Sat 20th-Sun 21st Apr: The Betfred Championship Match Thread

15 minutes ago, Rene_Artois said:

Massive day for rugby league in South Yorkshire. 2 very impressive results. From our point of view a couple of changes that paid off. Congratulations to Eagles. Great result.

Yes sheffield really going well, when they play wakey on friday night at their place in two weeks that will be a tough game to really test the trin.

Just now, Agbrigg said:

Yes sheffield really going well, when they play wakey on friday night at their place in two weeks that will be a tough game to really test the trin.

How will they fit away support in? Been to OLP and it's tiny.

1 hour ago, wakeyranger said:

I had the lasagna. Lovely stuff.

Really nice lasagne at Halifax too. Served with a salad and garlic bread. Always good catering at the Shay.

8 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

Yes sheffield really going well, when they play wakey on friday night at their place in two weeks that will be a tough game to really test the trin.

Daryl v Tubbs games are always an event.

7 minutes ago, Rene_Artois said:

How will they fit away support in? Been to OLP and it's tiny.

All ticket. They're like gold dust.

58 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Very good game at Featherstone today. Plenty of positives in defeat for Widnes. Slipped a little closer to the relegation zone though.

Entertaining match, and not much in it. Enjoyable afternoon all in all.

3 minutes ago, Griff said:

All ticket. They're like gold dust.

Sand and glitter? 

13 minutes ago, Rene_Artois said:

How will they fit away support in? Been to OLP and it's tiny.

All seats already sold out. Think ground tockets will sell out soon. 

10 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

All seats already sold out. Think ground tockets will sell out soon. 

Should be a great game. Enjoyed both of our games against Eagles despite the results.

2 hours ago, wakeyranger said:

Well a wins a win. A tale of 2 half's as they say. Tbh we got away with that bashing Batley down the middle. Think on the end full-time fitness showed. Well played Batley. A cracking day out.

Yep, fully agree. Batley looked to be in the driving seat at 14-12 up early in the second half, going downhill…but an increase in intensity and Uele dragging four defenders over with him for the try was a game-changer. 

I don't know quite where York pulled that performance from (given their recent form), but their victory over Bradford was well deserved, and a soft try let in at the death made the result look closer for the Bulls than it actually was.

Great day of rugby in the sunshine at York, with the women's match against Saints going down to the wire beforehand. If you could have added Batley's catering and beer, it would have been just about the perfect day out 

I was oddly confident about this one as we have a pretty good record against Bradford in recent years. Hopefully can now kick on.

Great result for the Valkyrie as well.

Yes, so happy for york. I have a soft spot for them, great club, lovely ground and their league position at the moment dosnt do them justice. I hope they kick on from here. 

On 20/04/2024 at 08:47, Mumby Magic said:

I think you'll win this weekend mate.

Please refrain from predicting us to win in future weeks. 

Didn't go so can't comment too much. Can't say Im too shocked at Sheffield winning but that is a good hiding. Finn can't really make any big changes either when we only have 18 players to pick from each week. Going to be a long season for us this one and we may end up in the relegation mix.

5 hours ago, Rene_Artois said:

How will they fit away support in? Been to OLP and it's tiny.

There’ll be two thousand paying spectators and 500 Wakey fans on the hill. They’ll be used to watching games on a slope after today! 

57 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Please refrain from predicting us to win in future weeks. 

Didn't go so can't comment too much. Can't say Im too shocked at Sheffield winning but that is a good hiding. Finn can't really make any big changes either when we only have 18 players to pick from each week. Going to be a long season for us this one and we may end up in the relegation mix.

Sorry was a typo tbh

Mini report on us. 

Well I think this could be the best Championship comp in a long time and we've had some crackers. 

Thought it'd be the banana skin and it was. Can't see York going fine but even though they beat us I still think they are lacking a bit.

For us Davies had his worst game of the season. For me he's leading for player of the season so far. For that it leaves Lilley to distribute and control. I love Lilleys commitment but when the proverbial hits the fan he can't control a game.

Only nods to McGowan, Souter and Doro for me. I'd put Flanagan back in the mix next week. We do need a rotation of players.

