............If we're going to make top 4

Average performance. Batley were efficient but not spectacular. George Stokes and Brambani always swing an even contest the other way.

Need Johnston on the pitch

Batley deserved their win they played the more efficient rugby and made few errors in the 2nd half. Good luck to them they are very tough to beat again and have left us 'big boys' so far on our s (they now need to do the stuff up at Workington or away at Swinton now) We panicked in the 2nd and it's rather worrying that we couldn't make the right decisions at crucial times again. Let's not panick captain mainwaring! lose at London and I certainly will be let's do the stuff down there boys come on

Johnno was a player that could have unpicked their tight defence so leaving him out today was poor call as said above

I agree. I just can not understand him being left out.

Not surprised by the result we knew it would be tough, we created a few chances but lost our way again in sight of the line when it mattered.

Need to get that spark back, Jonno back in the halves and Scotty to 13.

Penalties were pretty even but Batley punished us on the back of them more than we did, Bramble was a thorn in the side again, no pun intended.

Batley are a good, solid, workmanlike side.

They'll do well this season.

I agree with all the above. A frustrating afternoon. I always felt we could have won but everything the lads did never quite came off. At times I thought we looked unorganised in the middle, especially when the ball was spilt by us or Batley and we picked it up. No one took control and directed the team.
Again Mr Stokes seemed to have a different view to most of us but that isn't why we lost. Along way to go and no drama needed at his stage.

Same mistakes as the other games. Not taking our chances, Silly offloads and forcing the pass when no need. Giving away silly penalties as well. We know Stokes is useless, but we do not help ourselves at times. We do not need to score a try off every set. Getting tackled on the last tackle, is stupid really. Good set with various options and if nothing is on, then put a kick in, that either sees the opposition get tackled close to their own line or force a drop out. Need to sort the kicking out on the last as well. Johnson needs to play in the halves. Neither Moore or Murrell have impressed so far this year. Changes need to be made both in the forwards and backs for next week.

Disagree. G Moore had a decent game. Murell is now having to play on our right where most team don't attack naturally so it's a change for him. Maybe try Johnny with more. Sharp was good bringing ball back out but didn't link in the line well in attack so we have work to do there. But we need to complete our sets and try and get some repeat sets. 2nd rowers kicking in 3rd or 4th tackle surely isn't in the plan.

I think that's a tad unfair on Moore and Murrell individually, but there's no real sign of a partnership developing. It's worth giving it a go with Gaz and Jonno in the halves, particularly when we come up against strong "workmanlike" teams such as Batley. The very best teams can win regardless, but when there's not a lot between teams, it's the subtle changes that make the difference.

I'm sure RM considered all of this, and made his team decisions as he thought best before the game. Tbh, the game could have gone either way, and we certainly bombed a few good positions and made some poor decisions at times today. On another day, we could have won at a canter.

Fair do's to Batley though. They had a game plan, stuck to it, and it worked today.

Very disappointed after that game, we lost to the better side (just) in a very tight and not very exciting game it was a tackleathon.
We are not firing in attack against the better defences like today, Batley are a very hard working team, nowt special but respect the ball and grind out the results with Brambani just doing his job, putting the kicks away making sure the yards were always gained with bombs that we dealt with very well to be honest then he took his chance when it came along.
We panicked at times and Scott got caught far too easy today, he works his socks off but is he too slow now? The big worry is our pack which has been excellent over the last year met its match today, Batley had a very big pack with quick dummy runners and Mitch did not come off today whilst Dane tried hard as ever but he go well hit hard only breaking the line a couple of times.
That was a big defeat and makes next week a must win game now, maybe we will come stronger while Batley may have peaked early?
Time will tell, we came good last year?
Oh and as for our friend Stokes well he had one of his better games today but still made two calls that could have changed the game, the disallowed try and not giving us the penalty after Rettie threw our man to the floor???

For the first time today in a long while I thought we looked tired and a bit flat, our usual standout guys didnt have bad games I just dont think anyone stood out. I too agree Moore has been very good for us this season and would love to see him and Jonno in the halves for us which you would imagine would terrify teams but today was slow and pedestrian. How you can make so many clean breaks and not once have someone on the runners shoulder is beyond me.

I thought Batley would go well this year but if we are to make the top 4 we have to be beating them at home, I certainly did not think we would be struggling after just 4 games but there is certainly pressure on now especially with London and Leigh up next which on current form we will not win.

fax made about 4 clean breaks that faltered at the last line of batleys defence as there was no one in easy passing distance. poor backing up of the players that made the breaks. I think the moore try not given for yet another forward pass along with the many others George saw. how a touch judge enters the field for what he sees as a penalty then game just restarts with next play in hard to understand. player did not have the ball and was thrown to the ground. penalty.