Halifax Panthers v Dewsbury Rams Sunday 10th May, KO: 15:00

[horbury ram]

Officials for Sunday

• Referee: A. Williams
• Reserve Referee: P. Clayton
• Touch Judge 1: T. Gibbs
• Touch Judge 2: A. Sweet
• Time Keeper: A. Hardcastle

[Wakefield Ram]

Looking forward to this game more than I did at the beginning of the season.

After Sunday's "worst performance of the season" apparently, think the team will be going to Halifax with confidence. Think the "big pitch" will suit us

It will be close but hopeful of another win. 

Edited May 6 by Wakefield Ram

[Ramification]

Been a while since I went to an away game but tempted for this one.

[NickD]

Usually much better away

[Blind side johnny]

It is many years since I saw us beat Halifax at their place (I even missed the game in their championship season) so this fixture always fills me with a sense of foreboding. However, tempting the curse of Johnny, I reckon we should have a decent chance of winning this one, dependent upon the squads available to both sides. We will miss Addy's contributions but they have also been missing a couple of influential players.

Rams by 6.

Advance tickets do seem to be quite cheap, especially for those of a certain age - South Stand for over 66 is only £12.

[STEVE P]

On 08/05/2026 at 10:11, Blind side johnny said:

It is many years since I saw us beat Halifax at their place (I even missed the game in their championship season) so this fixture always fills me with a sense of foreboding. However, tempting the curse of Johnny, I reckon we should have a decent chance of winning this one, dependent upon the squads available to both sides. We will miss Addy's contributions but they have also been missing a couple of influential players.

Rams by 6.

Advance tickets do seem to be quite cheap, especially for those of a certain age - South Stand for over 66 is only £12.

Drat, fail to qualify by a year or two.

I reckon Dewsbury by 14 points as the away from home juju strikes again. 

[Crown Flatter]

Unlike many others, I’m not so sure about us winning today, we rarely do well at The Shay. 
 

Halifax 21-18 Dewsbury 

FTS: Collinson 

MoM: Bateman

Att: 1108

[NickD]

Would be a very good win if we pulled it off but I’m making no predictions- impossible to know whether the home ar away team will turn up.   Interesting to see walker given a start.    Had forgotten he even played for us

[Wakefield Ram]

Well firstly, hats off to Halifax who played well and scored some good tries. The match day experience was good with the music and kids playing at half time.

We stuck to the task manfully despite being heavily outmuscled in the forwards. Monty Lumb looks a very good player but made the mistake of scoring two tries, so PM had to take him off. Algar looks a very useful player. But we still need more composure and an organised kicking game near the opposition line. We don't seem to have any structure or plan near the line, just left to Hookem to make something up and the rest of the team to guess what's he's thinking. 

I can only guess Paul Sykes is injured but it's hard to understand why PM picked Louie Walker at 6. Straight from amateur up against a strong Halifax team. 

I will save my final comment to ask why Joe Summers is in the side. Unfit, overweight, barely makes half a dozen runs a game, hides out on the wing when we have the ball and misses and drops off as many tackles as he makes. He was actually taken off for the last tackle of the game. And this is every week. Halifax targeted Hookem/Summers on attack. Clearly one of PMs favourites because there is no reason I can see how he gets picked. 

Hopefully, Coates is back next week or Sykes comes back. 

But an enjoyable game and ooks like we've a couple of top players in Lumb and Algar.

Edited May 10 by Wakefield Ram

[STEVE P]

19 hours ago, STEVE P said:

 

I reckon Dewsbury by 14 points as the away from home juju strikes again. 

14 points it was then, but not the way round I wanted. 

Hopefully the coach will be happier with today's performance after last week's 'worst of the season' debacle. 

Edited May 10 by STEVE P

[KC Ram]

Well Wakefield Ram I find your comments about Joe Summers unfair.i would like to see you play 70-80 minutes every week. It would be interesting to see his stats on tackles to see if your claims are correct. I am sure if he is as unfit and poor as you suggest Paul would not pick him every week.

as regards the overall performance overall I was pleased with the commitment and we held them well for60 mins I think our inexperience and lack of composure showed when near to the line, trying to score with miracle passes rather than taking the tackle. A young team who will learn a lot from this game.

