Match thread: Championship Round 7. Featherstone Rovers v Halifax. Sunday 5th May 2024.

[marklaspalmas]

Well, we somehow hung on to win against a committed Whitehaven side last Sunday.

Now we entertain a Halifax side who've had problems of their own recently.

Rovers will be looking for a better performance and the two points.

Discounting Harris, Farrar and Arnold who we've not heard about for a long time, we seem to be down effectively to a 21 man squad at the moment.

Of these 21, the middles seem to be an issue. Massey has hardly played, Tanner very briefly and both Bussey and Albert seem to have fitness issues. Springer has missed two of the last 3 and Roberts had a six match ban.

Elsewhere in the squad, Lacans and Hardcastle are also both injured, and Aikens currently unavailable.

This has left us somewhat reliant on DR, and v Halifax it looks like we'll need a fullback, centre and a prop. Ideally we'd have a halfback too, but there's not many of them around.

Hopefully we'll be able to develop some continuity as the season develops.

Edited April 30 by marklaspalmas
Forgot about Gadwin

[Rovers fev]

Gorman will stay at fullback 

we will have barley at centre again and I wouldn’t be suprised if we see tennison or fishwick back if Tanner bussey Albert springer are all un available 

[jamescolin]

Will Reynolds be available for us? Done his 2 match ban.

[The Phantom Horseman]

36 minutes ago, jamescolin said:

Will Reynolds be available for us? Done his 2 match ban.

He's still got a game to serve. Suspensions from incidents in Championship games start not from the next weekend but the weekend after. Reynolds' ban came from the Doncaster game on 14th April but he could have played for us the following week against Widnes, except he was required by Hull KR and played for them that weekend.

[POR]

Here we go 

Championship

Featherstone Rovers v Halifax Panthers

05th May, KO: 15:00

Referee: M. Lynn

[Michael Bates]

I think we'll be in for a surprise at fullback!

[The Phantom Horseman]

42 minutes ago, Michael Bates said:

I think we'll be in for a surprise at fullback!

Indeed, and Hooley's straight into the squad published on the RFL website and presumably will play full back.

Still no Springer, Hardcastle is back in the 21 which is very welcome but we'll have to see if he plays. Gorman is still in the squad so could switch to centre if Hardy's not ready yet.

Fishwick the other DR player called up. Massey's included again, interesting to see if this is the week where he finally returns. Tanner missing again.
 

[Michael Bates]

4 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Fishwick the other DR player called up. Massey's included again, interesting to see if this is the week where he finally returns. Tanner missing again.
 

I think Tanner has gone home. We're still light in the pack at the minute for me.

[RobLambert]

3 hours ago, Michael Bates said:

I think Tanner has gone home. We're still light in the pack at the minute for me.

He'll turn up at Oldham on his way back.....

[J Phil Loxton]

4 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Indeed, and Hooley's straight into the squad published on the RFL website and presumably will play full back.

Still no Springer, Hardcastle is back in the 21 which is very welcome but we'll have to see if he plays. Gorman is still in the squad so could switch to centre if Hardy's not ready yet.

Fishwick the other DR player called up. Massey's included again, interesting to see if this is the week where he finally returns. Tanner missing again.
 

Needs must. But the game for me is getting a bit of a joke now with short term loan signings and the hated DR system. Hooley is a great championship talent that needs to be playing regularly at this level NOT shipped out anywhere at someone's whim. Players need to be settled and fans need to know who they are shouting for every week.

[marklaspalmas]

19 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

Needs must. But the game for me is getting a bit of a joke now with short term loan signings and the hated DR system. Hooley is a great championship talent that needs to be playing regularly at this level NOT shipped out anywhere at someone's whim. Players need to be settled and fans need to know who they are shouting for every week.

I don't think anyone could possibly disagree with any of that.

[The Phantom Horseman]

6 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

Needs must. But the game for me is getting a bit of a joke now with short term loan signings and the hated DR system. Hooley is a great championship talent that needs to be playing regularly at this level NOT shipped out anywhere at someone's whim. Players need to be settled and fans need to know who they are shouting for every week.

I agree with all of that but sadly it's where the game is at. SL teams are having to carry big squads with the number of injuries and suspensions they seem to get these days, nobody seems to think the reserves set up is worth much, and there are fewer players to go around the Championship clubs.

[POR]

5 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

, Hardcastle is back in the 21 which is very welcome but we'll have to see if he plays.

With not bringing in a DR centre in this week Hall, Barley would have thought Hardy fit to play

[marklaspalmas]

4 minutes ago, POR said:

With not bringing in a DR centre in this week Hall, Barley would have thought Hardy fit to play

Or Hooley at FB and German at centre if Hardo isn't ready......

[The Phantom Horseman]

7 minutes ago, POR said:

With not bringing in a DR centre in this week Hall, Barley would have thought Hardy fit to play

Corey Hall's at Cas now so wasn't an option on DR. Unless you meant Ryan....

As MLP says, it presumably will be either Hardy or Gorman at centre, though Hardy could fill in at back row with England perhaps switching to the bench too.

[Cas rover]

2 hours ago, J Phil Loxton said:

Needs must. But the game for me is getting a bit of a joke now with short term loan signings and the hated DR system. Hooley is a great championship talent that needs to be playing regularly at this level NOT shipped out anywhere at someone's whim. Players need to be settled and fans need to know who they are shouting for every week.

Hooley the 2nd choice now at cas now they've got Hoy so why not use him in our team quality at our level !

[POR]

39 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Corey Hall's at Cas now so wasn't an option on DR. Unless you meant Ryan....

As MLP says, it presumably will be either Hardy or Gorman at centre, though Hardy could fill in at back row with England perhaps switching to the bench too.

I wasn't suggesting hall  who's on season  long loan at C*$ just saying we seem to have got DR players to cover missing players and for last few weeks we had a centre to cover Hardy but not this week 

[J Phil Loxton]

7 minutes ago, Cas rover said:

Hooley the 2nd choice now at cas now they've got Hoy so why not use him in our team quality at our level !

Agreed, great player asset to any championship team. But that's not my argument. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

10 minutes ago, POR said:

I wasn't suggesting hall  who's on season  long loan at C*$ just saying we seem to have got DR players to cover missing players and for last few weeks we had a centre to cover Hardy but not this week 

I'm hoping that Hardy plays, but Gorman's main position is centre even though he has played full back and wing for us lately.

Edited May 3 by The Phantom Horseman

[Phil Briscoe]

1 hour ago, marklaspalmas said:

Or Hooley at FB and German at centre if Hardo isn't ready......

Don’t mention the war!!!!

[POR]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I'm hoping that Hardy plays, but Gorman's main position is centre even though he has played full back and wing for us lately.

Well looks like our centre problem is sorted this week 

[marklaspalmas]

26 minutes ago, Phil Briscoe said:

Don’t mention the war!!!!

I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it

[jamescolin]

Can you show the team for Halifax game. Usual trouble. Cheers.

[Ovenden Grunt]

1 hour ago, J Phil Loxton said:

Agreed, great player asset to any championship team. But that's not my argument. 

Aye, and the longer lower league clubs keep doing this the longer and louder SL clubs will be laughing. Feeder clubs next stop.

[POR]

4 minutes ago, jamescolin said:

Can you show the team for Halifax game. Usual trouble. Cheers.