Match thread: Championship Round 1: Keighley v Featherstone. Monday 6th February.

[marklaspalmas]

Right then, after a satisfactory pre-season programme, bring on the real stuff. Monday night live on TV, Viaplay, what used to be Premier Sports

We got a good look at most of our 2023 squad over the course of three matches, and everyone will have their idea of our starting XVII v Keighley.

Let's see who Longy goes for.

My own tuppence worth is Aekins at FB, LB-Hardcase-Hanks-Hally in the 3/4ers assuming Joey is absent.

Ford & Dean the halves for mine, with Wildie & Jones at AHB.

Back row Bussy-Day-ET.

Middles: Koppy, Moors, Locky, Springer, Cozza.

Hard to believe I can't find room for Lacans, Gale or Yei.

Then there's JD when fit, Pickers, Coops, Evans and Fleming.

 

[georgeb1]

looking forward to the mon night games after the w/e fix , think the cougars will give a good account of themselves but you guys by 20.

[Michael Bates]

1 hour ago, marklaspalmas said:

Right then, after a satisfactory pre-season programme, bring on the real stuff. Monday night live on TV, Viaplay, what used to be Premier Sports

We got a good look at most of our 2023 squad over the course of three matches, and everyone will have their idea of our starting XVII v Keighley.

Let's see who Longy goes for.

My own tuppence worth is Aekins at FB, LB-Hardcase-Hanks-Hally in the 3/4ers assuming Joey is absent.

Ford & Dean the halves for mine, with Wildie & Jones at AHB.

Back row Bussy-Day-ET.

Middles: Koppy, Moors, Locky, Springer, Cozza.

Hard to believe I can't find room for Lacans, Gale or Yei.

Then there's JD when fit, Pickers, Coops, Evans and Fleming.

 

Mostly agree. I think Evans will play and Yei has to be in the squad, he's a wrecking ball and seems to have an offloading game as well.

[The Phantom Horseman]

The positions I'm most unsure about are...
centre...I think Hankinson will play, but unsure about who Long will go for out of Hardy and Hall
middles - Koppy, Moors, Taylor nailed on to be in the 17. Springer very likely too. I think Locky will play, I think Long is a big fan. That would leave Cozza and Yei probably fighting it out for 1 spot unless we play 3 middles on the bench, which we may well do. Cozza is probably the "safer" choice and can play big minutes, Yei is the impact player who can put a dent in opposition defences but he's also mistimed or missed a few tackles. Tough call that for me, and if Hardy isn't picked at centre he's a possible for the bench because of his versatility.

At half back, as much as I admire Lacans, I think Ford and Dean are our two starters, the only thing that puzzles me slightly is that he's played both Ford and Dean on the left in pre-season so one would have to switch.

I'm going to guess we go with something like
Aekins/Briscoe/Hankinson/Hardcastle/Evans/Ford/Dean/Kopczak/Jones/Springer/Bussey/Day/Taylor subs Wildie/Cozza/Yei/Moors

[POR]

41 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I'm going to guess we go with something like
Aekins/Briscoe/Hankinson/Hardcastle/Evans/Ford/Dean/Kopczak/Jones/Springer/Bussey/Day/Taylor subs Wildie/Cozza/Yei/Moors

Interesting P you said I think Locky will play, I think Long is a big fan .then you don't put him in your 17 

From your 17 obviously joey goes in if he's back and I would pick lacans over wildie

[The Phantom Horseman]

Just now, POR said:

Interesting P you said I think Locky will play, I think Long is a big fan .then you don't put him in your 17 

From your 17 obviously joey goes in if he's back and I would pick lacans over wildie

Yep, putting that one down to old age. My guess is he'll play Locky, and one of Cozza or Yei will miss out from the 17 I listed.

[Daft old hooker]

Number of interesting decisions I am surprised we never saw Dean and Ford together in preseason games unless I missed that one. For me Yei is in the 17 as he’s got something different but the rest is anyone’s guess and I’m sure we could come up with a few.

[The Phantom Horseman]

35 minutes ago, Daft old hooker said:

Number of interesting decisions I am surprised we never saw Dean and Ford together in preseason games unless I missed that one.

No you're right, Ford missed the Cas game, Dean was (I think) on Warrington's warm-weather training camp for the Hull KR game.

For me though the timing with the centre and back row on their side of the field (and full back) is more important than the two halves playing together, in practice half backs don't link up a huge amount with each other in the modern game.

[marklaspalmas]

5 hours ago, Michael Bates said:

Mostly agree. I think Evans will play and Yei has to be in the squad, he's a wrecking ball and seems to have an offloading game as well.

Fair play, but you should say which players you'd miss out for them........

[Michael Bates]

46 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Fair play, but you should say which players you'd miss out for them........

Evans for Hardcastle (harsh on him to be fair), Hall in centre. Yei in for Cozza. I don't think we bring either of them in as late as we have if the plan isn't for them to be in the first choice 17.