 

 

[Wakefield Ram]

Appreciate not everyone will agree with my view on Joe Summers. All I can say is watch any full game and you can make your own judgement  on his contribution. 

Halifax targeted him and Hookem today on attack and Hookem a scrum half and playmaker put in a bigger and stronger shift in defence than Summers. 

Perhaps the fact that Summers is a ex-Shaw Cross player helps. 

Edited May 10 by Wakefield Ram

[Crown Flatter]

For those supporters who only watch home matches and went to Halifax today, it would have felt like a home match.

For those supporters who only watch home matches and stayed at home today, I bet they were pleased they didn’t go, it was like a home match.

If PM thought last week’s performance was our worst, what did he think of today’s?

Unfortunately we didn’t play our usual “away” game today and were always playing catch up. For sixty minutes we in the game and then lost our way, or tired, but whatever it was Halifax saw it and scored some easy tries. In fairness our passing was slow and and when running often chose to run up a blind alley, whereas Halifax’s passing was good and swift, but thanks to some good defensive work kept them out.

Halifax scored first, in the right hand corner from what appeared to be a forward pass, with our supporters letting the ref know. Then Senior equalised in the  far left corner, away from where we were standing. They touched down for a second, but this was disallowed for a forward pass, which to me, looked less so than the try awarded. Half time and we were all square at 4-4, but down on the penalty count, 6-3.

Throughout the match we never managed to get in front, but continued to match the home side with tries (2 by Lumb) and Hookem’s conversions, but when they got to 22 and then won and kicked a penalty goal to take them eight clear, I knew then that we wouldn’t win. It seemed to take the wind out of our sails and had nothing left. Had we taken a kickable penalty earlier, in front of the posts, it could have been so different.

I made the penalty count 8-4 and Halifax also won the set restarts, by my reckoning, 4-0.

Not our day.

[SUPERSTUD]

Said it a million times. We need a good set of half backs. Without them we are toast. Addy would have provided a steady sophisticated calculated approach today. Not an headless chicken make it up as you go along approach. Yes I know he plays a thirteen role. But just concentrate on the words that I have used. I will repeat Steady, Sophisticated and Calculated. 

[SUPERSTUD]

2 hours ago, KC Ram said:

Well Wakefield Ram I find your comments about Joe Summers unfair.i would like to see you play 70-80 minutes every week. It would be interesting to see his stats on tackles to see if your claims are correct. I am sure if he is as unfit and poor as you suggest Paul would not pick him every week.

as regards the overall performance overall I was pleased with the commitment and we held them well for60 mins I think our inexperience and lack of composure showed when near to the line, trying to score with miracle passes rather than taking the tackle. A young team who will learn a lot from this game.

 

 

Regarding Summers today. Can’t agree although sometimes I can. Should have passed inside to Lingard in try scoring opportunity but went for glory. However today put in a good shift. 

[SUPERSTUD]

25 minutes ago, Crown Flatter said:

For those supporters who only watch home matches and went to Halifax today, it would have felt like a home match.

For those supporters who only watch home matches and stayed at home today, I bet they were pleased they didn’t go, it was like a home match.

If PM thought last week’s performance was our worst, what did he think of today’s?

Unfortunately we didn’t play our usual “away” game today and were always playing catch up. For sixty minutes we in the game and then lost our way, or tired, but whatever it was Halifax saw it and scored some easy tries. In fairness our passing was slow and and when running often chose to run up a blind alley, whereas Halifax’s passing was good and swift, but thanks to some good defensive work kept them out.

Halifax scored first, in the right hand corner from what appeared to be a forward pass, with our supporters letting the ref know. Then Senior equalised in the  far left corner, away from where we were standing. They touched down for a second, but this was disallowed for a forward pass, which to me, looked less so than the try awarded. Half time and we were all square at 4-4, but down on the penalty count, 6-3.

Throughout the match we never managed to get in front, but continued to match the home side with tries (2 by Lumb) and Hookem’s conversions, but when they got to 22 and then won and kicked a penalty goal to take them eight clear, I knew then that we wouldn’t win. It seemed to take the wind out of our sails and had nothing left. Had we taken a kickable penalty earlier, in front of the posts, it could have been so different.

