Match thread: Championship Rd 17. Featherstone Rovers v Newcastle. Saturday 2nd July 2022.

[marklaspalmas]

I can't remember the last time we lost two league games on the bounce.

Turns out it was May 2018.

So, to judge by the state of the world wide interweb, the sky has fallen in on planet Fev.

Still, Newcastle are still coming to town on Saturday so perhaps it wasn't the apocalypse after all. We had a nice big win against them last year and Gaz Gale scored six tries.

What will our line up be? We have 28 of our own players at the moment, with four out on loan (Gill, Mathiou, Doyle and Field), but we also have three in on loan, Broadbent, Ashworth and Eseh.

Of those 10 players who did not face Batley: Matty Wildie is still suspended, Koppy, Hardcastle, Bussey and Hepi are injured. Perhaps Cuthbertson and Ferres too. I imagine Davies will be ready after being rested. Gale too. Not sure where Pickersgill is at the moment.

I'm not aware of any injury to the 17 (well 16 & Fordy) from the Batley game, so let's see what team we put out.

 

[David Shepherd]

Let's hope we don't serve up the dross we witnessed on Sunday.

 

[sentoffagain2]

     No we will win easily and that's what is so frustrating.

[Fevrover]

6 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

     No we will win easily and that's what is so frustrating.

Well according to some fans our season is over and one has even got us down to finish 6th!

[GUBRATS]

23 minutes ago, Fevrover said:

Well according to some fans our season is over and one has even got us down to finish 6th!

Yeah , but that Evans bloke knows nothing abaht RL does he ?

[haskey]

Yee of little faith

[Robin Evans]

31 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Yeah , but that Evans bloke knows nothing abaht RL does he ?

Behave thi sen!

49 years of watching fev has hardened me.  

 

[sentoffagain2]

3 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Behave thi sen!

49 years of watching fev has hardened me.  

 

Same as me i wasted 18 years watching Wakey.

[Fevrover]

5 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Behave thi sen!

49 years of watching fev has hardened me.  

 

51 me,darn't ask what supporting Barnsley as done to yer  

[Robin Evans]

18 minutes ago, Fevrover said:

51 me,darn't ask what supporting Barnsley as done to yer  

1967 v Luton Town my first game at oakwell.

1973 v wigan first at fev.

1981 partick v killie at firhill

I've rarely been accused of glory hunting!!

[Fevrover]

18 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

1967 v Luton Town my first game at oakwell.

1973 v wigan first at fev.

1981 partick v killie at firhill

I've rarely been accused of glory hunting!!

Nor me.

[georgeb1]

9 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

     No we will win easily and that's what is so frustrating.

fev by 30 , second in the table still nailed on

[Keep The Faith]

One of the worst full time sides I’ve seen in the last few years 

I’d say fev to backlash by 40 

[Steve Slater]

If Junior Moors is playing 2nd row again, I genuinely hope it is down the right and not the left. If his radar had been working on Sunday we would have won, but I've yet to study the replay to see whether he can't pass to the left or if it's the recipients at fault. eg I've a feeling Broadbent may have overrun the pass when he should have been in at the corner on the stroke of half-time? Looking back a year when we last played Newcastle at home, Gaz Gale scored his 6 tries but it was Junior who created most of them playing down the right edge. As a former left centre or left wing who was nowhere as effective down the right I do believe it can make a huge difference with some players, Tommy Saxton being a prime example.

If Broadbent is preferred to Gaz, I'd like to see Broadbent in the centre with Hall on the wing, which is his best position. Gone are the days when, as Maurice Bamford used to say "There are no good wingers, only failed centres!" In the modern game wingers have to do far more work.

[David Shepherd]

2 hours ago, Keep The Faith said:

One of the worst full time sides I’ve seen in the last few years 

I’d say fev to backlash by 40 

Not a chance while the coach is still in a job.

[The Phantom Horseman]

2 hours ago, Keep The Faith said:

One of the worst full time sides I’ve seen in the last few years 

I’d say fev to backlash by 40 

The trouble is you don't know what version you're going to get of your opponents for any given game. Newcastle have a couple of big wins to their name, including at the weekend when they fielded a very strong team on paper, and at other times they have been woeful. It's the same across the division. Barrow almost beat Leigh when both teams were missing a few players, yet we hammered them twice they were dreadful at home to 11-man Halifax on Monday.

