Fri 9th June - Sun 11th June : The Betfred Championship Match Thread

[Ovenden Grunt]

4 hours ago, Ragingbull said:

Written off again by so many on here.

2 tries in the last 5 mins for london after the game had gone. 

Absolutely walloped them. 

4 wins out of 4 since the change in coach! 

Up the the Bulls.

Here we go!

[Neutralfan7]

27 minutes ago, JonM said:

True, although it was a good few degrees cooler in whitehaven than elsewhere. Beautiful drive over through the dales, mallerstang, eden valley and the A66 - couple of hours of amazing countryside. And torrential rain, thunder and lightning most of the way back

Travelling up here does have some benefits

[David Shepherd]

56 minutes ago, Ovenden Grunt said:

Here we go!

Massive club. Gerrum in Super League 

[Ragingbull]

2 hours ago, Ovenden Grunt said:

Here we go!

Im not sure i understand? Did i say something in my previous post that was factually incorrect?

[Wolford6]

The Bradford score was a bit misleading. Throughout the game London played cavalier rugby and made handling mistakes. It wasn't exactly unsuccessful because the Bulls probably spent fifteen minutes inside their 10 metre line. The  London style looked a "Work in Progress" and if they improve it with practice they'll be a real force to reckon with.

Tom Holmes won the MoM, but I thought the best player was Oliver Leyland. Assumed he was an import but he's British.

[Wolford6]

The Bradford v London game was played in great spirit in really hot weather ... a few injuries allowing for drinks all round. A very entertaining game  and, for the first time in living memory, no-one booed the officials when they walked off!

Kearball is fast becoming nowt but a memory.

I feel as if I'm going on holiday after working on shifts for five years.

 

[marklaspalmas]

Wakey win and Fev lose.

The world's gone bananas.

I await normal service to be resumed.

[Blind side johnny]

15 hours ago, Chris_T said:

Not Batleys greatest performance but good teams find a way to win when they're a bit off it. (Man City last night). We've got to be delighted with joint second at this stage as I don't feel we've hit our full potential yet. No easy games this season without Dewsbury in our league but no reason why we can't win the next 4 before a trip to Toulouse. 

You can't resist, can you?

[Blind side johnny]

1 hour ago, Wolford6 said:

The Bradford v London game was played in great spirit in really hot weather ... a few injuries allowing for drinks all round. A very entertaining game  and, for the first time in living memory, no-one booed the officials when they walked off!

Kearball is fast becoming nowt but a memory.

I feel as if I'm going on holiday after working on shifts for five years.

 

Not in Widnes, it isn't.

[Chris_T]

1 hour ago, Blind side johnny said:

You can't resist, can you?

No i cant, human nature to look down on those less fortunate than you, however I had 2 Dewsbury fans round for tea last week, I still go to Cross' for my pies and cooked meat on a Saturday morning and regularly light a candle for you lot on a Sunday so I'm not all bad. 

[Neutralfan7]

Just seen Barrows winning try yesterday, think Keighley were hard done by, looks as if Barrow player is offside from the kick and then ball goes forward off Barrow

[distantdog]

2 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Not in Widnes, it isn't.

I say this often. The only thing that makes Kear's style of rugby acceptable is winning. When his teams lose it is dire, and l say this as a Batley supporter. Gilmore will be wasted under him.

[Fevrover]

2 hours ago, Neutralfan7 said:

Just seen Barrows winning try yesterday, think Keighley were hard done by, looks as if Barrow player is offside from the kick and then ball goes forward off Barrow

Like a lot of games then lol.

[Bring back GB]

9 minutes ago, Fevrover said:

Like a lot of games then lol.

And Keighley second try looked a blatant forward pass. Swings and roundabouts 

[The Blues Ox]

Looking at the league table I don't think many people would have predicted it looked anything like this at this point. I think most teams would have had 1st and last pretty much nailed on but anyone calling Barrow and York in relegation danger or Sheffield 2nd and Toulouse 4th?

Could get even tighter in the top 6 after next week with some interesting games. Top 6 starting to take shape now, could be top 5 from next week if Bradford can beat Fax.

[Fevrover]

20 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Looking at the league table I don't think many people would have predicted it looked anything like this at this point. I think most teams would have had 1st and last pretty much nailed on but anyone calling Barrow and York in relegation danger or Sheffield 2nd and Toulouse 4th?

Could get even tighter in the top 6 after next week with some interesting games. Top 6 starting to take shape now, could be top 5 from next week if Bradford can beat Fax.

How many times will that be playing Bulls this season lol? More cup finals then Wigan !  

[Daft old hooker]

48 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Looking at the league table I don't think many people would have predicted it looked anything like this at this point. I think most teams would have had 1st and last pretty much nailed on but anyone calling Barrow and York in relegation danger or Sheffield 2nd and Toulouse 4th?

Could get even tighter in the top 6 after next week with some interesting games. Top 6 starting to take shape now, could be top 5 from next week if Bradford can beat Fax.

Still a long way to go, if Toulouse are through with their injuries can’t see them losing many more. Interesting question will Fev win enough to stay clear of them and the rest of the challengers?

[The Blues Ox]

1 hour ago, Fevrover said:

How many times will that be playing Bulls this season lol? More cup finals then Wigan !  

We love a good cup final. We are like Sheffield playing the mighty Wigan in the 98 Final except that one in a million win keeps happening time and time again. 

[The Blues Ox]

44 minutes ago, Daft old hooker said:

Still a long way to go, if Toulouse are through with their injuries can’t see them losing many more. Interesting question will Fev win enough to stay clear of them and the rest of the challengers?

I reckon Fev will still be comfortable and can see them been maybe 12-14 points clear come the end of the season. A loss to a team that looks like they may get stronger towards the end of the season will have just jangled the Fev nerves a little though. So often underdogs though its going to be interesting to see how Fev handle the big favs tag in the run in.

