So we have won 3 on the bounce can we make it 4 on sunday. Fairbank and Barber will be back to gives us some more options and lets not forget they beat us at our place so it would be nice to return the favour. As for Swinton they had Ritson on dr last time but he as been playing for Saints recently and they have lost Pattern too since we last played them. I will back us to get the win by about 10 points.

Home game was strange in that the general feeling was we'd lose and of course we did at that low point..hopefully normal service has resumed now...34-14 to Panthers..

Was Barber injured last week? Tibbs went well against Barrow so I'd have Barber replace Foster and Fairbank for Johnson - didn't seem to work with him at loose and would have AOB and Inman as hookers.

Swinton gone off the boil and we're on a roll so will go for Lions 12 Panthers 30

Swinton 10v28 Fax.

Our performance has to Beas good if not better than the last 3 games to keep us improving. I’d like us to have a better opening 10 minutes. Fax by 24

We need to definitely win tomorrow. Batley beat Sheffield and York have beaten Toulouse.

A performance glutted by errors and when it comes down to a fight, back to being second best and that’s what you’ll get and with every other result going against us a thoroughly good dose of turn off interest killer.

That was absolutely dire - sadly for such an important game looked like a set of players just going through the motions. JWH was a massive miss as while Widdop wasnt our worst player he offers no threat in attack - cant comment in his try as i was heading for the exit after their last try.
We had mountains of possesion without looking to have any idea how to break them down. Our forwards were totally dominated and out enthused and Tibbs and Salty looked to be having a running argument about Tibbs unwillingness to ever give salty a pass. Only positive was that stewards and all other staff were all very friendly and helpful - even before their team stuffed us!

Poor performance that after next week will have us back in the mire. Team just looked really lethargic and spent too much time trying to play wide without earning the right to do so. No surprise really as the pack was ineffective but not a surprise when you look at the selection choices. Swinton were not much better and were gifted two tries in the first half and to be honest both teams at one point in the second half looked like they would be playing till midnight to try and score. Looks increasingly likely it will come down to the last game at Haven and on yesterdays evidence I don't trust us to go up there and want it more than them despite the mess they are in.

I haven't been able to make recent games but took my son who lives in Manchester feeling very positive. Had a nice sunny drink in the Little B and sat in a sunny stand, all good so far...

Then I saw the players walk past and all looked very sullen, down even, no laughing etc.

I was confident we would turn round a small deficit as we often do in the second half but no, abject, disjointed, one man rugby followed. That win could have put us in a great safety position but Swinton wanted it far more.

On paper, we had by far the better, more talented side but our pack is lightweight and we have NO LEADER on the field.

I am not saying they are hanging on the back of doors but as good as they are, Keyes and LJ are not leaders and we need one badly.

Don't wanna slate Widdop but what exactly does he bring for 60k or whatever he is on?

Exactly this. As soon as we got territory we would move it wide on tackle 2 or 3, we never earn the right to play, so they could number up easy. And of course once we go behind, we play panic football. All game their coaching staff were on the field getting messages out, no sign of any of ours. It was clear we needed to stick to a simple plan and that message needed to go out, unless Finn thought it was ok to keep playing that way. Once Swinton were ahead they just needed to keep it simple which is what they did, get to the last in reasonable position and kick deep.

Our lack of punch in the forwards doesn't help, there was probably only Boyer who edged his nose through the line on a couple of occasions. Connor Davies in the 2nd row is pointless, he cant run a line, and simply skips back inside every time, so nullifies our right side attack on particularly on a tight pitch

Yep Swinton wanted that more than us and as already been said we go up the middle once and seem to think that as earned us the right to go wide which failed time and again but we kept doing it. Did we miss Woody yes but that is no excuse for such a half d performance, the only players for me to come out with any credit was Graham who carried strong and i hope is tied up for next year, Hird showed some energy off the bench but lacks size, Tibbs did make a number of breaks but none resulted in a score for various reasons. Tangata had a go and that is about it. We also lost Inman with what looked like a knee injury and Crooks with a lower leg injury so happy days and roll on a easy game against Wakey.

It’s all connected and comes down to the pack again, as soon as the young Leeds went back home the energy / enthusiasm levels went with them and at Swinton we looked just like we did before they arrived.

This isn’t helped when you have three 9’s and a small second row in the 17.

With no go forward in the forwards the halves by pass them and go wide, trouble is when that doesn’t work it’s let’s make it up as we go and run round like headless chicken time.

I didn't go to Swinton/Sale so can't comment on this particular match but the sooner this season is over the better. It is just getting embarrassing now, Swinton doing the double over us and Sheffield doing the same without us scoring a point! It can't get much worse...can it?

Yes, next year we will have Finn and a lower standard of player. If we stay up we have Oldham and likely Keighley to deal with... this is going to get a lot worse before they finally get shut and bring in a coach that can motivate the players. Hopefully then can also implement a game plan that is more advanced than Siddal U-13's gameplan. We do more dropoffs and inside balls than during the Karl Harrison days.