Match thread: Challenge Cup 5th Round. Featherstone Rovers v Wakefield Trinity. Sunday 10th March 2024.

[marklaspalmas]

A blank weekend for us coming up with the 1895 Quarter-finals on.

Then Wakey at home for a spot in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.

Believe it or not, we haven't played them in an official match since September 1998, but that game has been deleted from my memory.

I'm sure we're all looking forward to this one.

In terms of the squad:

Plus points: Bussey is back, Tanner is here.

Negative points: Minikin and Roberts still suspended. Yei and Arnold injured. Massey too. Albert not here yet. Probably no DR or loans because it's a Cup tie.

We'll still have about 20 players to select from.

Live on The Sportsman website too.

[Michael Bates]

The game will be on The Sportsman's YouTube channel. I'm amazed that the BBC haven't picked this one up.

[Monkeymagic22]

Given the missing players, it’s hard to see anything other than an easy win for Trinity.

[The Phantom Horseman]

47 minutes ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Given the missing players, it’s hard to see anything other than an easy win for Trinity.

All we ask is that we have a proper dig, and I'm sure we will. I've seen a few of Wakefield's warm-up game and in terms of size, line speed and attacking shape they look some way ahead of any other Championship team I've seen this season, but you'd expect that when they've spent 3 times as much as anyone else and are full time too.

To put the task in context, a hooker they released at the end of last season will probably be our starting half back. The Cup's designed for shocks though, so who knows.

 

[plug]

37 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

All we ask is that we have a proper dig, and I'm sure we will. I've seen a few of Wakefield's warm-up game and in terms of size, line speed and attacking shape they look some way ahead of any other Championship team I've seen this season, but you'd expect that when they've spent 3 times as much as anyone else and are full time too.

To put the task in context, a hooker they released at the end of last season will probably be our starting half back. The Cup's designed for shocks though, so who knows.

 

We'v probably spent 3 times more than any championship team over the last few years and look where thats got us

[The Phantom Horseman]

2 minutes ago, plug said:

We'v probably spent 3 times more than any championship team over the last few years and look where thats got us

Hmm, 2 years ago we spent second most, and finished second in the league, miles clear of the rest.

Last year we spent most (though nowhere near 3 times as much as others) and topped the league, 12 points clear of the rest.

Of course, we flopped twice in the play-offs, but let's not pretend that money doesn't talk over a reasonable sample size.

[Phil Briscoe]

2 hours ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Given the missing players, it’s hard to see anything other than an easy win for Trinity.

Agree. With a near to full strength team it may well have been close for a while.

[Indigogo]

5 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

All we ask is that we have a proper dig, and I'm sure we will. I've seen a few of Wakefield's warm-up game and in terms of size, line speed and attacking shape they look some way ahead of any other Championship team I've seen this season, but you'd expect that when they've spent 3 times as much as anyone else and are full time too.

To put the task in context, a hooker they released at the end of last season will probably be our starting half back. The Cup's designed for shocks though, so who knows.

 

Our of interest, how much have Wakey spent this season and who would be second behind them? I would have thought you, Bulls and York would be at least 4/500k, meaning Wakey are up at 1.5M?

[elppaxr2i]

11 hours ago, Michael Bates said:

The game will be on The Sportsman's YouTube channel. I'm amazed that the BBC haven't picked this one up.

Wouldnt be suprised if both clubs requested not to be on the BBC due to the attendence & shared gate probably being effected

[Daft old hooker]

7 hours ago, Indigogo said:

Our of interest, how much have Wakey spent this season and who would be second behind them? I would have thought you, Bulls and York would be at least 4/500k, meaning Wakey are up at 1.5M?

Wakefield are rumoured to be around the £1.3M but not sure how much truth is in that figure although I would guess it’s not a million miles away.

[The Phantom Horseman]

6 hours ago, Daft old hooker said:

Wakefield are rumoured to be around the £1.3M but not sure how much truth is in that figure although I would guess it’s not a million miles away.

It's not a rumour as it came from the club's owner himself.
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/wakefield-trinity-owner-matt-ellis-provides-recruitment-latest-as-he-outlines-marquee-ambition-4441876

He said they were at £1.3 million and they've signed Isaiah Vagana since then. Of course that won't be all on player salaries but there's no doubt they have dwarfed the rest of the league in terms of spending.

[The Phantom Horseman]

10 hours ago, elppaxr2i said:

Wouldnt be suprised if both clubs requested not to be on the BBC due to the attendence & shared gate probably being effected

Must admit I didn't know clubs had any say in who gets selected but it would make sense given the BBCs' chosen game (Swinton v Sheffield) is kicking off at 12.30pm on the Saturday...that really wouldn't help attendance.

