[triran]

Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Wed Sep 16, 2015 1:45 pm  

Hot Halifax Richard Marshall’s side were meant to be whipping boys in the Super 8s qualifiers. Finishing in fourth spot in the Championship, they were expected to be cannon fodder for the Super League teams and the likes of Leigh and Bradford. But Halifax have been a breath of fresh air with their determined displays, gritty defence and pure commitment. This is a well-coached team that play for each other and are united. Marshall, in just his first season after leaving the Warrington coaching job, has done a fantastic job. Fax almost pulled off the unthinkable, an upset against Super League opposition in Widnes in round one. They were impressive, but beaten, against Hull KR and then were dreadfully unlucky to lose to Sheffield in the dying minutes. But today they surprised Championship rivals Leigh with a dominant 22-point win, their first in the Qualifiers. The unlikely victory has given them an outside chance of booking their place in the million pound game, with fixtures against Wakefield and Bradford to come. Regardless of what happens in the rest of the season, Halifax have over-achieved. Marshall is of the best young coaches in England. With him in charge and if Fax continue to grow and build incrementally, this is a club on the rise who may just well be a fixture in Super League in the years to come. Cite - http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_197 ... -heat.html

Hot Halifax Richard Marshall’s side were meant to be whipping boys in the Super 8s qualifiers. Finishing in fourth spot in the Championship, they were expected to be cannon fodder for the Super League teams and the likes of Leigh and Bradford. But Halifax have been a breath of fresh air with their determined displays, gritty defence and pure commitment. This is a well-coached team that play for each other and are united. Marshall, in just his first season after leaving the Warrington coaching job, has done a fantastic job. Fax almost pulled off the unthinkable, an upset against Super League opposition in Widnes in round one. They were impressive, but beaten, against Hull KR and then were dreadfully unlucky to lose to Sheffield in the dying minutes. But today they surprised Championship rivals Leigh with a dominant 22-point win, their first in the Qualifiers. The unlikely victory has given them an outside chance of booking their place in the million pound game, with fixtures against Wakefield and Bradford to come. Regardless of what happens in the rest of the season, Halifax have over-achieved. Marshall is of the best young coaches in England. With him in charge and if Fax continue to grow and build incrementally, this is a club on the rise who may just well be a fixture in Super League in the years to come. Cite - http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_197 ... -heat.html

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:11 pm  

Wouldn't say you've over-achieved. We all (should) know what 'Fax have been capable of all season - Leigh have struggled three times against them - so their comparative success in the Qualifiers is no surprise to me.

A genuine question please, if I may? What happens if 'Fax get to the £ Million game and win it? (and that is certainly a possibility) Your club has already stated that they will be 'part-time' next season, but how would you be able to gear up for SL, at very short notice?

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:17 pm  

Alan wrote:

Wouldn't say you've over-achieved. We all (should) know what 'Fax have been capable of all season - Leigh have struggled three times against them - so their comparative success in the Qualifiers is no surprise to me.

A genuine question please, if I may? What happens if 'Fax get to the £ Million game and win it? (and that is certainly a possibility) Your club has already stated that they will be 'part-time' next season, but how would you be able to gear up for SL, at very short notice?

Tony Abbot said on Rugby AM "that would be a good problem to have" although i don't know what the outcome would be.

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Wed Sep 16, 2015 6:59 pm  

Alan wrote:

Wouldn't say you've over-achieved. We all (should) know what 'Fax have been capable of all season - Leigh have struggled three times against them - so their comparative success in the Qualifiers is no surprise to me.

A genuine question please, if I may? What happens if 'Fax get to the £ Million game and win it? (and that is certainly a possibility) Your club has already stated that they will be 'part-time' next season, but how would you be able to gear up for SL, at very short notice?

And a very good question Alan.
As I see it we have a number of players contracted for next year who may or may not wish to go full time.
Much has been made of this "running up and down a ladder all day " as apposed to full time players, but, some of our players who do similar jobs may not wish to give their jobs up for what a year two at best.
Some of our players have jobs they would not want to to give up the security their job offers again for a year or two.
So we will have to stay part time.
Close season with Richard and the coaching staff with our existing and new players will make us competitive whatever league we are in.
As Huddshay has said if it happens it will be a nice problem to deal with.
Personally, I would love to win the next two? three? games, but, I wouldn't like to see us in Super League next season.
But hey, a lot of people on this board tell me I am negative and accept second best.

