v Newcastle

[Wandering pete]

T missing from Saints squad tonight and Bourouh/ Costello didn't play for Salford last night...any chance?

[RLDB]

Would be nice. 

[blue forever]

Bourouh in squad. Ritson not.... We've been had

[POR]

FEV  beat them last week but thunder have some big forwards some fast outside backs they played some neat rugby  ran all day and never stopped trying to take on FEV you will have to be on your mettle for the full 80 or they WILL score

[Bring back GB]

I hope I'm wrong but I think Newcastle will beat us tomorrow and firmly plant us at the bottom of the league.

We just seem to lack zip this year.

[Wandering pete]

At the moment it's hard to see a win..today without Cressy and Langtree means that nearly half of last season's "dream team" aren't playing and with so many other teams looking much stronger a relegation struggle may soon stop being a struggle.

[RLDB]

Think I’d go with the following 

Broadbent

Toal

Corkill

Worthington

Bulman

Sammut

Johnston

Iaria

Bourouh

Gillam

Stack

Hopkins

Wells

Subs: Saunders, Emslie, Burke, Evans.  18th man  Shaw. 
 

Saying nearly half of last season’s “dream team “ is missing is taking it a bit far, Langtree, Miloudi and Forster all missed big chunks of the season and we managed ok without them. Time for the current squad to get stuck in and cut out the schoolboy errors. In work today so will unfortunately miss the game. 

[RawlinsonRaider]

On 04/03/2023 at 09:07, blue forever said:

Bourouh in squad. Ritson not.... We've been had

Ritson was in their 21 man squad and so won't be available. 

[RLDB]

Just now, RawlinsonRaider said:

Ritson was in their 21 man squad and so won't be available. 

Bourouh was 18th man for Salford on Thursday yet he’s available. 

[RawlinsonRaider]

Just now, RLDB said:

Bourouh was 18th man for Salford on Thursday yet he’s available. 

That's a totally different arrangement with a different club. 

[blue forever]

31 minutes ago, RLDB said:

Bourouh was 18th man for Salford on Thursday yet he’s available. 

The difference between dual reg and loans I guess

[RLDB]

Here’s the line up. 

24 Luke Broadbent

27 Andrew Bulman

Greg Worthington

Ryan Shaw

02 Shane Toal

Jarrod Sammut

Ryan Johnston

16 Sam Brooks

25 Amir Bourouh

10 Anton laria

21 Tom Hopkins

Jarrad Stack ©

Jack Wells

INTERCHANGES

J Carter, Gillam, Evans, Burke

[Ulverstonian]

Well.. very very average at best today. I am very disappointed.  Should of scored more points when we were easily on top first half.  Second half we were second best in every department and no idea how we never lost at the end. Against a good side, and they weren't,  we would of been well beaten.

We are lethargic, slow, sloppy at all positions. The only plus for me was Broadbent at fullback. Thought for a first game he was excellent.  Apart from that...... 

 

[bruner]

I agree. I thought Broadbent had a good game. Couple of early chances to release to his winger but did really well. 

[RLDB]

The bits I heard on the radio didn’t sound good. Surely all the changes in the spine during games isn’t helping? There’s no continuity, leave your halves in the halves and just rotate 2 hookers. Couldn’t believe when I heard Sammut went hooker when Bourouh went off. Can’t see Saunders hanging around long if it carries on. Will do well to avoid relegation at this rate. 

[Jarc]

Just so disappointing isn’t it? To go from last season to this. Struggling to see where a win will come from. 

[BarraFan]

Broadbent had a good game, as for the rest of the new signings, not one of them stands out for me or the rest of raiders gang as others say not worthy to tie their own shoe laces and definitely not championship standard, very poor! No aggression in the forwards, time creary had a re think and get rid of the deadwood before it’s too late

Edited March 5, 2023 by BarraFan

[bruner]

20 minutes ago, BarraFan said:

Broadbent had a good game, as for the rest of the new signings, not one of them stands out for me or the rest of raiders gang as others say not worthy to tie their own shoe laces and definitely not championship standard, very poor! No aggression in the forwards, time creary had a re think and get rid of the deadwood before it’s too late

Seriously?

Edited March 5, 2023 by bruner

[2Cents]

We won several close games last season because Ritson and Miloudi mainly, plus Sammut, had the speed and talent to break through opponents defensive lines at crucial times to secure wins. 45 tries between them attest to that. This season with 2 of our 3 match-winning backs gone, is Cresta expecting our strengthened pack to use brute force to score 40+ tries to fill the speed deficiency to win games? Sorry, not going to happen. For me, I'd use this season to give our promising fast youngsters, Broadbent, Corkill and Archer game-time to gain experience for next season. I believe we will stay up this season with Whitehaven and one other going down with Raiders 3rd or 4th from bottom.

[Ulverstonian]

If you give the youngsters this season to gain experience we are down !! As much as I like the idea kids aren't going to keep us up. 

I am usually very positive but honestly , on this last few weeks performances,  and especially today against not a good team, think we may go down unless something extraordinary happens... which I want as much as every fan.

[Neutralfan7]

35 minutes ago, 2Cents said:

 I believe we will stay up this season with Whitehaven and one other going down with Raiders 3rd or 4th from bottom.

The fact Barrow and Haven play each other 3 times could help either club as it'll be a big 6pts if one team won all 3 games, On current form couldn't pick a winner mind!

[Raiders77]

49 minutes ago, Ulverstonian said:

If you give the youngsters this season to gain experience we are down !! As much as I like the idea kids aren't going to keep us up. 

I am usually very positive but honestly , on this last few weeks performances,  and especially today against not a good team, think we may go down unless something extraordinary happens... which I want as much as every fan.

Agree we can’t just play all the youngsters at the same time needs to be a fine balance between playing youngsters and experience. If you look threw all the clubs in this league they have a good balance between older experienced players who have been around the league for years and young lads to bring that bit of speed and excitement. Next week is a huge game that could kick start the season. COYR

[ivans82]

Sounds a lot like Town from last season with poor recruitment , no pace out wide , etc hope you turn your season round , but think the bottom end of the league will have far more Teams struggling to stay up than last year , so hang on in there .

[2Cents]

Further to my last post  -  almost 40 tries last season from Tee and Hakim that we won't have this season, an average of 1.5 tries per game over 27 games. 

This season we have scored 56 points less so far, an average of 11 points per game less, or 2 converted tries.

But also this season, our defence has allowed twice the number of points over the first 5 games, compared to last season.

2021/2022: Points For: 126. Points Against: 56.

2022/2023: Points For: 70. Points Against: 126.

Virtually the opposite last season v this season, meaning there are issues both sides of the ball.

Facts don't lie.

 

 

[morty]

We have no pace in the backs ( Bulman aside) and the new forwards are no better than the locals we already had. That big red panic button needs pressed