Sat 19th-Sun 20th Feb: The Betfred Championship (Non-TV) Match Thread

[sweaty craiq]

Wonder how well Leigh and Fev would do in a 14 team SL if notified prior to May?

[DoubleD]

2 hours ago, Fevrover said:

He might not be next season lol, superb player and always gives 110 %.

He’ll be 34 next season. I presume he’s stepped down a level for a reason. Is he part time now? If so, I doubt he’ll want to go back full time for a year or so

[JT RL]

32 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Wonder how well Leigh and Fev would do in a 14 team SL if notified prior to May?

2 great clubs, but adding them would dilute the quality / the intensity of the 5op league. Neither would bring big crowds or much of a draw. Sorry.

[GUBRATS]

I ended up with the York fans for the first half ( due to a technical error which also left me with 3 pints to myself , no wonder I slept the whole way home ) and they were a pleasure , thanks guys and gals 

Yes again Leigh outlasted their opposition , running away in the last 20 

[Gav Wilson]

5 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

I ended up with the York fans for the first half ( due to a technical error which also left me with 3 pints to myself , no wonder I slept the whole way home ) and they were a pleasure , thanks guys and gals 

Yes again Leigh outlasted their opposition , running away in the last 20 

Great travelling support especially given the awful conditions, a good 500 in that end at least, and made plenty of noise.

Mellor was unplayable today. Mad that he set up/scored the same try four times! 

Glad we've got the two big dogs out the way early...

[Fevrover]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

He’ll be 34 next season. I presume he’s stepped down a level for a reason. Is he part time now? If so, I doubt he’ll want to go back full time for a year or so

I didn't realise he was 34,not sure if he's full time but he certainly earns his money for Rovers.

[Fevrover]

9 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

Great travelling support especially given the awful conditions, a good 500 in that end at least, and made plenty of noise.

Mellor was unplayable today. Mad that he set up/scored the same try four times! 

Glad we've got the two big dogs out the way early...

3 Batley as well ( Dogs lol).

[JonM]

59 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

Mellor was unplayable today. Mad that he set up/scored the same try four times! 

True - but at the same time, I think Matty Marsh had a stinker at full-back and I reckon York will want to spend the week practising defending that, because I reckon Eamonn O'Carroll will have his kickers watching the video with great interest.

[Cardypaul]

2 hours ago, JT RL said:

2 great clubs, but adding them would dilute the quality / the intensity of the 5op league. Neither would bring big crowds or much of a draw. Sorry.

They would bring as much as a number of current SL clubs presently do.

[Harry Stottle]

12 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

For me it´s just get that ticket. Teams can have off days and it´s just 80 mins. Add on  potential injuries and suspensions and I wouldn´t be punching Fev´s or Leigh´s SL ticket yet. In the normal season sure, but then as a player and coach you are probably writing off those games if you have players coming back from injury etc. 

So all the other Championship teams will be immune from off day's injuries and suspensions?

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

So all the other Championship teams will be immune from off day's injuries and suspensions?

I think he's referring to the potential of us both going unbeaten except against each other , which we saw last year with Fev and Toulouse , something we'd possibly/probably have to do to finish top now 

[sweaty craiq]

13 hours ago, JT RL said:

2 great clubs, but adding them would dilute the quality / the intensity of the 5op league. Neither would bring big crowds or much of a draw. Sorry.

The hypothetical question was asked because it looks like a 2 dog race, and TO look down already - making 14 clubs a possible scenario thats best for the game in 2023.

It allows both clubs to compete for players from the off (same with TO), it allows Fev to move to FT conditioning and all clubs stand a better chance of surviving that first season.

 

[The Blues Ox]

5 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

The hypothetical question was asked because it looks like a 2 dog race, and TO look down already - making 14 clubs a possible scenario thats best for the game in 2023.

It allows both clubs to compete for players from the off (same with TO), it allows Fev to move to FT conditioning and all clubs stand a better chance of surviving that first season.

 

I think Fev would probably be alright, they easily look the more SL ready of the two. For Leigh they would probably have a pretty near full clear out again as most their overseas players leave. Fev would have a fighting chance, Leigh would be cannon fodder again in my opinion.

[The Blues Ox]

15 hours ago, paulwalker71 said:

It really is looking like a race for third place behind Leigh and Fev isn't it?

