Sat 23rd July : SL : Toulouse Olympique v Salford Red Devils KO. : 20:00 (LOCAL) 19:00 (UK)

[Dallas Mead]

Ideal for me is Salford in the play offs and Toulouse to stay up.

[Segovia Carpet]

Surely Rowley is coach of the month.

[idrewthehaggis]

2 minutes ago, DG70 said:

Salford deserve to be in the play offs, absolutely no doubt about it.

Personally I am not getting carried away. Getting the ten wins toward off relegation is the initial aim.

 

[Niels]

1 hour ago, Old Frightful said:

Good lord no, last night at the MKM cured me of attending matches for a few days at least.

I'm just following the Toulouse and Salford twitter updates.

I thought Brett Hodgson looked and sounded very angry last night after the game.

I liked his confidence about putting things right.

I think they may win next week. 

[DG70]

No money to strengthen the team, down to the bare bones, continually written off, Salford and Rowley definitely deserve the plaudits.

[Old Frightful]

11 minutes ago, Niels said:

I thought Brett Hodgson looked and sounded very angry last night after the game.

I liked his confidence about putting things right.

I think they may win next week. 

He had every right to be angry. On my way home last night I was angrier about a game than I had been for some time, maybe a week or two.

Unfortunately I think his confidence is unfounded, I think he's simply trying to extend his time of employment at Hull FC which I think will end fairly soon.

I certainly don't think Hull FC will win next week.

Thanks for your thoughts though.

[clogdance]

14 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

He had every right to be angry. On my way home last night I was angrier about a game than I had been for some time, maybe a week or two.

Unfortunately I think his confidence is unfounded, I think he's simply trying to extend his time of employment at Hull FC which I think will end fairly soon.

I certainly don't think Hull FC will win next week.

Thanks for your thoughts though.

Should appoint Keiron Purtill for the rest of the season. Did very well with us (Leigh) and Widnes, it only went wrong because both clubs had financial problems.....to say the least.

[bigbaldnmad]

2 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

 

How bizarre, where did this come from?

Apologies OF, just a very poor attempt at humour...

I did watch the Hull game last night, don't normally watch much SL, and was really surprised at how many Hull fans did the Wigan walk with 20 minutes left..

And thanks for the updates, if only the rest of us had thought about twitter 

[Old Frightful]

23 minutes ago, bigbaldnmad said:

Apologies OF, just a very poor attempt at humour...

I did watch the Hull game last night, don't normally watch much SL, and was really surprised at how many Hull fans did the Wigan walk with 20 minutes left..

And thanks for the updates, if only the rest of us had thought about twitter 

No bother pal.

As regards the Wigan walk, I have seen more than one item on social media that suggests Hull FC set a record on Friday by conceding the most points in a month by any SL team in it's history.

I have no idea whether that assertion is accurate or not but after being at the DW last week watching Bevan French set a SL record of seven tries in a match against Hull FC, I'm not going to blame any Hull FC fan who was fed up on Friday and left early.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

On 20/07/2022 at 21:01, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

I think Salford will win this but I'll be taking the Evens price Betfred are giving for a Toulouse victory (same price as I got for the Magic game).

Relief at last.  I was beginning to think I had the golden touch.    Well played Salford.

[kiggy]

Firstly, well done Salford, it was a big ask for a team so depleted. And looking at the walking wounded after the game, even more so now.

However, another game thrown away by TO in a mental 10 minutes in the 2nd half The forwards played well, some big defense in the first half on their own line. The backs not so much. You can't keep dropping the ball and get away with it at this level. 

And Hicks...is he really supposed to be the best? No video ref again so, his decisions had to stand uncontested. Some might say that is how it should be for all games, but it it does feel a little wrong at times when other games get a different look at a situation. The hit on Gigot near the end of the 1st half, was just nasty, and should have been a sin bin...and if we can only win against 12 men then so be it.  I think Salford will lose another player for that after the disciplinaries on Monday. So the next team will benefit for a bad call made on the day. Ho hum.

