Match thread: Championship Rd 21 Summer Bash. Featherstone Rovers v Leigh. Saturday 30th July 2022.

[J Phil Loxton]

4 hours ago, Robin Evans said:

I concede my knowledge of the game is nowhere compared to a coach of macdermott's standing. But im bug gered if I can understand JD's omission. Just don't get it.

Leigh are a fantastic side but sometimes team spirit can overcome fantastic opposition but what I'm seeing here ( and like you Robin I haven't got any coaching certificates but I have got 60 years of supporting Fev ) I can see that every week that this coach is stripping away every bit of team spirit that we still have. We have had bad luck with injuries there is no doubt about that so surely he should go with the tried and tested and stop messing around with unenforced team selection. We know we wouldn't have won with John Davies and Cooper in the side tonight so why strip away their confidence like he did with Hall earlier. I could have coached that Leeds team of yesteryear with similar results. A settled side reaps rewards and breeds team spirit so unless it's enforced changes leave it alone

[Bongser]

30 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

.......Give Leigh credit they are the best Championship side i have seen........

The best Bongser has ever seen too, SOA2. Haven't watched it yet (won't bore you with the details). Was stuck with Radio Leeds and the commentators admitted to being biased!

Look forward (as you have posted on other threads) to Phantom Horseman's take - he does seem to know his onions and keep his dander down. 

Good luck for the rest of the regular season (ONLY) 

[The Phantom Horseman]

7 hours ago, Bongser said:

 

Look forward (as you have posted on other threads) to Phantom Horseman's take - he does seem to know his onions and keep his dander down. 

 

My view isn't worth more than anyone else's on here but FWIW it went pretty much as I would have expected, the injuries obviously didn't help especially in terms of continuity as our team seems to look different every week but Leigh are clearly some way ahead of us regardless.

I thought we had a dig and the effort was there but Leigh do a very good job grinding teams down, and up to a point we played at least as well in my view as we had in some of our wide-margin victories lately, most Fev fans will tell you that some of our recent wins have been less impressive than the scorelines suggest.

It doesn't help that the games v Fev are really the ones that matter to Leigh this season, unless someone else beats us and gets to the final.

I've seen a lot of neutrals suggest that Leigh would be a mid-table SL team with their current squad, I have been a bit sceptical about that until recently as I don't think the halves are SL quality but the addition of Lam might change that. But looking at the Leigh squad there are numerous players who you would expect to be regular starters if they were with a mid-table SL team whereas the only player on our squad you might say that about is Kheirallah, who is injured anyway.

So really I don't think the outcome was much of a surprise. We're a decent top-end Championship team struggling with injuries, Leigh are probably a mid-table SL outfit. The game reminded me a bit of what used to happen when we played bottom-4 SL clubs in the middle 8s.

[Fevrover]

9 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  Yes J.D not up to it but Mac picks Hepi who  is no bigger and in my opinion not as good.I think Mac has wisely saved J.D. for next week so he dosn't get busted.Give Leigh credit they are the best Championship side i have seen.And for once this season they have got their recruitment right.Beaumont rightly sometimes gets some stick but puts his money into the team and it looks like paying off this season.

Can't take nothing away from Leigh definitely best team but we make too many mistakes which doesn't help our cause. I'am not saying we would beat them but i would love to play them with our full strength team although that's looking highly unlikely.

[Kirmonds pouch]

On 28/07/2022 at 19:13, David Shepherd said:

Decent, isn't it?  Think there's plenty of Super League teams that would get brown stains in their shorts facing that.

No Amone though, who's probably their most devastating forward. 

Going to have to pull you up there as it's not that simple. Leigh, currently have 8 overseas players and are only permitted 6 in SL. Doesn't sound much but I doubt they can replace them with UK players of similar ability. The salary cap in SL is rigidly enforced and will quickly be eaten away, as domestic players demand FT SL money. Beaumonts money will not help him anywhere near as much as it does in now. SL has some seriously rich owners, ones Deggsy cannot compete with.

Finally. Blake Ferguson for example is great in the championship. He'd do OK in SL I'm sure but a star? NO. Even lowly Trinity have two young wingers in Murphy and Kershaw who'd run him ragged. Same applies to all Leighs overseas players. Most could play SL, but they would become ordinary, especially if the domestic recruitment doesn't go well.

On that latter point, if I were a Leigh fan I'd be praying that Trinity got demoted because there are very few pickings to be had from Toulouse in terms of non quota players.

 

I'm not saying Leigh couldn't get make it this time but they will be starting from scratch. This years recruitment won't cut it. Players like Chris Green are a million miles of SL standard.

