The Friendlies Thread 2025

[The 4 of Us]

6 hours ago, Barley Mow said:

Leeds 22-4 Wigan FT

I think this now makes Leeds the reigning World Club Champions?

Edited January 26 by The 4 of Us

[DoubleD]

Highlights

Edited January 27 by DoubleD

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

Doncaster v Wakefield game cancelled.

 

[DoubleD]

4 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

Doncaster v Wakefield game cancelled.

 

 

What's the reason?

[graveyard johnny]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

 

What's the reason?

they obviously didnt realise doncaster airport had closed down  - how else would the wakey team get there?

Edited January 28 by graveyard johnny

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

2 hours ago, DoubleD said:

 

What's the reason?

Carl Hall says Donny have a glut of injuries since the Bradford game.

[Jemmo]

18 hours ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

Carl Hall says Donny have a glut of injuries since the Bradford game.

Yes We have struggled for forwards in our Friendly against Sheffield and even more so at Bradford (had the centre Jason Tali propping etc) so seemed unwise to have a load of stand ins battered by Wakefield

[Gooleboy]

Apparently Huddersfield are fielding a strong side at Featherstone on Sunday, so it should be a decent watch. 

[Barley Mow]

This weekend's fixtures:

Castleford v Hull FC

Catalans v Toulouse

Warrington v Leigh 

Dewsbury v Bradford 

Featherstone v Huddersfield 

Edited February 1 by Barley Mow

[MZH]

Castleford 10 - 16 Hull FC

Wasn't there, so I can only go by comments of others, but it sounded like a rusty performance from Hull, but a gritty one. It was our first hit out, and we had a lot of youngsters on in the second half whereas I think Cas named a stronger, smaller squad. The result doesn't mean anything of course, but still nice to start to season with a positive result after all the hard work of pre season.

[Zilla Budgie]

Wire 6 Leigh 6 (after 30 min)

Edited February 1 by Zilla Budgie

[OMEGA]

Any of these on tv or streamed

[sweaty craiq]

Wire 12 - 14 Leigh 6 mins left

[sweaty craiq]

12-20 now 2 to go

[sweaty craiq]

12-20 final score

[Barley Mow]

Catalans 42-10 Toulouse 

[Ullman]

2 hours ago, MZH said:

Castleford 10 - 16 Hull FC

Wasn't there, so I can only go by comments of others, but it sounded like a rusty performance from Hull, but a gritty one. It was our first hit out, and we had a lot of youngsters on in the second half whereas I think Cas named a stronger, smaller squad. The result doesn't mean anything of course, but still nice to start to season with a positive result after all the hard work of pre season.

It's a lot more encouraging than this time last year when it was already obvious what we were in for.

[Old Frightful]

2 hours ago, MZH said:

Castleford 10 - 16 Hull FC

Wasn't there, so I can only go by comments of others, but it sounded like a rusty performance from Hull, but a gritty one. It was our first hit out, and we had a lot of youngsters on in the second half whereas I think Cas named a stronger, smaller squad. The result doesn't mean anything of course, but still nice to start to season with a positive result after all the hard work of pre season.

The Rugby League World is ours....

[Trojan Horse]

1 hour ago, Old Frightful said:

The Rugby League World is ours....

Surely the SL title is there for the taking..

[WN83]

4 hours ago, MZH said:

Castleford 10 - 16 Hull FC

Wasn't there, so I can only go by comments of others, but it sounded like a rusty performance from Hull, but a gritty one. It was our first hit out, and we had a lot of youngsters on in the second half whereas I think Cas named a stronger, smaller squad. The result doesn't mean anything of course, but still nice to start to season with a positive result after all the hard work of pre season.

You'd imagine Cartwright's first priority will be to make the side gritty and tough to beat. I look at the 17 and it's not going to out attack too many sides but if he can get them competing for everything, it'll be a step forward. 

[MZH]

10 hours ago, WN83 said:

You'd imagine Cartwright's first priority will be to make the side gritty and tough to beat. I look at the 17 and it's not going to out attack too many sides but if he can get them competing for everything, it'll be a step forward. 

When he got the job he said his first priority was the get them fit and hungry and everything else will come from that. I think we will be in a lot of games this year without ever really putting many points on anyone. I think the side looks more solid and experienced and dependable than it does exciting. However, if the pack goes well and sets the platform, we do have X Factor in guys like Moy and Balmforth, Rapana is still quality, and the young wingers are exciting. 

Whilst it rarely pans out the way you hope, there is a feeling that we are on the verge of something of a golden generation. The Kemp twins got rave reviews yesterday with Cartwright claiming they were the reason we won, Ryan Westerman looks a talent, as does Nick Staveley who would probably be an established first teamer if not for a bad injury last year. The priority over the next season or two is to develop these kids and establish the right culture to allow them to seamlessly transition into first team rugby.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Apparently a sickness bug has run through the Fev camp this week and having named a 22-man squad on Friday six have dropped out so Fev can only name a 3-man bench against Huddersfield today. Lacans, Tuimavave, Akauola, Springer, Hatton and Jubb all absentees.

 

[HAVERCROFT10]

Cheers Phants, was asking where subs were.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Fev 12 Huddersfield 0 at half time. Fev full value for the lead and had a couple of tries disallowed too, acknowledging it's a friendly and Huddersfield missing both starting halves and starting hooker.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Full time Fev 24 Huddersfield 4. A full-blooded game for a pre-season event with three sin-binnings (Murchie and Wilson for Huddersfield, Herring for Fev). Huddersfield dominated the first half hour of the second half but could only score one try and Fev had two attacks in the last ten minutes and scored two well-worked tries, admittedly by then Huddersfield had taken one or two of their big guns off.

More worries for Huddersfield with Oliver Wilson going on report for an alleged gouge on Fev half back Herring in the incident that saw the sin binnings, whilst he also appeared to lash out at Derrell Olpherts during the fracas that followed. Also, Matty English was helped off the field limping in the second half.

Always hard to take too much from pre-season games and as mentioned earlier on the thread Huddersfield were missing their starting pivots and played fairly vanilla stuff. I think Fev can be encouraged with how well they stood up to the challenge though especially when having to soak up lots of pressure in the 2nd half and also scored some well-worked tries.

 

Edited February 2 by The Phantom Horseman