Depressing performance really. Yes, I agree with the above comments that Stokes did not directly affect the result, but I would love to hear his explanation to both the disallowed try and Reittie incident. Do refs ever have to justify themselves or answer questions to bizarre decisions?? The ruck was incredibly slow, along with a skinny 10 metres, which resulting in a very boring spectacle. Fair play to Batley though, they played the conditions and circumstances very well. RM will have to make changes though. After Sheffield he mentioned our support play was not where it should be and that was evident again today. How many line breaks did we make, ending up with nothing? Heaton, Fairbank, Tangata Ecclestone to name 4. I'd get Miles back asap, if he's not ready give Salty a go at full back, at least he links the line up fairly well. Gareth Moore was good again, Jonno has to come in at half back with him. On today's showing I'd give Murrell a few week off, really off the pace today. If RM wants to continue with Fairbank, R Moore, Tangata at loose, then I really don't see a place for Murrell at the minute unfortunately.

Agree with all of that. Don't think RM would ever play Murrell at loose forward and as much as I like Murrell he's not playing well enough to deserve a place in the team. Got to go with Johnston and Moore as half backs next week.
When Tangata made that 40 meter break upfield he had no support what so ever, if Tangata's making them kind of breaks and and has no support that tells you there's something wrong.

https://tombatley.wordpress.com/2016/02 ... win-again/ Manning and ambler your best forwards for me Wish dane would come home ha Good luck for rest of season see you at the mount for another great tie with fax

https://tombatley.wordpress.com/2016/02 ... win-again/ Manning and ambler your best forwards for me Wish dane would come home ha Good luck for rest of season see you at the mount for another great tie with fax

Thoughts are murrell as been poor against Sheffield and today against batley. Needs to be dropped as the whole point of a big team is to keep players on there toes and to me he just is not playing how he is expected

Don't see why saxton is not.in the team he was one the better wingers. Think a few need swapping for next week

deeply disappointing and damaging performance.Seems to be a lot wrong at club at moment which is really annoying as the good work of last season seems to be falling apart.Pity i can't make the RM forum on wednesday as i'd like to hear his slant on things.Did think he was too loyal to the players at end of last season,we needed 4/5 quality players and needed to ship a few.That said opinion is divided on Gareth Moore but in my opinion he's been excellent.

Opinion shouldn't be divided on Gareth Moore. He's been by far our best player so far this season.

Without naming individual players for negative criticism - I believe there were a few players playing yesterday that really weren't up to the required standard.

It's absolutely crazy that Ben J. isn't getting in the team when he was our most dangerous attacking player last season and in the super 8s.

Aye.
We don't look anything like did towards the back end of last year, no fluency or flow as a unit yet, although there hasn't been many changes it looks like where there has been they are not just clicking just yet.

We all were hoping for a better start including RM and the players and we know they will be working towards sorting it, lets hope we can get the right team blend and back to some form asap because it will be harder this time round to do a repeat of last season run in.

You aren't the only ones. Leigh haven't looked anything like the team they were for much of last league season. (apart from 65 minutes yesterday, when they were really good - but then reverted to 'Qualifier' mode for the final 15!) Bradford also looked a shadow of last season's team for those 65 minutes - your forwards will really enjoy themselves against the Bulls!

But, as you ('Fax) especially know, it's all about getting it right for the back end of the season. At least, I hope it is, and that we both rise up the table a few places, before then!!

I guess the defence was pretty good and they never really threatened from distance.

Whilst I think there's an overreaction to the defeat, and I chuckled at a p'take of Mick McCarthy on talk sport, about not getting carried away with a victory and not being too down about a defeat. We have an interesting conundrum a few have spotted, Johnno is not the first choice half back or full back for many, but he offers us something the rest of the team can't do, we used to have Penky making breaks from nowhere, towards the end of last year Johnno was doing just that, ducking under tackles, zipping round people wrong footed, and backing up every break, he may not be the biggest and will occasionally get run over by an 18 stone 6'3 forward, but his breaks are such a pressure release sometimes, and his speed to back up is something we lacked on Sunday. Personally I think we have to shuffle things round a bit and perhaps have an unorthodox set up, we have to find a space for his impact plays and line attacks. Gaz and Muzza while both competent are not going to make as many line breaks between them as Johnno does on his own, it's not a fault, and Gaz has played really well, and gets no criticism, we just have to find a spot on the bench at least for Johnno, perhaps he rotates 9, and or we take a look at young Brandon. All in all though it's nil desperandum.

we need jonno back in the team simple as we looked quite boring on sunday. In the final 20/30 mtrs we had no idea, our final little kicks to put batley under pressure maybe get a second set never happened jonnos kicks in that area are spot on we needed that just to get a foot hold anyway lets hope for our sake hes back in the team this weekend if not i fear another hard long day for fax