Match thread: Challenge Cup 3rd Round: Featherstone Rovers v Halifax Panthers. Sunday 12th March 2023.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Think we're in a bit of a no-win position today other than obviously hopefully winning the game, hard to see us being fluent or creative with both starting halves out so hoping we can just overpower them again. 

After Grix's comments following the last game about being too cautious for too long you'd think Halifax will be chucking the ball around from the start. 

A win of any description would do me today.

[Wolfey Rovers]

If we have wildie and lacans in the halves with Jones 80 mins, we will do better than some people think. Lacans is a good half.

 

[Monkeymagic22]

Obviously it would be great to get to Wembley, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if we lose today. Think it will be tough, with the injuries, but fingers crossed.

 

[POR]

1 hour ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Obviously it would be great to get to Wembley, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if we lose today. Think it will be tough, with the injuries, but fingers crossed.

 

It will only be tough if we make it tough and play like we did on monday and regards the halfback situation we don't need matty to be a creative genius we just want him to be himself and get in the faces of joufret and keyes and stop them playing 

[The Blues Ox]

I don't think it will be tough for you guys at all today. Our pack has not given us a platform in any game this season so to expect them to do it against Fev in a mud bath would be a surprise of the highest nature. Im just hoping we manage to stay in the game for longer than 15 minutes this time.

[haskey]

Im sure Oxy that the ground has held up well after the snow , ,but as I have nor been to the ground since Monday it is inly my assumption.

[eltel]

well first half nothing short of pathetic good job it’s not cold fev need a right kick up the backside. more fans fev keep calling for and with this shower in first half not a chance. can only hope long has lectured them during the break

[Monkeymagic22]

Not sure how many more mistakes Luke Briscoe has to make before he’s dropped. Another horror show today.

[eltel]

Just now, Monkeymagic22 said:

Not sure how many more mistakes Luke Briscoe has to make before he’s dropped. Another horror show today.

must take briscoe off another nightmare today come on long get him off

[eltel]

Simply abysmal rovers super league in your dreams every game getting worse I can only assume fev did not want to win and fax pretty ordinary at best. A few more losses going forward. What a poor advert for rugby league.

[The Phantom Horseman]

6 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Think we're in a bit of a no-win position today other than obviously hopefully winning the game, hard to see us being fluent or creative with both starting halves out so hoping we can just overpower them again. 

After Grix's comments following the last game about being too cautious for too long you'd think Halifax will be chucking the ball around from the start. 

A win of any description would do me today.

Well I thought this game had the look of a trap game so soon after the wide-margin league win recently (remember Batley last season the week after we put 50 on them?) and so it proved. Far too many errors but I thought Fax deserved the win anyway, they played very well.

The narrative some fans have been clinging to that everything has changed for us with the change of coach has certainly taken a knock today. Perhaps a blessing in disguise long-term in that we won't have those extra games in the Cup and 1895 Cup, but we will need to be much better than that if we are to be serious promotion candidates, top of the league right now or not.

 

[Michael Bates]

Reality check, we're not as good as we think we are. I'll elaborate more when I've calmed down. Absolutely unacceptable performance. 

[elppaxr2i]

That was absolute dross!

Cannot cough up that much ball & expect to win a game

May be a blessing in disguise with Ford out now for a reported 4 months with that knee injury, we’d have probably looked even worse with that half back pairing in the next round! 

Briscoe an absolute shocker of a game -  thats two on the bounce - if Pickersgill is getting dropped for having a bad game then Briscoe deserves a spell on the sidelines - Surely Evans a shoe in next week vs Swinton?

Leilua still living off that back pass to Briscoe vs Leigh in the mud - be nice to see a ball passed normally from him 

Springer the only one to come out of the game with any credit 

Extremely bad day at the office, no complaints with the result, fax took their chances, deserved to win it 

Fax support apalling but so was ours - MC must be livid with how things have gone over the past few days since the Bulls game 

Edited March 12, 2023 by elppaxr2i

[David Shepherd]

Terrible display. Has McDermot been taking training this week?

[Normy_Rover]

Fax deserved winners. Another error strewn performance from Fev. We need more composure and to be more assured with the ball in hand. Not a good result but we need to learn from this period of adversity, I hope the wheels don’t fall off the Fev bandwagon 

[haskey]

One word springs to mind. Garbage.