Edited July 31, 2022 by Kirmonds pouch

[sentoffagain2]

  Having slept on it i think our players stepped up from recent performances.The effort was there but the Leigh Halves had far too much room for their plays.Jones was my best Fev player and although he wasn't on the field long Eseh showed what a good prospect he is.Although i think we will not be able to retain him for another year.Next week is crucial i have not seen the improved Widnes  so expect a hard game.But i saw enough yesterday with some injured players coming back that we are the second best Championship side and i will be surprised if we do not finish in second place.One selection i didn'r agree with was Hardcastle in second row for yesterdays game i would have played him in the centre with Hall at full back.

[mightyship]

18 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  Having slept on it i think our players stepped up from recent performances.The effort was there but the Leigh Halves had far too much room for their plays.Jones was my best Fev player and although he wasn't on the field long Eseh showed what a good prospect he is.Although i think we will not be able to retain him for another year.Next week is crucial i have not seen the improved Widnes  so expect a hard game.But i saw enough yesterday with some injured players coming back that we are the second best Championship side and i will be surprised if we do not finish in second place.One selection i didn'r agree with was Hardcastle in second row for yesterdays game i would have played him in the centre with Hall at full back.

This is my take on the game as well SOA2.

I thought there was the effort and commitment there from the lads; maybe too much at times with a subsequent lack of composure leading to too many mistakes. We rarely kept Leigh in their half as we kept relieving the pressure with penalties etc.

we showed we could break them when we got a chance but the chances were few and far between- partly cos they restricted us but partly cos of pressure relieving mistakes. And if Gaz Gale had slid across the line instead of diving then maybe he’d have got that try on the wing in the first half and we,d have gone in closer at half time: great defence from him in the second half though to deny Charnley a try.

I thought Joey had one of his better games and he had the better of Macdonald before he was sent off

Jones’s was probably my man of the match with Moors, Springer and Eseh putting in good stints too.

but confirmed for me that Leigh are a class apart in the championship this year and are odds on for promotion but I’m glad that game is out of the way and we need to concentrate on building some form as we run into the playoffs. The goal needs to be 2nd place, an improvement in defence and an improvement in team confidence - starting with a tough trip to Widnes next week.

UTR

 

[Mick Braithwaite]

27 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

 Same applies to all Leighs overseas players. Most could play SL, but they would become ordinary, especially if the domestic recruitment doesn't

 

I'm not saying Leigh couldn't get make it this time but they will be starting from scratch. This years recruitment won't cut it. Players like Chris Green are a million miles of SL standard.

I look at the likes of some of Leigh's players. .John Asiata, Edwin Ipape, Nene MacDonald, Tom Amone, Blake Fergurson Lachlan Lam would walk in to all top 6 SL sides tomorrow.  Others like Sam Stone would walk into most.

For me 2 points that subsequently we will be unlikely to over come this year. One our own doing , one not so much so... 

A)Unfortunately,  We have found our rivals have assembled the Championships best ever team.  Sadly... 

B) Our own undoing. The decision to appoint McDermott is the worse we have made in 20 years. IMHO. 

[Robin Evans]

3 minutes ago, Mick Braithwaite said:

 

B) Our own undoing. The decision to appoint McDermott is the worse we have made in 20 years. IMHO. 

Worse than JB? I thought JB was proven to be clueless as a first team coach. Great with youth development.... he's back doing what he's good at. 

I find it very difficult to understand or follow Mac's reasonings. I concede I know bug ger all about the game compared to him.

[The Phantom Horseman]

38 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

Going to have to pull you up there as it's not that simple. Leigh, currently have 8 overseas players and are only permitted 6 in SL. Doesn't sound much but I doubt they can replace them with UK players of similar ability. The salary cap in SL is rigidly enforced and will quickly be eaten away, as domestic players demand FT SL money. Beaumonts money will not help him anywhere near as much as it does in now. SL has some seriously rich owners, ones Deggsy cannot compete with.

Finally. Blake Ferguson for example is great in the championship. He'd do OK in SL I'm sure but a star? NO. Even lowly Trinity have two young wingers in Murphy and Kershaw who'd run him ragged. Same applies to all Leighs overseas players. Most could play SL, but they would become ordinary, especially if the domestic recruitment doesn't go well.

On that latter point, if I were a Leigh fan I'd be praying that Trinity got demoted because there are very few pickings to be had from Toulouse in terms of non quota players.

 

I'm not saying Leigh couldn't get make it this time but they will be starting from scratch. This years recruitment won't cut it. Players like Chris Green are a million miles of SL standard.

I don't agree with much in that, other than the general point that it obviously will be much more difficult for Leigh in SL.

The fact that you have singled out Chris Green as a player who won't cut it in SL says it all, he went off after 10 minutes in their second game of the season against Fev and hasn't played since. He's been irrelevant to their season.

I think it's 7 non-fed not 6 they are allowed in SL isn't it, I agree that will be a problem for them but it's one they already seem to be addressing.

