Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Mon Apr 20, 2015 12:33 pm  

charlie caroli wrote:

Aim for the Sky Rich,be positive.

Well done to Leythers and fair comments from fellow posters.

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Mon Apr 20, 2015 12:50 pm  

I'm trying (as we all should be) to entice past fans back to sample the current fare.The three occasions i've managed this,this,season we have been comfortably beaten.The prospect of seven beatings in middle 8s is hardly likely to attract new supporters.sorry the ghosts of 97 and 2003 still prevail in my negative mindset !

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Mon Apr 20, 2015 2:16 pm  

Finishing in the top 4 gives an indicator of where the club is at and what gap needs to be further closed. The following mini league gives an idea of what can be achieved by a part time squad and whether there is a desire to go full time more quickly, or employ a reasonable balance of full time players. Can't see much delight in winning the minor competition. In this case there is much to be learned from the middle eights, even in defeat. It also might make club more attractive to potential recruits...........or drive existing good players away if ambition is missing.

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Mon Apr 20, 2015 3:26 pm  

Fax Machine wrote:

I can't believe we're even discussing this!

This is sport and our aim should be to ALWAYS finish as high as possible, to go out to win every single game and be as competitive as possible. Anything else is not acceptable.

If we do that then we, as fans, should be happy. I certainly would be because if the team, the BOD and the fans have given their all then we can expect no more and we will continue to progress as a club.

Spot on!

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Mon Apr 20, 2015 3:36 pm  

Top four is essential under this new structure for any club with ambition to progress and build for the future.

Finding yourselves outside of the four will make life extremely difficult as the difference in 4th and 5th is some serious quality in terms of PT playing salaries. If you guys can get it together there is no reason you cant take the forth spot and even challenge for third this year as you have a great squad and a progressive young coach.

I watched with interest the twitter feed from your game Friday night and it seemed like you put up a spirited show, go FT when the times right and you can afford to, many will gamble and fail now the door to SL is open again and a sustainable well run club that builds steadily is better than a bankrupt one.

Great club Fax and just as much a sleeping giant as Leigh was when we woke it up in June 2013.

Good luck guys I hope you make that forth spot and continue to build off the pitch.

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Mon Apr 20, 2015 3:40 pm  

SRW1996 wrote:

Top four is essential under this new structure for any club with ambition to progress and build for the future.

Finding yourselves outside of the four will make life extremely difficult as the difference in 4th and 5th is some serious quality in terms of PT playing salaries. If you guys can get it together there is no reason you cant take the forth spot and even challenge for third this year as you have a great squad and a progressive young coach.

I watched with interest the twitter feed from your game Friday night and it seemed like you put up a spirited show, go FT when the times right and you can afford to, many will gamble and fail now the door to SL is open again and a sustainable well run club that builds steadily is better than a bankrupt one.

Great club Fax and just as much a sleeping giant as Leigh was when we woke it up in June 2013.

Good luck guys I hope you make that forth spot and continue to build off the pitch.

Thank you-hope we can follow your lead.

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:29 pm  

Personally I think it's a very good post woothe discussing. I would like us to finish in the top four, the money would help us strengthen and it might just attract further sponsorship and support.
I am quite sure Richard would want to be in the top four and its up to the board of finding a way to help him achieve this.

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else"
Albert Einstein.

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:39 am  

It is essential for us to finish top 4. If we do finish top 4 and we go on to lose all the games in the middle 8 that doesn't really matter in the short term. We need the extra funding so we can hopefully help RM add to the squad and we also need to show ambition to attract better players. If you satisfy yourself with lower championship rugby then all you will ever attract will be lower championship standard players. Of course this may not help the crowd levels but I suggest that unless we get back into SL then crowds will not increase anyway.

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:12 am  

I have always believed that every club has a duty to attempt to put on its best performance when it walks on to a pitch. As a consequence I believe this debate is not about should we try and come as high as possible but IF we will achieve a top four spot based on the season so far - A small but vital distinction.

I have now had the opportunity to watch 11 of the championship clubs play (thats the advantage of having too much spare time) the exception being Doncaster (I am not sure i have missed much). Based upon this I would make the following comments:-

- The standard of referees in the league remains below expectation, whilst i feel they are actually working better as a "team" this year the guys in the middle are making some serious mistakes. I believe that this is down to both a lack of empathy with the players and a level of fitness that means they struggle for parts of the game. Given this it remains very feasible that the top four places could, if the league remains close, come down to refereeing mistakes over a season....contra to belief there is no mathematical logic that "decisions even themselves out over a season" - they don't!

- Leigh and Bradford are operating at a higher level of consistent skill, fitness and squad strength than the other teams in the league (albeit in a one off game either could loose) so will be in the top four.
- London Broncos off season was horrendous, they have a talented group of players, but lacked motivation and fitness. They are on the up now, with real coach, and, whilst exposed to key player injury (although DR will help), will continue to improve. They will loose a few more games but will be in the top four.
- Sheffield are punching above their weight, as ever. Good recruitment, well coached, but exposed by depth of squad. Have had a relatively easy start. Fighting for fourth
- Featherstone gone backwards this year, despite recruitment and squad size. Always hard to overcome, but have they been knocked for six by Castleford's plans as they appear to have lost energy off the field? . Fighting for fourth
- Halifax, Significant improvement since last season, but lack of investment in "playmakers" has hampered development of team. Defence still suspect. Fighting for fourth
- The rest, can always cause an upset, but nothing in teams that should frighten the rest.

So for me there is just a reinforcement of my pre-season views. Fax can do it, but I seriously worry that our lack of playmakers in the key games will let us down an when we get there we will struggle to win a game.

The only thing the season proves so far (including the cup games) is you need to be full-time to stand a chance of competing for promotion and every season Fax are only Part-time, under present 8's format, will have same results. So prize money, BOD investment (above the generous amounts given now) and enhanced fans financial and physical support will all be needed. But then whats new!

Re: Mid season re-evaluation. : Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:53 pm  

I am not going to rise to Howard Posner's analysis of the 'Fax shortcomings, this season, other than to comment that it may have looked different if Miles Greenwood were still at Fullback! That's not to criticise James Saltonstall, arguably the outstanding player so far, but he would have contributed in another position. The modern approach is to play a 'pivot' at Fullback, Scrum Half, Stand off and Hooker. Because of Miles' injury we haven't had that luxury, up to know.
However, I do want to emphasise what I said at last week's Fax Forum. There was no pressure on Richard Marshall to target the top 4 (and thus the middle 8s) this season. His brief is to entertain, and if that generates a Middle 8 place, so much the better.
Fax's central funding this season is £200K because we finished 3rd in last season's Championship, or 17th overall. 17th overall in 2015 and beyond means winning the Championship Shield, and the funding next year will be the same.
Bottom of the middle 8s will increase central funding to £450K (Featherstone this year), second bottom £500K (Leigh this year), third bottom and loser of the 'million pound game will each get £787K (London and Bradford this year).
We are not planning for a backward step, although it could happen. Any forward step has such financial significance that a Club can recruit to consolidate and then move forward. Our ambition for the rest of this season is to maintain our present league position and thus enter the middle 8s, use the increased funding to ensure a reserve grade and to consolidate next season, leading to reserve grade and full time the season after.
But it won't be achieved on Home Gates of 1122! Bring a Friend (or three).
Michael Steele