Well after our telling off from SO here goes.
How do we think we will go on Sunday?
If the Eagles bring a decent squad i will be happy as long as we give a competitive performance as they are obviously a far better team than we will come up against in CC1 this year.
The new season is almost upon us.
Come on you Dons!

Duo back for the Dons. see www.thestar.co.uk/sport/rugby-league

Duo back for the Dons. see www.thestar.co.uk/sport/rugby-league

Well the Eagles will be a much sterner test, having as they do Yere, Taulapapa and Laulu-Togagae who are all class players.
They have got Brambani back as well as a few useful additions such as our ex, Nev Morrison.

Brown although good is a weak link for me, even though he can and does kick well. He did well in our division, but I think they need better to trouble the likes of Fev.

However they will be too strong for us. But that in itself doesn't matter or rather needn't matter if we get after them early on and score a try or two of our own.

We need to keep going for the 80 mins and not cave in if things go against us.
This is in effect a trial game for some of our lads to see if they can cut the mustard in the the regular first choice 17.
If they keep going with enthusiasm, they can still impress in a losing side. In a winning side they would be heroes.

I need another fix of rugby.
COYD

Will you be stopping to the end .
Did you leave early last Sunday ?

Irrespective of the score, within reason

, I will be stopping for the 80 minutes.

I did not leave early and I applauded the players at the end, like the proper supporter that I am.

Well done S-O , you are a model supporter .

I wish I was, I'd be on the catwalk ........

<Right Said Fred stylee>
''I'd shake my little tush on the catwalk.''
''I'm too sexy for my shirt ........''

Sorry I got carried away there ... 'cos it's boring on forums on a Friday, there's no bugger about.

As much as I dislike the fact, the Seagull aren't on our radar at the moment. Hopefully one day soon they can be genuinely competitive affairs but until then, this Sunday is more about performance than result. They'll be a damn sight better than Hunslet, and the poison dwarf won't let them be complacent, so the task will be tough.

I'd like to see us compete for reasonable portions of the game, create some attacking options and show resilience in defence and see what happens.

A very good effort I thought by the lads that bodes well for the season ahead. Unfortunately we wilted a bit in the last 10 but impressive they weren't ahead before then. Having said that if those two spear tackles had got more than a talking to for their respective players may be things would have been different.

Personally I'm very happy - what is everyone else's opinion?

ps I was undecided over whether to post this here or start a new topic - if someone thinks it wants moving and is able to do so please feel free.

thought the side performed brilliantly. especially going into the game with only 16 players which is probably why we run out of steam in last 10 mins. i think china sanderson emmet and kesik were great. they never stop and although uncomfortable out of position kesiks kicking game was spot on. especially the chip for a try. only downside today was fawcett. he seemed to really slow the game down.
looking forward to the season now!! come on you dons!

Why did we only have 16 players or 17 if you include Edwards who did not come on.

All in all a good effort , Eagles deserved the win just .

Very very happy, think the scoreline flattered them in the end, although they did edge it for me. But across the pitch there were very encouraging performances.

We will not be facing many teams of their size and calibre over the league season so the scoreline does not bother me one bit. I liked what I saw, and that's enough for me

Outstanding performance's by everyone wearing the Dons shirt today and the Eagles were very very lucky to come away with the spoils.

Looking forward to the Cookie and Castle show when the season proper begins.

Well-Done.

Thought the lads played really well and did not deserve the score line.
Castle played like he's never been away, and with somebody on his shoulder we'll make brakes.
The ref let seagulls slow the play of the ball really down which is something we need to learn.
All in all very promising.

Thought they were slightly quicker than the dons, but not much else was different.
As you say ran out of steam towards the end, but a good run out.
Was my first game today and i saw enough to convince me to get a season ticket, which i will be doing in the coming week.

yes pleased with the hunslet game and very impressed today against a good team if we take the effort amd power the forwards are showing through the season we will not only get promoted but i can hear the song championies being sung at keepmoat! ( tad optomistic but thats what beer does) coyd

Well done to the guys today, thought we played some good stuff against a big strong side. Thought that Sheffield were the better side, but as stated in a earlier post they got away with slowing the play of the ball down.

But we have to remember that they are a division above us and got to the play offs last year.

Big well done guys

I have to say that I don't think that we particularly 'ran out of steam' (and I'm not falling out with anyone when I say that).

I think that we just made a couple of mistakes which received the ultimate punishment. At 28-22 when the Eagles had finally got back in front we tried to keep the ball alive to get back level. As it turned out we got intercepted and they went 50 or 60 yards for a try.

On the restart we kicked out on-the-full and gave Sheffield good field position which it looked like we'd defended but unfortunately Butts spilled the ball (having been first to it) to present the Eagles with another try.

40-22 certainly flatters Sheffield although you couldn't argue that in the end they deserved to edge it.

If I'm being honest, I also felt that the visitors were given a fair amount of latitude with regard to slowing us down. It's a tricky one this, are we too honest when the opposition has the ball or do we need to read referees better???

All that said, we have shown enough in the two games so far to suggest we ought to be amongst the better teams in C1, especially when we get a proven SL player on the pitch to give us even more direction.

Another very solid effort today, no complaints here.

You've been reading my notes ....


I totally agree we didn't run out of steam.
On 60 minutes at 22-16 ahead we were pressing to make it 28-16 and yet once again a spear tackle went relatively unpunished and the Eagles went down the other end of the pitch to record another forward pass try.
The ref was a complete joke.
He was that bad he could ref in Superleague.
The difference in the two sides was the wind in the second half and the INCOMPETENT OFFICIALS.
Oh! and while I'm at it, the gatesperson that allowed that drum into the stadium needs it shoving up his@rse.
You can't bring an umbrella in but you can bring in a drum??????
Both are fooking potentially dangerous!!!!

The Dons were ace today.
But I almost puked watching Sheffield hoist that cup.

Prior to the game I saw a Don's fan with a drum, would you wish to inflict the same punishment on one of your own?

God yes! Luckilly said drum never made it in, nor has it ever been in the Keepmoat ever!

i have never seen a Dons fan with a drum, but then again i could be a rugby league official as i am blind, on the perfprmance the only improvement i could see on a very solid and pleasing performance could be more yardage on kicks to to touch, am sure on occ we could double that.

What the hell do you think???
I have never heard a Dons fan playing a drum, and if there was such a numpty, he should be shot!!!

I am not a believer in the view that the game was better in Geoff's day, however the amount of holding down today was criminal.
Approaching the levels of the prime exponents WIGAN it was ludicrous.
Sheffield put 4 into the tackle sometimes (Wigan regularly use 3). And so one gets off and then another gets off and then another gets off and then another gets off and then the ball is played.
Meanwhile??????????? The ref scratches his @rse!!!
Fook my pit cap!!!!!!!
If every rugby league game was like that, you could stuff it!!!
Geoff would be right!!!

Anyway, on a brighter note ... the crowd was double last week plus another hundred.
I suppose I ought to thank the Eagles supporters for coming.
I suppose.

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