Match thread: Championship Round 27. Featherstone Rovers v Widnes Vikings. Saturday 23rd September 2023.

[The Grinder]

52 minutes ago, RobLambert said:

Well we have worked him hard this year 

If Jonno helps us win our last game of the season that will do for me.

[jamescolin]

Please show me the team to play Widnes on Saturday having computer trouble.

[POR]

17 minutes ago, jamescolin said:

Please show me the team to play Widnes on Saturday having computer trouble.

[jamescolin]

Thanks POR. UTR.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Famous last words but we're priced at 10-11 giving Widnes a 28-point start this evening with Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfair and Paddy Power, I could see us covering this with a bit to spare given Widnes have nothing but pride to play for and have conceded 90 points in their last 2 games against London and Sheffield.

[POR]

[RobLambert]

I wouldn't say I'm a statto but I wanted us to score 63 today so we'd average 40 points per game.  Gutted.

[haskey]

The players put on a show in the second half, and the club did the same at the end of the match.

All we need now is 2 great performances to make this a season to remember

[elppaxr2i]

Widnes gave that up in the last 20 mins but were utterly dominated in the second half - I dont think they got into our 20 at all in that second period, never mind look like posting any points, another season goes by where Widnes are put to the sword

Thought Leilua had a good game - he started to come good as the playoffs were about to begin last season & history is repeating itself, some strong running throughout from all & we scored a couple of good tries

Nice week off now to shake off the niggles & watch the others knock 10 bells out of each other

[The Phantom Horseman]

There were a few more possible clues to the semi-final line-up last night.

It's hard to see Chisholm featuring now. Barring one good half at Sheffield I don't think he did enough to earn a place.

Think we all know Johnno Ford will start, I think he'll go with Aekins as the other half back, interesting that James Ford switched Lacans back to the right against Widnes with Aekins on the left. My guess is he wants to play Johnno on the right to try and give Joey as much good ball as possible.

Hau missed out again and it looks like James Ford prefers the experience of Day in that left back row position.

ET looks set in the right edge back row spot.

For me the big question is did Yei do enough? It was a relatively quiet return and he was taken off after throwing a wild offload that lost us possesion. Was Fordy disappointed with him, or did he just want a cameo from him to prove his fitness prior to the semis?

Cozza played really well and is going to be hard to leave out of the 17. I wonder what the situation is with Koppy though? The only game he's played in the last 4 was on the plastic pitch at Newcastle, which seems a bit strange. Did Fordy just decide to wrap him in cotton wool for the play-offs, or has he fallen out of favour? If he comes back, it probably means one of Bussey or Yei making way. Dan Smith is unspectacular but steady and reliable and has played every week I think so it will be surprising if he doesn't play in the semi.

Hopefully Junior's shoulder issue that saw him leave the field was just a knock and a precaution as he has been on good form lately.

This might not go down well with fans but I'm not sure JD is going to get the nod for the play-offs. He has been fairly quiet by his standards in his last two or three games and didn't make the 17 yesterday. It shows how much depth we have in our pack that players like JD, Yei, Bussey etc are fighting for probably 1 place. I suspect if you asked a group of 20 Fev fans to pick their semi final team you might get 20 slightly different line-ups, which shows how tough Fordy's job will be.

[Wolfey Rovers]

It's a good place to be. Almost full strength and full of confidence. We have 2 weeks till the semis and I'm sure fordy will not take the foot off the gas in training and will pick his team in what he sees while training.

 

I'm alot more confident this year in the final run in than last year. We seemed to be running out of steam and confidence last year. Where-as I still feel we have another gear yet which is terrifying. UTR

[sentoffagain2]

     A good performance,a bit slow to get going but impressive in the second 40 min .I said that we should win with 40+ points so was nearer than the bookies handicap.Agree with TPH that Chizzy has not done enough so i reckon he won't make the 17 in a fortnight.Most pleasing thing for me was when we attacked the backing up was very much better than earlier in the season.And the kick for Hankinsons try was spot on.Only downside and i usually find one was conceding 2 tries on our left outside edge again.Although they were created by quick passes  to the outside.Still think we need to have  a back rower defending as an inside centre defending inside our own half.Joey's injury didn't look good but he did a few runs up the touchline and didn't seem troubled by it.He has had some stick a bit from me in the last couple of seasons.But in the big games coming up he has the ability to be a match winner.Apart from the odd points our average scoring each game is 40-11 so we have to say the defence is better than last season.Exciting three weeks coming up.

[Michael Bates]

I thought we were excellent yesterday. The second half was as good as we've looked with ball in hand all year. I think Widnes gave up in the last 10 but I don't think we allowed them to play in the second half anyway.

I'm still torn on Aekins or Lacans. I think Lacans has been excellent the last few weeks but I don't see how you can not select Aekins. Ford is a certainty to play.

Leilua was superb yesterday, glad he was able to overcome his injury and come back on. He's a handful for anyone in this league 1 on 1 and Ford, him and Hall / Briscoe combining on that edge will terrorise any defense.

I'm uncharacteristically optimistic about our chances of promotion. The only side that can beat us is us.

[Squidward]

Nice for Ford to have so many options in almost all the positions.

As for the wide forwards imo Hau and Bussey are the two. Day, E T, and JD don't let anyone down but it would be criminal if these two aren't in pole position. 

Springer seemed to be moving OK on the sidelines yesterday and if he's fit to play he should also make the 17. 

The best problem a coach can have.

[RobLambert]

5 hours ago, Squidward said:

Nice for Ford to have so many options in almost all the positions.

As for the wide forwards imo Hau and Bussey are the two. Day, E T, and JD don't let anyone down but it would be criminal if these two aren't in pole position. 

