Sun 25th Sept: Ch SF: Featherstone Rovers v Batley Bulldogs KO 16:00 (Premier Sports)

[graveyard johnny]

as much as I would love to see Batley beat Leigh - it would be fantastic and brilliant - it simply aint gonna happen in reality - lets hope they give a good account of themselves and push them as close as they can though - good luck the dogs 

[Blind side johnny]

23 hours ago, LeytherRob said:

Happened when Dewsbury beat Leigh in the 1999 Northern Ford Premiership Grand Final, there was no promotion or relegation that year.

Not quite the same. Dewsbury didn't decline promotion; they were denied it by the RFL who decided that the ground wasn't suitable and wouldn't allow them to play at another, more suitable one.

[Blind side johnny]

4 hours ago, LeytherRob said:

True and I don't want to take anything away from what was a great effort from Batley, but if the attitude and intensity from Fev was what it should have been it shouldn't have matter how well or poorly Batley played. There is too much quality in that Fev team.

There is, and there is a load of rubbish talked about motivating sportspeople. If they are good enough, in terms of skills and mentality, then all that a coach needs to do is fine-tune and focus them. If they don't have the mentality then they simply aren't good enough, no matter who the coach.

As an aside, if Fev had managed to win then beat Leigh, would you Fev fans be praising the coach or the players? I feel the answer to this hypothetical question would be revealing.

[LeytherRob]

1 minute ago, Blind side johnny said:

There is, and there is a load of rubbish talked about motivating sportspeople. If they are good enough, in terms of skills and mentality, then all that a coach needs to do is fine-tune and focus them. If they don't have the mentality then they simply aren't good enough, no matter who the coach.

As an aside, if Fev had managed to win then beat Leigh, would you Fev fans be praising the coach or the players? I feel the answer to this hypothetical question would be revealing.

i'm not a Fev fan, FeatherRob didn't have the same ring to it

[Blind side johnny]

1 minute ago, LeytherRob said:

i'm not a Fev fan, FeatherRob didn't have the same ring to it

Addressed to the Fev fans on this forum who collectively could never give BM any credit, no matter what he might have achieved. 

Apologies for mixing up me lobbygobblers with my flatcappers.

[SUPERSTUD]

3 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

There is, and there is a load of rubbish talked about motivating sportspeople. If they are good enough, in terms of skills and mentality, then all that a coach needs to do is fine-tune and focus them. If they don't have the mentality then they simply aren't good enough, no matter who the coach.

As an aside, if Fev had managed to win then beat Leigh, would you Fev fans be praising the coach or the players? I feel the answer to this hypothetical question would be revealing.

I posted a few times earlier on this thread and did not hide the fact that I class BM as a friend. Your point is valid. Some of those players will quite happily allow BM to be thrown under the bus as they quietly skulk away! How much were they prepared to dig in. I honestly knew that if Batley stayed in the grind they would win. Gutless springs to mind.

[meast]

13 hours ago, LeytherRob said:

How exactly have Leigh been brought down? What an odd post, particularly from a Huddersfield fan, a team that has been consistently bankrolled above and beyond what they'd afford on their crowds by a great chairman. Why does it bother you so much that another team might do the same? 

I meant that the narrative of the Championship was which one of Leigh or Fev would be getting the plaudits etc and yet it's Batley who are the bigger story.

Doesn't bother me either way, not sure who I support should really matter but there you go.

[Fevrover]

14 hours ago, meast said:

Bitter?

About what?/ Who? A team that can't get out of a part time league despite spending loads? Nope I've got no issue with any club, especially Featherstone or Batley or Leigh.

I just find it amusing that Leigh and Featherstone have both acted like big schools bullies and they've been brought down by a little un.

This season's championship was always about Leigh and Fev and who could buy the best or most players and yet Batley have ended up been the story.

Regardless of what happens next week, Batley are the story of the 2022 championship.

Good luck to them and Leigh next week 

Who brought Leigh down ? Fev beat em once before they got there team together, Leigh still top and haven't been brought down. As much as it would be nice to see Batley win i just can't see them bringing Leigh down.