Your points about the salary cap need a hit more explaining. You're saying the salary cap is rigidly enforced but also that Beaumont won't be able to "compete" with other owners. He's probably managed to achieve a £1.5m squad with about £500k central funding (and most of that came from the parachute payment), yet you think he won't be able to afford full cap in SL with all the Sky money he'll get?

I think their situation in terms of overseas players might make it tough for them to be a middle-table team, and it has to be said they have been extraordinarily fortunate in terms of injuries this year, but they look like they should be able to field a team good enough to avoid relegation (if it's still there!) to me. I remember watching their CC game at Hull KR earlier thsi season and it was only their lack of any middles on the bench that cost them.

[lingaro]

1 hour ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  Having slept on it i think our players stepped up from recent performances.The effort was there but the Leigh Halves had far too much room for their plays.Jones was my best Fev player and although he wasn't on the field long Eseh showed what a good prospect he is.Although i think we will not be able to retain him for another year.Next week is crucial i have not seen the improved Widnes  so expect a hard game.But i saw enough yesterday with some injured players coming back that we are the second best Championship side and i will be surprised if we do not finish in second place.One selection i didn'r agree with was Hardcastle in second row for yesterdays game i would have played him in the centre with Hall at full back.

I don't think we we were dominated in the middle j this one, much more even and coped with the pace of the game much better.  Our mistakes and goal line D is no where near good enough.  Gifted some tries throwing stupid off loads or rushing the line alone.  If we get Koppy and Bussey back the pack will challenge theirs and with a bit more room for the halves who knows? 

[sentoffagain2]

9 minutes ago, lingaro said:

I don't think we we were dominated in the middle j this one, much more even and coped with the pace of the game much better.  Our mistakes and goal line D is no where near good enough.  Gifted some tries throwing stupid off loads or rushing the line alone.  If we get Koppy and Bussey back the pack will challenge theirs and with a bit more room for the halves who knows? 

  We gave Leigh far too much ball in our 30m area that cost us.Somehow we need to keep them penned down in their own half more.For that we will need a much better kicking game and probably 3 or 4  40/20's,so we may need to kick early in the tackle count.I reckon if both teams reach the Final we have 1 chance in 12 of winning.

[Bongser]

Thanks for your reply, PH, even-handed as always, and for later addressing

a) Green

b) Quota

c) Dosh

If people had heard the rumour (whispered to this party by a fellah whose lad is on Wigan's books) about how much Derek Beaumont had offered Bevan French, they wouldn't doubt the depth of the former's pockets (or the length of his arms!)

With Ferguson now signed up until the end of '24, that rumour is now probably irrelevant.

To Lingaro: Kopczak's torn pec (sustained incidentally facing the Leigh pack) should see him out for a good while, probably the season.

[haskey]

I agree with a lot of whats been said. The main thing for me is that we do not appear to have sustained any further injuries   It would be nice to have a few more Joneses.

[Phil Briscoe]

Mac was more candid in his post match interview talking about his Bradford team in his playing days who beat teams with physicality but occasionally when a team were good enough to front up they had no plan B. I think he was saying that’s the way to beat Leigh but it’s easier said than done. There were elements of us trying to do that yesterday. So if we get to the grand final I think that will be his tactic. Try to disrupt their dominance and see if they are one trick ponies. I’m not sure if I’m assured by that insight or not. Even with a fully fit squad I’m not sure we could do that.

[Septimius Severus]

3 hours ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

Finally. Blake Ferguson for example is great in the championship. He'd do OK in SL I'm sure but a star? NO. Even lowly Trinity have two young wingers in Murphy and Kershaw who'd run him ragged. Same applies to all Leighs overseas players. Most could play SL, but they would become ordinary, especially if the domestic recruitment doesn't go well.

Seriously, you want to state that Blake Ferguson will get the run around from 2 young Wakefield wingers. Ferguson has been there seen it and done it, you don't earn caps from Australia for being average. I have watched Krisnan Inu all season and much as I admire a player who was in the SL Dream team for 2020, Ferguson is a class apart.

[The Phantom Horseman]

2 hours ago, Bongser said:

 

To Lingaro: Kopczak's torn pec (sustained incidentally facing the Leigh pack) should see him out for a good while, probably the season.

We have been told Koppy will be back soon.

[phiggins]

5 hours ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

Going to have to pull you up there as it's not that simple. Leigh, currently have 8 overseas players and are only permitted 6 in SL. Doesn't sound much but I doubt they can replace them with UK players of similar ability. The salary cap in SL is rigidly enforced and will quickly be eaten away, as domestic players demand FT SL money. Beaumonts money will not help him anywhere near as much as it does in now. SL has some seriously rich owners, ones Deggsy cannot compete with.

