Do we really believe that if Halifax played Barrow ten times away from home this season, the result would be much different to last night? I for one expected a Barrow win. This is not because I think they are a much better team, but purely based on the fact that nearly every team in this league is going to be very tough to beat on their home ground this season. I really do believe that we are kidding ourselves, when we consistently claim that if only we had been at 100% we would have won so convincingly. I think deep down , we do realise that in any sport, a day when we perform 100% perfectly is exceptionally rare, if it ever happens at all. We must start to be more honest about our league, otherwise it is cheapened. This season Widnes have lost at home to Oldham, away to Barrow etc, Leigh have lost at home to Batley and Halifax have struggled for forty minutes against Blackpool, hardly hammered Hunslet and scraped through against Barrow. What is wrong in facing facts. The point in the season when the more fancied teams are to play at 100% every week and are to have fully fit squads is never going to arrive. Let us accept a lot of teams in this league are similar. Surely if certain teams were miles better than others, then after several friendlies, a whole round of Northern Rail Cup games and 2 or 3 league games, one team would be winning consistently by at least 50 points. To suggest that no teams in this league could live with the so called top teams in this league does seem a little foolish and inaccurate when you look at the evidence. I may be wrong, but I think we are going to see a lot of tight battles this season, involving most teams and these are to be more of the norm than the battering that Widnes gave a naive looking Toulouse outfit. Let us be honest in our judgements and make this a richer league. I realize, that now that the best two teams from our league, in Salford and Celtic have been promoted, it is tempting to get carried away and over exaggerate the superiority of our chosen team, but in the words of Roy Walker let's start to say what we see.

i agree with you etoile1. i sometimes think that some fans are a bit blinkered.Yes a full strength Fax team playing well does whet the appetite and can beat any team in this league; however a full strength Widnes team, a full strength Haven team , a full strength Fev side can do the same.Teams are going to suffer injuries etc and most will not be at full strength all season; we are already without Worrincy , Goddard and Gleason from our top side.Sometimes its not just about having the best players ; teamwork , committment etc are just as important - thats why teams without the star men like Batley , Leigh , Doncaster will often turn over more fancied sides.As I have mentioned before this league is ultra competitive and anybody can beat anyone.This is why we love sport - it is so unpredictable.I am not a football follower but did anyone expect Liverpool to put 4 past Man utd and Real Madrid and did anyone expect Fulham to ease past Man utd.

totally agree i expected a tight game yesterday and i fully expected us to get the win in a close game. will be tight and we will lose games this sason.

we will beat haven 60-0 at haven

There is a difference between foolishness and confidence. If we didnt feel any form of confidence, whats the point?

So we have won quite a few games so far this year regardless of the opponents - so we should feel not so confident? Dont be daft.

I personally would like to think Halifax can win every weekend but just like it has already been highlighted, this is a tough league this year and there will be banana skins - still doesn't mean I am not allowed to be confident.

Well done to all those clubs who have raised the bar this year but I am still going to be confident in 'Fax without foolishness.

If Fax play anything like most weekends we'll beat most teams in this league but it doesn't work like that no doubt we won't play well at a game (e.g Sheffield last year) and probably not turn up at Whitehaven

As bizarre as this might sound; I don't mind if we lose the odd game this season, it will add to the excitement of the league. Winning week in week out is great, but a little repetitive and predictable. I would much rather watch unpredictable games where we will be challenged all the way to the end, and if we raise to the challenge I feel we can beat them too. If we lose, no problem, but if we don't turn up (ie Sheffield last year) that is where the problem lies.

I can see us giving our all this year, and I can see us going all the way, so lets get behind the boys and enjoy some rugby!!!

This could be the most successful season in many many years

I am confident it will be too.

Jesus Etoile1 & Rickster, did someone p**s on your bonfire or what?

As fans of one of the more fancied teams in this division we are allowed to get carried away if we like and make outrageous claims and in some cases behave like complete n*bs on other teams boards. It's expected, look at Hull KR



The truth is when we get near 80% let alone 100% this team should lay waste to any of the others in our competition. We already had a top quality attack and now we've got a defence that will back it up, all we're waiting for is little more cool with the ball in hand.

When this team [idoes[/i click, it's going to be awesome. I want to win everything!!!

Most say I was exspecting a very tough game and Barrow didnt disapoint but not many teams (if any) will beat them on their own pitch and I feel we havent performed no where near as good as we can yet this season and played 2 very tough sides and got 6 points and I do beleve Barrow will finish top 4 (defently playoffs)

I couldnt agree more. I think we have the right to be confident, without being foolish or unrealistic. We have the right to go to every single game this year expecting to win. We will not win every game and we will come across some silly banana skins, but we can expect to win, otherwise, as you said, what is the point.

Nothing wrong with being confident-just as long as you respect other teams like Barrow, Sheffield, Haven who may appear weaker than us, but are capable of beating us as well!

We have the potential to win the League, Grand Final and the Rail Cup and the bookies feel this as well! We have the quality the team just needs to make sure that as a team justify themselves. If they do that we WILL win things! Widnes may have the Full time team but lack a couple of big forwards and are taking time to gel. Also they are the team everybody wants to beat. So the pressure is more on them than us. However I feel there is nothing wrong in saying we should be looking for silverware this year and that we can beat anybody in this League-It is true that we can beat anybody as we have shown in the past 2 weeks. however the team needs to keep its feet on the ground as we have won nothing yet!

Agreed.

Plus, being positive / confident (rather than arrogant) about our chances can do no harm.

I have been spreading the gospel at every opportunity, and telling floating fans that we are 'cabable of winning something', or that this could be 'our year'.

On the back of this, a few have come back to the Shay, and others are to follow....possibly on Friday.

So if being positive helps to boost the crowds, and the coffers, it can't be a bad thing!

It promises to be a very keenly fought Championship this year, with some cracking entertainment to boot.

Arrogance is one thing, but confidence is another!

Spread the gospel!!!

I have expressed myself badly. Of course, any fan should be positive, confident and upbeat about their team. Part of the magic of being a supporter, is to speculate about forthcoming results and to imagine that huge wins are just around the corner. Being optimistic and enjoying watching our chosen team is the right way to go. However, I was merely suggesting that it is wrong to state that any team is far superior to another,when the facts imply something very different. There is a difference imo, in being positive about a forthcoming match and its outcome and being dishonest about matches that have passed. I am a very positive and optimistic supporter, but I also like to think that I am able to be objective and realistic. If a team within our league (based on results and not hype) does start to really stand out and begins to regularly hammer teams, rather than win narrowly, then I'll be the first to acknowledge this. I admire a good team and good players just as much as the next person. On the other hand , if we continue to watch a lot of closely contested matches, what is wrong in stating the facts. This does not mean that I am not enjoying the game, in fact, very much the opposite. Let us avoid the hype of Super League and make our league a superior and more honest competition. Let's not share the self interest and narrow mindedness of many of the clubs in the elite league. I do not think we need to be miserable to be capable of doing this.