Match thread: Championship Round 8. Dewsbury Rams v Featherstone Rovers. Sunday 19th May 2024.

[marklaspalmas]

It's been ages since we had a game.

There's one coming up on Sunday.

Dewsbury have not been amazing this year (1 win from 7) but we can take nothing for granted in a very open league.

Looking at the league table, I think the top 6 now may well be the top 6 come September. Wakey out front, with us, Toulouse, Bradford, Widnes and Sheffield jockeying for positions.

Not that I'm ruling out any other team mind.

In terms of our possible squad for this weekend, things to look out for:

Hopefully Caleb Aekins will be back soon.

Gadwin Springer and Thomas lacans are the major injured players at the moment.

All kinds of question marks surrounding Jayden Tanner.

Massey and Hardcastle seemed to come back from injury ok.

GG will (I assume) be suspended. A chance for Wacokecoke?

Which players will be available on DR?

Is Luke Hooley still with us on loan?

Up The Rovers.

[The Phantom Horseman]

No games that we can take for granted this year, we aren't strong enough to be able to under-perform and still win like last year. Dewsbury are bottom of the table at the moment but led Toulouse 19-10 at half time in their last game and were still in front until 16 minutes from the finish. They comfortably beat Batley at home earlier this season and on their best home form they'll give us plenty to think about. Having lost coach Liam Finn to Halifax, they replaced him with another ex-Fev player in Dale Ferguson...who himself stepped aside as coach recently...to be replaced by another man with a very strong recent history at Fev in Paul March. There's little doubt Marchy will have his players well fired up on Sunday.

Can't argue with the decision to give the lads the week off last week, it's a long, tough season and there won't be any other chances for a break, let's hope they come back raring to go. As MLP says a few whose status is unknown, we know Gale will be suspended.

We're currently in 4th place, not sure we have really played like a top 4 team in a few of our games but we've been getting the job done and hopefully we can do so again.

[The Phantom Horseman]

As an aside, you have to feel a bit of sympathy for Dewsbury with their DR arrangement. Their partner team is Huddersfield and you'd think they might have liked to have played some of the Giants' fringe players such as Fenton Rogers, Aidan McGowan, Connor Carr and Max Wood...but instead it's been a conveyor belt to Bradford with all four playing on loan for the Bulls. Must be very frustrating, that.

[haskey]

You re perfectly right PH nothing can be taken for granted so far , but I hope when Lacans can be returned to the fold things will become a little more certain. For me . as long as we can keep out of the relegation dog fight we will be ok 

I still cannot see any great future for teams under Super League, can  you. ???

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 hour ago, haskey said:

 

I still cannot see any great future for teams under Super League, can  you. ???

Under the new format, SL is likely to be a closed shop to the likes of us. That doesn't mean that it won't be worthwhile supporting the club any more - we've had some fantastic times in recent years when we knew we had no chance of promotion, such as when we won the Grand Final against Sheffield, beating Cas in the Cup etc - but whether the Championship can remain a vibrant competition remains to be seen.

I also have my doubts about how many of the chosen SL clubs will just drift along once they are established in terms of being so far ahead on IMG points that the remaining Championship clubs can't realistically challenge them. I think that might only take a year or two.

[Rovers fev]

Hopefully the 3 players from dewsbury were in talks with play and show us what they can do 

[Therein73]

Whatever the out come on Sunday, there'll be a warm welcome for anyone who wants to join us in the Royal Suite after the game .......... 

[The Grinder]

5 hours ago, Therein73 said:

Whatever the out come on Sunday, there'll be a warm welcome for anyone who wants to join us in the Royal Suite after the game .......... 

T73,

We've been planning to be there for a while, see you there we'll be the ones in Fev shirts, just don't set Coolie on us  Even if he knows I like a good chinwag with him.

 

[POR]

Here we go

Championship

Dewsbury Rams v Featherstone Rovers

19th May, KO: 15:00

Referee: C. Worsley

[The Phantom Horseman]

Injury update from James Ford. Clearly Wacokecoke's going to get another opportunity against Dewsbury.

Lacans and Springer still some time away, though "weeks rather than months" according to Fordy.  Sounds like they are being extra careful with Gadwin which is fair enough as he does seem to have aggravated that injury a few times.

[The Phantom Horseman]

 

[marklaspalmas]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

 

Only 20 players named there.

To answer my own questions:

Caleb back.

Tanner officially AWOL.

Lacans, Springer and Arnold still injured.

Only one DR, Alfred Lord.

Hooley has gone.

Wacokecoke gets another chance

 

 

[J Phil Loxton]

12 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Only 20 players named there.

To answer my own questions:

Caleb back.

Tanner officially AWOL.

Lacans, Springer and Arnold still injured.

Only one DR, Alfred Lord.

Hooley has gone.

Wacokecoke gets another chance

 

 

Took me five minutes to register with Alfred Lord. Elsie has gone back to Australia to look after their Dennis don't forget

[The Phantom Horseman]

8 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Only 20 players named there.

 

Missed that. That's all our squad that we've got available then at the moment, though presumably Fordy is happy with what we have as only Tennison is in on DR (no Fishwick this week).

Harris and Farrar, plus one from Roberts and Tomlinson (maybe Roberts will get a run out this week), the three likely to miss out you'd think.

Tough times for clubs with injuries at the moment, Bradford have only named 19 (so far, maybe they will add more) and that includes two academy players and four loanees.

[marklaspalmas]

A few OB's the Rams 21.

Local lads Jimmy Beckett and Dale Ferguson.

The evergreen Paul Sykes.

Also Calum Turner had a run with us, and less memorably (for me) Perry Whiteley.

[jamescolin]

3 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

Only 20 players named there.

To answer my own questions:

Caleb back.

Tanner officially AWOL.

Lacans, Springer and Arnold still injured.

Only one DR, Alfred Lord.

Hooley has gone.

Wacokecoke gets another chance

 

 

Please show the 20 players names. My attempt to look at it shows it is blocked on my computer for some unknown reason.

[bigbaldnmad]

[jamescolin]

Thank you BBM. Very helpful of you. Cheers Colin

[POR]

19 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

Only 20 players named there.

Noticed that but with the plethora of DR available from the Robins to make up the 21  looks like Fordy happy with his 17 picks although after captains run on Saturday he may pull another DR out of the hat

Edited May 18 by POR

[sentoffagain2]

    Looking forward to us Fev coming up against our 1895 Cup winning coach Paul March.I loved the way he encouraged the youngsters while at Fev.Such a contrast to him as a player.Paul was niggly ,gobby always in the refs ear but never gave less than 100%.what i call a bread and butter player the opposition didn't like playing against him but his  team mates loved him on their side.If you follow the Conference all 3 Dewsbury sides look to be competing well.Not like the basket case of Fev Lions young players are our salvation without them the games dead.

[Phil Briscoe]

Me too. Looking forward to being there tomorrow in the sunshine. We need a plan for the narrow pitch. I’m sure Fordy has one. Maybe take them on down the middle and get over the top of them? I’ve watched us play at Dewsbury so many times ship the ball out wide and the winger simply runs out of space. 

[sentoffagain2]

   Just checked on Dewsbury website for anyone going without tickets it's  cash only at the turnstiles.

[horbury ram]

You get get tickets by card at the office, then access through the turnstiles.

[POR]

Here we go

[jamescolin]

What is the score?