[Indigogo]

10 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

It's not a rumour as it came from the club's owner himself.
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/wakefield-trinity-owner-matt-ellis-provides-recruitment-latest-as-he-outlines-marquee-ambition-4441876

He said they were at £1.3 million and they've signed Isaiah Vagana since then. Of course that won't be all on player salaries but there's no doubt they have dwarfed the rest of the league in terms of spending.

So 1.3M spent at the time of the article with Vagana coming in since. He says they had another 100K to spend to take them to 1.4M, so presumably Vagana is half of that 100K. I'm sure I read they were looking for one more player, that might have been before Vagana had signed though. 

Does that mean the likes of Fev, Bradford, York, Toulouse, Fax, Donny aren't spending over 450K? Seems low, but I'll happily admit I know little about those clubs budgets and spending. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 minute ago, Indigogo said:

So 1.3M spent at the time of the article with Vagana coming in since. He says they had another 100K to spend to take them to 1.4M, so presumably Vagana is half of that 100K. I'm sure I read they were looking for one more player, that might have been before Vagana had signed though. 

Does that mean the likes of Fev, Bradford, York, Toulouse, Fax, Donny aren't spending over 450K? Seems low, but I'll happily admit I know little about those clubs budgets and spending. 

We were "rumoured" (FWIW) to be around the £900k mark last year - Martin Vickers said in an interview that we were around £1 million over each of the last two years, though that may include players who came and went as the season went on - and he said the budget this year was slashed by 50%.

[Indigogo]

6 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

We were "rumoured" (FWIW) to be around the £900k mark last year - Martin Vickers said in an interview that we were around £1 million over each of the last two years, though that may include players who came and went as the season went on - and he said the budget this year was slashed by 50%.

Wakey at about 3 times your spend then but I'd be surprised if you were the second biggest spenders. I think you've assembled a really good squad for the budget.

[The Phantom Horseman]

11 minutes ago, Indigogo said:

Wakey at about 3 times your spend then but I'd be surprised if you were the second biggest spenders. I think you've assembled a really good squad for the budget.

I don't know about other teams' spends but I agree that we have done pretty well on our budget. We've managed to retain/recruit a core of really good players (Aekins, Jones, Springer, Gale, Minikin, Bussey and one or two others) and padded out the squad with some cast-offs/additions from League 1, the amateur game and academies. Remains to be seen how far that takes us but given the turnover of players we've done ok to get where we are I think.

[sentoffagain2]

    We must be short of brass this year just been asked to pay £4.95 postage for my seasons membership.No chance on principle.

[Fevrover]

51 minutes ago, sentoffagain2 said:

    We must be short of brass this year just been asked to pay £4.95 postage for my seasons membership.No chance on principle.

Disgusting we know post is getting dearer but £4.95 for a letter!!!

[roversspud]

24 minutes ago, Fevrover said:

Disgusting we know post is getting dearer but £4.95 for a letter!!!

You deliver it , Fevrover! You kn ow you're worth every penny!!!

[sentoffagain2]

43 minutes ago, Fevrover said:

Disgusting we know post is getting dearer but £4.95 for a letter!!!

  I didn't want it registered post.Who in their right mind would pinch a Rovers season ticket.

[Fevrover]

1 hour ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  I didn't want it registered post.Who in their right mind would pinch a Rovers season ticket.

Trust me some people will nick ANYTHING  . 

[Fevrover]

1 hour ago, roversspud said:

You deliver it , Fevrover! You kn ow you're worth every penny!!!

WAS I've retired don't forget ☺. 

[Fevrover]

1 hour ago, sentoffagain2 said:

  I didn't want it registered post.Who in their right mind would pinch a Rovers season ticket.

Registered post starts from £7.50   depending on size/ weight but guaranteed to be there for 1pm next day.

Edited February 28 by Fevrover

[jamescolin]

Want a ticket for the Featherstone v Wakefrield cup match. Been ill and computer trouble. Got my season ticket wayback. A friendcalled at ground today to help but all closed, How can I get a cup game ticket. Told on match day they are in short supply. Can I as getting better call at ground for one before game? If club post me one will make payment.

[Fevrover]

3 minutes ago, jamescolin said:

Want a ticket for the Featherstone v Wakefrield cup match. Been ill and computer trouble. Got my season ticket wayback. A friendcalled at ground today to help but all closed, How can I get a cup game ticket. Told on match day they are in short supply. Can I as getting better call at ground for one before game? If club post me one will make payment.

Closes at 2 but later on Thursdays but might have changed by now.