I must say first that the standard of refereeing is absolutely rubbish, but you cant blame him for dropped passes, knock on and wayward passes.

We could still have won with a cool head at the end.

I thought after Bradford the team could not play as bad, WRONG.

Seems to me Fax wanted it more. Rant Over.

[Squidward]

27 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

Terrible display. Has McDermot been taking training this week?

The last two games have both been very much in the McDermott  mould. 4 x one man drives every set. Little or no expression. Given the style of the coaching team this was so unexpected. We need to improve. That's obvious. 

[J Phil Loxton]

Fast fluid play from Fax. We could say we were poor. But the fact is you can only be made to look poor and credit to Fax for that. Fev aren't the unbeatables like some would like to believe. We can't catch a ball which is basic and we don't know how to play fast open football. We are ponderous at best and it's only the size of our forwards that make ground. Our main half backs were out but with them in the result would have probably been the same. It's difficult to drop players with so many injuries but there are a couple who need a few weeks on the side lines when we are fully back to normal numbers. But well done Fax mission accomplished.

[Daft old hooker]

48 minutes ago, elppaxr2i said:

That was absolute dross!

Cannot cough up that much ball & expect to win a game

May be a blessing in disguise with Ford out now for a reported 4 months with that knee injury, we’d have probably looked even worse with that half back pairing in the next round! 

Briscoe an absolute shocker of a game -  thats two on the bounce - if Pickersgill is getting dropped for having a bad game then Briscoe deserves a spell on the sidelines - Surely Evans a shoe in next week vs Swinton?

Leilua still living off that back pass to Briscoe vs Leigh in the mud - be nice to see a ball passed normally from him 

Springer the only one to come out of the game with any credit 

Extremely bad day at the office, no complaints with the result, fax took their chances, deserved to win it 

Fax support apalling but so was ours - MC must be livid with how things have gone over the past few days since the Bulls game 

If Ford is out for 4 months I think we need to look at replacing him although I thought Laccans was ok today can’t rely on him and Dean without cover because Wilde is not a half back. 
 

Anyone know what Hardcastle was sent off for?

[sentoffagain2]

 Vert poor display today.Fax deserved to win but i thought the ref let a few forward passes go in the first half and they slowed the ruck down better than us.It came down to that easy drop goal miss by Hall set up by Davies under no pressure he lifted the ball a foot off the ground.Then Fax go down the other end and score the winning try.Briscoe has been a mistake machine all season i counted 5 today.Fax moved the ball out wide much quicker than us which probably was because of disruption to our regular halves.

[Fevrover]

5 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

I don't think it will be tough for you guys at all today. Our pack has not given us a platform in any game this season so to expect them to do it against Fev in a mud bath would be a surprise of the highest nature. Im just hoping we manage to stay in the game for longer than 15 minutes this time.

Not often you're wrong Oxy but you were today lol.

Edited March 12, 2023 by Fevrover

[jamescolin]

What a terrible display. Dropped balls, one man rugby, no moves, poor tackling. Shows how much we miss the injured players.

[RobLambert]

A lot of deserved criticism but imo a bit unfair to focus on the missing halves.  I thought Lacans was actually the only bright spot.  Perfectly weighted kick for Hardcastle's try, no-look pass for Springer's. then a lovely solo try.  I think we lost it in the forwards - they just wanted it more than us (and the mistakes of course)

[Michael Bates]

I've calmed down now so will try some observations on the game.

First 10 we bossed it, they weren't interested and we took the lead. We then decided to become our own worst nightmares making simple mistakes, forcing the pass and having poor discipline. 

I've never seen so many players have shockers at the same time. Briscoe and Leilua were very poor (understatement), I'd drop them both for next week. Briscoe looks all at sea under kicks and Leilua tried that flick offload about 5 times, it didn't come off once.

I think if Hall's drop goal attempt went over we'd have probably won but it turned the game with them going infront on the seventh tackle from that set, another poor defensive effort.

Hardcastle was silly to tackle Jouffret late with all the play acting that goes on these days. I couldn't see the tackle being red card worthy so perhaps he had some kind words for Mr Moore afterwards. 

All in all, pretty disappointing, Dean and Ford a big miss. On to Swinton next week where we need an attitude adjustment. I'd make several changes, Briscoe, Leilua, Day (unusually poor in defense around the ruck today) and  Fleming to miss out from today. 

[jamescolin]

Any chance of injured players coming back soon?