Everyone will have their own opinion on Handforth but how will having a thread title calling him "absolute crap" help him or the team play better?

Maybe Nat can change the headline if he's found his dummy.

No reason to change it. In my opinion he was absolute crap yesterday. If your pack is getting beaten you get the ball in your hands and run at the line to try and make something happen. Yes everybody has off days but I haven't seen anything from him all season apart from a good few kicks and a lot of arm waving. One play summed him up yesterday; Penky took the ball in close to their line and managed to create a sizeable gap, he then picked out Handforth with the pass, did Handforth go for the gap? No, he dropped it off to Robinson to do instead, by the time he had done that the gap had closed enough for them to tackle him.

He is not an upgrade over Jones or Beswick (on the rare occasion he played HB) and defo not an upgrade over Blacky. The game was there to be won, our entire team failed to do that, but winning close games is in a half backs job description, just how many times did Blacky, Branighan or Holroyd do it for us in the last few years. I hope to be proved wrong, but that will only be done on the field. I shall purchase the Fev DVD to see it that changes my opinion of him!

save thi sen a fiver Nat.
Handforth did NOT have the awesome game some suggested at Fev. He was ok tand there it ends. The fact that runners from all over the park were strolling up the field without a hand being laid on them was not Handforth's doing. Chucking interceptions for full lengthers was NOT Handforth's doing. Leaving gaps for the fat lads to run into and score like stand offs was not Handforth's doing.
I know I have a downer on Handforth and (unlike the Batley brethren) haven't seen anything since he left us to change my mind. BUT, objectively speaking, Handforth was ok in Fax's romp at our gaff. Nowt more than that.

As you know I don't like making predictions cos it can all so oft bite you on the @r_se. But I know I'm not the only one who feels that the half back at Fax are too inconsistent and may (That's MAY) be costly in the final analysis. We will see!

So that's a no then. Great boost for his confidence. Great support Nat - well done.

Don't understand some of this quote......didn't we score two tries and one conversion in the second half and Batley score one try plus a conversion, two penalties and a drop goal?

If he needs me to boost his confidence then he has much bigger issues to attend to.

I don't mind Nat's assessment - he's entitled to his opinion but the title of the thread is uncalled for. How would he like it if he had a bad day at work and his colleagues called him absolute crap? No need for it.

Agree with this. He wasnt even our worse player on the day, in fact i thought he was far from it so to single him out is just plain wrong.

I think its funny that people even bother comparing him to Black, and i guess those that do dont really know that much about Rugby League. Black did nothing yesterday apart from about 5 minutes in the game.

I think people need to get a grip, its a tough league and yes we probably should have won yesterday which after not playing that well shows theres a lot of potential in the team and we wont be the only team to go to Batley and lose this season just the same as any team can go anywhere and pick up wins like we have done at probably the two toughest places to go Sheffield and Fev. We will be there or there abouts.

I'm trawling through the threads now to find Nat's assessment of Handforth in the game against Dewsbury. I can't seem to find it

Didn't go yesterday due to work but over the games I've seen this year I think it is time Bowman was given a chance, preferably at 6 but if not he should be on the bench before Casey.
The comments about our pack not dominating are a bit worrying as last week they but in a great performance so that iconsistency needs to ironed out.
Getting dragged down by Batley's spoiling tactics is also a worry, they ALL should have known what they'd do and learnt to deal with it, the best way to stop it is by getting on with the game and winning it.

Having a plan B would help. Seems that if we don’t get a roll on and are allowed to steam roll through with our second row, then we have no other ideas.

The 2nd half yesterday, even with 12 men, demanded the half backs to get hold of the game. Even if your pack isn’t dominating, with that slope it should have been back to basics and kick deep into the corners and force the opposition to start for way down the hill. Chance is you will forces a mistake. But our kicks were poor, Batley making it back to at least the 40 line after the first tackle.

In fairness to some of the other posts, whilst they may be a bit over the top, it is tough games like these where you expect your senior half back to take control, especially when he knows the pitch so well.

One good thing, at least the sending off will solve the selection problem (not that it should be) over the wingers for a few weeks, not that I’d pick anyone before White and Worrincy anyway.

1st time this season we have had a selection issue for me.

In the centres/wing we have gone from been strong to weak.

We have Nanyn, Tyrer, Heaton, Reittie all out.

i see it as Rob with Patto, and White with .... James Haley to make a comeback to 1st team?

Other than Haley we'd be playing 2nd rowers out of position.

Is Tyrer's injury even that bad, saw him limping off at half time but wasn't sure how serious it was?

Anyway, concerning Friday I would definitely give Bowman a chance at 6 and have Handforth on the bench.

I remember Harrison saying at the start of the season that the squad has plenty of competition in every position and will pick players on form. Apart from Fev and Sheffield away and according to those I spoke to Dewsbury at home (I couldn't go), Handforth hasn't been anywhere near good form. Bowman should have his chance.

Our pack might not have laid the platform down the slope but Handforth is good enough and experienced enough to compensate for this, especially on a pitch he knows so well.