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Match thread: Championship Rd 25. Featherstone Rovers v Workington. Saturday 27th August 2022.


marklaspalmas

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Our last home league game of the season.

After a stern test at Barrow, many may be thinking about a stroll over already relegated and bottom of the table Workington. 

However, with two tricky looking away fixtures before the playoffs, and with injuries still seeing the team juggled around, this game has to be played right.

On the plus side, both Koppy and Locky and JSL are now back.

However, we are still waiting for Jacks and Bussey, as well as Pickersgill and Ferres. Hepi is still banned.

Now Wildie looks to be out, and Ford may need to sit out a week.

Players looking for a recall include Gale, Cooper, Fleming, and Eseh.

If Ford, Wildie and Jacks are all missing, that just leaves Smith on the halves and Jones at hooker. Jones can do 80, and JD can help out at ahb, but we need a stop-gap half-back.

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1 hour ago, elppaxr2i said:

Craig hall could do HB as well if needs be swap the backs around and bring gale in 

Not ideal but there are emergency options there 

 

2 hours ago, haskey said:

Bayley Gill looks like a good bet for half back. ?

To be fair we are playing worky with a points difference of -713 think our pack will be too strong for them so you could play anybody with smith in the halves

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Couple of useful updates from the club today, one from Lee Patterson via Fev's Twitter  and Facebook on injuries, nothing too specific but Jones is fine, Ford depends on how HIA progresses, Wildie doesn't look too bad but might need a scan this week. Pickersgill and Jacks sound like they aren't far from a return too.

Also a good update from the back office from Martin Vickers on the club website.

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33 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Couple of useful updates from the club today, one from Lee Patterson via Fev's Twitter  and Facebook on injuries, nothing too specific but Jones is fine, Ford depends on how HIA progresses, Wildie doesn't look too bad but might need a scan this week. Pickersgill and Jacks sound like they aren't far from a return too.

Also a good update from the back office from Martin Vickers on the club website.

Yes, that sounded very upbeat all round.

Of the injured players who we may see back before the end of the year, these are the numbers of games they've missed:

Brandon Pickersgill: missed last 11 matches.

Jack Bussey: missed last 4 matches.

Ryley Jacks: missed last 4 matches.

Brett Ferres: missed last 2 matches.

 

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A bit off topic  Paul anderson has named his knights squad to face Frace B OCT 1st and Scotland OCT 8th along side lads from SL IT lists a certain

Mr Jack Broabent (Featherstone)🥳:kolobok_clapping:

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1 hour ago, Rovers fev said:

I’d go for Gill at 6 will smith at 7 he’s never really got the chance and against Workington we can try things as we may need him on the play offs with any other injury’s 

 

Will Smith? That would be expensive even for a cameo appearance. Might bring in a nice attendance though🌝

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I agree RF give Gill a chance , it is a long way from the Gold Coast to not even get a sniff if a game. I know it is a 2 plus journey from Brisbane to Manchester. and then home.

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Ford and Wildie both not in the 21, as expected. Martin Vickers said in the Up Next piece that Jacks would be available this week, wouldn't surprise me to see Jacks/Gill as our halves with Smith perhaps acting as utility off the bench.

Mac has said all year he'll rotate the squad and he's done that regularly, I understand what people are saying about treating every opponent seriously but whatever combination he picks from that squad of 21 should be enough to get the job done this week. We played several of the "fringe" players in the away game at Workington (Gill, Trout, Field, McConnell) so I won't be surprised if we do something similar on Saturday, if we don't win convincingly it will be to do with attitude not personnel imo.

For me tougher decisions await Mac next week when we play Sheffield on their plastic pitch. If he wants to rest some of our veteran forwards does he do it in that game or in the final regular-season game against Halifax, or (and this would be my guess) a couple of Moors, Locky, Koppy getting one or other of those games off?

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15 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

. We played several of the "fringe" players in the away game at Workington (Gill, Trout, Field, McConnell) so I won't be surprised if we do something similar on Saturday, if we don't win convincingly it will be to do with attitude not personnel imo.

 

Totally agree PH and as you say we  had a lot of fringe players at worky but you forgot to mention  cuthbo was also on the bench and  Hellewell in the centre so looking at the 21 for saturday I'm sure BM will be able to cobble together a side to win

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One tough decision comping up for mac that we might get a clue about this weekend...who will the 2 starting half backs be?

Ford may have done enough to cement his position once he's passed his HIA test, so it could come down to Jacks v Smith. Neither has done much wrong, Jacks would probably be favourite to be selected of the pair, but Jacks and Ford have both played on the left side almost throughout their careers as far as I'm aware, whereas Smith has started on the right hand side all year, which might be a factor in his favour.

If Jacks and Gill are paired at half back this week, which side they play could give us a clue to Mac's thinking, although if Jacks plays left hand side it might mean he wants to switch Ford to the right.

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1 hour ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  In the play off game both being fit Jacks and Ford are nailed on to be the half backs.I don't think Mac would go with any other pairing.

I think you're probably right, but it does still leave the question of who switches sides. If it's going to be Jacks, I'd like to see him on that right hand side this weekend, partly to see how comfortable he is with it, partly so he can start forming links with Leilua etc.

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11 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I think you're probably right, but it does still leave the question of who switches sides. If it's going to be Jacks, I'd like to see him on that right hand side this weekend, partly to see how comfortable he is with it, partly so he can start forming links with Leilua etc.

Smith has got his talents but I can't help thinking that they are or will be best in the hooking roll.

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