[Harry Stottle]

15 hours ago, meast said:

But what a massive "Up yours" it would be to the likes of Featherstone and Leigh who have seemingly spent big to get their one season in super league.

A small, part time club with a fanbase of a few hundred and players probably playing for the love of it beating them both to the promised land.

You can imagine Campbell and Beaumont doing their best Baron Greenback impressions, surrounded by used up £50 notes and lots of contracts to tear up  

Brilliant Batley!

I could take that if didn't come from a fan of a club who are not that very much removed - if not more - from the generosity of one man.

Pot, kettle, black shouts out loud and clear Measty Boy.

[marklaspalmas]

12 hours ago, LeytherRob said:

i'm not a Fev fan, FeatherRob didn't have the same ring to it

Dunno mate. RoverRob? CapperRob?

Come on, you know it makes sense.

[Harry Stottle]

4 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Dunno mate. RoverRob? CapperRob?

Come on, you know it makes sense.

How about LeytherBen, the Ponte  lad in Leigh colours.

[LeytherRob]

58 minutes ago, meast said:

I meant that the narrative of the Championship was which one of Leigh or Fev would be getting the plaudits etc and yet it's Batley who are the bigger story.

Doesn't bother me either way, not sure who I support should really matter but there you go.

It clearly does bother you, as you've put multiple posts referring to Leigh/Fev as 'bullies', hoping they lose because they spent money etc. Do you think Leigh really care whether the narrative to the championship is them buying loads of players or Batley beating fev? Let's face it, Batley have done Leigh a massive favour in beating out Fev in the semi. Fev are an unpredictable team with players that can create chances out of little, whereas by Lingards admission Batley are a hardworking team that enjoys the grind, that's not likely to be going the full length. 

[meast]

3 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

I could take that if didn't come from a fan of a club who are not that very much removed - if not more - from the generosity of one man.

Pot, kettle, black shouts out loud and clear Measty Boy.

Nothing to do with Huddersfield, my point was about Leigh and Featherstone trying to outspend one another to reach SL and yet Batley could beat both to the promised land without spending.

Huddersfield don't and have never tried to outspend or overspend to achieve things.

[meast]

2 hours ago, LeytherRob said:

It clearly does bother you, as you've put multiple posts referring to Leigh/Fev as 'bullies', hoping they lose because they spent money etc. Do you think Leigh really care whether the narrative to the championship is them buying loads of players or Batley beating fev? Let's face it, Batley have done Leigh a massive favour in beating out Fev in the semi. Fev are an unpredictable team with players that can create chances out of little, whereas by Lingards admission Batley are a hardworking team that enjoys the grind, that's not likely to be going the full length. 

I've never said I hope anyone loses, but you can't tell me that the 2022 championship was always about Leigh and Fev and which one of them would win the 2 horse race.

It doesn't bother me at all, I just find it amusing that the script has been torn up.

Good luck to Leigh and Batley on Sunday.

[Harry Stottle]

57 minutes ago, meast said:

Nothing to do with Huddersfield, my point was about Leigh and Featherstone trying to outspend one another to reach SL and yet Batley could beat both to the promised land without spending.

Huddersfield don't and have never tried to outspend or overspend to achieve things.

That's very true, given a leg up and then protected comes to mind, any club who could not consolidate in those circumstances would not be very good.

Anyway you say Batley could beat Leigh whilst technically that may be true, I will stick my neck out and say in actuality the chance of it happening are 1/100th of 1% it ain't going to happen. 

[LeytherRob]

1 hour ago, meast said:

Nothing to do with Huddersfield, my point was about Leigh and Featherstone trying to outspend one another to reach SL and yet Batley could beat both to the promised land without spending.

Huddersfield don't and have never tried to outspend or overspend to achieve things.

Huddersfield outspent everyone in their last season in the 2nd tier in 2002, but more recently Ken Davy has propped the club up far beyond having crowds consistently around 9th/10th best in the league, coupled with probably the cheapest season tickets in the league. But for his spending power giving the ability to take players like Theo Fages from Saints etc, you wouldn't be in the position you were fighting in the playoffs. Not that any of the above is a bad thing, the game needs people with money like Ken Davy, Derek Beaumont etc, it's just highly hypocritical for a Huddersfield fan to be making negative comments about clubs that are basically doing the same as Huddersfield.