[Daft old hooker]

1 minute ago, The Blues Ox said:

I reckon Fev will still be comfortable and can see them been maybe 12-14 points clear come the end of the season. A loss to a team that looks like they may get stronger towards the end of the season will have just jangled the Fev nerves a little though. So often underdogs though its going to be interesting to see how Fev handle the big favs tag in the run in.

Reckon if Fev are to do it will need to add a bit more Quality at half back Ford seems to be struggling with injuries these days and as much as I like Lacans he doesn’t have a great grasp of English to run a game, but will be a good half back one day.

[TrueBull]

22 hours ago, Ovenden Grunt said:

Here we go!

I’m assuming the inflection at the end is downwards rather than a more positive “here we go!!”

[The Phantom Horseman]

On 11/06/2023 at 10:11, Harry Stottle said:

Well bang goes my "Fev will be unbeaten prediction"

 

Some of us have been trying to put you straight for a while on that Harry...

Fev have had a very good season as the table indicates but the table on its own doesn't indicate the vulnerabilities that those of us who watch the games regularly know about. The narrative amongst those who hadn't watched many games that promotion was nailed on for Fev wasn't one that made much sense especially with a play-off system.

Toulouse were terrific on Saturday and full value for their win with Peyroux and Ralph outstanding. If they can keep something like that team intact for the play-offs they should probably be favourites even without a home draw, they made a lot more out of a lot less ball than Fev. Most teams in the division would have crumbled under Fev's superiority under the middle but Toulouse didn't and they showed temendous defensive spirit.

That said, the game was 18-18 with less than 20 minutes left, with Fev having scored 4 tries to 3, and I certainly don't think it's impossible we could turn the tables later in the year, but our edge defence will have to improve a lot.

 

 

 

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Some of us have been trying to put you straight for a while on that Harry...

Fev have had a very good season as the table indicates but the table on its own doesn't indicate the vulnerabilities that those of us who watch the games regularly know about. The narrative amongst those who hadn't watched many games that promotion was nailed on for Fev wasn't one that made much sense especially with a play-off system.

Toulouse were terrific on Saturday and full value for their win with Peyroux and Ralph outstanding. If they can keep something like that team intact for the play-offs they should probably be favourites even without a home draw, they made a lot more out of a lot less ball than Fev. Most teams in the division would have crumbled under Fev's superiority under the middle but Toulouse didn't and they showed temendous defensive spirit.

That said, the game was 18-18 with less than 20 minutes left, with Fev having scored 4 tries to 3, and I certainly don't think it's impossible we could turn the tables later in the year, but our edge defence will have to improve a lot.

 

 

 

As I said Phantom, this is the time to dip into the market to buy new player's of SL quality, think of it as insurance in that they will be there for next season, if Fev fail all they have spent on this team and the coaching will be wasted money.

Do a Beaumont and ensure promotion, and we still have a dozen of that team.

[The Phantom Horseman]

9 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

As I said Phantom, this is the time to dip into the market to buy new player's of SL quality, think of it as insurance in that they will be there for next season, if Fev fail all they have spent on this team and the coaching will be wasted money.

Do a Beaumont and ensure promotion, and we still have a dozen of that team.

Oh Harry, how many times do I have to repeat this? The club don't have bottomless funds like Leigh did last year. The playing squad already assembled has cost many multiples of our central funding.

It if were as easy as just "doing a Beaumont" as you put it, then Halifax, Toulouse, Batley, Bradford etc would all be doing it too.

That's not to say I don't think we are looking in positions of need (especially half back), but it's unrealistic to expect a Leigh-style spending spree, for us, Halifax, Touluse, Batley, Bradford or anyone else, because you have to have the money to do it.

Edited June 13, 2023 by The Phantom Horseman

[Harry Stottle]

40 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Oh Harry, how many times do I have to repeat this? The club don't have bottomless funds like Leigh did last year. The playing squad already assembled has cost many multiples of our central funding.

It if were as easy as just "doing a Beaumont" as you put it, then Halifax, Toulouse, Batley, Bradford etc would all be doing it too.

That's not to say I don't think we are looking in positions of need (especially half back), but it's unrealistic to expect a Leigh-style spending spree, for us, Halifax, Touluse, Batley, Bradford or anyone else, because you have to have the money to do it.

Those other clubs you mention would have to recruit far more bodies than Fev, your present roster is far better than theirs, there is a reason that you have only lost the one game all season.

Fev are going to have to change a whole number of player's IF you do get promoted anyway, and from your comments it seems that you are not very happy with selective positions, would in your opinion better player's in those positions give you the advantage over your opposition?

Time for me to be totally blunt, if Toulouse go up this year then under the system we are entering in '25 with no P&R SL/Championship scheduled after this the '23  season, I cannot see that any Championship team will have even a whiff of joining the top 12 clubs in SL, possesion of a SL place at the start of '25 will go a long way to staying in there, it will become a closed shop but by another name, Fev's future is in the hands of its officers in charge, you don't have to do he wholesale changes as Mr Beaumont did, just a couple of those player's capable of pushing you over the top of everyone else, bottomless funds are not required.

As I have said previously, I like Fev as a club, I like visiting Fev and in my opinion no other Championship club is more deserving than Fev of gaining promotion, the club really needs to ensure it happens, by whatever means!

I have lost count of how many Fev fans on these pages say they will turn away from the game if a closed shop re-emerges, mark my words it will definatley come about, if you can't finance on field promotion against the teams you mention above, how on earth are you going to do it to break into the top 12 with the funding difference that SL clubs enjoy over Championship clubs?

Edited June 13, 2023 by Harry Stottle