The spirit in the camp is still positive though, although Olly looked in a bad way at the end of the match, and Joe was hobbling but should be OK for next friday. Hull FC at home is one that is, and must be, winnable, along with KR and Wire the following 2 weeks. Even Catalan at home might be the one that keeps them up. 

Allez TO!

[Ray Cashmere]

15 minutes ago, kiggy said:

I think Salford will lose another player for that after the disciplinaries on Monday

Any idea which player?

[kiggy]

14 minutes ago, Ray Cashmere said:

Any idea which player?

I need to rewatch the video. I was too busy having a rant at the time

[Old Frightful]

12 minutes ago, kiggy said:

I need to rewatch the video. I was too busy having a rant at the time

Out of interest, which media platform will you be watching the match from?

[SalfordSlim]

50 minutes ago, kiggy said:

Firstly, well done Salford, it was a big ask for a team so depleted. And looking at the walking wounded after the game, even more so now.

However, another game thrown away by TO in a mental 10 minutes in the 2nd half The forwards played well, some big defense in the first half on their own line. The backs not so much. You can't keep dropping the ball and get away with it at this level. 

And Hicks...is he really supposed to be the best? No video ref again so, his decisions had to stand uncontested. Some might say that is how it should be for all games, but it it does feel a little wrong at times when other games get a different look at a situation. The hit on Gigot near the end of the 1st half, was just nasty, and should have been a sin bin...and if we can only win against 12 men then so be it.  I think Salford will lose another player for that after the disciplinaries on Monday. So the next team will benefit for a bad call made on the day. Ho hum.

The spirit in the camp is still positive though, although Olly looked in a bad way at the end of the match, and Joe was hobbling but should be OK for next friday. Hull FC at home is one that is, and must be, winnable, along with KR and Wire the following 2 weeks. Even Catalan at home might be the one that keeps them up. 

Allez TO!

TBH I didn't see the incident you're referring to so can't comment on that. Personally I didn't think it was the best of games at all, pretty scrappy and a bit of a grind. OAB looked by far TO's most dangerous player and make a couple of cracking breaks which could've resulted in tries but Budgie made a great covering tackle on one of those.

The one really poor decision I did spot from Hicks (and in his defence I think it was the TJ that gave it) was the penalty for a late "hit" on Sneyd (which he definitely made a meal of). At that point I think we were only 3/5 points up and pretty sure we scored off the resulting set.

Actually I take it back, there was also (IMO) a sin-bin worthy professional foul from maybe Brierley/Croft just before HT after OAB had made a break. Very poor decision IMO but maybe my cider affected eyesight wasn't the best.

I hope Toulouse stay up I really do, I think they've got a lot to offer if they can get through a couple of seasons of SL and start to grow. Hopefully the crowds will pick up as well and for €15 it's a bargain. Slight gripe that there was no cider in the ground (choice of beer or champagne from what I could see) but a few more in town after the game made up for that!

The morning after feels very strange waking up having seen Salford win in France... the one hiding we gave Catalan a few years back was the trip I missed!

TO/Hull match next week is huge. My head says Hull might pull something out the bag but a TO win would really put the cat amongst the pigeons at the bottom and leave a few Wire fans twitching I reckon with their run-in.

I'm not sure Wakey have a couple of wins in them to claw back the 4 point gap to Wire but would love to be proved wrong!

Anyway, 5 hours to kill before my train back to Bordeaux so sports bar and England/SA beckons to avoid the 38° heat!

Au revoir mes amies!

PS. 2 more injuries picked up last night so can Saints please play their u14's next week!

[kiggy]

4 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Out of interest, which media platform will you be watching the match from?

Iphone SE, but only when i'm in Toulouse  Unfortunately my visit to Toulouse has been cut short...dog sitters are going on holiday so I have had to get off home early. 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

How many games this season have Toulouse lost that they were winning at half time? Seems like a lot now!

