Wed 14th-Sun 18th Sept: The Betfred Championship Match Thread

[Harry Stottle]

32 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

Fax are a decent team, but there was only one set of players sat exhausted on the pitch after the game. I never got the sense that we were. I actually thought we'd foolishly put the cue on the rack a bit in the 2nd half.

That said, 'fax are always up for it at POR, but our own midden I'd be 8/10 confident of victory. But they've got to get past York yet, I known they're a bit hit and miss this season but on paper, they look a pretty similar side in terms of quality.

So are you saying that by putting the cue on the rack Fev dropped their intensity?

Well 80% in favour of a Fev victory, that's pretty confident then.

[Niels]

15 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Quick, expansive, powerful and very fit with it, as the season as gone on they have been performing better and better, but they have not had the intensity of hard games to contend with from the opposition as you can see from averaging 48 points for per game and conceding less than 8.

Hopefully the semi final will prove a better contest - yes, I am confident of a victory - in readiness for what I expect to be a a tough match in the final, and as they say it is not over till the fat lady sings, the sporting world is awash with the clear favourites being knocked off their perch,  so I am taking nothing for granted in that game, but if pushed I will say Leigh will win.

I have enjoyed seeing Leigh this year.

They are a fantastic team and play very entertaining rugby. They always do in the championship.

I first saw them at Keighley in the early 2000s when they had to win to top the table. They lost to a good Keighley team. 

I think they will win the play offs. But as you allude to, something can always go wrong in a one off game. So they can't be complacent.

[Gaz Martin]

I personally think that last week result for both Barrow and Batley to determine which team has the home advantage will determine this week result. 

 

Barrow home, Barrow win. 

[The Blues Ox]

1 hour ago, roversspud said:

You WERE close to us after 60 minutes on Sunday on your own patch and still didn't beat us.

We chased the game from the middle of the first half, that's not the close that I would be looking for. Id be hoping for 4-6 points in it all the way through the game before hitting the 60 minute mark. As I mentioned before Fev blew us off the park for 20 minutes in the first half and that ultimatley was enough to win them the game despite the tiredness that Brian Mc described in his interview afterwards. For any team barring Leigh, the danger with Fev is that they are too big and strong early on and capable of taking the game away from you. Its a massive ask to chase a game against such a good side.

[David Shepherd]

45 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

So are you saying that by putting the cue on the rack Fev dropped their intensity?

Well 80% in favour of a Fev victory, that's pretty confident then.

That was my impression.  Other viewpoints are also available. 

I wasn't that confident until Sunday.

[The Blues Ox]

2 hours ago, This Sporting Strife said:

Barrow to beat Batley. And contrary to all, I feel that York will beat Halifax comfortably. 

At the risk of getting egg on my facing or jinxing anything, what is your thinking behind this? My big worry is we may be tired after the Fev game and be a bit lethargic and we end up in a bit of an arm wrestle but Ive not seen anything in our first two games that suggest York can win this one let alone win comfortably. Its a one off game though and anything can happen.

[BatleyFanAndy]

29 minutes ago, Gaz Martin said:

I personally think that last week result for both Barrow and Batley to determine which team has the home advantage will determine this week result. 

 

Barrow home, Barrow win. 

Most Batley fan's I've spoken to are happy with the away draw as the Bulldogs away form is far superior than home  

Edited September 14, 2022 by BatleyFanAndy

[georgeb1]

38 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

At the risk of getting egg on my facing or jinxing anything, what is your thinking behind this? My big worry is we may be tired after the Fev game and be a bit lethargic and we end up in a bit of an arm wrestle but Ive not seen anything in our first two games that suggest York can win this one let alone win comfortably. Its a one off game though and anything can happen.

York served up 2 of their worst performances against fax earlier in the season, hoping 3rd time lucky , one crack at it , I'm sure both sides will be up for it

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, georgeb1 said:

York served up 2 of their worst performances against fax earlier in the season, hoping 3rd time lucky , one crack at it , I'm sure both sides will be up for it

Hi George, must ask the question could the 'worst performances' possibly be because they have faced a better team in Fax, York have not took a point of the top 3 clubs.

[paulwalker71]

It's pretty hard to see past Barrow and Halifax on Sunday.

That said, it's play off rugby. One shot at it, or the season is done - so there's always a chance for an upset.

 

[Gaz Martin]

3 hours ago, BatleyFanAndy said:

Most Batley fan's I've spoken to are happy with the away draw as the Bulldogs away form is far superior than home  

To be fair you beat us at Craven Park. Just hope now that your last game against Leigh has taken a bit out of the tank.

 

[georgeb1]

2 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Hi George, must ask the question could the 'worst performances' possibly be because they have faced a better team in Fax, York have not took a point of the top 3 clubs.

Not really , they just played poorly against fax .

[BatleyFanAndy]

3 hours ago, Gaz Martin said:

To be fair you beat us at Craven Park. Just hope now that your last game against Leigh has taken a bit out of the tank.

 

I think it'll be a tough game for us. We pretty much have what we have now through injuries. I'm not sure our first or second choice hooker will be back. Luke Blake retired in 2016 and made a come back for us and he's been great but we miss the strike of Leak and Kaye. As fast and strong as Greg Johnson is, he's only just back from injury and his match fitness isn't there. Our two first choice centres are out injured. These are the disadvantages of a small squad but this small squad has some real quality when fit. 