Finally. Blake Ferguson for example is great in the championship. He'd do OK in SL I'm sure but a star? NO. Even lowly Trinity have two young wingers in Murphy and Kershaw who'd run him ragged. Same applies to all Leighs overseas players. Most could play SL, but they would become ordinary, especially if the domestic recruitment doesn't go well.

On that latter point, if I were a Leigh fan I'd be praying that Trinity got demoted because there are very few pickings to be had from Toulouse in terms of non quota players.

 

I'm not saying Leigh couldn't get make it this time but they will be starting from scratch. This years recruitment won't cut it. Players like Chris Green are a million miles of SL standard.

The quota is 7 non-fed trained players. Not 6. And if Leigh were to go up, it wouldn’t be starting from scratch, the 3/4 line is already signed up. 3 half backs are contracted for next season, and Ipape, Amone, Asiata and Wardle either confirmed or reported to have signed for next season.

Also reports that deals are in place for Mulhern, Davis and Hughes, who would replace Ioane, Nakuwabei and Stone. Yes, work will be needed to get squad depth, but they will be recruiting from a far better base than in previous attempts. 

As for ‘players like Chris Green’, well he was keeping Amone out of the starting 13 until his injury, so can’t be too bad.

If Leigh do go up, and it’s far from a given, key to the chances of staying up will be keeping Chester and Lam in their roles, which keeps Beaumont a safe distance from the playing side. 

[Fevrover]

3 minutes ago, phiggins said:

The quota is 7 non-fed trained players. Not 6. And if Leigh were to go up, it wouldn’t be starting from scratch, the 3/4 line is already signed up. 3 half backs are contracted for next season, and Ipape, Amone, Asiata and Wardle either confirmed or reported to have signed for next season.

Also reports that deals are in place for Mulhern, Davis and Hughes, who would replace Ioane, Nakuwabei and Stone. Yes, work will be needed to get squad depth, but they will be recruiting from a far better base than in previous attempts. 

As for ‘players like Chris Green’, well he was keeping Amone out of the starting 13 until his injury, so can’t be too bad.

If Leigh do go up, and it’s far from a given, key to the chances of staying up will be keeping Chester and Lam in their roles, which keeps Beaumont a safe distance from the playing side. 

Leigh are as good as up,far too good for the rest of us.

[lingaro]

4 hours ago, Bongser said:

Thanks for your reply, PH, even-handed as always, and for later addressing

a) Green

b) Quota

c) Dosh

If people had heard the rumour (whispered to this party by a fellah whose lad is on Wigan's books) about how much Derek Beaumont had offered Bevan French, they wouldn't doubt the depth of the former's pockets (or the length of his arms!)

With Ferguson now signed up until the end of '24, that rumour is now probably irrelevant.

To Lingaro: Kopczak's torn pec (sustained incidentally facing the Leigh pack) should see him out for a good while, probably the season.

Koppy is a couple of weeks away. 

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, lingaro said:

Koppy is a couple of weeks away. 

 

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, Fevrover said:

Leigh are as good as up,far too good for the rest of us.

 

[wasginger]

Well my view of yesterday is very similar to others views. I thought our line speed and aggression was better than it has been for a while, the commitment you couldn't fault, but basic mistakes either defensively or offensively are just negating all the good points of our game. The positional selections of the team had me scratching my head a bit. Hardcastle had to play in the centres, with Hall at full-back. Broadbent is a young player finding his way into the game, and for me full-back is not his position. Ferres over Davies I know who I'd play. Finally all this changing of the team at this point of the season, is not helping at all. He needs to decide who his 1 to 17 is, and allow them to gel and gain confidence from each other. Then we may be ready for the play offs. 

[sweaty craiq]

You remind me so much of Leigh early 2000's when we were the best PT club by a mile but the FT parachute club did us every year.

You have spent heavily this season and if we hadnt been here you would be walking the comp.

Yesterday we missed regular middles Ioane and Amone, and played with 2 props one we lost after 10 mins or so - we will be a lot stronger in the middle come play offs.

We have already recruited heavily for should we make SL, Davis Mulhern and Hughes from Wire, I am told two crackers from Wigans young stock and we will be using the marquee opportunities fully.

We are so lucky that Derek has committed to next years budget whichever division we are in

[Fevrover]

37 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

You remind me so much of Leigh early 2000's when we were the best PT club by a mile but the FT parachute club did us every year.

You have spent heavily this season and if we hadnt been here you would be walking the comp.

Yesterday we missed regular middles Ioane and Amone, and played with 2 props one we lost after 10 mins or so - we will be a lot stronger in the middle come play offs.

We have already recruited heavily for should we make SL, Davis Mulhern and Hughes from Wire, I am told two crackers from Wigans young stock and we will be using the marquee opportunities fully.

We are so lucky that Derek has committed to next years budget whichever division we are in

I wonder which that division will be .