Great win for Featherstone especially after letting a 16 point lead be overturned. Showed real character to comeback with two late tries. A really good game and a sizeable following from Widnes.

10 hours ago, Mumby Magic said:

Mini report on us. 

Well I think this could be the best Championship comp in a long time and we've had some crackers. 

Thought it'd be the banana skin and it was. Can't see York going fine but even though they beat us I still think they are lacking a bit.

For us Davies had his worst game of the season. For me he's leading for player of the season so far. For that it leaves Lilley to distribute and control. I love Lilleys commitment but when the proverbial hits the fan he can't control a game.

Only nods to McGowan, Souter and Doro for me. I'd put Flanagan back in the mix next week. We do need a rotation of players.

I thought Lilly looked very ordinary yesterday not like he usually is against us, in fact The Bulls looked more like the way we have been playing up to yesterday, still, all teams have off days . The biggest problem we have had up to now is we haven’t had a settled team on the pitch two weeks running plus we still have 9 players who would be first choice picks sat on the sidelines through injury, credit to the kids who have come in though, especially Harrison and Pemberton.

Mrs WWD and I are just back from a long weekend visiting our good friends Dave-from-Donnie and Mrs Dave (Mrs WWD and Mrs Dave met at teacher training college and have been friends ever since and Dave and I have become lifelong friends too; we are all now drawing our old age pensions)

We packed a lot in, including visiting the exquisite Selby Abbey (so easily overlooked in the 'shadow' of Beverley Minster and York Minster, and the great RSPB reserve at Old Moor (highlight, a marsh harrier drifting across the reserve)

With Dave, I also got to my first live game yesterday since he and I saw Les Dracs beat the Wire at Wembley in 2018.  It was York -v- Bradford.  Some random thoughts:

• rugby on TV has some benefits, such as close up views of action in any part of the field, but the atmosphere of just being there takes some beating.
• the championship can serve up quality excitement and entertainment, as this game demonstrated, not least of all because the form book went out of the window.
• York's new stadium is excellent; Dave and I had a great view from the top, back row of stand EG.
• easy, free parking was a great bonus too.
• the world has moved on and old fogeys like me probably have to accept that; so, sorry that there was no printed programme and getting to the food & drink area only to discover that I could not pay with cash was a bit irksome, but hey ho!
• on the field, York thoroughly deserved their win; their structure and discipline never wavered.
• Harrison at full back was very good and must have come close to beating Harris as MOTM, though the latter deserved the award.
• York's last tackle kicking - especially in the first half - was very good, usually placing the ball between the defensive line immediately in front of them and the backs waiting further back.  Getting the ball to bounce in that way always allows players on the side who kicked the chance to make an extra few yards, so that the first tackle is close to where the ball was caught.  Why don't SL teams routinely do this?
• York's ability not to fade in the last fifteen minutes did them great credit.
• How good to see so many exciting and, in one case, rare features of our game, including an interception try and - the rarity - a drop goal added after a try.
• Well done to Mumby Magic for anticipating the 'banana skin'; Bradford let themselves down with a few too many errors, often unforced.
• If that was York with nine regulars missing, as Expatknight suggests, then, at or close to full strength, they should be able to give anybody in the championship a good game.

York Knights do produce a printed programme as well as a digital version.

1 hour ago, GaryHall said:

York Knights do produce a printed programme as well as a digital version.

Admittedly I'm only an occasional visitor, but I haven't seen them on sale since early/mid season last year.

10 hours ago, Barley Mow said:

Admittedly I'm only an occasional visitor, but I haven't seen them on sale since early/mid season last year.

They are produced for every league game printed by my son's company All Design & Print Ltd.

28 minutes ago, GaryHall said:

They are produced for every league game printed by my son's company All Design & Print Ltd.

Okay, thanks.

It's intriguing, I always sit at the northern end of the main stand and, as I say, there haven't been any on sale there since at least the middle of last season. I always make a point of looking out for them too. Perhaps I'd find them in the other concourse if I got a ticket for the other end of the stand.

1 hour ago, GaryHall said:

They are produced for every league game printed by my son's company All Design & Print Ltd.

USUALLY ON SALE AT BACK OF EAST STAND JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE TURNSTILES WHEN YOU COME IN