Handforth was OK today in my opinion. He set up a few tries. I think a major problem at the club is we have no set moves or are unable to create an opening for the backs. Harrison was a top-rated prop and this reflects on the 6 drives & a kick mentality at the club. I think the club need an assistant coach to develop the backs into a fluent attacking unit, something i don't think Karl can achieve on his own. The Rugby today was dire & tedious to watch. I know lots and lots of fans that haven't bought a season ticket this year. If they are not going to be entertained, they ain't gonna turn up. Most diehards are giving us the benefit of the doubt during the bad weather, but in my honest opinion, we WILL get found out when the pitches dry out by the likes of Leigh, Fev and Sheffield.

This thread will open an hornets nest....!! I'm not sure what we can tell 3 games in how the team will fair later in the year. However my observation so far is that our halfbacks aren't good enough as I'm at a loss what Thackeray brings to the team if I'm honest, he's out of the game for 90% of the time and creates little. We have been spoilt at hooker over the last 5 years but this is an area we look poor. Young Ashall isn't good enough for 1st team footie in my opinion right now but what else do we have.

Still it's early days, 3 games in and 3 wins so that's good. Like a few others though the brand of rugby served up is pretty predictable and boring, maybe it's the weather / pitch ........ I don't know?? However I don't see us troubling Fev just yet.

It's a long season though so lets not get disheartened just yet!!

I think KH was hoping bringing Murrell in would make up for our problems at half back last season and also may make the new problem of hooker less obvious but so far Im not sure. I think Handforth looked ok yesterday and did against Sheffield as well but he needs a good stand off to play with and Im not sure Thackery is that person although I thought he did better yesterday and may go better on dryer grounds.

The main problem is hooker though and I have to agree with Chris that Karl Ashall dosnt look ready for 1st team rugby at this level yet and Craig Ashall simply dosnt look good enough to play hooker. Both their distribution and reading of the game looks poor. Hopefully with us now taking a look at Craig Cook things may brighten up in that spot when he makes the team.

I agree Craig Ashall is more a loose forward than hooker.

Carl Ashall I think will take a while to be coached into the sort of player KH wants. He and any other hooker we sign will sadly be always compared to Penky - we shall see.

Don't forget we have also signed Holden, same boat as young Ashall, talent but needs converting into something at the top flight of the championship.

Thacks - doesn't do muddy surfaces very well it seems.

Handforth - for me, he was involved a lot and was key to quite a lot too.

If we got the kicks yesterday and the score was wider - may be we wouldn't be as bothered - who knows.

Sadly the scenario we see at the moment reminds me of a scene in "gladiator".
When he goes out and kills everyone in the arena really quick and shouts " are you not entertained ", proximo then takes him to one side and says its not how good you are, its how you go about doing it, kinda thing.

Well, i feel like this about the games at the minute, Yes we are winning and havnt lost but they are grind out wins that are poor to watch and not very entertaining, not to me, not to many leaving the shay yesterday or the ones i met in the pub after, people were flat at what was witnessed and all said we are clueless in attack.

If we dont kick on very soon, it will be too late. Leigh, Fev etc will dominate us with their attacking prowess whilst we will try to just drive through them.

Totally agree with that, Tiger tries hard and I think is let down by Thacks who does not trust himself enough and chucks the ball at an often marked man who then just gets knocked over and we lose momentum, he showed with his try what he can do when he wants to!
Neither Ashall is good enough, I have seen nothing from either of them to suggest they can get us the yardage and the tries that we need them to sadly, I am not judging them against Penky just as a decent hooker and they are not, send them out on loan.
But we are still work in progress and Murrell has got a great pasing game and decent kicking game so lets see when the better weather comes! The pitch at the Shay does not help but its the same for both sides and a very ordinary Keighley side should have been put to bed they were poor really, how did they get a bonus point?

That's 3 bonus points we've given away now. It's a frustrating idea but we need to learn to close the game and the bonus points down.

Giveing bonus points away don't hurt us. It's loseing games that do .I hope we give a bonus point away in EVERY game this season.

Giving away bonus points doesn't really concern us. If we won every game 10-nil & won all three comps would we be bothered ?

I agree the excitement on the terraces has gone, the crowd is dwindling! We have gone ten years back, this team could not come close to drawing with Castleford and to me that's our benchmark, but under Harrison I can honestly say Halifax are as dull as dish water to watch and it hurts me to say it!!! For all Callands faults at least it was exciting and unpredictable. Lets see how we get on against Batley!!

Good on yer mate, from all Batley fans.

Re: The Bonus Point debate

There are no Bonus points for winning, if there was and we weren't achieving them I'd be a little upset, but as long as we leave a game with 3 points I dont care if the opponent get one or not.

This time of year the rugby is never pretty, we didn't start too well last year either, with last play wins at London and York.

Harrison doesn't coach the fast flowing unpredictable "we'll score one more than you" Rugby that we saw under Calland, but he does win games.

I am with Brew on this one. I am happy with a win and not having unpredictable games from the Calland era. Those days are gone.

Handforth at hooker did spice it up and take control. May be dropping Thacks and Craig Ashall might wake them both up! A fit Craig Cook will control the hooking role with Karl Ashall learning.

Moving Craig back to Loose with Murrell at Stand Off? Handforth at Scrum half, exactly what he did at Batley?

Dear oh dear! only 4 wins from 4? shocking stuff.
Or....
Its February for gawds sake! its bleeding awful weather and pitches, and i for one think were playing the conditions very well and playing to our strengths, which incidently have served the previous two comp winners quite well.

Lets look at the rlLeague Tablerl

Only us and Fev are not unbeaten after 4 rounds.

We have the 3rd best number of points conceded. (52) Behind Batley (37) and Dewsbury (50). Fev are just behind us with 56.

Fev have scored the most points (154). The teams in positions 3-6 have scored between 102 and 110. We have scored 86, which while it is less than anyone else in the top 6, is more than any other team outside of the top 6.

I'd also suggest that the teams making up the current top 6 wont change now, but positions 7&8 for the playoffs give the other 8 teams something to play for

On current form, Batley away on Thursday will be another tight game, we're not getting high scores and they're defending well. But i'll happily take a win by a Drop Goal if thats what it takes. One things for sure though, we have to convert better than we did against Keighley the other week. as every point will count!