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:27 pm  

halifaxjohn wrote:

And a very good question Alan.
As I see it we have a number of players contracted for next year who may or may not wish to go full time.
Much has been made of this "running up and down a ladder all day " as apposed to full time players, but, some of our players who do similar jobs may not wish to give their jobs up for what a year two at best.
Some of our players have jobs they would not want to to give up the security their job offers again for a year or two.
So we will have to stay part time.
Close season with Richard and the coaching staff with our existing and new players will make us competitive whatever league we are in.
As Huddshay has said if it happens it will be a nice problem to deal with.
Personally, I would love to win the next two? three? games, but, I wouldn't like to see us in Super League next season.
But hey, a lot of people on this board tell me I am negative and accept second best

HJ I think you make a good and sensible point, not negative.

We all want Fax to be in super league but it has to be done with a strong foundation and a structure that is built to survive and be successful.

We have seen clubs go boom and bust. You can go up quickly and come down much quicker!

I think the BoD and Richard have a longer term plan that will bring us success and I support them to do that.

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:53 pm  

halifaxjohn wrote:

And a very good question Alan.
As I see it we have a number of players contracted for next year who may or may not wish to go full time.
Much has been made of this "running up and down a ladder all day " as apposed to full time players, but, some of our players who do similar jobs may not wish to give their jobs up for what a year two at best.
Some of our players have jobs they would not want to to give up the security their job offers again for a year or two.
So we will have to stay part time.
Close season with Richard and the coaching staff with our existing and new players will make us competitive whatever league we are in.
As Huddshay has said if it happens it will be a nice problem to deal with.
Personally, I would love to win the next two? three? games, but, I wouldn't like to see us in Super League next season.
But hey, a lot of people on this board tell me I am negative and accept second best.

Agreed, I think we've far exceeded any expectations/BOD targets. SL would be 18 months or so too soon IMO.....slow and steady wins the race.

Isn't it great to read articles like that...

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Wed Sep 16, 2015 8:42 pm  

halifaxjohn wrote:

And a very good question Alan.
As I see it we have a number of players contracted for next year who may or may not wish to go full time.
Much has been made of this "running up and down a ladder all day " as apposed to full time players, but, some of our players who do similar jobs may not wish to give their jobs up for what a year two at best.
Some of our players have jobs they would not want to to give up the security their job offers again for a year or two.
So we will have to stay part time.
Close season with Richard and the coaching staff with our existing and new players will make us competitive whatever league we are in.
As Huddshay has said if it happens it will be a nice problem to deal with.
Personally, I would love to win the next two? three? games, but, I wouldn't like to see us in Super League next season.
But hey, a lot of people on this board tell me I am negative and accept second best.

John,

I'm sure you would be competitive for a while in Sooper Dooper League with this squad (wish we'd done it in 2005, with our 2004 GF winning team) but, as we've found out, mixing it with the big boys on a regular basis, has come as a heck of a shock to our team. I think you would inevitably struggle after a while, without the benefits that a full time environment would (should?) bring.

Your BOD and coaching team are obviously on a good track, but premature promotion could cause unwanted/unforeseen disruption to 'the plan'. Wouldn't it be ironic, after all the teeth gnashing of Leigh and Bradford fans, if a 'part-time' team achieved what we have, to an extent, considered our 'right' as 'full time' Championship teams, to sweep the SL bottom four aside on our glorious march to the 'Promised Land'?

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Thu Sep 17, 2015 7:07 am  

This was a discussion I had with a Bulls mate of mine on Monday( I know, I took pity on him), the thought was that if we won the million pound game we could not realyy say no, we'll wait a bit thanks. The club would have to have a quick rethink, unless they already have a plan B, which KH never had.
Going full time in SL would mean we'd have far more money than the BoD ever envisaged so the would be a positive, that extra money might allow a couple of the part time players to possibly take a year out if their jobs allowed.
Just as an aside, the term 'part time' doesn't really apply as these guys give their all, not just the Fax players'.

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Thu Sep 17, 2015 7:10 am  

Norman Bates wrote:

This was a discussion I had with a Bulls mate of mine on Monday( I know, I took pity on him), the thought was that if we won the million pound game we could not realyy say no, we'll wait a bit thanks. The club would have to have a quick rethink, unless they already have a plan B, which KH never had.
Going full time in SL would mean we'd have far more money than the BoD ever envisaged so the would be a positive, that extra money might allow a couple of the part time players to possibly take a year out if their jobs allowed.
Just as an aside, the term 'part time' doesn't really apply as these guys give their all, not just the Fax players'.

How true Norman. That's why I would never publicly criticise any individual player. I have total respect for each one of them who crosses that white line and goes on the pitch.

However badly we were outplayed on Sunday, nobody could question the effort put in by our guys.

Re: Interesting piece from LoveRugbyLeague.com : Thu Sep 17, 2015 7:29 am  

Yep to that