Well with both sides yet to hit their straps I see this game has a tight 50/50 affair with the score line not being a replica of last year’s fixture. I can see this one being very similar to our last two home games with a nervy affair on the horizon, fairbank will be back and I hope maizen too . Not gonna call a score till I see the squad selection but it’ll be a close one in my opinion.

This one is tough to call if we can up our game a few gears then we should be alright but anymore of the performances that we have shown so far then it will be a loss.

What the three games we've played so far have highlighted is a lack of pre-season. That shouldn't now be a problem and whilst we have more or less got away with it, TS is correct in saying that a repeat performance of those games will probably not be enough to get the points at Widnes. Over to you lads. Up The Fax!

So early in the season with teams still settling down into the run of things before the whistle games are hard to call between a number of teams.

After the whistle anything could happen, going to games that are so unpredictable like this it all adds the the experience and it will likely come down to the usual factors of discipline, skill levels and who has the ball off the back of it.

We can post a few points but we can concede a few as well so I'll go for Fax by 8 with a high ish score board.

I think we will win but a close game as I think most games will be this season panthers by 14.

Whilst I agree the pre season was a washout, not the fault of Fax or SG, I am sure he tried everything to get some game time, unfortunately Fax do not have a rich man at the helm to spend money on ‘warm weather’ training, and so had to contend with what they had available to them.
Watching the first 3 games on YouTube, I am not convinced SG knows his starting 13 yet and the team is only just gelling as a unit despite the majority of them staying together from last year.
Although from what I have seen discipline and silly penalties cost field position and ultimately points, not sure why players continually do this, when I played there was always a fine session after the game, do Fax have this ?,maybe not shots of disgusting alcohol as I suffered, but money from the pay packet could eradicate meaningless penalties against.
I am sure it will be sorted one way or another.
Up the Fax

A couple of interesting inclusions this week on DR from Cas.

Equals more disruption to the team.

It’s a shame we can’t have a DR arrangement for so called supporters.
Can’t for the life of me think of a candidate or who would want him anyway.

Well we wanted a bit more punch in the pack and centre and that’s what we’ve got . Least we’re bringing in some quality and not just some cas fringe players , obviously the conversation with lee radford was a positive one and whilst DR is contentious we want to win and is good in the short and possibly long term . Halifax have been very average so far and having guys around of this quality in training can only be motivational . Was looking forward to Monday night but this as pushed it up a notch for me .

Totally agree. Our pack has look light. I’d drop Maher for Matagi.

I agree with swap of Matagi for Maher - just don't know what King has to do to get a game. Also whilst I haven't been as against DR as some, in the right circumstances, this seems as though its almost being used as punishment by Cas for playing crap the week before - we'll know on Monday how players concerned react to that. Obviously don't know how fit Maizen is but with 3 other centres available would probably prefer not risking him, especially on that pitch.

There’s already a provision for us to pick a team from our armchairs and it’s called fantasy league so from the options available I’ll leave it to the guy who’s not sitting on his butt for the real thing.

Based on the 21 man squad released here’s my 1-17 and my reasons why

1 Woodburn hall
2 Saltonstall
3 fonau
4 maizen
5 walmsey
6 jouffret
7 Keyes
8 Murray
9 Moore
10 doro
11 Kavanagh
12 gee
13 tangata
14 inman
15 fairbank
16 Maher
17 matagi

McComb had a poor game against London and isn’t big enough to play centre and his distribution is average, is best position is wing and salty and walmsey are the form wingers , fonau will provide the size and punch we’ve been lacking in the centre.

I would start doro and the prop interchange would balance graft and punch , with doro and matagi providing the punch and Maher and Murray the graft.

Tangata has been inform and fairbank offers some ball handling skills from the bench when needed .

Our kicking game has been average so that’s why I choose inman over wood , he also provides a lot more defensively .

Willing to give Maher another opportunity although his performances have been underwhelming.