[kiggy]

4 hours ago, SalfordSlim said:

TBH I didn't see the incident you're referring to so can't comment on that. Personally I didn't think it was the best of games at all, pretty scrappy and a bit of a grind. OAB looked by far TO's most dangerous player and make a couple of cracking breaks which could've resulted in tries but Budgie made a great covering tackle on one of those.

The one really poor decision I did spot from Hicks (and in his defence I think it was the TJ that gave it) was the penalty for a late "hit" on Sneyd (which he definitely made a meal of). At that point I think we were only 3/5 points up and pretty sure we scored off the resulting set.

Actually I take it back, there was also (IMO) a sin-bin worthy professional foul from maybe Brierley/Croft just before HT after OAB had made a break. Very poor decision IMO but maybe my cider affected eyesight wasn't the best.

I hope Toulouse stay up I really do, I think they've got a lot to offer if they can get through a couple of seasons of SL and start to grow. Hopefully the crowds will pick up as well and for €15 it's a bargain. Slight gripe that there was no cider in the ground (choice of beer or champagne from what I could see) but a few more in town after the game made up for that!

The morning after feels very strange waking up having seen Salford win in France... the one hiding we gave Catalan a few years back was the trip I missed!

TO/Hull match next week is huge. My head says Hull might pull something out the bag but a TO win would really put the cat amongst the pigeons at the bottom and leave a few Wire fans twitching I reckon with their run-in.

I'm not sure Wakey have a couple of wins in them to claw back the 4 point gap to Wire but would love to be proved wrong!

Anyway, 5 hours to kill before my train back to Bordeaux so sports bar and England/SA beckons to avoid the 38° heat!

Au revoir mes amies!

PS. 2 more injuries picked up last night so can Saints please play their u14's next week!

Can't fault you on the Cider front... or lack of it...and they never turn the Guiness taps on for 13's rugby! Only the Irish bars seem to have Cider on tap it in Toulouse. 

OAB does seem to offer an edge, not as effective as Kheiralla, but he's still learning. Although he was responsible for dropping the ball late on under a high kick.  I think the professional foul you are thinking of was actually against Gigot, he got tap tackled 8mts out and when he tried to get up got a head shot and someone sat on him to kill the play.  Fifita did something similar just before half time at the Magic Weekend and got binned, this time, just a penalty. As long as each referee is consistent, you would know what to expect. Not across refs mind you...that's too much to ask, each one has his own bug bears...or blind eyes. Hicks's blind eye seems to be hands on the ball...never gives it which is frustrating to a team that wants to play fast ball.

Glad you enjoyed Toulouse. We bumped into James Cunningham out for a stroll with his...very very small...new born, this morning whilst having a sneaky Sorbet and coffee. It's a nice city. Maybe you will get a chance to come back next season.

 

[Scubby]

1 minute ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

How many games this season have Toulouse lost that they were winning at half time? Seems like a lot now!

Wigan, Castleford, Hull KR, Hudds (a), Salford immediately come to mind.

[idrewthehaggis]

4 hours ago, SalfordSlim said:

TBH I didn't see the incident you're referring to so can't comment on that. Personally I didn't think it was the best of games at all, pretty scrappy and a bit of a grind. OAB looked by far TO's most dangerous player and make a couple of cracking breaks which could've resulted in tries but Budgie made a great covering tackle on one of those.

The one really poor decision I did spot from Hicks (and in his defence I think it was the TJ that gave it) was the penalty for a late "hit" on Sneyd (which he definitely made a meal of). At that point I think we were only 3/5 points up and pretty sure we scored off the resulting set.

Actually I take it back, there was also (IMO) a sin-bin worthy professional foul from maybe Brierley/Croft just before HT after OAB had made a break. Very poor decision IMO but maybe my cider affected eyesight wasn't the best.

