Wed 3rd-Sun 7th Aug: The Betfred Championship Match Thread

[sentoffagain2]

37 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Thought we looked class with the balls at times tonight but a bit of the worry that by the end of the game we had lost all 3 of our play makers and losing Woody was huge as we looked a bit disjointed in the second half. Still a pretty decent performance though and always tough to get one over on Batley. Sets up an exciting finish to the season to decide 3rd to 6th and work out who gets a chance at knocking off Fev.

Your right side attack is good and our left side defence is poor hope our coach sorts something out for the last game of the regular season.I would put a mobile second row forward to cover the outside edge but what do i know i have only been watching the game 66 years.Good win tonight.

[Harry Stottle]

4 hours ago, Fevrover said:

How can you be the better team all the way but let 52 points in ? Sorry but that's not possible, Barrow probably gave it a great shot but best team ? Give over.

I was answering Dav05 on his comment to the first half, my second post was about the second half.

[Harry Stottle]

4 hours ago, Southampton Leyther said:

I assume Harry is referring to the 1st half from the post he quoted. Barrow looked a lot more lively than leigh at the start of the match and were 6 - 8 up at around 35 mins. 2 good tries in the final 5 of the half put us in a good position and we were 46 - 8 up by the hour mark. 

1st half our completion must have been 30% or lower, aided by a strong Barrow defence. 2nd half we cut a lot of those mistakes out and pulled away.

Fair play to Barrow though, based solely the games I've seen against Leigh they have been the best opposition in the Championship over both legs. Good attack, good kicking game and a lot of heart. Sammut is a slippery little sod and always poses a threat. 

Also, disagree with Harry on Mellor. I thought he was at the heart of everything we did well and would have been my MoM, just edging out Ipape who was fantastic once again.

Mellor in the first half had a few opportunities to pass the ball when we had overlaps, but he keeps for some reason only known to him why he keeps turning back inside and doing things no one else is aware of, I honestly think Mr Lam had a word with him at half time, in the second half he started to use his player's as an half back should do, and we made far more scoring opportunities than a supposedly creative midfield player playing on his own.

[Harry Stottle]

3 hours ago, LeeF said:

Was it Harry or Gubrats?

Couldn't be me, in my position no one can stand behind me, top of the stand against the back wall.

[Harry Stottle]

3 hours ago, LINNERS said:

To be fair, that probably happens in most Leigh games.

Only to well aware of it, I get chastised for the opposite, I actually applaud when the opposition do something good, don't half get some funny looks.

[wilsontown]

3 hours ago, Fevrover said:

Plenty of teams would gladly swop you places in League,good season for York.

It's a fair point and I don't want to seem ungrateful. It has been a decent season but the last few games I've seen we've been poor. That 4 game losing streak had been coming but hopefully we're onwards and upwards now.

[Cheadle Leyther]

17 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

And the Raiders were worth it all the way the better of the two teams but just 10 mins left let them down defensively.

Correction. They were the better team for the first half hour, then Edwin comes on……. Do agree they scored the try of the season via their superb left wing breakout featuring Ritson, Maloudi and Sammut. But the defence second half was abysmal. Ritson must be able to get a chance in Superleague next season with that pace he has.

[Harry Stottle]

5 minutes ago, Cheadle Leyther said:

Correction. They were the better team for the first half hour, then Edwin comes on……. Do agree they scored the try of the season via their superb left wing breakout featuring Ritson, Maloudi and Sammut. But the defence second half was abysmal. Ritson must be able to get a chance in Superleague next season with that pace he has.

Again that post was about the first half Cheadle.

[JonM]

18 minutes ago, Cheadle Leyther said:

 Ritson must be able to get a chance in Superleague next season with that pace he has.

Yes, I am quite surprised he hasn't already been picked up by a SL club. He does have that slight question mark over discipline winding up/ getting wound up by the opposition. But definitely expect to see him in SL soon.

[The Phantom Horseman]

16 hours ago, DI Keith Fowler said:

I'd like to see that on the video, there were a couple of players offside but I don't think Fozard was one of them.

Having watched the incident on video, I think Fozard was onside, but the referee had clearly ruled that it was no try anyway (signalling a 20m tap) before getting the call from the TJ about offside. The ref was in the perfect position right on the line, I'm not sure if he signalled a knock on or just that the ball had gone dead.

As an aside, it's crazy that we are still seeing games played at this level with two lines showing so clearly about a foot apart (the other one presumably being a football marking).