Even Batley, you don't know which version you're facing - the one that has taken 3 points off us, or the one that shipped 50 at home to us and to Leigh. Same goes with us of course, our own performances haven't been very consistent.

 

[sentoffagain2]

1 minute ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

The trouble is you don't know what version you're going to get of your opponents for any given game. Newcastle have a couple of big wins to their name, including at the weekend when they fielded a very strong team on paper, and at other times they have been woeful. It's the same across the division. Barrow almost beat Leigh when both teams were missing a few players, yet we hammered them twice they were dreadful at home to 11-man Halifax on Monday.

Even Batley, you don't know which version you're facing - the one that has taken 3 points off us, or the one that shipped 50 at home to us and to Leigh. Same goes with us of course, our own performances haven't been very consistent.

 

   What's your view of our coach?

[Keep The Faith]

5 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

The trouble is you don't know what version you're going to get of your opponents for any given game. Newcastle have a couple of big wins to their name, including at the weekend when they fielded a very strong team on paper, and at other times they have been woeful. It's the same across the division. Barrow almost beat Leigh when both teams were missing a few players, yet we hammered them twice they were dreadful at home to 11-man Halifax on Monday.

Even Batley, you don't know which version you're facing - the one that has taken 3 points off us, or the one that shipped 50 at home to us and to Leigh. Same goes with us of course, our own performances haven't been very consistent.

 

No offence apart from Leigh at home we’ve been very consistent in our games 

york at home anyone could of won in the mud bath - our season could be all or nothing come end of July start of August with Dewsbury Sheffield and fax in the same week 

we have York away to come too 

[The Phantom Horseman]

3 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

   What's your view of our coach?

Well, I tend to take a few days off Fev social media when it goes into meltdown because I'm not usually at either end of the spectrum of whatever is being argued about.

I'm not really interested in the comments about "he's lost the dressing room", "players don't want to play for him" etc, or any other rumours. As I've said earlier, his interview style doesn't concern me in the least either.

More interested in what we actually see on the field. The issue all season has been line speed, especially in defence. There were occasions on Sunday when Batley were seven or eight metres beyond the advantage line before any of our defenders were close to them. I love Benny Kaye but we really should be embarrassed about the room he had at times, if Leak had been playing he would have had a field day. We also still aren't winning the collisions as much as we'd like.

So for me it's a difficult one. On the one hand it doesn't make sense to hire a coach on the basis of his record of winning finals, and then get rid of him halfway through the season when you're second having lost 2 out of 16 league games.

On the other hand, we haven't been convincing for a while, especially in the area I mentioned above, and that's not going to be an easy thing to fix in the short term, whether by Mac or someone else.

As a point of balance, on the same weekend in 2019 we were hammered at home 38-16, not by a top 5 team, but by Barrow, who went on to be relegated that season. We had a strong-looking team out that day, including Chisholm, King, Makatoa, Alex Sutcliffe, James Harrison, Ormondroyd, etc. We ended that season coming within 20 minutes of getting promoted.

I tend to take a long-term view of what's happening at the club - to me, we're a small ex-mining town of 15,000 and the RL club should by rights have disappeared into oblivion years ago yet we are punching massively above our weight for about the 13th consecutive season. The fact that we've managed to get ourselves into a situation where we have a relatively big budget doesn't change that, for me.

My view is those running the club will have a better insight into where we are as a club right now on and off the field so my take is leave it up to them. Others may have different views.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

43 minutes ago, Keep The Faith said:

No offence apart from Leigh at home we’ve been very consistent in our games 

 

You were absolutely dreadful against us in the Cup, yet 7 days later with a very similar line-up you were like a totally different team, and that's the point I'm making - you don't know what you're coming up against from week to week.

[sentoffagain2]

   I think we have to keep Mac until the end of the season.Don't agree with all his decisions but the players have to take some responsibility.Injuries have not helped and you know my view on too many older players.Let the coach and players learn from their shortcomings and target 2nd place as an achievable goal.

[marklaspalmas]

47 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Well, I tend to take a few days off Fev social media when it goes into meltdown because I'm not usually at either end of the spectrum of whatever is being argued about.

I'm not really interested in the comments about "he's lost the dressing room", "players don't want to play for him" etc, or any other rumours. As I've said earlier, his interview style doesn't concern me in the least either.