York are possibly the third or fourth highest budget in the League and they've been well beaten by both teams at home.

It's not a great surprise, but it does feel like the rest are playing to make up the numbers in the play offs

I think it were always looking like a battle for 3rd from the rest. Leigh despite not having the players always had the money to splash around and they are likely spending more than any team in the league. Fev looked dominant last season and have improved their team running in to this season. Although other teams made improvements they were never going to be enough to bridge that sort of gap. I know a lot of people were tipping Fax to possible spoil things but I could not see it happeneing, I still think we will get 3rd or 4th, but my hope was that when it came to the playoffs we would have a chance of causing an upset over the top 2 which I thought was never going to be the case last season. Early impressions this season suggest it will be the same again this season.

With Toulouse looking like they may have to rebuild after relegation this season and always the chance that Leigh could implode if they don't go up, then maybe there is a chance for other teams the following year.

[Fevrover]

13 hours ago, JT RL said:

2 great clubs, but adding them would dilute the quality / the intensity of the 5op league. Neither would bring big crowds or much of a draw. Sorry.

What do you call big crowds? I'am sure both clubs could match Salford, Huddersfield and Wakefield.

[sweaty craiq]

18 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

I think Fev would probably be alright, they easily look the more SL ready of the two. For Leigh they would probably have a pretty near full clear out again as most their overseas players leave. Fev would have a fighting chance, Leigh would be cannon fodder again in my opinion.

We had a very restricted close season with often only 10/11 players at training - we will get better and better with 2/3 players yet to come in. Ipape arrived on Thursday and played yesterday - he may well be that direct strong runner we have been missing at the ptb.

Leigh would not be cannon fodder with a big cheque book and first dibs on OOC players in May, where did you get that conclusion from?

[The Blues Ox]

23 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

We had a very restricted close season with often only 10/11 players at training - we will get better and better with 2/3 players yet to come in. Ipape arrived on Thursday and played yesterday - he may well be that direct strong runner we have been missing at the ptb.

Leigh would not be cannon fodder with a big cheque book and first dibs on OOC players in May, where did you get that conclusion from?

Leigh knew they were getting relegated when the deadline passed last season enabling them to talk to players but still only managed to get 10/11 players training in the close season, not been able to rely on unlimited overseas players in SL, where has your new found confidence come from that your club would get recruitment right this time?

I think if Leigh can have a couple of stable years in this division and slowly build a team that they could transition over in to SL with then they could eventually avoid the yo-yoing. Boom and bust is yet to be a proven model for them just yet.

[Snowys Backside]

Leigh just need their own academy, instead of all our best young recruits going to Wigan, Saints and Warrington. Breaks my heart knowing that some kids are Leythers yet never known or discussed on TV. 
 

They got denied opportunity too so thanks SL !

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, The Blues Ox said:

I think it were always looking like a battle for 3rd from the rest. Leigh despite not having the players always had the money to splash around and they are likely spending more than any team in the league. Fev looked dominant last season and have improved their team running in to this season. Although other teams made improvements they were never going to be enough to bridge that sort of gap. I know a lot of people were tipping Fax to possible spoil things but I could not see it happeneing, I still think we will get 3rd or 4th, but my hope was that when it came to the playoffs we would have a chance of causing an upset over the top 2 which I thought was never going to be the case last season. Early impressions this season suggest it will be the same again this season.

With Toulouse looking like they may have to rebuild after relegation this season and always the chance that Leigh could implode if they don't go up, then maybe there is a chance for other teams the following year.

I think this implosion and the overseas player's leaving Leigh is more in hope than anything else from your point if view Oxy, granted there is a lot of things to put right from Leigh's point of view and there is time and money to do that has the season gathers pace.

I have no doubt that Leigh will be a top 4 team and most probably a top 2 come the end of the season even with the squad it has now, plus my total hatred against if DR player's from Saints, but I have also no doubt that they will strengthen the squad.

This Championship season is all about 1 game this season like last and that is the GF final, no one will deny Fev and Leigh contesting that game, there will be a lot of things happening before that game for both those teams and their immediate future will all be about 80 mins, at the moment I think it is to close to call, I even expect an hour before kick off it will be to close to call, but as a fan of one if those club's I am sure as hell looking forward to the experience.

