Match Thread: Championship Round 19, Oldham v Featherstone Rovers Sunday-29th-August-2021

[marklaspalmas]

16 wins out of 17 in the league now, and just four fixture left.

Competition for places is as tough as it's been for some time.

From our current 28 man squad, we know we will be without Harrison and Day all year, with Minns and Bussey maybe till the playoffs.

Moors has missed two matches now and Koppy three. Perhaps they will be back soon.

Hardcastle and Chizz  were rested and presumably are good to return.

So, once again, some big decisions of who plays with one eye on the run-in to the season's finale.

[marklaspalmas]

Forgot about Sutcliffe again. Nothing personal Alex!

We haven't heard anything since he signed.

[sentoffagain2]

   I would rest Chizzy for a further week and maybe give Locky a rest.He has been a bit quiet after the first 20 min in the last couple of weeks.Hope the new baby is not giving him sleepless nights.If we can keep them fit Koppy.Fergy,and Springer will cause defences trouble.Often takes 3 tacklers to stop them so with a quick play the ball defences may get stretched,allowing Jones or Parata room down the middle.

[The Phantom Horseman]

On social media it's been stated that winning this game would "mathematically lock in at least a 2nd placed finish", am not sure that's correct, I reckon Halifax could still theoretically pip us if we lost our last 3 games and they won theirs, but they would need a huge points difference swing so it's a moot point especially as you'd need to be an arch pessimist to see that happening.

But anyway...Oldham seem to have improved a lot since Brian McDermott arrived, they pushed London, Sheffield and Whitehaven all the way, drew with Swinton and then produced what has been described as their best effort of the season against Toulouse last time, "only" losing by 34-6 and holding Toulouse scoreless for almost the final half hour.

We'll still be strong favourites and rightly so though. Presumably there might be a bit more squad rotation, especially if Moors or Koppy is available, I agree that giving Locky a rest prior to the big clash with Halifax might be a sound move.

 

[elppaxr2i]

If you are rotating the halves holmes been off, Chizzy off surely its Nu’s turn for a week off? 

[fevnut]

16 hours ago, elppaxr2i said:

If you are rotating the halves holmes been off, Chizzy off surely its Nu’s turn for a week off? 

Nu is the only player who has played in every match in 2021.

[lingaro]

Yes and a constant smile ☺ while he's playing. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

Squad named
https://twitter.com/FevRoversRLFC/status/1431210587661475842/photo/1

Looks like Doyle in for Beckett the only change from last week's 21-man squad.

[marklaspalmas]

35 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Squad named
https://twitter.com/FevRoversRLFC/status/1431210587661475842/photo/1

Looks like Doyle in for Beckett the only change from last week's 21-man squad.

Yes.

The real question is whether Kopczak, Chisholm and Hardcastle return, and if so, who for?

[The Phantom Horseman]

40 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Yes.

The real question is whether Kopczak, Chisholm and Hardcastle return, and if so, who for?

Indeed. We still don't know why Kopczak has been out (and if it's for Covid reasons, that's fine that we don't know), nor do we know Webbo's pecking order in a few positions. Probably unhelpful to speculate about the 17 given there has been a fair bit of resting/rotation going on, and might continue to be this weekend.

[tms]

4 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Squad named
https://twitter.com/FevRoversRLFC/status/1431210587661475842/photo/1

Looks like Doyle in for Beckett the only change from last week's 21-man squad.

Jimmy's gone back to rams

[jamescolin]

Twitter not working on my computer. Can you name squad here.

[marklaspalmas]

[jamescolin]

Thanks for that Mark.

[jamescolin]

What would be your first 

[jamescolin]

13 plus subs?

[jamescolin]

Mine would be:                                                   WALKER

                            DOYLE        HALL          HARDCASTLE         GALE

                                                      HOLMES     CHISHOLM 

                                             KOPCZAR               BROWN                      SPRINGER

                                                        PARATA                        DAVIES

                                                                        LOCKWOOD

 

SUBS;  FERGUSON, PARATA, BLACKMORE,  WELHAM               

 

 

 

[jamescolin]

SHOULD READ FERRES PLAYING INSTEAD OF PARATA TWICE. MY MISTAKE.

[Phil Briscoe]

Very difficult to say as I’ve no idea which of the players are actually fit for selection. An assumption that they all are is clearly a flawed one. If they were all fit I’d certainly have a stab at a 17.

[marklaspalmas]

As has been noted, we don't know what Webbo is doing with resting/rotating.

What we do know is:

He's named 6 three-quarters. 4 will play.

He's named 3 halfbacks. 2 will play.

He's named 9 middles and second-rowers. 8 will play.

Four to miss out? My wild guess is Doyle, Hardo/Welham, Chizz another week's rest, and Koppy from the forwards.

[gazza77]

1 hour ago, marklaspalmas said:

As has been noted, we don't know what Webbo is doing with resting/rotating.

What we do know is:

He's named 6 three-quarters. 4 will play.

He's named 3 halfbacks. 2 will play.

He's named 9 middles and second-rowers. 8 will play.

Four to miss out? My wild guess is Doyle, Hardo/Welham, Chizz another week's rest, and Koppy from the forwards.

I'd think similar, other than possibly Doyle in for Blackmore if his groin is still giving him issues (noting I'm thinking back a couple of weeks here). 

[haskey]

WEbster has done a great job with his resources so far this season. So I say he will pick the team he feels will carry on the good work he has already done so far.

[elppaxr2i]

17 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Indeed. We still don't know why Kopczak has been out (and if it's for Covid reasons, that's fine that we don't know), nor do we know Webbo's pecking order in a few positions. Probably unhelpful to speculate about the 17 given there has been a fair bit of resting/rotation going on, and might continue to be this weekend.

Surely cant be covid related based on the tom holmes player cam footage feature for the dews game as he was on that 

[The Phantom Horseman]

35 minutes ago, elppaxr2i said:

Surely cant be covid related based on the tom holmes player cam footage feature for the dews game as he was on that 

Yes I saw that (and he's been out and about on his Instagram) but presumably he could have still been in the 7-day return-to-play protocol last weekend? You're probably correct though, hopefully it's just a niggle that we have taken no chances with.

[tms]

9 hours ago, haskey said:

WEbster has done a great job with his resources so far this season. So I say he will pick the team he feels will carry on the good work he has already done so far.

That's true but with the calibre of our squad I think he could have easily said Eeny, meeny, miny, moe and sent out  a team that's hard to beat

11 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

As has been noted, we don't know what Webbo is doing with resting/rotating.

What we do know is:

He's named 6 three-quarters. 4 will play.

He's named 3 halfbacks. 2 will play.

He's named 9 middles and second-rowers. 8 will play.

Four to miss out? My wild guess is Doyle, Hardo/Welham, Chizz another week's rest, and Koppy from the forwards.

Don't forget mark he's also named 3 that can play fullback