More interested in what we actually see on the field. The issue all season has been line speed, especially in defence. There were occasions on Sunday when Batley were seven or eight metres beyond the advantage line before any of our defenders were close to them. I love Benny Kaye but we really should be embarrassed about the room he had at times, if Leak had been playing he would have had a field day. We also still aren't winning the collisions as much as we'd like.

So for me it's a difficult one. On the one hand it doesn't make sense to hire a coach on the basis of his record of winning finals, and then get rid of him halfway through the season when you're second having lost 2 out of 16 league games.

On the other hand, we haven't been convincing for a while, especially in the area I mentioned above, and that's not going to be an easy thing to fix in the short term, whether by Mac or someone else.

As a point of balance, on the same weekend in 2019 we were hammered at home 38-16, not by a top 5 team, but by Barrow, who went on to be relegated that season. We had a strong-looking team out that day, including Chisholm, King, Makatoa, Alex Sutcliffe, James Harrison, Ormondroyd, etc. We ended that season coming within 20 minutes of getting promoted.

I tend to take a long-term view of what's happening at the club - to me, we're a small ex-mining town of 15,000 and the RL club should by rights have disappeared into oblivion years ago yet we are punching massively above our weight for about the 13th consecutive season. The fact that we've managed to get ourselves into a situation where we have a relatively big budget doesn't change that, for me.

My view is those running the club will have a better insight into where we are as a club right now on and off the field so my take is leave it up to them. Others may have different views.

 

Well.

In my extremely modest opinion, one thousand times this.

The forum is normally a pretty informed place for a chat about all things Fev, but twatter and FB have been full of all sorts of nonsense all week.

We have issues. The defense, individuals underperforming, injuries, recruitment, etc. That's undeniable, and we're entitled to grouse.

But some of the stuff hurled at McDerrmott has been ridiculous. Grumpy in interviews, always hated Fev, Chizz would have saved us, he's stubborn, doesn't care, players hate him, etc. That's all pure guff.

As fans, at this stage we have little option but to see how it unfolds. It's Leigh's title to lose. But if little old Fev happen to have a big say in things again come GF time, then there's going to be plenty of 'fans' truly embarrassed about what they're saying right now.

UTR

[lingaro]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Well, I tend to take a few days off Fev social media when it goes into meltdown because I'm not usually at either end of the spectrum of whatever is being argued about.

I'm not really interested in the comments about "he's lost the dressing room", "players don't want to play for him" etc, or any other rumours. As I've said earlier, his interview style doesn't concern me in the least either.

More interested in what we actually see on the field. The issue all season has been line speed, especially in defence. There were occasions on Sunday when Batley were seven or eight metres beyond the advantage line before any of our defenders were close to them. I love Benny Kaye but we really should be embarrassed about the room he had at times, if Leak had been playing he would have had a field day. We also still aren't winning the collisions as much as we'd like.

So for me it's a difficult one. On the one hand it doesn't make sense to hire a coach on the basis of his record of winning finals, and then get rid of him halfway through the season when you're second having lost 2 out of 16 league games.

On the other hand, we haven't been convincing for a while, especially in the area I mentioned above, and that's not going to be an easy thing to fix in the short term, whether by Mac or someone else.

As a point of balance, on the same weekend in 2019 we were hammered at home 38-16, not by a top 5 team, but by Barrow, who went on to be relegated that season. We had a strong-looking team out that day, including Chisholm, King, Makatoa, Alex Sutcliffe, James Harrison, Ormondroyd, etc. We ended that season coming within 20 minutes of getting promoted.

I tend to take a long-term view of what's happening at the club - to me, we're a small ex-mining town of 15,000 and the RL club should by rights have disappeared into oblivion years ago yet we are punching massively above our weight for about the 13th consecutive season. The fact that we've managed to get ourselves into a situation where we have a relatively big budget doesn't change that, for me.

My view is those running the club will have a better insight into where we are as a club right now on and off the field so my take is leave it up to them. Others may have different views.

 

They were 7 or meters beyond the advantage line because more often then not we were marched back 15 meters by Mr Hicks.

[jamescolin]

Injuries the main cause of our loss plus poor refereeing. Bussey and Davies on board and we would have won. The referee seemed biased against us. 

[gazza77]

1 minute ago, jamescolin said:

Injuries the main cause of our loss plus poor refereeing. Bussey and Davies on board and we would have won. The referee seemed biased against us. 

Our inability to tackle was the key issue, and even when we did Batley were generally dominant, leaving our players on the floor and unable to get back into position. Blaming the ref would be at best papering over some sizeable cracks.