Match thread: Championship Round 8: Batley v Featherstone. Friday 7th April 2023.

[marklaspalmas]

Week off and feet up this weekend thanks to our Cup exit.

Then our Good Friday trip to Batley. It is a good day out there too. But two points are vital.

Hard to say where we'll be with injuries by then, but we can assume no Ford, Kheirallah, or Hankinson. Springer and Lacans have to be doubtful until we hear otherwise. And we know Koppy will be suspended.

One or two players seemed to be nursing strains and pulls, such as Leilua and Evans, so all in all perhaps the 12 day gap between matches will help us out.

So it could be Hobson's choice again for the 21 man squad.

If Lacans is not ready, will we continue with Taylor in the halves?

Is Briscoe ready for a recall?

Will Fleming or Coops get a run out up front?

Meanwhile, Batley have a run out against Hunslet Amateurs this weekend.

[Monkeymagic22]

3 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

Week off and feet up this weekend thanks to our Cup exit.

Then our Good Friday trip to Batley. It is a good day out there too. But two points are vital.

Hard to say where we'll be with injuries by then, but we can assume no Ford, Kheirallah, or Hankinson. Springer and Lacans have to be doubtful until we hear otherwise. And we know Koppy will be suspended.

One or two players seemed to be nursing strains and pulls, such as Leilua and Evans, so all in all perhaps the 12 day gap between matches will help us out.

So it could be Hobson's choice again for the 21 man squad.

If Lacans is not ready, will we continue with Taylor in the halves?

Is Briscoe ready for a recall?

Will Fleming or Coops get a run out up front?

Meanwhile, Batley have a run out against Hunslet Amateurs this weekend.

Unless players have recovered, I’d go with the same team as against York.

[The Phantom Horseman]

38 minutes ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Unless players have recovered, I’d go with the same team as against York.

There will definitely be changes, if only because Koppy is suspended. Assuming Springer is still out, that will either mean a return for Lacans and Taylor goes back to the middle, or a chance for Cooper or Fleming if Lacans is still out.

I think Hardcastle will come back in too, probably at the expense of Hall. He offers much more in yardage and is a far better defender, and Dean will be able to take over the goalkicking.

[Monkeymagic22]

1 minute ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

There will definitely be changes, if only because Koppy is suspended. Assuming Springer is still out, that will either mean a return for Lacans and Taylor goes back to the middle, or a chance for Cooper or Fleming if Lacans is still out.

I think Hardcastle will come back in too, probably at the expense of Hall. He offers much more in yardage and is a far better defender, and Dean will be able to take over the goalkicking.

Fair point. Cooper off to Donny on loan for 2 weeks, so probably not an option, which maybe indicates that Fleming will step up.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 minute ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

or a chance for Cooper or Fleming if Lacans is still out.

 

Won't be Coops - just announced that he's going on a two-week loan to Doncaster.

That would leave us a little light in terms of depth amongst our middles for the Batley game, so I wonder if we are confident that either Springer will be back, or Lacans (allowing Taylor to return to the middle)?

[POR]

We all just need to forget about who's missing for the Dogs game I'm sure come matchday SL will have all his ducks in a row and all the right people will be playing in the right places

 

 

[Steve Slater]

I liked the "Taylor at half-back" tactic in that we found a different way to win, which could come in handy later in the season? I'd also like to see Bussey there at some stage as long as Taylor is still bolstering the defence down the middle, and I'd also like to see Jack attempt the odd drop goal or two, you never know when it might be needed?

Also regarding Bussey, I don't think he's as effective on the right edge as he is on the left or up the middle, where he has been our best player on many occasions, and I'd like to see Junior on the right instead, his one-handed offload to the right winger is top class.

[The Phantom Horseman]

On 31/03/2023 at 11:53, Steve Slater said:

I liked the "Taylor at half-back" tactic in that we found a different way to win, which could come in handy later in the season? I'd also like to see Bussey there at some stage as long as Taylor is still bolstering the defence down the middle, and I'd also like to see Jack attempt the odd drop goal or two, you never know when it might be needed?

Also regarding Bussey, I don't think he's as effective on the right edge as he is on the left or up the middle, where he has been our best player on many occasions, and I'd like to see Junior on the right instead, his one-handed offload to the right winger is top class.

Interesting post. I hadn't really compared Bussey right vs left but can definitely remember a few games where he has played really well on the left edge.

