Dewsbury Rams v Rochdale Hornets 27th April, KO: 15:00

[horbury ram]

Officials for sunday

• Referee: A. Williams
• Reserve Referee: L. Grundy
• Touch Judge 1: O. Maddock
• Touch Judge 2: K. Silcock

[SUPERSTUD]

Another singer reffing. Andy Williams.

[STEVE P]

I liked the young lad who reffed on Friday. Would like to see how he copes in a more competitive game.

[Wakefield Ram]

Have to say the L1 refs so far have been very good.

This game will be a good test and another must win game if we want to make top 4.

I doubt we will be able to run over them like we did against Newcastle. So hoping that we have some more variety on attack and maybe even a kicking game in the opposition 20.

[Crown Flatter]

31 minutes ago, Wakefield Ram said:

Have to say the L1 refs so far have been very good.

This game will be a good test and another must win game if we want to make top 4.

I doubt we will be able to run over them like we did against Newcastle. So hoping that we have some more variety on attack and maybe even a kicking game in the opposition 20.

I want that too, but I think you are asking a bit too much, you know!

[Wakefield Ram]

Looked at the main forum and it seems people are 50:50 split on who will win this one. 

[creditwhereitsdews]

I would have predicted us to win this before the last two games but we appear to have regressed. We seem to have lost our competitive edge.

Dewsbury 16 Rochdale 18

Att. 668

MoM Hookem

[Crown Flatter]

I think we should give Sykes a chance (even if it’s just for him to get his longevity playing record) otherwise he might seek pastures new. We need to shake up the kicking game and having two similar halves is not helping.

I would select:

C McShane; Copland, Jordan, Senior, K Tomlinson; Sykes, Hookem; D Tomlinson, J McShane, Everett; Mearns, Garside; Collinson

Subs: Day, Briggs, Field, Gill

18th man: Walker

Dewsbury 20-16 Rochdale 

FTS: Jordan

MoM: Collinson 

Att: 674

[Wakefield Ram]

Bradford scored 4 tries from kicks against Oldham last night. Think we've scored 1 all season. 

Might force a goal line drop out or even do a 40:20.

And hope the subs get more game time. Seems they spend most of the game sat on the bench. 

Edited April 26 by Wakefield Ram

[Blind side johnny]

This is definitely a game to give Paul Sykes a run out. The half back pairing needs a shake up or complacency will set in - there has to be individual jeopardy in sport if players are to improve. Add to this PS may start to look for opportunities to play elsewhere if nothing changes - just getting a minimal contract with no game pay is no good for a player of his age, who also just likes to get onto the field and show his stuff.

Games against Rochdale have never been predictable and there have been some notable games between the sides over the years. Their results have been pretty similar to ours and the team that clicks on the day will win, with no significant gap between the squads. Two experienced yet low-achieving coaches will get the chance to prove their mettle.

I will plump for home advantage making the difference:

Rams 26 - 18 Ornets

FTS: Hookem

MoM: Garside

Att: more than it looks

[Wakefield Ram]

Neither half back can make a break or put players through a gap. Add the absence of any kicking game in the opposition 20 and our only tactic is to barge over. Either PM doesn't ask Coates and Hookem to practice kicks or he does and they ignore it in games. And McShane needs to add more guile at acting half. As soon as we get near the line, he'll try and barge over even on 6th tackle. Day is streets ahead of McShane but gets much less game time.

Equally not sure why some of our substitutions seem to happen at odd times. 

Unless our 6,7 and 9 create more and PM comes up with some tactics beyond battering our way upfield then there's an even chance we won't make top 4. 

Midlands took us apart. Fitter, faster and more creative. Crusaders just used their bigger pack to roll us over. And in neither game did we have any response. Feels a bit like Andy Fisher days all over again. 

[NickD]

1 hour ago, Wakefield Ram said:

Neither half back can make a break or put players through a gap. Add the absence of any kicking game in the opposition 20 and our only tactic is to barge over. Either PM doesn't ask Coates and Hookem to practice kicks or he does and they ignore it in games. And McShane needs to add more guile at acting half. As soon as we get near the line, he'll try and barge over even on 6th tackle. Day is streets ahead of McShane but gets much less game time.

Equally not sure why some of our substitutions seem to happen at odd times. 

Unless our 6,7 and 9 create more and PM comes up with some tactics beyond battering our way upfield then there's an even chance we won't make top 4. 

Midlands took us apart. Fitter, faster and more creative. Crusaders just used their bigger pack to roll us over. And in neither game did we have any response. Feels a bit like Andy Fisher days all over again. 

Super post.  Agree 100%, especially on the use of substitutions which have baffled me all season 

[STEVE P]

18 hours ago, Wakefield Ram said:

Neither half back can make a break or put players through a gap. Add the absence of any kicking game in the opposition 20 and our only tactic is to barge over. Either PM doesn't ask Coates and Hookem to practice kicks or he does and they ignore it in games. And McShane needs to add more guile at acting half. As soon as we get near the line, he'll try and barge over even on 6th tackle. Day is streets ahead of McShane but gets much less game time.

Equally not sure why some of our substitutions seem to happen at odd times. 

Unless our 6,7 and 9 create more and PM comes up with some tactics beyond battering our way upfield then there's an even chance we won't make top 4. 

Midlands took us apart. Fitter, faster and more creative. Crusaders just used their bigger pack to roll us over. And in neither game did we have any response. Feels a bit like Andy Fisher days all over again. 