Edited January 30, 2023 by Michael Bates

[marklaspalmas]

29 minutes ago, Michael Bates said:

Evans for Hardcastle (harsh on him to be fair), Hall in centre. Yei in for Cozza. I don't think we bring either of them in as late as we have if the plan isn't for them to be in the first choice 17.

Good call. Evans hasn't had much of a chance so far, but looks solid. He came to pro' rugby league very late.

Hall's defence at centre causes concern, doesn't it?

I like Yei. He's so hard to handle for defences. But he needs some time to settle down. He went for three monster hits v Wakey and missed them all. Quite a few penalties v HKR with his technique. I'm really happy we've signed him, and I think he'll be great, with some careful coaching.

[The Phantom Horseman]

19 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

I like Yei. He's so hard to handle for defences. But he needs some time to settle down. He went for three monster hits v Wakey and missed them all. Quite a few penalties v HKR with his technique. I'm really happy we've signed him, and I think he'll be great, with some careful coaching.

That's exactly how I feel about Mackenzie based on his two games so far. He's great fun to watch, and there's a chance he could prove a tremendous signing - he's certain to be a big fan favourite - he just needs to tidy up some of his challenges.

[elppaxr2i]

One of the “dads army” forwards in locky moors and koppy will not play for me and will be rotated out, think they will all take turns having a spell out of the team and will be managed accordingly throughout the season

I think Yei showed enough sunday to warrant a place in the 17 though i see him as a pen machine the way he flys out of the line going fir the big hit and misses more than he connects 

Cooper hasnt done enough in pre season to get in at all - I dont think Longy is a fan either with his distinct lack of minutes

Think Lacans gets in the 17 but the weather forecast may play a role in the bench - if its ###### there will be 3 forwards on the bench, if its decent a utility player will get in 

[POR]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

That's exactly how I feel about Mackenzie based on his two games so far. He's great fun to watch, and there's a chance he could prove a tremendous signing - he's certain to be a big fan favourite - he just needs to tidy up some of his challenges.

Agree P but with him coming from PNG and 2nd tier rugby  in Aus I think  he's going through the I've got to show people I belong here phase and trying a little bit too hard

[The Phantom Horseman]

Keighley have already named their 21-man squad even though it's still 3 days to the game, they clearly can't wait to be playing Championship rugby again!

A mixture of some very familiar names from SL and the Championship, and a few that are graduates from league 1.

[marklaspalmas]

Three ex Fev lads in there

[Michael Bates]

Lots of talk about the Gale and Chisholm partnership but hopefully our back should dominate enough to take them out of the game.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 hour ago, marklaspalmas said:

Three ex Fev lads in there

I might be wrong but as well as the obvious trio of Chisholm, Trout and Spence I think there's one other member of that Keighley squad who was on our books at one stage, though I think he only ever played for the reserves. One to test MLP's unrivalled knowledge perhaps (or anyone else's?).

Edited February 3, 2023 by The Phantom Horseman

[marklaspalmas]

No, it wouldn't be fair, I'll let someone else answer.....

 

 

 

 

 

[strolls away, whistling & shrugging shoulders]

[The Phantom Horseman]

26 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

No, it wouldn't be fair, I'll let someone else answer.....

 

 

 

 

 

[strolls away, whistling & shrugging shoulders]

A shameful effort!
So... I reckon Lewis Young, as well as playing for Fev Lions early in his career, made some appearances for our reserve team which reached the grand final in 2013, when he would have been lining up with another promising youngster in Luke Cooper.

Edited February 3, 2023 by The Phantom Horseman

[Indigogo]

2 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Keighley have already named their 21-man squad even though it's still 3 days to the game, they clearly can't wait to be playing Championship rugby again!

A mixture of some very familiar names from SL and the Championship, and a few that are graduates from league 1.

You're right. we cant wait! Looking forward to welcoming a big Fev following.

Mo Agoro, Charlie Graham and Lewis Young are 3 that have plied their trade predominantly in League One that the majority of your fans may not have seen much of. I'm looking forward to seeing how they go on as they looked far too good for League one last season.

[marklaspalmas]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

A shameful effort!
So... I reckon Lewis Young, as well as playing for Fev Lions early in his career, made some appearances for our reserve team which reached the grand final in 2013, when he would have been lining up with another promising youngster in Luke Cooper.

Good spot. From 2012 Academy. Not a name that has stayed with me.....

[The Phantom Horseman]

5 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Good spot. From 2012 Academy. Not a name that has stayed with me.....

Am I right in thinking that in our long and illustrious history there has never been a first-team player whose surname begins with Y? If so, that could change as early as Monday if Mackenzie Yei makes his debut. 

[marklaspalmas]

38 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Am I right in thinking that in our long and illustrious history there has never been a first-team player whose surname begins with Y? If so, that could change as early as Monday if Mackenzie Yei makes his debut. 

I didn't want to jump the gun, but yes, if the big man makes the XVII then we will see history in the making.

[POR]

56 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

I didn't want to jump the gun, but yes, if the big man makes the XVII then we will see history in the making.

So we just need an X to have a full house M