Pps

Thought our kicking out of hand was pretty average and we didn't pressure their kicks either.....

I guess the defence was pretty good and they never really threatened from distance.

Whilst I think there's an overreaction to the defeat, and I chuckled at a p'take of Mick McCarthy on talk sport, about not getting carried away with a victory and not being too down about a defeat. We have an interesting conundrum a few have spotted, Johnno is not the first choice half back or full back for many, but he offers us something the rest of the team can't do, we used to have Penky making breaks from nowhere, towards the end of last year Johnno was doing just that, ducking under tackles, zipping round people wrong footed, and backing up every break, he may not be the biggest and will occasionally get run over by an 18 stone 6'3 forward, but his breaks are such a pressure release sometimes, and his speed to back up is something we lacked on Sunday. Personally I think we have to shuffle things round a bit and perhaps have an unorthodox set up, we have to find a space for his impact plays and line attacks. Gaz and Muzza while both competent are not going to make as many line breaks between them as Johnno does on his own, it's not a fault, and Gaz has played really well, and gets no criticism, we just have to find a spot on the bench at least for Johnno, perhaps he rotates 9, and or we take a look at young Brandon. All in all though it's nil desperandum.

Alan I had half a thought towards the Leigh situation and you will know better and more than me but how many changes have they had, intended and unintended.

A new coach.

Several of last years side move on.

A raft of new players come in.

Injuries in the key positions of 1,6,7 and 9 slots, namely McNally, Rydyard, Chase, Beswick, Higham etc.

Not exactly ideal ingredients for a fulling gelling side but the quality is there and everyone expects them to click at some time.

The Fax pack are a strong unit but they were matched by Batley and Sheffield.

As others have said Johnson is our most exciting player who can open teams up but how do you fit him in with the other two?

If you have him on the bench to bring on to rip it up as the other side tires it can leave you a bit light in the forwards.

It would mean on current selection that the bench would be Johnson, Maneely, Fairbank and Rich Moore.

Sunday had Ed Barber instead of Johnston so the bench was neither huge nor had a real threat in there, we have missed the impact of an inform Robbo and Brachek who did a job for us in the past in supporting the grunt of Luke, Mitch, Adam, Richard.

So much for the armchair coach and over to RM.

Awkward problem with Johnston - one I expect Neil Jukes to have with Brierley (or Chase/Ridyard) when (if?!) all are fit.

The irony at Leigh is that our pack is much bigger and better this season, and they have played well in all four games - no more so than the first 65 minutes at Bradford - but our backs haven't had the class to capitalise on their good work. As you say with your forwards, we never managed to subdue Batley though. In addition to those that you mentioned as being injured, both first choice centres, Tonga and Armstrong are still 2/3 weeks away from recovery, as is our first choice wing, Liam Kay. Our only other centre, Worthington, has had to play whilst injured, so we have struggled in the backs. Worryingly, virtually all the tries we have conceded, have been on our flanks. Higson, in particular, had an uncharacteristic nightmare on Sunday, probably being hugely responsible for the first three tries of Bradford's astonishing comeback. As for our apparent fadeout on Sunday, I wonder whether age played a part - Moimoi, Higham, Hock, and Hansen are all on the wrong side of 30. That said, their experience and skill are playing a significant part in the improvement of our pack.


Should make our upcoming game with you interesting - but then they always are!

we need jonno back in the team simple as we looked quite boring on sunday. In the final 20/30 mtrs we had no idea, our final little kicks to put batley under pressure maybe get a second set never happened jonnos kicks in that area are spot on we needed that just to get a foot hold anyway lets hope for our sake hes back in the team this weekend if not i fear another hard long day for fax