I made the penalty count 8-4 and Halifax also won the set restarts, by my reckoning, 4-0.

Not our day.

How many in the air last tackle cross field kicks did we attempt? How many did Fax complete and score from? 

[Transpennine Ram]

The big thing that my son and I spoke about on the way home was post-contact yards.  Halifax made loads, especially in the first half.  Whilst their line speed was rapid, we were mostly waiting for them to come on to us.  They were a really disciplined unit and quick to get back in position in broken play.

Their last kick to the corner is also a really slick operation.

It was a game of getting the basics right.

I like Summers.  But then I like Hookem and Coates so, according to the prevailing wisdom on here, what do I know.  Congrats to Monty Lumb for getting our man of the match.  Honourable mention too for Rayner, showing a willingness to carry hard yards into defenders much bigger than him.

[SUPERSTUD]

Prevailing wisdom! Nah not from me just an entitled individual opinion. Just like you are entitled to. Yeah not much in the two teams today and as I agree with a game of basics. They beat us at the game of basics so does that game require brains? If so what do we do from here? 

[Wakefield Ram]

We certainly missed Coates and Addy today. 

I'm not sure why Monty Lumb was taken off after creating and scoring the first try and scoring the second. We looked more dangerous with him at acting half. 

Edited May 10 by Wakefield Ram

[Crown Flatter]

41 minutes ago, SUPERSTUD said:

Said it a million times. We need a good set of half backs. Without them we are toast. Addy would have provided a steady sophisticated calculated approach today. Not an headless chicken make it up as you go along approach. Yes I know he plays a thirteen role. But just concentrate on the words that I have used. I will repeat Steady, Sophisticated and Calculated. 

I think we could have done with Paul Sykes in the team today to lead us; an old head was needed.

[Wakefield Ram]

9 hours ago, Crown Flatter said:

I think we could have done with Paul Sykes in the team today to lead us; an old head was needed.

I can only guess Sykes is injured, unless anyone knows. 

[Blind side johnny]

4 hours ago, Wakefield Ram said:

I can only guess Sykes is injured, unless anyone knows. 

He was in the original 21, if that means anything.

[Wakefield Ram]

4 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

He was in the original 21, if that means anything.

Not necessarily as coaches can do this to keep the opposition guessing.

But PM has been fairly consistent in not picking Paul Sykes. Got MoM against Widnes, then got dropped.

Can't really understand why Louie Walker was played at 6. Played a couple of pro games on the wing, then is put at 6 straight from the amateur game in a team and plays that he couldn't be expected to really know. And against a strong and experienced Halifax side. He kicked well and didn't let anyone down but Sykes would have been a much better pick. If Sykes was fit, it was a mistake to not play him. Age is irrelevant, pick your best team. 

Edited May 11 by Wakefield Ram

[Ackroman]

5 minutes ago, Wakefield Ram said:

Not necessarily as coaches can do this to keep the opposition guessing.

But PM has been fairly consistent in not picking Paul Sykes. Got MoM against Widnes, then got dropped.

Can't really understand why Louie Walker was played at 6. Played a couple of pro games on the wing, then is put at 6 straight from the amateur game in a team and plays that he couldn't be expected to really know. And against a strong and experienced Halifax side. He kicked well and didn't let anyone down but Sykes would have been a much better pick. If Sykes was fit, it was a mistake to not play him. Age is irrelevant, pick your best team. 

Sykes's playing days could be over because age does matter, he is 45! No matter how much muscle mass he may have, his joints may resemble soggy biscuits after 30 years of full contact rugby. And with that in mind, he may not want to play and who could blame him.

[Wakefield Ram]

21 minutes ago, Ackroman said:

Sykes's playing days could be over because age does matter, he is 45! No matter how much muscle mass he may have, his joints may resemble soggy biscuits after 30 years of full contact rugby. And with that in mind, he may not want to play and who could blame him.

True, he might not want to play, but he did get MOM v Widnes. He'd have played better than Louie Walker.