London (A) : Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:52 am  

Season defining?

If we lose this and Fax & Batley win, then we drop out of the play-offs. If Sheffield also win then it is out of our hands whether we qualify going into the final game of the season.

Rogers is back. We desperately need Gaskell fit and hopefully Blackmore too who I think we have badly missed.

London smashed an in-form Widnes side so we are really up against it here.

Do we bring Patton back into the mix to get Lilley in at Hooker to speed up the PTB which is where we've really struggled since Segeyaros injury.

Re: London (A) : Mon Sep 11, 2023 10:35 am  

I too am 'reliably' informed that Patton is not at the club but is on the payroll until contract end.

Can't see him playing. Gaskell and Lilley at 6 and 7, Holmes at 1 but we are definitely too slow at the PTB.

However, us by 10 with Gaskell providing the creativity (probably more of a wish than prediction but...)

[Bullseye]

Re: London (A) : Mon Sep 11, 2023 11:15 am  

London are due a loss (he says hopefully).

Gaskell was out due to illness rather than injury I heard so maybe that means he'll be back. We missed his creativity and kicking game vs York.

Not sure if Blackmore will be back this season unfortunately. At hooker we're probably stuck with Flanagan and Jowitt. They both give 100% but George is past his best and Jowitt is very green and needs to work on his pass since quite a few end up off target which nullifies our attack.

Moving Holmes back to fullback will help given there's no option to play Lilley at hooker unless Lawford came back into the reckoning which seems very unlikely.

Options for covering for Blackmore might be to put Wynne on one wing and Tindall on the other? Myers will be back too and could cover wing or centre. I'd drop Appo and maybe put Arundal back in the second row if needed.

Re: London (A) : Mon Sep 11, 2023 4:09 pm  

Gaskell has tweaked him hamstring, could have played at a push yesterday but decided not to risk him. If he is 90% for London then he has to play because without him our chances are slim and it’s probably season over.

If Patton will play no further part, then why not just announce it? Nothing to lose they plan to play anybody but him. I can only assume it is on an off field issue as whilst he could be a liability he did at least offer a kicking game that we badly needed yesterday without Gaskell.

Distribution was crap from the ptb, how many times did we see a slow looping pass, to bootlaces or behind the first receiver yesterday? We’ve seen this side can turn out a performance and I suspect the underdog tag will suit them this weekend as it really is do or die time.

As Greenwood has said previously, the time for talking is well and truly over…

[Bullseye]

Re: London (A) : Mon Sep 11, 2023 4:19 pm  

T&A said Gaskell had tonsillitis. Whatever it is we need him back. Agreed about the service from dummy half. York schooled us there yesterday.

Re: London (A) : Mon Sep 11, 2023 4:42 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

T&A said Gaskell had tonsillitis. Whatever it is we need him back. Agreed about the service from dummy half. York schooled us there yesterday.

Greenwood laughed in the post match interview and said it was his hamstring not tonsillitis.

[Bullseye]

Re: London (A) : Thu Sep 14, 2023 5:57 am  

Lawford back in contention. Interesting.

Re: London (A) : Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:21 am  

Lilley needs to be back as starting hooker. Holmes needs to be back at FB. That’s where they are both most effective. But, that would leave a Halfback combination of two out of Gaskell, Jowitt, Lawford. Which is a big roll of the dice in such an important game. Lawford would need an experienced half alongside him if he’s seriously in contention.

Re: London (A) : Thu Sep 14, 2023 10:22 am  

Remember Greenwood saying he wouldn't call him back just to be 18th man. So if we have recalled him then he's most likely playing. Be interesting to hear the full interview as he was training with us anyway. For me I would put him in even if Gaskell is fit. As highlander said we need Lilley in at Hooker as our dummy half speed has been painful since Segeyaros injury. Also not having Holmes at FB also stunts oue attack by having Wynne there. So this solves both problems. Yes it's a bit of a gamble but he's been playing regularly for Hunslet and in pressured play-off games. Set up a nice try at the weekend. We're at the business end of the season now so we need to be brave and go for it. Not passive and end up sleep walking out of the play-offs.

Re: London (A) : Fri Sep 15, 2023 12:00 pm  

Looks like no Lawford, according to Hunslet he's not in their squad due to a concussion suffered in training with us!