Well....We will certainly be in big trouble if we don't win this game. We obviously aren't good enough to take owt for granted but two points at Stalybridge is surely a must. We need to put the horrendous 25 minute 1st half spell against Toulouse behind us and concentrate on our pretty good form on attack. Whilst the defence obviously needs sorting out our attacking qualities should be enough to win most games this season. It would help though if we started a game with our strongest thirteen. A pity no fans are allowed in yet as this is one of my favourite away games of the season. I'll go for Oldham 12v32 Fax. Up The Fax!

I totally agree about the importance of getting the make up of the starting pack right - felt a number of starting pack on Sunday were far too passive allowing Toulouse to make easy yards and then camp out on our line for long periods. This changed completely with the introduction of the subs - for that reason while I'd still start with Brandon at hooker I'd definitely want Tangata,Hewitt and Fairbank on from the start - I'd also include Larroyer from the start for his defence. I'm afraid with a fit squad I wouldn't at the moment include Brearley in the 17

it would make a nice change if after Saturdays match we could say what a brilliant defensive performance that was backed up with the same attack from the Toulouse game i can see the attack getting us enough to win the game about 28-18 but i can not see the defense getting much better with respect to Oldham i don't think there attack will expose our defense as much as Toulouse did but what ever form oldham are in they do seem to play well against us and will be sniffing for blood on Saturday i just hope our attack can get us out of trouble

Can only endorse what has been said and expect a Fax win.

Points of interest for me in this one are the two similarities in both attack and defence.

In attack we have scored points from almost every area of the pitch.

Likewise, in defence we have conceded points from almost every area of the pitch.

Some improvement and progress in either area would be a step in the right direction.

I've a funny feeling, they'll go off the game plan and throw the ball around, but they'll strike lucky and win by 38.
OLD 12 FAX 50.

My preferred squad line-up

Woodburn-Hall
Rawsthorne
Worthington
McComb
McGrath
Grix
Robinson
Springer
Moore
Tangata
Hewitt
Barber
Fairbank

Subs
Larroyer
Burrough
Calcott
Morris

in Squad

Brearley
Murray
Tibbs
Kavanagh

I'd start Grix at 6 just to get the team organised, if all is well, Grix to FB and WBH to 6

thats a handy looking side out of the 21 man squad named i would pick 1 woodburnhall 2 mcgrath 3 barber 4 worthington 5 rawsthorne 6 harris 7 robinson 8 murray 9 moore 10 tangata 11 larroyer 12 hewitt 13 fairbank subs 14 springer 15 calcott 16 kavanagh 17 bourouh the reason i have left mcomb out and he was not on is own in doing this last week he missed 3 one on one tackles that led to tries in that first half to be fair he did look good in attack but our right and side defence needs shoring up harris is not the best in defence on that side either but he looks cable of creating tries for himself and is team mates and we need to protect him better when defending

That's a fair reflection - I think they targeted Harris/Mcoomb and had clearly done their homework on our right hand defence. Our inside defence on that side was weak as well, the forwards not moving across and supporting, there were a couple of tries from close range where our defenders at the play the ball (Brearley) made little effort or went the wrong way. Our goal line defence has to be tougher across the field, we were stood flat footed on the line waiting for the opponents to make a move and getting pushed over too easily.

exactly i couldn't have put it better myself

It should be an easy win. No disrespect to Oldham but they look like been cannon fodder this season and will go straight back down. So that said it would be no surprise to see us lose a close game.

I get your tongue in cheek remark but seriously...if we don't win today, any win will do but we should be able to put 20 points between us and Oldham, the season will be more or less over. Up The Fax!

Half Time:- Oldham 4v12 Fax.

It's either time to admit we're going to be in a relegation battle or time to admit the job is just too big for the current coaching team

If I was the oldham coach I would have pinned Greg's cannon fodder post to the dressing room wall .

So. What happens now…?

Oldham 16v12 Fax! Didn't watch it, thankfully, so can't comment on this particular match. The players Fax have assembled however amount to a good looking squad so it's pretty obvious where the blame lies for another shocking start to a season, one which is more or less over already.

We lose to Dewsbury.

first things first well played to oldham you deserved your win and all the best for the rest of this season. i did endure watching that match and i have said numerous times were i think the problem lies and what should be done to put it right i would just like to no what the people on here who have defended grix and shot down any critsism of him think should happen now how low do this club have to sink on the pitch before action is taken to put this right

Let's face it, we've spent a lot of money on a rebrand, we've spent well on recruitment but all of that is wasted money if the team doesn't perform on the pitch. It is obvious there is a problem in the dressing room, the team constantly play half d rugby with patches of brilliance interspaced with pure lethargy. Something needs to change.

Payed for it but holiday lodge internet wasn’t good enough to stream, play a second freeze for 3.
From the bits I could see looked like a boat load of errors and penalties especially second half with hardly any field position.
Mid to bottom half of the table at best if this continues and I can’t see any reason it won’t.

That were up there with last weeks performance if we are honest. So far we have beat a London team that were a shambles, lost a to a workman like Batley team, lost to an average Bradford team that had looked poor in every previous outing after been 14-0 up and in total control, demolished by a Toulouse team that has hardly played and only managed to get back in the game due to that fatigue, and then today losing to Oldham who will probably finish bottom of the table. Shambles is been polite, basic errors, weak tackling, and the same old penalties. The players have to take responsibility but ultimatley it is the coach who pays the price and we don't look up for any game and at times we just look lost. Luckily the season can still be saved because it will be wide open apart from the top two but we are a million miles away from where we need to be.

Cannon fodder brilliant greg

A few questions.

Did we really have just 2 forwards (props / second row) on the bench along with young Amir and Ben Tibbs?
Amir punches his weight in a and d and nowt against Ben but how many go with just 2 out and out forwards for the interchange?
Was everyone else injured or just left out?

Along with the crazy tactic of playing Brandon Moore as bit part second row just to keep him on the pitch. Moore is one of the best hookers in the comp but Amir Bourough is on a different level to him but because of Grix's choice of captain its forcing his hand to try and get him to stay on the pitch. Out of all the back rowers we have at the club Moore is not anywhere near the top 6.

Exactly Greg, to accommodate Amir we have the party piece of moving Brandon to second row when Amir comes on, it hasn't worked because Brandon is and never will be a second row.
Did SG try and repeat it with Ben Tibbs coming on and Ed Barber going to second row at some point?

To go with just 2 forwards + Amir and include a promising youngster in Ben Tibbs who is a back and has only played about 20 minutes in the pre season friendly against the same opposition especially with the quick no scrum restarts seems crazy to me and unprecedented in the modern game.
Who ever goes with just 2 forwards on the bench?
Did Ben even get on the pitch yesterday?
If not why include him in the first place?
Who ever has unused interchanges these days?
I just can’t make sense of any of it.
It really is asking for it and we got it by surrendering a half time 2 score lead and not scoring a single point in 40 minutes against Oldham.

Think coaches can get away with this when things are going well but not when they aren't. I've seen a couple of games this season where Batley appear to have played Ben Kaye as a middle for part of the game ie carrying the ball in from first receiver, which is not his position in any way, shape or form but if you're winning it doesn't get questioned.

It'sa good job that collateral form is pretty worthless in this division as Oldham 4 Whitehaven 36 is an eyecatching score.