Thats what I thought when I read it. He has had his moments this year so lets hope he steps up and does a job.


I just hope Calland doesn't think Robert's is the stop gap as he is defienately a better player when in the pack.

Barker has shown glimpses, but we need more!!!

Agreed, Robbo was a little exposed at times on the flanks on Saturday with their 3/4s taking him on. Much better in the thick of it.

Gutting about Goddard and can completely understand about Bradford's decision. Lets hope Worrincy is fit so he can come onto the wing and Haley back in the centres.

To be honest I am not too bothered if we win or lose on Friday in the cup-We will have little chance of getting even to the semis. If we lose so what!

We have not seen God this year really and we face Haven away which will be hard but apart from that the other games are easier and we should win. Maybe we will look to get a loan player in but certainly no need to panic

(BOLD are home games)
Thursday 9th April - Batley Bulldogs 8pm
Easter Monday 13th April - Whitehaven 3pm
Sunday 19th April - Doncaster RLFC 3pm
Sunday 26th April - Gateshead Thunder 3pm
Thursday 30th April - Featherstone Rovers 7:45pm SKY
Sunday 10th May - Leigh Centurions 3pm
Sunday 17th May - Sheffield Eagles 3pm

Don't under estimate the positive financial impact of some more prize money plus a good gate at home v a super league side (even shared) could bring to the club. Could make the difference for the squad.

I know the winners of this competition will be awarded £100,000, the losing finalists will receive £50,000 and the losing semi-finalists will each receive £35,000. I don't know what you get at the early stages but a few thousand plus a good gate is well worth it (even with win bonus payments!)

I would disagree - i would like to see as many games as possible this year and i don't think there are any easy ones in this league anymore

It would be quite possible to reach the semi finals without meeting a super league side before that stage. I seem to remember that it didn't do Hull KR any harm having a good run the Cup in their promotion year.

Precisely ! Indeed - it put them on an even bigger pedestal of fear for their National League counterparts (even tough it was only Warrington they despatched).

I did not so easy I said easier games than Barrow away and Widnes at home.
I know a good cup run would be good financially but at what price (Player burn out, Player injury etc) I would rather see us win the League, Rail Cup to be honest

Its a hard one to call, its been a while since we had a cup run, if we beat Widnes and get another home tie against a non-SL or even an out of form SL team we can go one further.
Any sort of cup run would enhance our profile, and develop interest in the club.
We will pick up injuries during the season, that is part and parcel of the sport.
The priority has to be winning the NR Cup and the Grand Final but I'm sure any fan would like a full shay, against a SL side, on TV where we give them a game, possibly even win.
Over the next 3 seasons we won't have many "Big Games" down at the shay so we should make the most of a possible cup run.

I'm with you on this one. We aren't going to win the CC but injuries and a heavy fixture list with an already sp squad may well do more harm than good

Then again I would still like to stuff em

Why are most people not bothered abot winning this game? Where has the magic of the cup gone? Are we not bothered about a money spinning tie in the next round? Will there never be another giant killing performance from our club? Why do we bother entering the CC?

Come on guys and gals, get behind the team, bring a friend for a tenner and shout Fax to victory.

If the players read any of this the apathy will spread through the dressing room like wildfire.

COME ON FAX!!!!!

the boys are up for this game, i can asure you

I for one am really bothered about winning this game. I think it is important to the team and the fans to maintain a winning team, especially against teams in our or lower divisions.

I would accept that if we had drawn a superleague club we could have gone into the game with the "loss" in mind, but hoping to perform well, but for this game we have to go ready to win.

As do Widnes of course.

Agreed, if we were away at Saints in this game then yes, don't risk any injuries etc etc.
But at home to our biggest rivals in our division we have to win for lots of reasons, bragging rights, momentum, show that we are better team etc.
Widnes will be fired up and so will we, if we are to win on friday night i feel we will have to play the best 80 minutes so far this season, fewer mistakes, better ball control and better decision making.

As was mentioned earlier, if we do progress on friday night, there is as much chance of drawing a championship side in next round as there is of drawing a SL side, which in theory should mean us going one stage further again. Raising money and more importantly the profile and interest in the club

As people have mentioned this is the important factor, any positive coverage in the media is a bonus. Plus with the bulls doing poorly of late we may get some of the floating public back who want to watch a winning team rather than a struggling SL team.

Can't believe some people aren't too fussed if we win or not, I want to see my team win every game they play, whether it be a pre season friendly against the giants reserves or a challenge cup final against saints.

I feel the magic has gone due to Sky, as well as the RFL to some extent basically brain washing people in to thinking SL is the be all and end all! The Challenge Cup has been moved all over the place and the BBC are crap at hosting TV games and very rarely show teams from outside SL.

Also games between SL Clubs and championship clubs are often too easy to predict and the rules are unfair. For example a SL club is allowed a number of overseas players, yet a championship side only allowed one! So this rule lessons the likely hood of an upset.

I also feel the cup lost some magic when it moved away from the original Wembley being played in Cardiff, Tw##+***m and Edinburgh. The New wembley is impressive but outside its soulless with no grass to sit down on and no real decent drinking areas. Nice Modern Stadium but just lacking character for me. I have been twice.

When did SKY last mention the challenge cup, They don't even mention it in commentary.

Because they dont Broadcast it

They used to show highlights of the game late at night on the same day, dont know if this is happening this year.

I'm astounded to be honest. Do we think that just because we have won our opening two league games and 5 cup games against some garbage teams (Barrow were garbage that day) we are now something akin to a Premiership football team who do not care about the FA Cup, as it doesnt pay as well as Europe?

If I think back to memorable fax games I have seen, the majority are challenge cup games.

I cant believe the wengeresque attitude - shameful

I believe Matt Calland is playing his "NRC" squad on Friday. Resting his senior players for the more lucrative "Champions League".

I like it - Matt calland scouring the touchline with a sour grey face, eating a croissant to celebrate the emergence of his plethora of "locally" procured players.

His post match interview will simply say:

"[iI didn't see that particular incident[/i"

I'm told that Eamonn McManus at Saints has set the cup as the top priority for them. As that pays more money than the SL. Apparently, as keen as they are to win the League, they see the cup as more important for the financial side of things