Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 4:28 pm  

Thought we looked like a team that just won its last two games at a canter... York looked well coached and confident... Tried to muscle us off our game and it almost worked...

We tried to move the ball too much IMO we should have battered then down the middle more. Sub standard ball control in the tackle... But hands were everywhere and tons of messing around at the ruck... We needed to have to tough it out, good win against a form team

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 4:30 pm  

Pratt and Olpherts must have handed the ball over at least three times apiece! Multiple spills from probably 6 or 7 others in the team. We really haven't sorted this problem right back from Siddal in the cup.

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 4:31 pm  

If I'm being kind, I could point to another HB combination. With Jowitt return to FB after a few weeks of playing in the halves which perhaps meant our attack was off. Sadly our fowarad didn't lay the platform they usually do, but our poor ball retention from the backs meant that every single drive was practically from our own 10.

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 4:40 pm  

A win is indeed a win and there are always positives even in a poor display like that.
We were forced to defend our own try line whilst fatigued, under repeated pressure and all while the match was still in the balance. That is a useful exercise that we can’t replicate on the training field and will hopefully stand us in good stead in the tougher games to come in the Play Offs.

However, we haven’t learned the lessons from the Toulouse defeat and we remain vulnerable to an opposition that defends resolutely and also has a potent attacking game. We are without doubt the best team in the Championship but are wide open to a mugging in the biggest game of the year. If that happens it’s our own fault but questions would have to be asked as to why we haven’t fixed ourselves up after being exposed in that TO away game.

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 4:45 pm  

We continue to rely on our conditioning team over our coaching team.

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 4:58 pm  

Wollo-Wollo-Wollo-Wayoo wrote:

We continue to rely on our conditioning team over our coaching team.

York looked the fitter team today, but again that was our poor ball control putting us under pressure.

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 5:04 pm  

A win is indeed a win and there are always positives even in a poor display like that.
We were forced to defend our own try line whilst fatigued, under repeated pressure and all while the match was still in the balance. That is a useful exercise that we can’t replicate on the training field and will hopefully stand us in good stead in the tougher games to come in the Play Offs.

However, we haven’t learned the lessons from the Toulouse defeat and we remain vulnerable to an opposition that defends resolutely and also has a potent attacking game. We are without doubt the best team in the Championship but are wide open to a mugging in the biggest game of the year. If that happens it’s our own fault but questions would have to be asked as to why we haven’t fixed ourselves up after being exposed in that TO away game.

Totally agree. There was some complacency and, it seemed to me, some bewilderment - why are York still tackling us and attacking us you could see them thinking. York aimed to get under our skin and did just that and we couldn't adapt. I reckon it came at just the right time, with enough time to put things right before the play-offs. You can bet all the other playoff teams will be looking at that video in real detail.

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 5:09 pm  

I thought the two York halves were far better than our pair, not Kayes fault but I thought Gale was terrible. Our forwards looked flat and tired and without the special bits of skill from Max, we would have been in real trouble. A wins a win, but play like that in the play offs and we will be in danger of defeat.

[PopTart]

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 5:13 pm  

I think York had a good game plan and executed well on the whole.
They really put pressure on Atoni today with 4 in on him consistently.
If they'd had better outside backs, especially Lineham, they'd have scored some points.
But ultimately we had about 4 chances at the line and took them.

Was a good workout before the playoffs.

Re: York City Knights home : Sun Sep 15, 2024 6:29 pm  

Thought the 10m by the ref was generous all game, although not the best ref this season it made it a slog by putting the whistle away most of the game, it was a slog and a game we really needed as a test.