Agree about Maher so far him or Will Calcott for another shot at it and with most of that.
Not too fussed over who gets picked as SG will have the best 17 based on who he thinks can get the job done.
If Fonua does get a run out it will show wether a bigger centre can make the impact we think / hope it could.
Likewise with Matagi to see if he can improve us.
Just also add that Kav has been a stand out in the second row with Gee being a bit under par for him and the one under most pressure to keep his shirt before King gets included.

Agree about Maher. I would prefer Calcott oover Maher on his showing last week. We miss Worthington, he defended really well and could put a winger away. Big centres are in short supply, especially ones that can run!
Gee has worked hard but has not had much impact in attack. Let us hope that our halves and Woody have a good game and can perhaps put Fonau into some half gaps, if he plays.
Kav is my player of the season and we only three games in.

Maher looks to be blowing a bit in the games so far even without the big minutes and Calcott is solid and reliable.
I know Matty Gee is not exactly happy with his own game at the moment (as aren't some of the others) including his goal line defence especially against Sheffield and you can see him muttering to himself behind the sticks after a bit of a turn style effort.

As to the rest of the comb's just have to see who SG goes with in what will be a tricky game but he won't be risking anyone who's not 100% fit, quite rightly.

That was an embarrassment- really wise move subscribing to Viaplay yesterday. Certainly didn't help losing Keyes, but in fairness we were clueless before he went off. No point slagging off individual players as nearly all of them managed to have their worst game on the same day. One honourable exception I thought Calcott ran his blood to water and tackled everything that moved.

Awful. Keys going off didn’t help but wasn’t the problem. Our pack is too small. We
Just don’t have the grunt, firepower or what every you call it, we haven’t got it in the pack. Not looking forward to Sunday against Batley. With our being Negative I can see this happening a few times this season unless the whole squad buck up their play

I actually don’t think it’s the pack that’s the problem, it’s the centres , they’re great going forward but aren’t physical enough defensively. We haven’t replaced worthington and Arundel who were bigger and better in the defensive aspects of the game.

The 3 D's.
Disruption and discipline from Fax leading to total dominance from Widnes.

We seem to have gone backwards. New recruits not doing it, a few existing players maybe a season too long. The pack is being dominated, a prop in the 2nd row who could give us more punch down the middle but no one else to replace him and lacking decent centres, especially defensively.

We've started slow last few years ago but I'm not as confident we have the same quality to improve this year. Let's be honest we are lucky not to be 0 from 4.

That could easily have been the case. The good thing is that it isn't but we need to hit back hard against Batley. A scratchy win won't do we need to go out and make a big statement as we haven't played well yet at all. Up The Fax!

That was a hard watch, and getting up @ 3am didn't help. Lost in every single department. I don't think Widnes did anything exceptional. It was a typical Kear team but they did the basics very well. I reserved my judgment on the pack debate but my word we lack punch. You can see what Grix is going for, the working the opposition big men around scheme but too easily dominated. I hope we don't ever include another DR unless of injury. If Murray, King or even Forster were essentially dropped in favour of Matangi then Grix needs to hold his hands up. Granted, tough to stand out in that performance but he offered nothing. I got irritated even before the game learning that Fanoua had been recalled by Cas already and Grix clearly articulated that he was going to play. Inman has to start on Sunday, or drop woody into six and salty to FB. What I saw deducing from the other opening 3 games is either a lack of standards or believing in hype. Nearly blew two comfortable leads and got it handed to us in the other two. The saving grace is we are only 4 games in but we are shipping points like never before. I think Grix really missed the boat by bringing in Maher. I can't help Springer was let go for being a lazy so and so but at least one big carry can shift momentum in a game. I don't think we have anyone who can do it.

That was worse than the defeat against Oldham away a couple of seasons ago . Completely dominated in every department. Our poor set completion rate combined with a poor kicking game is putting our team under pressure, no field position whatsoever and try to play Harlem globetrotter rugby when we haven’t earned it . The players don’t seem to be listening, interesting times ahead for Grix .