Re: Fax v bulldogs : Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:30 pm  

cowfax wrote:

What a great game. First half played at fanastic pace. end to end, mostly due to Murrels superb kicking. We finally played a game with the necessary intensity, until the last ten minutes unfortunately. Batley matched us, in fact I thought they ouplayed us at times but our line defence was superb with everyone working overtime. There must be a lot of acheing bodies this morning. All the forwards were superb. Handforth showed how he can play given a platform by his forwards. Worrincy looked mean and keen with one suoprb trysaver tackle early on. Sherriffe sound (nearly) but has lost a yard. Centres still work in progress (as KH likes to say) but still we can`t seem to give em half a yard start. i thought our D had given us the points but credit to Batley a super breakaway try finsished with real pace by their winger. Even then it took the hardest pass of all to defend ( poor one on the ground) to finally split us open. I think if it had gone to hand we would have defended that one too. Can`t wait for next week now. Enthusiasm restored. Who needs Sooper League.

This post is a perfect summary of the match. Although it's always annoying to concede in the last seconds irrespective of whether or not we were better or not, the contest was very evenly matched and a draw a fair result. And as for not keeping it tight when we were 18-8 up ................... I remember a certain amount of criticism after the Sheffield match at Fax not opening up more near the end to deprive the Eagles of a bonus point. Something tells me there would be certain posters on here who would be firing the same criticism had we closed up at a 10 point lead last night. You just can't win sometimes .............

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:52 pm  

Plenty to be positive about, it was a good game and a draw at Batley isn't a bad result at all. Id hope we beat them at our place though.
Its still early days, and definitely a bit soon for people to be writing players off, when pitches dry up and the sun is shining i think sides will struggle to contain our pack.
We still have potentially Cook, Nanyn and Morrison to come back into that side and a few current players that can improve and we know can play better, and were still unbeaten and doing the ugly work sufficiently well enough to be optimistic that when they click we'll start putting sides away.

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:04 pm  

Just think with our pack what we could do with a Menzie Yere type player in the centres.

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:05 pm  

Ok, I'm sure Thacks himself is frustrated that he isn't firing on all cylinders, but have you seen anyone else who a) times it so well and b) chases so hard behind an attacking kick.

Miles only dropped the ball when we scored because Thacks was bearing down on him.

Agree that he needs to (re)develop his game to fit in and improve his passing quality, but you really can't fault him for enthusiasm.

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:00 pm  

I might be in the minority but Thacks will have his part to play just has he did in helping us to win at Blackpool and in other games as well.

In any case what happened last year is irrelevant it's what happens this year that counts.

Tiger took a lot of flack even up untill recently and yet he is in mosts peoples man of the match choices in one place or another now.

Thacks, if he is going to be a running half then that's what he needs to do and take the line on more, for that he needs quicker play the balls and quicker pitches.

The play the ball is down to the players winning the collision and getting to or staying on their feet and forcing the ref's hand, the pitches will dry out and then we will be able to see how it turns out.

We are 5 games into the season and have only just left February behind and there was a big improvment on Thursday and still a lot more to come, we'll get there.

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:07 am  

Well said faxcar. Its 5 games in and we are still unbeaten and not totally firing yet. Personally I think Tiger and Murrell are going to drive this team forward in the weeks to come(Murrells kicking was best I have seen by a Halifax player at Batley) and Thacks won't get going until ground get's harder. He is still elusive around the opposition try line and will get a few crucial tries before the end of the season. Its actually in the middle of the park where we look tame on attack.That is also taking out our wingers talent as they simply are not getting put away by a Centre making a break or simply drawing the man and pasing. Hope Nanyn can make a difference and stay fit.Be interesting to revist this post at the end of the season!

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Sat Mar 02, 2013 11:16 pm  

Tyler out time to bring in the human wrecking machine Nanyn

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Sun Mar 03, 2013 7:54 am  

I think folks should get off Handforth & Thackery's backs, they are both decent quality players & always have been. I haven't seen thursdays game yet, I've only played back until Murrell was attacked by Walton, but from the games i've seen this season, any problems we have going forwards aren't the fault of our half backs in my opinion. Handforth will be a better player without Penky running up his own backside this season & Murrell is a brilliant player at this standard so I expect more teams to take Kear's old fashioned tactics of getting his hitmen to attempt to knock his head off & stop our creativity. Thacks's defence was criticised in an earlier post with regards to playing him at hooker, well you just watch who is almost always the first man when when we've kicked downfield to make a tackle, I guarantee he'll nearly always be there. The physical efforts & intensities of defending around the play the ball isn't exactly where i'd want to stick him & use all his gas up when he's clearly one of our best strike players & supporter of the runner. Ask yourselves why they are sent to defend out at centre, Some folks don't read the game properly who post on here !!!
As a front rower for most of my playing career i learned that your best half backs need good protection if they are to be allowed to be creative with the ball. Our pack in the main will give this & Thacks will burn sides on the drier, firmer tracks for sure & open sides up for our three-quarters.
Once again, i cannot believe the negativity amongst some of our support.

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:20 am  

Part Quote.
"well you just watch who is almost always the first man when when we've kicked downfield to make a tackle."

He did it again this week Col, just watch when Tyrer looses the ball and knocks it into Blackys hands who breaks up field and feeds it to Potter.

Who is the only Fax player to get back and force him wide enough so they miss the kick, which as it turned out got us the draw.

Back to the game as a whole and having watched it again and some time to reflect.

The first half we dominated field position and the game for long peroids.

Second half was more even and a bit scrappier but we still looked strong for the whole game considering the short turn around from Sunday.

Conclusion, we were 10 points up with just minutes to play against Batley on their own turf, not many sides will be in that position.

We were one attacking set (when we through out that long pass) and they intercepted from being home and dry, if we had kept possession and gone in again they wouldn't have even got a BP.

We were one exit set and kick (when Brachek knocked on on the 4 th tackle) in the dying minutes from being home and dry.

Again not a bad effort at the Dogs.

A couple of lapses and it cost us and credit to Batley when they got a lifeline they took it.

Re: Fax v bulldogs : Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:22 am  

He may be the first there but he very rarely effects the tackle. It may be harsh but he would make Graham Holroyd look like Stephen Holgate. He needs a lot of work defensively.

As for the hooker position, defending never affected Penky and Rowley 2 of the best defensive and attacking players that have graced the hooking role over the years.

It is slow ball that is affecting our attacking play, it just dosnt go through the hookers and halfs hands quick enough or accurately enough.