Springer seemed to be moving OK on the sidelines yesterday and if he's fit to play he should also make the 17. 

The best problem a coach can have.

I wonder if Ford knows right now who he'd pick as his 17 if we're in the final and it was played next week ?

It might come down to who we are playing.  But yeah it could be that the toughest choice could be the edges / second row.  I can't call it.  I am a massive Bussey fan and he can bring something that none of our other forwards can but he's just returned from a bad injury and has had little game time.  I would go for either Day or Taylor - not both .  Hau has to be in there for me - a potential match winner. But surely Johnny D has to play doesn't he ?

Great problems to have - I think........

[The Phantom Horseman]

13 hours ago, Squidward said:

Nice for Ford to have so many options in almost all the positions.

As for the wide forwards imo Hau and Bussey are the two. Day, E T, and JD don't let anyone down but it would be criminal if these two aren't in pole position. 

Springer seemed to be moving OK on the sidelines yesterday and if he's fit to play he should also make the 17. 

The best problem a coach can have.

 

7 hours ago, RobLambert said:

I wonder if Ford knows right now who he'd pick as his 17 if we're in the final and it was played next week ?

It might come down to who we are playing.  But yeah it could be that the toughest choice could be the edges / second row.  I can't call it.  I am a massive Bussey fan and he can bring something that none of our other forwards can but he's just returned from a bad injury and has had little game time.  I would go for either Day or Taylor - not both .  Hau has to be in there for me - a potential match winner. But surely Johnny D has to play doesn't he ?

Great problems to have - I think........

Agree re great problems to have in terms of selection but I don't think it's hard to predict what Ford is going to do with the edge 2nd row positions. He switched Taylor from a middle/loose forward role as soon as he took over from Long and apart from the Bradford game where he was rested and Longstaff played, Taylor has played every game there under Long, and he's done a lot to solidify our shakey right edge defence.

Day has also played every week since he returned from injury, Ford could have brought Hau back in for him at Toulouse but it seems clear he's going for experience.

I don't think he's suddenly going to drop experienced players who have been regular choices when fit all season, that's also why I think he will go for Aekins over Lacans. Aekins has never been left out this season barring being ill for the Toulouse game, and having switched Ford to the right for the Toulouse game it's perhaps telling that Lacans was back on the right against Widnes with Aekins on the left.

It's the middles that are hardest to predict for me, I'm unsure what the situation is with Kopczak ie has he just been kept back for the play-offs or not selected.

[Monkeymagic22]

Anyone know what the attendance was on Saturday?.

[POR]

It's been clear for some time with the amount of minutes he's played Caleb was always going to partner a fit Jonno similarly with ET and brad the minutes they've played and experience will make them both first choices As for Arama a superstar in the making especially how we grind teams down coming off the bench against a tiring defence is a perfect fit

 As for the starting middles all comes down to Gadwin's fitness if fit then for me it's him and Mathieu if not then it's Mathieu and one other either a certain Mr K or Mr L

[marklaspalmas]

1 hour ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Anyone know what the attendance was on Saturday?.

3874

[marklaspalmas]

Ford's favourite XVII assuming Springer won't make it.

Killer

Luke Joey Hank GG

Ford Aekins

Locky Wildie Cozza

Day ET

Smith

Jones Moors Bussey Yei

 

And that's very hard on Hall, Lacans, Koppy, JD, Hau and to a lesser extent Chizz and Longstaff

[Fevrover]

19 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Ford's favourite XVII assuming Springer won't make it.

Killer

Luke Joey Hank GG

Ford Aekins

Locky Wildie Cozza

Day ET

Smith

Jones Moors Bussey Yei

 

And that's very hard on Hall, Lacans, Koppy, JD, Hau and to a lesser extent Chizz and Longstaff

Trouble is with such a big and good squad of players some were always going to miss out.

[Monkeymagic22]

29 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Ford's favourite XVII assuming Springer won't make it.

Killer

Luke Joey Hank GG

Ford Aekins

Locky Wildie Cozza

Day ET

Smith

Jones Moors Bussey Yei

 

And that's very hard on Hall, Lacans, Koppy, JD, Hau and to a lesser extent Chizz and Longstaff

That’s looks like the team that Ford would pick, but I’d go for Hau instead of Yei, and maybe Hall instead of Briscoe.

[marklaspalmas]

Who'd be a coach?

Who'd look at JD, Adz Hau, Koppy, Luke Briscoe, Hally, Tommy Lacans or whoever and say 'thanks mate, but we don't need you?'

Some of those names may well be in the XVII but some won't. They've all had very good seasons and played really well.

Very hard decisions.

[Fevrover]

11 hours ago, RobLambert said:

I wonder if Ford knows right now who he'd pick as his 17 if we're in the final and it was played next week ?

It might come down to who we are playing.  But yeah it could be that the toughest choice could be the edges / second row.  I can't call it.  I am a massive Bussey fan and he can bring something that none of our other forwards can but he's just returned from a bad injury and has had little game time.  I would go for either Day or Taylor - not both .  Hau has to be in there for me - a potential match winner. But surely Johnny D has to play doesn't he ?

Great problems to have - I think........

It will imo be extremely hard on JD if he doesn't play ,always gives 110%. But not everyone can play sadly.

[sentoffagain2]

39 minutes ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

That’s looks like the team that Ford would pick, but I’d go for Hau instead of Yei, and maybe Hall instead of Briscoe.

   If we get to the final i would have Hau as a sub.He is very dangerous on the left and takes some stopping from 20 metres out.Could see him scoring if given the fight ball.