 from  3 at half back Chissy or Brown would add a spark off the bench especially on a quick surface.

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2 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Another vote to include him, not just because we need to keep winning, but also because it means there are only 16 Wembley-eligible players who would be liable to get injured this weekend.

Bottom line PH  as things stand the inclusion of dagger gives us the best combination of outside backs so at widnes he plays on the wing and chizy at FB 

At wembley in recent weeks we have trusted Harvey S  with a place on the bench so can't see why we can't trust him with a place on the wing

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14 minutes ago, POR said:

 

At wembley in recent weeks we have trusted Harvey S  with a place on the bench so can't see why we can't trust him with a place on the wing

He's a half back, the skill sets required are very different and I doubt he's ever played there before.

I suppose if Doyle were fit he might come into contention but I'd say it's far more likely that Halton will be switched to centre - the position he played in the semi final.

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42 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

He's a half back, the skill sets required are very different and I doubt he's ever played there before.

I suppose if Doyle were fit he might come into contention but I'd say it's far more likely that Halton will be switched to centre - the position he played in the semi final.

That's true PH but he's big quick got a good defence  and with his  very good rugby brain  I wouldn't think it would be hard to adjust his skill set to play on the wing after all it's not rocket science he  just needs to be able to  do is defend his line and  then pin his lugs back when he's got the ball in hand

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I do think the Wembleyitis aspect as mentioned by MarkLP in the first post is a factor that we need to overcome. We've seen this in the past before big games (anyone remember us shipping 60 points at home to Sheffield the week before that famous Challenge Cup win over Cas?) and it might be instinctive for players to hold back on a plastic pitch the week before the Wembley game.

Widnes gave us a real fright in the 1895 semi final but they are a team who don't have much depth if they get injuries to their starting 17. They were without Clough and Farnworth last week who were just about their best two players against us.

Not having fans is a negative for us as well. Hopefully we'll be too quick and strong for them, hopefully we'll be forewarned about the dangers of Lawton near the line this time too.

We have a few players who ought to be suited by the plastic pitch - I can't remember if I've seen Chissy play on one before (he definitely missed the London away game last year), and our two hookers should be suited by it too. If we adapt to it we should be hard to handle again.

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3 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

Play Dagger at full back Sunday.If Holmes plays we can play 2 from  3 at half back Chissy or Brown would add a spark off the bench especially on a quick surface.

That doesn't work for me. With Jones & Parata rotating,  the other three bench spots are for middles. You can't have two pivots off the bench.

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2 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

He's a half back, the skill sets required are very different and I doubt he's ever played there before.

I suppose if Doyle were fit he might come into contention but I'd say it's far more likely that Halton will be switched to centre - the position he played in the semi final.

Definitely 

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Since the semi they have won two and lost two easily beat bradford but according to bulls fans their shocking defence  made them look like cup kings of the 70's and in the two losses they were winning at half time  according to widnes fans   poor in the second half and managing to chuck away the points and fax they were out on their feet early in the second half and really  looked knackered at full time Bottom line there's only one team that can beat FEV and that's FEV keep playing to our high intensity and we will be a hard nut to crack

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Halton at left centre for me because whoever plays there and whoever plays the left sided back rower will have their hands full against Adam Lawton. Keep him quiet and they've not got much else in the attacking department. I also think that Webster will prioritise this game over Wembley.

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11 minutes ago, Steve Slater said:

Halton at left centre for me because whoever plays there and whoever plays the left sided back rower will have their hands full against Adam Lawton. Keep him quiet and they've not got much else in the attacking department. I also think that Webster will prioritise this game over Wembley.

So who do we drop then steve  chizzy nu hall dagger or do we rest tom again

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29 minutes ago, POR said:

So who do we drop then steve  chizzy nu hall dagger or do we rest tom again

  Thats why i think Chissy shouid not play a full game on Sunday.When i saw the strapping on his leg Saturday i was worried he may be coming back too quickly.However he kicked with that leg in the warm up and put his foot through the ball ok.After a lay off players can often get through the first game back but start feeling aches and pains the following week.I would give Chissy maximum of 50 mins Sunday.You can't drop Brown the way he has been playing and Parata and Jones have been the best pair of hookers in the Championship.I expect Widnes to be a real test and a  similar close game like at The Shay.

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10 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  Thats why i think Chissy shouid not play a full game on Sunday.When i saw the strapping on his leg Saturday i was worried he may be coming back too quickly.However he kicked with that leg in the warm up and put his foot through the ball ok.After a lay off players can often get through the first game back but start feeling aches and pains the following week.I would give Chissy maximum of 50 mins Sunday.You can't drop Brown the way he has been playing and Parata and Jones have been the best pair of hookers in the Championship.I expect Widnes to be a real test and a  similar close game like at The Shay.

HE's had strapping on his leg since sheffield away and it has nowt to do with his latest foot injury and you say close game at the shay yes the score says close game  but not widnes fans 

I think the score slightly flattered us - interception try and a couple of soft penalties made it close.

 
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Don't get me wrong here, I don't mind a bit o' footy, enjoy watching tarn and occasionally the jags, and I realise the impact of England playing in a euros semi final. Its massive and I'm enjoying it.

BUT..... I'm as giddy about fev at Widnes at least as much.

Something odd happening here.... I'm never this positive.  We're going up.

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1 minute ago, Robin Evans said:

Don't get me wrong here, I don't mind a bit o' footy, enjoy watching tarn and occasionally the jags, and I realise the impact of England playing in a euros semi final. Its massive and I'm enjoying it.

BUT..... I'm as giddy about fev at Widnes at least as much.

Something odd happening here.... I'm never this positive.  We're going up.

Butcher's stripe's the shirt
Vince's head still gleaming
44 years of hurt
Never stopped us dreaming!

#spiritof77

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1 minute ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Butcher's stripe's the shirt
Vince's head still gleaming
44 years of hurt
Never stopped us dreaming!

#spiritof77

I'm convinced mate. It's different this year. There's something different happening. 

Obstacles in the way seem to be making the club even stronger. 

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9 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Don't get me wrong here, I don't mind a bit o' footy, enjoy watching tarn and occasionally the jags, and I realise the impact of England playing in a euros semi final. Its massive and I'm enjoying it.

BUT..... I'm as giddy about fev at Widnes at least as much.

Something odd happening here.... I'm never this positive.  We're going up.

Fev,Reds ,Yorkshire CC then England for me.

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1 minute ago, Robin Evans said:

I'm convinced mate. It's different this year. There's something different happening. 

Obstacles in the way seem to be making the club even stronger. 

I'm still very worried about those French fellas. Every time I see them they look so much better than any Toulouse team I've seen before.

Not saying we can't do 'em, mind.

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13 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I'm still very worried about those French fellas. Every time I see them they look so much better than any Toulouse team I've seen before.

Not saying we can't do 'em, mind.

Similarly, this is the best featherstone rovers side this club has assembled this century.

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4 hours ago, Steve Slater said:

Halton at left centre for me because whoever plays there and whoever plays the left sided back rower will have their hands full against Adam Lawton. Keep him quiet and they've not got much else in the attacking department. I also think that Webster will prioritise this game over Wembley.

I agree Adam Lawton thankfully doesn't realise how good he is. He would be on my radar for signing next season.

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