Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:25 am  

Lilley has generally struggled when he is given the role of leading the side round pitch and controlling the game, he is much more effective when he is free to play his own game. Unless he is 100% there seems little point risking him in a game that isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. I know teams below Fev and Toulouse are battling for that 3rd spot but for Bradford to make any impression on the play offs we need our key men fit at the end of the year.

Fax will be fired up for this one and I think it probably means a bit more to the their fans so usually they put on a good performance at home, so a victory seems unlikely in our current injury situation.

Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:17 am  

Plenty of effort apart from line defence. England has got to be our best signing this season. Once again Oakes offered very little from centre and we really need Kear playing there asap. Also I don't remember Hamlett getting a pass all afternoon.

[Bullseye]

Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:46 am  

Oakes has great hands and usually gets his winger away. It's his main strength. Not sure whether he's had enough ball to do this. He's not a running threat - never has been.

Can't see beyond a Fax win this weekend. We just need to make it difficult for them by improving the defence, which is a bit of a worry given we played on our postage stamp sized pitch.

Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 1:58 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Oakes has great hands and usually gets his winger away. It's his main strength. Not sure whether he's had enough ball to do this. He's not a running threat - never has been.

Can't see beyond a Fax win this weekend. We just need to make it difficult for them by improving the defence, which is a bit of a worry given we played on our postage stamp sized pitch.

Oakes got very little ball in an attacking position but watch his defense on the video, one on one was excellent and kept Kris Wellam quiet. If the ball came left he might get chance to show what he can do instead of always on the right side when we attack. His runs out of defense were once again strong.

Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:19 pm  

He just doesn"t do it for me. I do agree he has great hands for his winger but I think a centre should be able to beat a player either by strength, speed or good footwork. Oakes very rarely does any of that. I think we would be better cultivating him in the 2nd row. As far as bringing the ball out of defence he"s ok but that's not really a centres job, that's what forwards are for.

[Bullseye]

Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:57 pm  

TBF neither Oakes or Evans are the complete package in terms of playing centre. It's why they're with us and not in SL.

Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:17 pm  

Stockwell & Smales wrote:

He just doesn"t do it for me. I do agree he has great hands for his winger but I think a centre should be able to beat a player either by strength, speed or good footwork. Oakes very rarely does any of that. I think we would be better cultivating him in the 2nd row. As far as bringing the ball out of defence he"s ok but that's not really a centres job, that's what forwards are for.

Totally agree it should be a forwards job thats why every team uses wingers and centres to run the ball out.

Re: Featherstone (H) : Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:23 pm  

One of the things that frustrated me with Oakes on Sunday was when he was taking the ball in, he constantly stepped back into the markers, whereas if he just carried running straight, he would have made a couple more metres even before contact. At some points he was stepping back into the markers who were directly at the side of him.

As Bullseye said, if Oakes and Evans were the perfect centres who could put their winger away, defend superbly and beat defenders, they wouldn't be with us. I think they're very good centres for this league however.

Re: Featherstone (H) : Thu Jul 29, 2021 5:45 am  

Bull Mania wrote:

The incident I did find frustrating was the Ferres headbutt. I mean the linesman a metre away and has a perfect view. I don't like bagging refs as without them there's no game and with shortages already starting to happen we need to be respectful (I actually thought the referee was good yesterday and seemed to let the game flow)
.

So I saw the match review panel brought their decisions on the SL games on Tuesday. When do they review the Championship games? Is it today?

Re: Featherstone (H) : Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:17 pm  

Ferres not even sighted for the headbutt by the MRP...