 

On that 'underdog' Bulldog spirit alone I'll say Barrow 16-17 Bulldogs. Afterall we have form in beating the favourites in the big matches.....ask Fev and Leigh  

Edited September 14, 2022 by BatleyFanAndy

[DEANO]

Kneets by about a 100

[Wakefield Ram]

Final game of the round Eagles 34 Rams 24

 

 

[Cw25]

22 hours ago, Barley Mow said:

Discuss this week's Betfred Championship games here.

WEDNESDAY 14th SEPTEMBER
Sheffield Eagles v Dewsbury Rams KO 19:30

SUNDAY 18th SEPTEMBER
Barrow Raiders v Batley Bulldogs KO 15:00 
Halifax Panthers v York City Knights KO 17:30 (Premier Sports)

Barrow 24-18 Batley

Halifax 28-24 York

[This Sporting Strife]

19 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

At the risk of getting egg on my facing or jinxing anything, what is your thinking behind this? My big worry is we may be tired after the Fev game and be a bit lethargic and we end up in a bit of an arm wrestle but Ive not seen anything in our first two games that suggest York can win this one let alone win comfortably. Its a one off game though and anything can happen.

It's based on the York V Workington game. I know Workington are struggling but there was something in the York passing game that reminded me of a few other times over the years that James Ford's teams have suddenly clicked and started performing. And it's always when the backs become fluid.  Without going into too much detail, I feel that James has a tendency to overthink the role of the pack and undercook the backs, but that his best teams are when the backs take the baton. And that happened on Sunday for the first time in ages.

[sentoffagain2]

   If we don't have HOPE what's the point.?

[The Phantom Horseman]

22 hours ago, Rockingchair said:

As regards the fax-fev fatigue debate at the end of the game a few fax lads sat down because they’d lost a close game not necessarily because of fatigue, the only one who actually laid down was joey leulie who had a foot/ ankle injury . The fatigue/ slowness I observed was the interchange when cuthbertson and Lockwood came on vs fairbank and gwaze , fax’s interchange seemed more successful.

I certainly agree that Gwaze had a cracking game and was easily Fax's most effective player.

Whilst neither Cuthbertson nor Lockwood were especially effective I don't think that led to the fatigue/slowness you describe. Cuthbo came on after 25 minutes when Fev were leading 18-12 and went off after about 47 minutes when Fev were leading 24-12 and still dominating in terms of yardage, and Lockwood went off after 60 minutes.

If there was a turning point it came around the 50th minute when Hardcastle had to go off and Moors switched to his edge back row position, Rovers continued to dominate for a few more minutes but then after 22 sets where Fax had only made 50 metres once they then went for 60m, 59m, 56m, 48m, 68m and 70m on their next six sets.

So if you're a Fax fan you'll think if was Fev tiring, if you're a Fev fan you'll just think our intensity dropped in what was after all a dead rubber and point out that after those six big yardage sets from Fax we held them out for four consecutive sets inside our 20m when the chips were really down, and then held them comfortably in the set that followed the 79th minute try, when Fax should really have been going all out.

Probably a bit of both in truth. We'll see a week on Sunday, if York don't cause an upset this weekend.

[Rockingchair]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I certainly agree that Gwaze had a cracking game and was easily Fax's most effective player.

Whilst neither Cuthbertson nor Lockwood were especially effective I don't think that led to the fatigue/slowness you describe. Cuthbo came on after 25 minutes when Fev were leading 18-12 and went off after about 47 minutes when Fev were leading 24-12 and still dominating in terms of yardage, and Lockwood went off after 60 minutes.

If there was a turning point it came around the 50th minute when Hardcastle had to go off and Moors switched to his edge back row position, Rovers continued to dominate for a few more minutes but then after 22 sets where Fax had only made 50 metres once they then went for 60m, 59m, 56m, 48m, 68m and 70m on their next six sets.

So if you're a Fax fan you'll think if was Fev tiring, if you're a Fev fan you'll just think our intensity dropped in what was after all a dead rubber and point out that after those six big yardage sets from Fax we held them out for four consecutive sets inside our 20m when the chips were really down, and then held them comfortably in the set that followed the 79th minute try, when Fax should really have been going all out.

Probably a bit of both in truth. We'll see a week on Sunday, if York don't cause an upset this weekend.

I suppose all games are watched subjectively and are therefore open to interpretation which is what opinions are all about . Like you say we may see in a week if we’re good enough to get through York . 

[Griff]

BBC and Sky haven't yet noticed that Sheffield played Dewsbury last night.

[sweaty craiq]

20 minutes ago, Griff said:

BBC and Sky haven't yet noticed that Sheffield played Dewsbury last night.

Neither did the Sheffield public

[ShropshireBull]

Good season for Sheffield, proper home now means hopefully they can use the world cup game for a bit of publicity and push on now. 

[Just Browny]

I'm heading down to the Halifax-York game tomorrow and looking forward to it. I hope Halifax win but they would do well to concentrate on this game rather than start thinking about a potential match up with Fev the week after.

[Ovenden Grunt]

22 hours ago, Just Browny said:

I'm heading down to the Halifax-York game tomorrow and looking forward to it. I hope Halifax win but they would do well to concentrate on this game rather than start thinking about a potential match up with Fev the week after.

I don't think there's any doubt about Fax getting ahead of theirselves. Today will be the last game of the season for one of Fax/York. We need to make sure that is not us. Up The Fax️