Match thread: Championship Round 11: Widnes v Featherstone. Sunday 14th May 2023.

[marklaspalmas]

For any fan of my age, Naughton Park as it was, was a daunting place to go, and we rarely got a win.

In recent times we've done better, but even last season we slaughtered them at home and got pushed all the way away.

Two points are vital.

I enjoyed the Sheffield match, just the kind of game we need, all sorts went on, lots of errors, and we still won.

Our halves both took a battering though and I hope they're ok.

One player who certainly didn't look ok was Joey Leilua. I assume Hally will be back in the 3/4ers.

Dan Smith is still with us, which is useful given Taylor's awful eye injury and Moors' lack of form.

Cooper's loan to Doncaster seems to have been extended.

Encouraging noises about Hankinson, Kheirallah and Ford. Let's hope we see them soon.

Questions marks over Yei and Cozza, time will tell. We are still pretty thinly stretched in terms of options.

Hopefully this injury run will soon be behind us.

I think we will have too much for Widnes, but we are doing it tough at the moment, and a weekend off after this game and before the Summer Bash will be welcome.

[marklaspalmas]

I've not forgotten about Arama Hau, it just seems a bit early for him to come into the reckoning.

[Daft old hooker]

I assume he will need a work permit first.

[elppaxr2i]

Widnes towing - have no HBs - all injured, even if Gilmore is back has not played since week 1 

Forwards looked distinctly average last night VS Batley

An unexpected comfortable stroll for us 

[Rovers fev]

I read somewhere that arama hau could play as early as the Widnes game but king would most likely throw him into the York game 

[POR]

11 hours ago, elppaxr2i said:

Widnes towing - have no HBs - all injured, even if Gilmore is back has not played since week 1 

Craven went off injured torn calf in the first five too

John Kear on the game it's the biggest test FEV top of the league undefeated and deservedly only one more difficult is FEV away 

Edited May 10, 2023 by POR

[Monkeymagic22]

I don’t think that we can take any one for granted for this year, and Widnes have clearly improved. Any kind of win would be great, with no more injuries. I’d take Rovers to win by 8.

[sentoffagain2]

    If we play it with the forwards down the middle i can't see theirs being able to withstand the pressure.We will wear them down before moving the ball wide.I will be surprised if we don't win by 16+ .

[Daft old hooker]

New lad Hau is here and training already! What are the chances of him on Sunday?

[lingaro]

Like to see Smith again. 

[Monkeymagic22]

13 hours ago, Daft old hooker said:

New lad Hau is here and training already! What are the chances of him on Sunday?

Think it’s unlikely, until he has had a few training sessions. Maybe York, in a couple of weeks.

[Fevrover]

56 minutes ago, lingaro said:

Like to see Smith again. 

Morgan? No chance of that i shouldn't imagine.

[lingaro]

No Daniel looks good.  Think he'll be full time by next week. 

[Fevrover]

2 hours ago, lingaro said:

No Daniel looks good.  Think he'll be full time by next week. 

Sorry i forgot about him lol, yeah i think he's ok.

[Monkeymagic22]

Any reason why the squad lists are so late this week?.

[Rovers fev]

36 minutes ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Any reason why the squad lists are so late this week?.

Maybe late fitness calls on a few 

[The Phantom Horseman]

18 minutes ago, Rovers fev said:

Maybe late fitness calls on a few 

RFL haven't published any of the squads for Sunday's games yet so perhaps a technical fault at HQ or time to put another 50p in the meter.

We quite often haven't published them on our SM until teatime.

[The Phantom Horseman]

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

Hau is in the squad, although whether he will play is another matter. Leilua unsurprisingly is an absentee, presumably we won't be seeing him for a while. Cozza is missing again which seems to confirm that his injury was worse than simply the 12 days HIA assessment.

It's possible we only have around 19 fit players at the moment as we named Ford and Yei in the 21 last week but neither played. Of course one or both may be back this week, though it always sounded like the Bash was more realistic for Ford.

Edited May 12, 2023 by The Phantom Horseman

[Wolfey Rovers]

Suprised Killer isn't back yet, they were confident for the Sheffield game. Hank has been training well it seems. Club putting up photos of him in the gym 

[Daft old hooker]

3 minutes ago, Wolfey Rovers said:

Suprised Killer isn't back yet, they were confident for the Sheffield game. Hank has been training well it seems. Club putting up photos of him in the gym 

I think Widnes is still an artificial surface which were always regarded as being hard on the knees so probably don’t want to risk him until fully fit 

[lingaro]

Ford was photographed sprint training. 

[plug]

23 minutes ago, lingaro said:

Ford was photographed sprint training. 

Are you sure ?? Did'nt think Ford had a sprint in him

[lingaro]

1 hour ago, plug said:

Are you sure ?? Did'nt think Ford had a sprint in him

Might have been a fast jog but he was definitely looking like moving his legs

[marklaspalmas]

2 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

 

So just one change to the 21, Hau for Leilua, but that's not the whole story. Are Ford, Yei and Hau really ready? I'd like to think so, but who knows. Widnes is not the pitch for a comeback from injury.

Who replaces Leilua? Hall or Evans.

Otherwise, maybe a very similar looking team to last week perhaps.