[Fevrover]

12 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Only to well aware of it, I get chastised for the opposite, I actually applaud when the opposition do something good, don't half get some funny looks.

I sometimes clap something good from our opposition, don't care what anyone thinks.

[phiggins]

Despite Leigh scoring 50, it wasn't a game that boosted confidence about the play offs. I still worry about our lack of depth in the pack. Amone and Nakuwabei out injured leads to us having a bench which includes a winger (which proved fortunate given the injuries during the game), an on loan back rower and a prop that Lam seems reluctant to use while a game is in the balance. Just leaves O'Donnell, Sidlow and Asiata each being asked to play big minutes every week. 

Add injuries to Ferguson and Aetkins, and the fact that MacDonald's prep for the play offs is likely to involve 5 weeks off, and I wouldn't say things are clear cut. 

[Harry Stottle]

46 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Despite Leigh scoring 50, it wasn't a game that boosted confidence about the play offs. I still worry about our lack of depth in the pack. Amone and Nakuwabei out injured leads to us having a bench which includes a winger (which proved fortunate given the injuries during the game), an on loan back rower and a prop that Lam seems reluctant to use while a game is in the balance. Just leaves O'Donnell, Sidlow and Asiata each being asked to play big minutes every week. 

Add injuries to Ferguson and Aetkins, and the fact that MacDonald's prep for the play offs is likely to involve 5 weeks off, and I wouldn't say things are clear cut. 

As I've said on numerous occasions it ain't over till the fat lady sings.

[phiggins]

58 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

As I've said on numerous occasions it ain't over till the fat lady sings.

And I've always agreed with that. Just that I was more confident a few weeks ago, than I am now.

Seems strange that Lam is so reluctant to use Jones and Ioane in the pack, and I'm not convinced by Brand at full back, and looks like he'll be playing there for the next few weeks. Hopefully Aetkins is back for the play offs.

[watcherofRL]

On 07/08/2022 at 16:50, crashmon said:

David Hughes right now needs to be sat next to Mike Eccles with an open checkbook, and let him put what ever salary he wants to be LB coach for next 2 seasons.

I totally agree - sign Mike as head coach, bring in an assistant coach, employ someone like Neil Thurman to be reserves coach/assistant coach and get S&C coach too! Make proper financial offer for reserves players to play rather than using academy boys who are not ready and letting reserves play for skolars as they get paid!!

Give both edges 2023 contracts so there is stability and they won’t have to start again from scratch and then recruit to bolster squad

[Tommygilf]

7 hours ago, JonM said:

Yes, I am quite surprised he hasn't already been picked up by a SL club. He does have that slight question mark over discipline winding up/ getting wound up by the opposition. But definitely expect to see him in SL soon.

Got an air of Kevin Penny about him for me. 

[RSN]

11 hours ago, JonM said:

Yes, I am quite surprised he hasn't already been picked up by a SL club. He does have that slight question mark over discipline winding up/ getting wound up by the opposition. But definitely expect to see him in SL soon.

I've never seen Tee wound up, he's very chilled out. Are you confusing him with Hakim?

[JonM]

9 hours ago, RSN said:

I've never seen Tee wound up, he's very chilled out. Are you confusing him with Hakim?

LOL.

[Harry Stottle]

17 hours ago, phiggins said:

And I've always agreed with that. Just that I was more confident a few weeks ago, than I am now.

Seems strange that Lam is so reluctant to use Jones and Ioane in the pack, and I'm not convinced by Brand at full back, and looks like he'll be playing there for the next few weeks. Hopefully Aetkins is back for the play offs.

I will disagree re Keiron Brand, last year I was very wary when he was put at FB in the SL but I must say I was pleasantly surprised by his performances, I have no qualms of him playing at FB but the only thing that he is not getting at the moment is game time which can go against him, but a game or two will put that right.

[Harry Stottle]

14 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Got an air of Kevin Penny about him for me. 

Matty Ashton?

[phiggins]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

I will disagree re Keiron Brand, last year I was very wary when he was put at FB in the SL but I must say I was pleasantly surprised by his performances, I have no qualms of him playing at FB but the only thing that he is not getting at the moment is game time which can go against him, but a game or two will put that right.

He'll get a chance now. He's done well at centre and wing this season, and frankly if we're going to have a back on the bench, he should've been ahead of Charnley at the weekend.

Can't help but get flashbacks of the Barrow away game, where he played full back, and just dropped a ball when returning a kick, without anyone near him.