[sweaty craiq]

14 hours ago, SUPERSTUD said:

I posted a few times earlier on this thread and did not hide the fact that I class BM as a friend. Your point is valid. Some of those players will quite happily allow BM to be thrown under the bus as they quietly skulk away! How much were they prepared to dig in. I honestly knew that if Batley stayed in the grind they would win. Gutless springs to mind.

In any industry once a manager loses his team then its nigh impossible to recover.

I have met and spoke with BM on a few occasions, he is the most unlikable and confrontational coach I have ever met - maybe he needs to work on that side of his skill set

 

[sweaty craiq]

1 hour ago, meast said:

Nothing to do with Huddersfield, my point was about Leigh and Featherstone trying to outspend one another to reach SL and yet Batley could beat both to the promised land without spending.

Huddersfield don't and have never tried to outspend or overspend to achieve things.

Huddersfield came down into the championship 2002 after a great run in 2nd half of SL 2001 after TS settled in, kept FT when central funding was about £60k for the rest and drew gates of 1500 or so - so the pay roll was paid by Davy as he rightfully saw no future outside SL. Your income will have been massively below expenditure that year.

[SUPERSTUD]

12 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

In any industry once a manager loses his team then its nigh impossible to recover.

I have met and spoke with BM on a few occasions, he is the most unlikable and confrontational coach I have ever met - maybe he needs to work on that side of his skill set

 

Met him on a professional basis? If it was casual and he was that bad then most people would only give him the time of day once surely. 

[meast]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

That's very true, given a leg up and then protected comes to mind, any club who could not consolidate in those circumstances would not be very good.

Anyway you say Batley could beat Leigh whilst technically that may be true, I will stick my neck out and say in actuality the chance of it happening are 1/100th of 1% it ain't going to happen. 

Protected?

You mean stopped from being relegated and thus setting us back years because the teams winning the NFP didn't meet criteria?

It caused us more harm than good actually.

[meast]

50 minutes ago, LeytherRob said:

Huddersfield outspent everyone in their last season in the 2nd tier in 2002, but more recently Ken Davy has propped the club up far beyond having crowds consistently around 9th/10th best in the league, coupled with probably the cheapest season tickets in the league. But for his spending power giving the ability to take players like Theo Fages from Saints etc, you wouldn't be in the position you were fighting in the playoffs. Not that any of the above is a bad thing, the game needs people with money like Ken Davy, Derek Beaumont etc, it's just highly hypocritical for a Huddersfield fan to be making negative comments about clubs that are basically doing the same as Huddersfield.

I'm not making negative comments about any club, it's just people are perceiving negative connotations.

[Tubby]

Just now, meast said:

Protected?

You mean stopped from being relegated and thus setting us back years because the teams winning the NFP didn't meet criteria?

It caused us more harm than good actually.

Weren't Huddersfield given three years protection from relegation, regardless of who was in the division below and regardless of any critera?

And that did Huddersfield more harm than good?

[Harry Stottle]

1 minute ago, meast said:

Protected?

You mean stopped from being relegated and thus setting us back years because the teams winning the NFP didn't meet criteria?

It caused us more harm than good actually.

And you think that the NFP clubs not meeting criteria wasn't fabricated, if it was going to be a problem for the RFL/SL before clubs actually had gained promotion through the due process of winning their way to promotion then that should have been stipulated long before, it smelt disgusting then and the odour is still lingering in the air for some.

[SUPERSTUD]

JSL said it all for me. He rightly got hooked after thirty minutes. Fev get beat. JSL puts more effort in running around with kids in background whilst premier are interviewing BM. Even the kids were doing him on his inside shoulder.

[RoyBoy295]

3 hours ago, meast said:

Nothing to do with Huddersfield, my point was about Leigh and Featherstone trying to outspend one another to reach SL and yet Batley could beat both to the promised land without spending.

Huddersfield don't and have never tried to outspend or overspend to achieve things.

And this is why they have never achieved anything.