2023 - Team & Squad

5 hours ago, BD20Cougar said:

Announced on twitter (but not Facebook yet) that Joe Gibbons has returned on loan from Leeds for the rest of the season, along with prop forward Tom Nicholson-Watton. Very happy with this one, I thought Gibbons looked a cut above the rest of our back row options in the few games he played before his injury.

 

I agree they are welcome additions. Though I do think Sid and Robson have been 2 of our better players lately, and both play back row.

I'm never going to complain at a prop joining us, especially now Toby is injured.

If what I've heard is true Ioane is back for Toulouse. Then Parker back for Swinton. Our pack could well be Ioane, Trout, Bibby and Parker for the Swinton game, If so I'd fancy us.

I have nothing against Stead but he certainly isn't our answer for a half back that will help drag us out of the relegation battle. He is an average half back in Championship 1. That is not taking anything away from the lad it's where he is. We have the more difficult fixtures to the end of the season. Can't believe that so many fans think that Swinton and Barrow are more or less nailed on. From what I read there were quite a few Featherstone fans that thought Barrow were the better team on the day.

2 hours ago, Mr Hicks said:

I have nothing against Stead but he certainly isn't our answer for a half back that will help drag us out of the relegation battle. He is an average half back in Championship 1. That is not taking anything away from the lad it's where he is. We have the more difficult fixtures to the end of the season. Can't believe that so many fans think that Swinton and Barrow are more or less nailed on. From what I read there were quite a few Featherstone fans that thought Barrow were the better team on the day.

 

I agree we have signed all these half backs but we needed a chisholm type of player someone who can create something and change a game. Non of the half's for me look like can change a game or become a match winner like dane could. 

12 hours ago, BD20Cougar said:

Announced on twitter (but not Facebook yet) that Joe Gibbons has returned on loan from Leeds for the rest of the season, along with prop forward Tom Nicholson-Watton. Very happy with this one, I thought Gibbons looked a cut above the rest of our back row options in the few games he played before his injury.

 

Agreed. Definitely a good signing. Very disappointed when he got injured and went back to Leeds.

12 hours ago, Mr Hicks said:

I have nothing against Stead but he certainly isn't our answer for a half back that will help drag us out of the relegation battle. He is an average half back in Championship 1. That is not taking anything away from the lad it's where he is. We have the more difficult fixtures to the end of the season. Can't believe that so many fans think that Swinton and Barrow are more or less nailed on. From what I read there were quite a few Featherstone fans that thought Barrow were the better team on the day.

 

I don't think anyone has said they are nailed on. Out of our remaining fixtures I think it's reasonable to think that the 2 we have most chance of winning are against teams that sit below us in the league?

Swinton at home beat us by 2 points when we barely had 17 fit players and had the worst left edge I've ever seen. Barrow away from home also beat us by 2 points, and that was with a controversial try from them near the end of the game, we also suffered injuries to Chisholm, Roby and Ioane during that game that meant we had players out of position for large parts. This isn't me complaining, it happens to most sides during the season, but with most injured players back (providing no more injuries V Toulouse) we have to have the belief we can win these.

We also have to look to be winning a game against Batley, Halifax, London or Sheffield, but I'm sure everyone will agree these are more difficult (on paper) than Swinton and Barrow.

Toulouse and Fev are pretty much write offs, but this is sport and stranger things have happened.

Regarding Ben Stead, I'd be shocked if he plays any minutes to be honest. The deal has been in the pipeline for a while so it's not like Matt Foster has gone out signed him.

In terms of us paying a fee to Midlands, all I will say is don't believe everything you read

New signing, Oscar Thomas. No idea if he's any or good or not but he does have a lot of championship experience. I presume he'll be slotting in at half back now Lewis is back at full back. 

All this recruitment in my mind is like last minute xmas shopping when you have realised you haven't got what you intended and have left it too late.

I have my fingers crossed we can pick up at least 3 results from somewhere  but struggling to say where they will come from. But when you only have 1 win in 9 you have to ask where will 3 from 8 come and there harder fixtures to come.

Please not another season in Championship 1

On the positive side it's good to see the club are now trying hard to survive in the Chapionship. However we really shouldn't be in this position given our start to the season.

I also don't know this player but it must be hard to come into a team in a pivotal position at this stage in the season and under the pressure we currently face.

Could Matt Foster save us? I think we all have our fingers crossed.

2 hours ago, Mr Hicks said:

All this recruitment in my mind is like last minute xmas shopping when you have realised you haven't got what you intended and have left it too late.

I have my fingers crossed we can pick up at least 3 results from somewhere  but struggling to say where they will come from. But when you only have 1 win in 9 you have to ask where will 3 from 8 come and there harder fixtures to come.

Please not another season in Championship 1

It certainly does seem to be a scatter gun approach but I do appreciate we needed numbers in before cut off date of 04th August. 

By my reckoning that's 35 players we currently have in the squad, 7 loanees included in that. (That's including Kieran Rush but I'm not sure if he's returned to Huddersfield post injury) 6 loanees if he has gone back.

I think 2 wins could be enough. That would mean we have 16 points and would mean Whitehaven would need to win at least one, Swinton at least two and Barrow at least 3. That's why Swinton away and Barrow at home are such huge games for us. The performance against Widnes gives me some hope, we defended really well in the first half and if it's wasn't for a poor 20 mins after half time it would have been much closer. We've got to hope that Matt Foster can eek an extra 10 percent out of the boys fro somewhere. Having the majority of the squad fit and available for Swinton (barring injury against Toulouse this week) can only be a good thing too.

Announcement at 6pm. Hearing whispers that Jack Miller is coming back to the club.

I think most were disappointed when he left and would welcome him back.

At the time I thought he'd made a mistake and events have proven so.

Personally, I hope the whispers are right as he would be a good addition to the squad for next season

4 minutes ago, Dovster said:

I think most were disappointed when he left and would welcome him back.

At the time I thought he'd made a mistake and events have proven so.

Personally, I hope the whispers are right as he would be a good addition to the squad for next season

I was disappointed at the time but wasn't too worried as we had Chizzy and Gale. Our half back options now compared to then are poles apart.

Rush will be going back to Hudds. Oscar Thomas has been decent since he come in and I'd keep him as a squad player for next season, but don't see him as the half back option. I think Lloyd Roby is leaving after this season. Harvey Spence has been in and out of the team so I can't see him being relied upon as a starting half. That means Jack would come in and then hopefully someone else to partner him to form a solid partnership.

Like I said that's just whispers, I don't know for sure. If it is true it might not be the announcement being made tonight. Let's wait and see.