Your first two sentences put crosses in every box that a half back pairing have to tick to be at all effective.

I don't like to criticise players. They are all better than me, or they wouldn't be getting paid for playing, but I feel that too many of our squad this year are out of their depth at professional level.

I feel very strongly that Sykes could make a big difference to this side, but I also feel that there is a bit of a personality clash going on between him and the coach. Like BSJ says he could pack his bags and clear off to get game time elsewhere at any moment.

[Blind side johnny]

1 hour ago, STEVE P said:

Your first two sentences put crosses in every box that a half back pairing have to tick to be at all effective.

I don't like to criticise players. They are all better than me, or they wouldn't be getting paid for playing, but I feel that too many of our squad this year are out of their depth at professional level.

I feel very strongly that Sykes could make a big difference to this side, but I also feel that there is a bit of a personality clash going on between him and the coach. Like BSJ says he could pack his bags and clear off to get game time elsewhere at any moment.

It is also worth noting that, if he plays in 2026, he would qualify for another testimonial. To me that sounds like a decent incentive to go where he feels that he is wanted.

[the old nine ole]

37 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

It is also worth noting that, if he plays in 2026, he would qualify for another testimonial. To me that sounds like a decent incentive to go where he feels that he is wanted.

Newcastle is a wonderful city.... and a massive job to do! Watching them last week they could use some experience!!

[Wakefield Ram]

2 hours ago, STEVE P said:

Your first two sentences put crosses in every box that a half back pairing have to tick to be at all effective.

I don't like to criticise players. They are all better than me, or they wouldn't be getting paid for playing, but I feel that too many of our squad this year are out of their depth at professional level.

I feel very strongly that Sykes could make a big difference to this side, but I also feel that there is a bit of a personality clash going on between him and the coach. Like BSJ says he could pack his bags and clear off to get game time elsewhere at any moment.

Coates and Hookem work really hard, harder than most half backs. If they added a kicking game to their attack it would create a bit of doubt in the defence. At the moment, the opposition know they will run every ball. Bit like Finn in his last season. The opposition knew he'd pass every time, so made it easy to defend against.

Sykes is a better all-round player. His age is irrelevant. The priority is to get in the Top 4. 

I do wonder why Jack Briggs get less game time than Joe Summers. Briggs did well in a struggling side in the Championship and is a better player in every department than Summers. Likewise Day is streets ahead of McShane. 

I get the idea of building a team for the future but I went to Midlands game and the ease with which they beat us was alarming. 

Yet the same team got selected for Newcastle and PM blamed getting to the ground too early and saying Midlands had 4x playing budget. 

They were fitter and better drilled. Kicked into the sun, we didn't, had clearly spotted we were vulnerable around the ruck area and we had no reply. Didn't even try one short kick-off to try and change the momentum. 

Feels like Andy Fisher days all over again. I remember Neil Kelly saying he wasn't a great technical coach but his strengths were man management and tactics. Well we certainly lack tactics and I'm wondering now how good the man management is. 

Edited April 27 by Wakefield Ram

[the old nine ole]

I would be tempted to give Sykes a spot on the bench... he is worth it just for his tackling alone!  But he would also give us a proper plan B ... Why not?

[STEVE P]

1 hour ago, the old nine ole said:

I would be tempted to give Sykes a spot on the bench... he is worth it just for his tackling alone!  But he would also give us a proper plan B ... Why not?

Why not indeed?

[Wakefield Ram]

Well beaten by an organised team with tactics and good halves.

I have no idea what our substitutions are about. Left Sam Day on the bench for 55 minutes. Not sure how long Jack Briggs was on, pretty sure we didn't use all our substitutions. 

So we scored off a kick from Sykes and then don't try another kick in the rest of the game. Our two other tries followed recovered kick-offs from Sykes. Hookem's defensive weakness wasn't lost on Rochdale. Neither was his dummy and go routine which didn't work.

Stupid penalties - when will McShane learn not to rip the ball out? He defends well but offers nothing on attack. No dummies, very rarely runs, you know which side he's going to pass. 

There's no structure, we ran the ball on 6th tackle near the opponents line at least 4 times without looking like scoring. Rochdale scored a good try from a scrum, we have nothing like that. Every single penalty re-start is two passes to a runner in the middle.

We have good players but no structure, no guile, no kicking game, no moves and random substitutions. 

Unless something changes dramatically, we can forget Top 4 already. We need a new scrum half and a new coach, but expect we will be stuck with both for the rest of the season.

Edited April 27 by Wakefield Ram

[bywellram12]

Quite simply not good enough, even at this level

[Reverend Ram]

Get Hornets’s no.28 signed up - the big difference between the two sides- all about timing and awareness of space. A long way to go but we will still turn up and support of course.

[STEVE P]

36 minutes ago, Reverend Ram said:

Get Hornets’s no.28 signed up - the big difference between the two sides- all about timing and awareness of space. A long way to go but we will still turn up and support of course.

Agree, don't know who he was, but he picked us to pieces after the first 20 minutes. 

[Ackroman]

9 minutes ago, STEVE P said:

Agree, don't know who he was, but he picked us to pieces after the first 20 minutes. 

Speaking to a Rochdale speccy, he's Bradford bound.

Pace, what a difference it makes.

[Blind side johnny]

To quote the great Eric Morecambe: "What do you think of it so far?"

[coolie]

38 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

To quote the great Eric Morecambe: "What do you think of it so far?"

RUBBISH