The last comment I will make is that I think the only club who will beat them is each other, so Leigh have to beat Fev twice and Fev Leigh once, it can go either way, I would have the GF on a Neutral Ground it will create a lot of interest, the attendance could easily pass the capacity of either club.

 

[Gav Wilson]

13 minutes ago, Snowys Backside said:

Leigh just need their own academy, instead of all our best young recruits going to Wigan, Saints and Warrington. Breaks my heart knowing that some kids are Leythers yet never known or discussed on TV. 
 

They got denied opportunity too so thanks SL !

This is the same for York also.

There's at least twenty juniors from community clubs in York that are currently in Super League academies (and 1 in an NRL setup!)

[Harry Stottle]

52 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Leigh knew they were getting relegated when the deadline passed last season enabling them to talk to players but still only managed to get 10/11 players training in the close season, not been able to rely on unlimited overseas players in SL, where has your new found confidence come from that your club would get recruitment right this time?

I think if Leigh can have a couple of stable years in this division and slowly build a team that they could transition over in to SL with then they could eventually avoid the yo-yoing. Boom and bust is yet to be a proven model for them just yet.

There is as also a small matter that we didn't have a coach who would want to choose his own player's, I think that with Mr Lam and Mr Chester we will do OK will further recruitment.

[Harry Stottle]

2 minutes ago, Gav Wilson said:

This is the same for York also.

There's at least twenty juniors from community clubs in York that are currently in Super League academies (and 1 in an NRL setup!)

It's the same for any club with ambition Gav, the cynic in me says the refusal of some club's in being denied to run academies is just there to protect the number's available to the big club's, off course some lads wherever the come from will choose a big club, but once there is some momentum at a 'local' pro club and the more like local kids will gravitate to them. Plus there is also the added benefit of players that come through the system getting 'special' dispensation on the salary cap value, why should it be the wealthiest club's get this and others are not even allowed the opportunity to do it.

[The Blues Ox]

26 minutes ago, Snowys Backside said:

Leigh just need their own academy, instead of all our best young recruits going to Wigan, Saints and Warrington. Breaks my heart knowing that some kids are Leythers yet never known or discussed on TV. 
 

They got denied opportunity too so thanks SL !

As a Fax fan I empathise. Nearly half the kids mentioned in the young SL player breakout thread came through Siddal. 

[Harry Stottle]

18 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Is that what I said?  Oh look, no it isnt.  All clubs pick up injuries but when will be crucial. Just get into playoffs and all the pressure is on Leigh and Fev. 

Off course it is, that is what happens to the favourites, they are expected to do better than the hopefuls.

[The Blues Ox]

17 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I think this implosion and the overseas player's leaving Leigh is more in hope than anything else from your point if view Oxy, granted there is a lot of things to put right from Leigh's point of view and there is time and money to do that has the season gathers pace.

I have no doubt that Leigh will be a top 4 team and most probably a top 2 come the end of the season even with the squad it has now, plus my total hatred against if DR player's from Saints, but I have also no doubt that they will strengthen the squad.

This Championship season is all about 1 game this season like last and that is the GF final, no one will deny Fev and Leigh contesting that game, there will be a lot of things happening before that game for both those teams and their immediate future will all be about 80 mins, at the moment I think it is to close to call, I even expect an hour before kick off it will be to close to call, but as a fan of one if those club's I am sure as hell looking forward to the experience.

The last comment I will make is that I think the only club who will beat them is each other, so Leigh have to beat Fev twice and Fev Leigh once, it can go either way, I would have the GF on a Neutral Ground it will create a lot of interest, the attendance could easily pass the capacity of either club.

 

The only real thing I would argue with at the moment is it been too close to call at the moment. I think at the moment Fev are a class above Leigh and Leigh are a class above everyone else. I think Leigh will try and recruit through the season but there is nothing to say Fev will not do the same. An interesting aspect that has not been discussed regarding DR is that Leeds may not be too keen for Fev to get promoted just because their partnership has worked very well so that may add an interesting twist later on.  

I still stick by what I said about Leigh been boom or bust though and Fev have been building and preparing for this chance for a number of years now and they to me seem by far the best equipped club to go to SL and actually make a good fist of staying up.