JOHN , CHARLIE KNOWS what to do with em

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Halifax suffered a second defeat in five days after they went down 26-12 against Barrow on the Cumbrian coast.


Karl Harrison’s side were never anywhere near their best, especially in an awful second half, and looked to be struggling to deal with the emotional and physical aftermath of the tumultuous midweek loss at Leigh.

Harrison made a swathe of changes to the side that competed so strongly at the LSV without managing to back up their territorial dominance with points, some enforced, some not.

Threequarters Rob Worrincy and Steve Tyrer both returned, with full back Ryan Fieldhouse dropping out to be replaced by Lee Paterson.

But the more significant reshuffle came in the playmaking positions, with Anthony Bowman, last seen on loan at Championship One side Oldham, being recalled to play alongside captain Scott Murrell at half back in the absence of the injured Anthony Thackeray.

Young hooker Karl Ashall replaced his older brother Craig, who was limping heavily after the clash at the LSV, with veteran Paul Handforth dropping to the bench, where he joined debutant prop Ben Davies.

Ashall’s initial involvement barely outlasted the opening exchanges, the former Swinton player leaving the field with a dislocated finger.

Nevertheless, the visitors took the lead when Ross Divorty ran a clever line on the left and Murrell picked him out with a short ball, the back rower rounding Raiders full back Ben Hellewell to score.

Tyrer kicked the conversion, but the Raiders were in themselves five minutes later, the winger Dean McGilvrey scrambling over in the corner.

Kurt Haggerty missed the conversion and Fax went further ahead just before the half hour when Murrell strolled over.

Tyrer put Fax 12-4 ahead, but even then their performance lacked a bit of zip, perhaps understandably after their exertions at the LSV in midweek.

And when Hellewell crowned a flowing move down the right just before half time, Haggerty again putting the kick wide, the Raiders trailed 12-8 at the break.

The home side dominated the opening minutes of the second half, with the half back Liam Campbell and veteran back rower Liam Harrison causing havoc down their right.

Fax held on, with Ashall’s return giving them some invention in attack that almost brought a try for Ben Heaton, the centre just seeing the ball slip from his grasp as he stretched out in a three man tackle.

Harrison then scored from Campbell’s kick through, Kurt
Haggerty kicking the Raiders into a 14-12 lead, leaving the visitors firmly on the back foot.

And when Halliwell touched down after a textbook midfield break from hooker Nathan Mossop, Haggerty again on the mark, Fax trailed 20-12 with 18 minutes to go.

After that, the result sadly never looked in doubt. Fax showed plenty of effort, but lacked the nous to break down the home defence.
And their fate was sealed when Campbell scored three minutes from time, robbing them of a bonus point and dropping them to fourth in the Championship table.

Barrow: Hellewell; Low, McGilvrey, Wiper, Clay; Finch, Campbell; Whitehead, Mossop, Spencer, Harrison, Haggerty, Jones, Brennan. Subs: Nicholson, Toal, Dawson, Marwood

Halifax: Paterson; Worrincy, Tyrer, Heaton, Reittie; Murrell, Bowman; Tonks, K. Ashall, Robinson, Manning, Divorty, Adamson. Subs: Handforth, Ambler, Bracek, Davies

Referee: Warren Turley

That sums it up really, too much tinkering and no cutting edge. I accept we have been hit by injuries and the lads have tried hard but this hits the nail on the head.
Lets get it sorted for next year eh?

It's a big ask for either of us.

We know where the problems are, KH knows and the board knows.

In reality though, where are these quality, game breaking hookers and half backs that play for championship wages and fit under the championship salary cap? I suspect that is the biggest problem……....

For a start theres one playing at Leigh that didnt want to leave............

To be honest, after 2 tough games, a trip to Cumbria was always going to be a Banana skin, and I expected we might be turned over.
Theres not much the coaching staff can do this year with our current combinations either. We might as well throw in an unknown quantity and start preparing for the future, give Freddie some game time, get Nanyn back and start making the harsh decisions with the players who either cannot or do not perform at this level anymore, one of them brought his Rochdale reputation for a few months but has gone backwards and the other one has lost his roar and is playing more like Bagpuss than a tiger. These are key positions, it must be demoralising for the forwards smashing the ball up continually and having it wasted, and the same for the backs, not getting any decent space or ball to work with and having to drive it up like forwards to keep their places.
If we persist with this system and these players and get knocked out in the first round of play offs we will have missed golden opportunity, we've nothing to lose now. Freddie and Rob will at least give us a chance of returning the ball with interest and getting us on the front foot, Mick scores tries at any level and in any team, and if key ball players are not clicking, its dumb to think things will change. We look spent and short of ideas at the business end of the season again....
Its time for Karl and Lee to step up and make the big calls.

I'll echo a few of our players look like they are carrying a few too many pounds, its a professional sport, you should want to be the best you can be at any level, like Tyrer admitting he was a stone overweight earlier, surely the coach would ensure they keep in shape. An extra stone is the difference between getting to a position to make that tackle or not. We look very unfit.

In this game theres no room for sentiment and its time to say farewell to a few I think, Patto has been great for us but for a team challenging or who wants to challenge the top we need fresh players, young driven hungry players, like that Freddie guy in the reserves, get him in, players with something to prove not journey men.

I said at the start of the season I don't mind playing reserved rugby as long as it gets results and is effective against the top teams, well its not, any team worth their salt we struggle against. Our record against any team around is shocking and we don't look anywhere near as organised, fit or clinical as them.

I don't have a season ticket this year, wont buy one next year unless I see things change, so the comment rhino stated after the fev at home thrashing seems a bit untrue now, that its not about now its at the end of the season, detest comments like that, professional sports is about now, the moment etc, all this 3 year to build plan too, what does that say to the fans. Its about now, the results now. You don't see fev or Sheffield saying the same.

For a team like us with the resources we have and structure off the pitch we are way short of performing and behind the other teams. Its not acceptable, as for the players, if you not prepared to be a fully professional sportsman and keep yourself in shape or be the best you can be then move on, its not a hobby its professional sport, even at this level.

Is that the same one that is coming to the end of his career and was getting smashed on here by some last season for his decision making and the hospital passes he threw?

Face it. The stand out game breakers in the championship play have contracts with other clubs and we can't afford a transfer fee. So, where will these players come from?

Contracts mean didly squat nowadays. Other clubs find these players. Also how about promoting from the ranks, few players in the juniors at fax worth a shot. Rhino seems to have his faves and its a closed team for anyone else.

We have one of the best amateur clubs walking distance from the Shay and we don't seem to have many players playing for fax first team who came from that club. I presume super league clubs get a lot but other clubs in our division have local players who if they turn out to be a good un then go up to super league, why cant we do that.

Fev can attract players, we cant, wonder why?

Really? Barlow signed for fev then, or is he on loan cos none of the three parties can break his contract ?

Maybe we don't promote from within or pick up local amateurs cos these players aren't deemed good enough? Our under 21s get a battering most weeks

Fev attract players cos they are currently the team winning things

Yea impression I get is contracts mean nowt, look at super league more so then our league but still feel this is the case.

Our local players are good enough for a lot of super league clubs it seems, thing is we are then competing with super league clubs and kids will sign for them rather then us, though still feel we have enough local talent to address this issue.

Didn't we win the arriva cup last year and grand final 2 years before that and make appearances in 4 finals in total.

So Barlow signing a 2 year deal at Leigh.... Explain that one to me with a year of his contract left?? Waddy is right contracts mean nowt if a player wants away.