Oh dear.
Barker is a good squad player. He hasn't looked out of place in this team. We cannot afford a team full of Penky, Gleeson and Blacks. We need players that will play for peanuts and not let the side down. Apart from the Barrow away game he has not let us down IMO.

I can't believe how we're just turning against our squad after what was a dismal first half display. That you cannot deny, but nearly all the players were dismal in that first half.

Barker hasn't been a regular in this team and comes in to fill the needs when a place has opened up. However we've got two threads going at the moment, one having a go at barker and one at matt calland. Some of you guys need to have a bit of a reality check. We can't be pointing fingers or there should probably be 18 threads going for yesterday. One for each player and the coach. However in reality it was a terrible 40 minutes, that cost us the game. It was very similar at home with gateshead, apart from a spell at the start of the second half when we ran in some tries straight away which killed gateshead off. They are a good attacking side and paired with some weak tackling but also a good kicking game, Gateshead punished us.

We are top of the league. Yes we lost to widnes, however it could have been a different story. We could have won the game if the odd incident had gone our way. Regardless of what the widnes fans are saying. The one incident we all know about could have changed the game in our favour.

We need to show loyalty to the team, which is the same team that won all the other games and cheer them on and show that we fans are behind them one hundred percent.

Yesterday i believe many fans were booing at half time and then singing 'fax until i die' towards the end. Well i know we pay and all that and can do what we want but which is it????

I for one support Matt Callands decisions and the team 100% and i didn't boo at half time. Yes i was disappointed but Gateshead took it too us and deserved that lead. The players answered the call in the second half but failed to make it all back. For that i applaud them for at least trying in the second half when they could easily have let it go as a bad job. Which in years gone past i have seen them do.

Aah. Atleast two or three of us with common sense.

I couldn't make it yesterday, and a loss is a loss, but this seems to me to be a real case of "winning" a bonus point.

Let's face it, virtually ALL the strong teams in both NL1 and SL have been victims of shocks. We've got to handle it lads and lasses, we've got to handle it.

Watch the Cas video, Barker is superb.

Jaffro your alive!!!!! Long time no hear.

Right about that game his last ditch tackle was fantastic.

Agree with billyfax.

We should not be pulling the squad to pieces, there is going to be changes made in the off season, but I feel it will be mainly down to the age of some players. Dwayne has shown that he can be a valued member of the squad and that is what we need at the moment, not running them down on 40 minutes of unexplainable rugby.

Each player is an important cog in the Fax machine! Some players are workhorses like Watene and Larder whilst others are the Stars like Black and Penky. But others are just as valuable in different way like Worrincy and Barker. They are players that maybe are not the best but still try and give 100%. We have a good squad that does need an extra player or two added to it. But we have NO players that are crap.

i expected more from him others have been much better i.e bowman in my eyes, i think he should be doing more.

i never said he was crap and i aint saying this with regards to the gateshead game, im jst saying THROUGHOUT THE SEASON he has not been good enough imo

You're entitled to your opinion, but to draw comparisons with Bowman (which one?) is in my opinion meaningless. Bowman may well prove a stand out player in the future but remind me of the games in which he has made a telling contribution?
This thread, along with some others, makes me wonder just what people expect. we are top of the league, playing a style of rugby that for the majority of the season opposition fans have acknowledged as being a level above anything in this division. For gods sake get behind the team and
keep the faith

i have faith dont worry but what i dont understand is why we are not blooding in youngsters like andy bowman in less telling games but playing imo a mediocre player like dwayne barker.

Barker is not mediocre but he is a useful player to have. However agree Young Bowman needs to get some games played