Moors it's a tricky one...he was player of the season last year playing mainly in the middle, but whether he still has it in him to be doing 30-40 tackles per game, which is what's needed in the middle, I don't know.

If you play both Moors and Bussey on the edge that means no place for Day though...that's a tough call.

Part of the reason I liked having Taylor at half back is that it stiffens up the edge defence and allows us to start two of our bigger middles alongside Cozza...for me when we have both Cozza and Taylor as middles at the same time we don't have quiet the same punch in the centre of the field when we have the ball.

[Rovers fev]

Playing bussey on an edge makes us a better team IMO and I think it could benefit us in that he can play more games as he is out of the way of trouble in middle 

[Daft old hooker]

I guess today is squad day, any thoughts?

[Monkeymagic22]

Always a tough match at Batley and they do seem to have improved recently. I’d be happy for any kind of win, in which is probably the first true test we’ve had this season.

I am sure Hardcastle will be back in the squad, and with Koppy suspended, you’d be looking at Fleming being in the team. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

Looks like Batley are pulling out all the stops and bringing Luke Hooley back in on loan from Leeds.

Hard to know the make-up of our squad without knowing the injury status of some players, notably Lacans and Springer.

[Wolfey Rovers]

Would of preferred coops over Fleming if hes picked ofcourse. 

Should be a good match on Friday looking forward to a good test

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

Only 19 listed on the RFL website. No Lacans or Springer.

Edited April 5, 2023 by Les Tonks Sidestep

[The Phantom Horseman]

19 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

Only 19 listed on the RFL website. No Lacans or Springer.

Whether we still have irons in the fire and are hoping to bring them to fruition we'll have to see. We could have just named Lacans and Springer in the squad to make up the 21.

[POR]

24 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

Only 19 listed on the RFL website. No Lacans or Springer.

Unfortunately with injuries suspensions and loans that's all we got 

Having said that straight swops Josh for craig in centre and dan starting along side locky doesn't suddenly turn us into a poor side 

agree with P not naming injured players in the 21 would be a first so has SL got some devilish plan in his locker that will all be sorted out come game time

Edited April 5, 2023 by POR

[Fevrover]

5 minutes ago, POR said:

Unfortunately with injuries suspensions and loans that's all we got 

Why let Coops go then ?

[The Phantom Horseman]

Yusuf Aydin, then...

[The Phantom Horseman]

He's a young middle from Hull KR, ex-Wakefield. Now in our squad on the RFL website.

Edited April 5, 2023 by The Phantom Horseman

[Andrew Vause]

Is Lacans going to be around much longer? 

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

7 minutes ago, Andrew Vause said:

Is Lacans going to be around much longer? 

 

As far as we know he's out injured, but that sounds like you have heard something?

[sentoffagain2]

14 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

He's a young middle from Hull KR, ex-Wakefield. Now in our squad on the RFL website.

Been about a bit Wakey ,Hull KR,Sheffield,York and 1 game for Leeds.Can't see the point of letting Cooper go out on loan and bring in a player  others have not fancied .We know Cooper is not top Championship class but puts in 100% and tries his heart out.Can't see Aydin adding to our playing strength perhaps just brought in to add to  numbers.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 minute ago, sentoffagain2 said:

Been about a bit Wakey ,Hull KR,Sheffield,York and 1 game for Leeds.Can't see the point of letting Cooper go out on loan and bring in a player  others have not fancied .We know Cooper is not top Championship class but puts in 100% and tries his heart out.Can't see Aydin adding to our playing strength perhaps just brought in to add to  numbers.

How do you know others haven't fancied him? Riley Dean played for York, Dewsbury and Newcastle last year and, like Dean, Aydin is young (especially for a middle) and hasn't yet established himself as a 1st team player in SL. Feel a bit sorry for Coops because as you say he always gives 100% but to be fair we made a similar move last year with Sam Eseh.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

34 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

He's a young middle from Hull KR, ex-Wakefield. Now in our squad on the RFL website.

Just returning to fitness after a wrist injury (operation in Jan)

[Monkeymagic22]

17 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

Been about a bit Wakey ,Hull KR,Sheffield,York and 1 game for Leeds.Can't see the point of letting Cooper go out on loan and bring in a player  others have not fancied .We know Cooper is not top Championship class but puts in 100% and tries his heart out.Can't see Aydin adding to our playing strength perhaps just brought in to add to  numbers.

We could at least see how he goes before writing off. KR must have seen something, or they wouldn’t have signed him.