I hope Toulouse stay up I really do, I think they've got a lot to offer if they can get through a couple of seasons of SL and start to grow. Hopefully the crowds will pick up as well and for €15 it's a bargain. Slight gripe that there was no cider in the ground (choice of beer or champagne from what I could see) but a few more in town after the game made up for that!

The morning after feels very strange waking up having seen Salford win in France... the one hiding we gave Catalan a few years back was the trip I missed!

TO/Hull match next week is huge. My head says Hull might pull something out the bag but a TO win would really put the cat amongst the pigeons at the bottom and leave a few Wire fans twitching I reckon with their run-in.

I'm not sure Wakey have a couple of wins in them to claw back the 4 point gap to Wire but would love to be proved wrong!

Anyway, 5 hours to kill before my train back to Bordeaux so sports bar and England/SA beckons to avoid the 38° heat!

Au revoir mes amies!

PS. 2 more injuries picked up last night so can Saints please play their u14's next week!

Bon. As they blurt in Broughton.

When I was a kid, my brother and me divided which Subbuteo teams we would have. He had the English and Scottish ones, whist I drew the Dutch and Belgian ones (don't ask why, it just seemed sense then.) 

While listing the team "sheets" for the British clubs was easy, the near total absence of accessing Benelux media, meant the Feyenoord and Ajax team sheets relied on any occasional mutterings in Shoot! magazine about the Eredivisie. We had to pretty make up the teams. That Van der Valk was a great squad player. These days I can do a virtual tour as the game goes on in Amsterdam.

Yesterday felt a little like those salad days. No television, no internet broadcasting, no commentary and only Twitter (slowly translated from French) as a guide.

Oh of course Slim's messaging on the SRD forum. 

It felt so remote. If IMG are about, then we can not build on SL as an Anglo-French alliance if matches are so poorly covered. I mean I can access cricket from the Indies, baseball from the mid west, probably various obscure sports from all around the globe in some media way.

So massively grateful to you Slim on your missives.

Well after that fella, not sure what else can be said. I hear Addy was wearing one of those  big recovery boots, I too suspect Disciplinary will diminish the "squad" even more.Time then to get some loanees in asap. 

From the Sky Sports highlights, it seems both sides had a go. No complaints there. Lots of good defence again from SRD and some really classy movements by Marc E. Sneyd, Croft and Burgess.

Some here and elsewhere are talking up the Reds chances. I will not get carried away. Plenty of time for it to go all Salfordesy. 

One more win needed for that elusive relegation busting 20 points. Maybe the boys are saving it (coughs) for final match against the Warrington. (Maybe their year....)

Next up Saints at home (ugh!)

Living in Le Moment. Now Le Tour. 

Edited July 24, 2022 by idrewthehaggis

[Wellsy4HullFC]

8 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Wigan, Castleford, Hull KR, Hudds (a), Salford immediately come to mind.

Ironically, 3 out of their 5 wins were from behind at half time! (Wakey x2 and Saints).

 

They've only held on to win after half time twice this season. They've lost to Wigan, Rovers, Hudds and Salford (and and Cas who they were drawing against at HT).

 

They're not far off, and after all the handicaps the start of the season brought, they've done incredibly well. They do not get the attention they deserve and I really hope they can stay up in build on this next season.

 

 

[Scubby]

19 minutes ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Ironically, 3 out of their 5 wins were from behind at half time! (Wakey x2 and Saints).

 

They've only held on to win after half time twice this season. They've lost to Wigan, Rovers, Hudds and Salford (and and Cas who they were drawing against at HT).

 

They're not far off, and after all the handicaps the start of the season brought, they've done incredibly well. They do not get the attention they deserve and I really hope they can stay up in build on this next season.

 

 

I'm not going there for a full blown discussion, but imagine if they could be making signings and selling corporates already for next year? We really do hurt ourselves sometimes for a game with so little money.